Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 144628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 723(@200wpm)___ 579(@250wpm)___ 482(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 723(@200wpm)___ 579(@250wpm)___ 482(@300wpm)
Home. That was a word she shouldn’t think either. This gorgeous condo wasn’t her home. It was her asylum for the moment. And she wasn’t making love with Michael every night. She was using him to help her process her emotions. That was all.
Sure it was. She was already softening toward the man. He glanced over from where he was buttering his toast, and she couldn’t help the fact that her heart skipped a beat.
“I think having the police release the full report helped.” Michael put another two slices in the toaster. “DPD made it clear you were the victim. Couple that with the fact that you were almost stabbed and now the press is starting to look at Junior as the bad guy.”
Lane Hannon was worth her weight in gold. The New York-based crisis handler had worked wonders to turn the narrative around. There had even been a spot on one of the national morning shows where they discussed if the press had been fair to Vanessa Hale.
It was a start.
In a few weeks, maybe a month, she would be able to quietly move out of Michael’s place. She’d already talked to Dani about taking a small apartment in the Lodge Corp building. It would be a good place to start over. And The Club was right downstairs. She had definitely decided that she wasn’t giving The Club up. D/s had been her haven for the last week. When she was in the playroom or The Club, she’d been able to let go and allow herself to feel every emotion inside her. She didn’t have to hold it all in. It was her safe place, a place where she could be herself fully.
Michael had given her that place.
She’d started to wonder if maybe they could continue a straight-up D/s relationship. She would only see him on club nights, and they wouldn’t pretend that it was an emotional thing.
And she gave that two days before she ended up with him in her bed or her in his.
She was going to have so much trouble quitting this man.
Was she going to quit him?
“I want to take Vanessa to the country club next week,” Ava was saying. “We’re having a charity luncheon that would be the perfect time to introduce her to our friends.”
Oh, that sounded like a terrible idea. It kind of panicked her. “Why would you do that?”
Ava was wearing a designer suit and a killer Chanel necklace, her hair perfectly done. She’d stayed with them the night before because she had an early meeting in Dallas and hadn’t wanted to fight her way through traffic.
Vanessa hoped she hadn’t heard them in the playroom last night. She’d thought about pretending she wasn’t sleeping in Michael’s room. Ava would have gone to Simon and Chelsea’s and stayed in their guest room. But then she wouldn’t have talked to Ava, wouldn’t have gotten her impressions of how things were going, wouldn’t have felt the other woman’s deep approval of how she was dealing with Michael. It had felt good to sit and have dinner with Michael and Ava, to have Ava kiss her cheek and wish her good night.
And she hadn’t been willing to give up even a single night in the playroom. There were so few of them left.
Ava sipped her own coffee. “Because it’s important they get to know you, of course. It’s a show of family unity. I wouldn’t bring anyone Michael wasn’t serious about to the club. Out of all the women he’s dated over the years, I’ve only brought one. It’s not scary. It’s nothing more than a group of women I’ve known for decades who like to help out their community. And there might be a tiny spot of wine involved. Nina will come, too.”
“It’s good for you to get out there,” Michael murmured, setting two pieces of toast in front of her. “Lane said she wanted you to show your face around town or you’ll give the impression you’ve got something to hide.”
She was sick of impressions and honestly, hiding was an underappreciated activity. “I would think the country club wouldn’t want the kind of exposure that comes with hosting someone like me.”
Ava waved that off. “Darling, these are bored wealthy women who watch far too much Real Housewives. Now their families would never allow them to actually star in one of those, but a day in the spotlight would make them all feel very scandalous and important. The minute I tell them you’re coming with me, they’ll all make Botox appointments.”
“There won’t be a single expression in the whole place.” Michael’s lips quirked up in a grin. “Even if they were upset, you wouldn’t be able to tell.”
Ava frowned her son’s way. “I still have plenty of expression, I promise. When skillfully done, it simply keeps one a bit smoother. And I assure you even if I had far too much, I could make you understand my emotional state.”