Page 38 of Grift

Jessica

Patrick leaves me there for forty-five minutes before he comes back, with dinner. I watch the glacial progression of the clock on the wall, just opposite of where I lay. He didn’t tie me up tight. I could have untied myself at any point.

Reached down and finished what he’d started at any point.

Got up and left at any point.

But that wasn’t the point of any of it, so I wait, my face hot and my need slowly easing. I am so frustrated.

By the situation.

By him.

By what my body does every time he’s in the same room.

It’s not fair. I’ve been naked, exposed, writhing in pleasure at his touch or at his whim multiple times. And I’ve not gotten to do so much as touch him.

It’s not the important thing, but it’s all I can think about laying on the expensive leather couch with a silk tie circling my wrists and my ass still stinging a bit from the spanking he’d given me earlier today.

A week ago, if you’d told me that I’d have ended up here, I wouldn’t have believed you. It is so far from anything I’d imagined, anything I thought I wanted. And yet, here I am, anxiously watching the door and listening for his footsteps.

By the time he comes back, I’m furious.

He regards me with a smile, and then slides the plates on the table. He’s showered, gotten dinner and looks totally relaxed. The sight of his hard body wearing only a t-shirt and silk workout pants leaves me more frustrated than ever.

He unties me, helps me slide my clothes back on, and kisses me very lightly on the lips before guiding me to sit down at the table.

We’re barely partway through dinner when his phone lights up.

I expect him to take the call elsewhere, but he doesn’t. Just looks at me to make sure that it’s alright to answer.

“Yeah, Finn, what’s up?”

He listens.

“Shit. I’m having dinner with Jessica. Let me finish up here and I’ll be right there.”

He disconnects.

I focus on the sushi, which is delicious.

“I need to head back to the Casino for a bit tonight. Is that alright?”

Why does he keep asking me? And more to the point, what would he do if I said no?

But the truth is that I’ve got a bunch of work to catch up on after the wedding and distractions of the last week. A couple of hours to dig into my email isn’t the worst thing. And some time to think.

I skim an avocado roll into ginger sauce.

“Is everything okay?”

There’s a long minute where he considers me and then he nods. “Jimbo managed to piss off the city’s gaming inspector again.”

Jimbo? I can’t repress a snort. He grins.

“Luckily the inspector and I are old friends. Finn unfortunately slept with his wife several years go, at least twice, so I’m going to have to go back and sort it out,” he sounds regretful.

A few minutes later, he’s out the door and I can’t seem to get settled. The apartment is beautiful and I’ve been made to feel totally at home. Yet I can’t shake the feeling that I’m trapped here.

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