“Well, at least you know now,” Nik said.
“And she had enough common sense to let us know her limits and safeword. How much experience do you think she has?” Ivan wondered.
My mind was everywhere. “Plenty enough, apparently,” I grumbled.
We should have given her what she wanted and spanked her ass. Then I remembered the damn whip she wore to the club. With each passing second, I was growing angrier. The thought of her submitting herself to another man made me want to kill someone. My hands shook as a deep rage consumed me from the inside out.
“I think it’d be best if the two of you spend some time alone tomorrow. Three on one will probably have her shutting down. Not to mention feeling ganged up on,” Nik suggested.
One thing I’ve always appreciated about him was his ability to be levelheaded. He was right. She’d shut down, sure as shit, if the three of us tried talking to her.
“Alek, keep in mind there are a variety of ways she may have gained her knowledge. Don’t jump to conclusions,” Nik warned.
His subtle reminder was exactly what I needed to hear. Thanking him, I left the two of them. The thought of spending the entire day alone with Kinsley filled me with optimism, and a glimmer of hope surged inside my chest. She’d come around.
Chapter 37
Kinsley
A Ride
Idecided that the best way to handle this was to schedule an Uber for first thing in the morning. Pulling up the app on my phone, I made the arrangements. Next up was booking a flight home. That took a little longer, but I was in luck. One of the airlines had multiple flights out. I booked it and then let the exhaustion take over.
I hadn’t had to confront deep emotions in a while, so I was clearly rusty. And because I’d made such a fool of myself, being near any of them had lost all appeal. It was too embarrassing. After setting my alarm, I lay down on the bed and drifted off to sleep.
The first light of dawn filtered through the curtains, and I stirred. I turned the alarm off since I beat it and was already awake. After initially falling into a deep sleep, I woke up around 2 a.m. and tossed and turned. Maybe it was the fact I was going to slip away with no explanation, and that made me seem even more childish in a thousand ways.
But the thought of seeing Alek again and trying to articulate last night filled me with dread. Not to mention I folded like a deck of cards under the slightest glance or single touch. He unraveled my defenses without even trying. There was no way I wanted a repeat of last night’s standing before him, vulnerable and exposed. That was for the birds, not me.
Now I just needed to ensure that my plan went off without a hitch. I pushed aside the flicker of fear that he might be waiting for me right outside the door. Squaring my shoulders to the possibility, I gave myself a small pep talk. I would steel myself against his charms and stand firm for once.
With a determined sigh, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. I noticed a piece of paper under the door. Quietly, I approached, hoping someone didn’t just slip it through. My heart beat loudly in my chest as I picked it up. The paper was thick, much like the card Alek had put in the gift box the other day.
I turned it over.
Your things are inside the closet. I’ve got another surprise for you. See you in the morning, kitten. Sleep well.
It was signed with the ever-present hourglass. Rolling my eyes, I scoffed. There was no apology for humiliating me last night. Typical Alek.
Well, he could go to hell for all I cared.
We had nothing left to say to one another. The silence between us last night was deafening. No gesture could fix it—not for me, anyway. If he thought I was stubborn last night, he had no clue what he was dealing with.
I was determined to see this through. It was for the best. After all, I needed an out anyway. If things had gone the way I wanted them to last night, my heart would probably be broken for an entirely different reason.
“One and done,” I murmured to myself.
Each movement I made had me pausing to see if I could hear anyone outside the door. Damn, paranoia was kicking in. But the simple act of brushing my teeth and fixing my hair felt like a necessity. No excuse for bad breath and a rat’s nest. I tilted my head and studied my reflection in the mirror.
I found a sense of satisfaction at the woman staring back at me. She looked ready to pounce if provoked. Despite all the anxiety running rampant inside my body, I appeared calm and composed, resolute even. I could do this.
Getting dressed was a whole fiasco because I didn’t want to wear the lavish clothes he’d purchased for me. Most of the ensembles were too extravagant. They were undoubtedly expensive, and I shivered knowing he’d chosen them for me.
Then I remembered that today was supposed to be a hike. I walked over to the closet and peeked inside. I pushed the fancy dresses back and found what I was looking for. A simple pair of black water-resistant pants. They were stretchy, with a relaxed fit. I slipped them on, admiring their multiple pockets.
I removed Nik’s T-shirt that I’d worn to bed last night with a sigh. After fastening my bra, I reached for the shirt in the closet. Deciding I liked the smooth texture and the lingering smell of Nikolai King better, I made the executive decision that he sacrificed his right to the clothing item and slipped it back on.
Once I tied my boots, I declared myself ready to go. I moved my blade into the front right pocket and opened my door cautiously. Making my way down the hall, I hoped I wouldn’t see anyone.
