Owned (Office Intrigue Book 8) by Nicole Edwards (bill gates book recommendations txt) 📕

I checked to ensure everything else was closed up tight. We had no issues here on the island, but everyone knew there was medication kept on the premises, and since I was responsible for it, I was a stickler for ensuring I checked and rechecked everything. I took all of my responsibilities seriously.

“You don’t have to hide it from me,” Cody stated. “I’m happy for you.”

“There’s nothing to be happy about.” That much was true. I had no idea what Ransom wanted from me. Nor did I know what I wanted from him.

“Liar.”

I didn’t fall for the bait. Cody liked to get me riled up, and I refused to get into it right now.

“Enjoy it,” Cody said, walking alongside me toward the villas.

I stopped, turning to face him. “I don’t know if I can.”

Cody’s eyes bounced over my face and he smiled. “Sure you can. Just let go for a little while.” He playfully patted my cheek. “And just know, if he doesn’t satisfy you, you can fuck me senseless when you come home.”

Rolling my eyes, I shook my head and started down the path again.

“Just remember, you’ve got to tell me all the dirty details later.”

That was another thing I liked about Cody. He was not shy, enjoying dirty and raunchy like me, plus he was into the graphic discussions that were great as foreplay.

I didn’t respond as I came to the fork in the sidewalk. The right would take me to Ransom’s, the left to the villa I shared with Cody. I didn’t know which way to go, so I stood there. If I’d believed in a higher power, I would’ve prayed for the wisdom to make the right choice.

“Go,” Cody said playfully, shoving me to the right. “It’s not like you’re gonna marry the guy.”

Before I could argue, before I could seek some wisdom from my closest friend, Cody sauntered off and I was left standing there. I could see Ransom’s villa, knew that going there would alter the course of my life. Again. Whether for good or bad this time, I didn’t know.

But I had to find out, didn’t I? It wasn’t like I could spend the rest of my life wondering what might’ve been if only I’d had the guts to go after it. It wasn’t like the past nine years had been exceptional on any level. The least I deserved was to find out if Ransom really was the key to my happiness.

Forcing my feet to move forward, I closed the distance between me and Ransom’s front door. I debated on whether or not I would get naked. I could simply walk in, insist we talk for a little while. Surely he would understand.

Then again, Ransom had always stood his ground. When he’d instructed me to do things and I failed him, there was always swift punishment. Brutal sometimes. And yes, there’d been many instances when I would rile him up simply to get that punishment because I enjoyed my fair share of pain, although I would not consider myself a masochist.

Would he do that now? Tie me up and torture me? Or would he simply write me off and move on to one of the possessions that were available? There were certainly plenty for him to choose from.

The thought of Ransom with one of them lit a fire in my blood, had me stripping out of my scrubs, tossing them to the ground.

I paused, buck-ass naked, staring at the pile of clothing. Only once did I reach down, but stopped myself, standing tall.

I had to do this.

Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the door handle, depressed the button, and pushed it open. I stepped inside to find it was dark except for a lamp on next to the sofa.

Shutting the door, I paused where I was, trying to acclimate my eyes to the darkness, at the same time doing my best not to hyperventilate.

“Very nice.”

I turned my head in the direction of the voice, making out the shadow of a man sitting in one of the cushioned chairs in the living room.

“Thank you, Titan,” I said softly, falling into the role of Ransom’s submissive so easily. No denying, I’d missed belonging to someone the way I had Ransom.

More so, I missed belonging to Ransom.

It was as though not a day had passed since I’d done this very thing in one of Ransom’s hotel rooms. The ones he would rent just for the two of us because he wasn’t willing to introduce me to his sister yet, nor was he willing to tell me why that was.

Back then, things had been so simple. I’d been absolutely head over heels for the man, so in love my heart felt like it would explode from it. And I’d thought Ransom had been in love with me, too. It had taken some time to realize that his inability to share his life with me, to introduce me to his family, to truly let me in proved otherwise.

“Come here,” Ransom commanded, drawing me out of my thoughts.

My legs actually worked, keeping me upright as I made the short trek across the room. I stopped when I was standing directly in front of him, the lamp now at my back, which allowed me to see every nuance of his handsome, chiseled face.

“Are you excited to see me?”

Before I could answer, Ransom’s warm hand curled around my cock. A barely there tease that had me gasping.

“You are.”

“Yes, Titan.”

Just referring to him that way brought on so many memories, all the good times we’d had together, stirring up the emotions I’d thought had dissipated.

It had been the most amazing part of my life, a time when I’d been seeking something more, something that had taken me a while to come to terms with, something I desperately needed and had finally figured out the necessary path to find it. Then Ransom had appeared, just another Dominant I figured would pass me over like he did all the others. Only he hadn’t. And