Page 34 of His Dark Vices

And she's not going anywhere.

I can hear Chelsea just outside the door, so I quickly tuck the thong back into my pocket, pushing aside thoughts of tasting her for now. My secretary swings the door open without knocking, grinning from ear to ear.

"I was able to secure a reservation for tonight!" she sings. "It was easier than I thought. I just dropped your name, but I thought I'd have to beg and bribe," she finishes with a giggle.

Of course it was easy. I've had a private dining room reserved at Chuck's since before I met Bree at the Cozy Cup.

"I brought these," Chelsea goes on, extending two slender boxes. "You had me pick them up earlier, and I thought one of them would be perfect for tonight."

I stand up to meet her in the middle of the room and take a look at what she has. Just a couple of ties, burgundy and emerald. I run my fingers over the fabric, appreciating the quality.

"Smart girl. Which one do you think?" I ask her.

Chelsea looks down at the box, tilting her head from left to right. "Hm, how about the emerald one? Actually," she giggles and tucks her hair behind her ear, looking up at me shyly. "I have a dress that would complement this nicely."

A brief moment of silence passes between us.

Then I let out a bark of laughter, taking the two boxes away from her. She's been flaunting herself like this, pushing herself onto me since she was hired. It's rude, I know, but I can't stop laughing. I didn't think she'd assume I was taking her to dinner.

I turn back toward my desk and walk away. "I'll see you in the morning, Chels," I finally say, tossing the emerald tie on my desk.

I spare her a glance, and her face is fully red. She gives me a nod, avoiding eye contact, and shuffles out.

I bet this is the last tight outfit of hers I'll see.

My phone buzzes, a text from Bree. She can't wait to see me tonight. That tight feeling from earlier is gone. I can't wait to see her, either.

After all, we've only just started.

CHAPTER 13

Bree

The sound of rushing waves seems to engulf my whole body. With each crash, it feels like my body relaxes a little more, my feet sinking heavily into the white sand. This isn't a dream, even though just hours ago I was bundling up against the December chill. The sand squeezing between my toes and the sun heating up my bare skin are very much real. Hell, I'll even have tan lines around this sexy bikini by the time I get back home.

It's funny, I was just starting to wrap my head around the fact that I need to think about getting presents for my parents when Sam told us we were getting away for a few days. Perfect timing. I've been holed up with my laptop at home, trying to catch up on the drama gushing forth. Before, we were all chewing on bones, but now it's a feeding frenzy—the actor's wife is talking. And not to be outdone, our pop princess is talking, too.

I've been letting other journalists cover the back and forth between the women. I'm focusing on the actor and his silence, and this angle is working out great for me. I can meet mydeadlines and keep up with the rapid-fire developments—ever since that night with Sam.

I left the BDSM club that night feeling so… free, so clearheaded. It's like that scene with him put things into perspective for me. I don't need to stress out, turning my wheels endlessly and getting nowhere. I just need to relax a little, let myself go, give in to the challenge instead of resisting it.

That's why I'm here on a private sandy beach with Sam, forgetting all about Christmas next week, all about the inane drama I have to write about. Though it hasn't been so bad lately. The past week and a half, my writing has been really flowing. Yeah, it's not my favorite topic, but finding a new approach, working hard to see the situation in a new, fresh light, that really got me motivated.

Maybe I wasn't wrong to pick this path.

I'm not sure where I'll be next week. I might not spend the holiday with my parents for the first time in a long time. And I'm looking forward to that. I hadn't really considered spending more time away from them, but the more I do and the less I think about them and what they think—the less I compare—the better I feel about the little life I'm cobbling together.

I tilt my head up and let the sun warm my face.

I have Sam to thank for guiding me in this new direction. I feel freer somehow.

Despite the warmth flooding my body, a delicious shiver ripples through me. I've gotten used to this sensation, ever since that night. Whenever I have a moment to myself, my thoughts drift back to being up on that stage, how Sam made me surrender to the moment and dump out all other thoughts. It was only him and me in the end.

I offered myself fully to him.

With my eyes closed, I smile as I hear footsteps crunching in the sand, coming close to me. I was wondering when he'd beback. I turn around just in time to see Sam reaching for me. I giggle as he pulls me in close to his body. He's only wearing swim trunks, so my cheek hits his smooth chest as I wrap my arms around his back.

"I was just thinking about you," I admit, nuzzling him like a cat.

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