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

I heard a sound at the door, peered over Ransom’s shoulder, saw Cody standing there watching us.

I felt it then, the first twinges as the green-eyed monster reared its ugly head.

“You like to watch, Cody?” Ransom called out, his eyes still on my face.

Ransom couldn’t see him, but Cody nodded, clearly remembering Ransom’s instructions not to address him directly.

“You want him to watch?” Ransom whispered roughly.

I didn’t, but I forced the next words out of my tight throat. “If it pleases you, Titan.”

When his mouth crushed to mine, I moaned, fighting the urge to grab for him, to hold on tight as he stroked me faster.

“Come for me, Jasper,” he insisted.

I groaned, the dark thunder of his voice triggering my release. My hips pumped twice, then I was coming in my boxers, the air suddenly scarce.

Ransom remained where he was, watching me intently.

“Knees,” he demanded, his voice gruff.

When he released me, stepping back, I saw him grimace again. Once more, I went into doctor mode, worried.

“Let me look at you, please.”

“Knees,” he barked again. “And if you won’t, I’ll get Cody over here to suck my dick. You want that?”

“No, Titan,” I whispered so that only he could hear. I did not want Cody to think I was purposely pushing him out, although I was. The other night had been in the heat of the moment. Now, here … I wasn’t sure I could deal with Cody touching him.

Slowly, I inched down the wall until I was kneeling before Ransom. His eyes followed me as he planted one hand on the wall behind me, the other yanking his shorts down so his thick, rigid erection sprang free.

“Open.”

I did.

Ransom guided his cock into my mouth, and he wasn’t gentle about it. I watched his face, saw the lines forming around his mouth. He was going to do this regardless of how much pain he was in. It bothered me that he was hurting, but obviously not enough for me to refuse him.

His hand slid into my hair, tightened as he pumped his hips, fucking my mouth. I gave him my full attention, sucking and stroking in tandem, working him harder until he was grunting in earnest.

“Fuck … that’s it, Jasper … that’s it, little boy.”

If I hadn’t just come, those words would’ve shot me off like a rocket. It had been so long since he’d called me little boy after he’d claimed me as his. He’d selected it because it was the opposite of Titan—a person of enormous size, strength, influence—and I wouldn’t deny, some small part of me had longed to hear it again, to feel the security that came along with the endearment.

“Goddamn.” Ransom’s grip tightened, fiery sparks shot through my scalp.

A second later, he was coming, buried deep in my throat.

I swallowed him down, holding his gaze.

That was when I saw it.

It was still there. What we’d had before was still churning in his eyes.

And it was powerful.

TWENTY-SIX

Monday, January 4, 2021

TALON

I wasn’t a man prone to apology, yet I found it was a driving force I couldn’t ignore.

I’d gone to bed last night relatively sated from my session with Auberon and Ari. No sooner had my head hit the pillow than the regret threatened to choke me. Never before had I reflected on a conversation and felt bad for my actions, but that was exactly what had plagued me through the night. Despite my efforts to redirect them, my thoughts had returned to Braelyn, to how I’d treated her.

I hadn’t seen her since I walked out after our confrontation at dinner. Admittedly, I’d been angry, an emotion I didn’t have much use for. As a rule, I kept my emotions in check, avoided relationships that would stir me up. With my possessions, I didn’t have to run the gamut of feelings. I owned them, and treating them as possessions ensured we all maintained our places, never crossing the line. When they fucked up, earned punishment of some sort, I could dole it out without worry that I would overstep. They didn’t anger me, they didn’t disappoint. They simply fucked up.

I couldn’t maintain that aloofness with Braelyn.

My reactions to her seemed to be steeped in emotions, and while it perplexed me, I couldn’t say I was shocked. After all, I’d spent a year dealing with a strange fascination I had for a woman I’d only seen once.

Last night, because of the things Tiegan had said, I’d already been on the defensive when I sat down to dinner. And in my attempt to prove a point to her, and maybe to myself as well, I had only confused the issue in my head, seeing Braelyn as my enemy when she’d done nothing to imply she disapproved of my lifestyle. In fact, she’d seemed rather tolerant in her attempt to learn.

After I’d had Auberon and Ari come in, perform for her in an effort to show her how willing to please me they were, I’d given some thought to her questions about being owned. Truth was, I’d never considered what it would mean to find someone I didn’t want to own like that. And as much as I wanted to deny that wasn’t the case, with Braelyn, it was true. She was the first person to come into my life and wreak havoc with very little effort. She rattled me, drew out emotions I purposely ignored.

Did I want to own her?

Also-fucking-lutely.

Body and soul.

But I didn’t want to strip her of choices, didn’t want to make decisions for her. I didn’t want to bark commands at her or watch her parade around naked. I liked that we could converse, that she felt comfortable with me. I wanted to explore things with her, to see the world through her eyes. There was an innocence about her I’d been blinded to because of my lifestyle. But she was open-minded, and I wanted to see where that took us.

I couldn’t do that if I pushed her away. Especially