Page 10 of Bound By Her

And with that, he opened her front door and bounded down the steps toward the two black sedans with tinted windows.

A driver exited the first car and assisted Cole with his bags before opening the rear door.

Loretta, her business partner and friend, stepped out of the second car. Her silver hair swept up in a messy updo, and her oversized sunglasses glinted in the morning sun.

There was a timeless elegance about her—effortless, self-assured. It was something Adria had always admired.

“One-point-two mill, Dri,” Loretta said, slipping off her glasses. “An all-time best.”

Adria watched Cole disappear into the black sedan.

“Young, vibrant, brown-eyed virgin,” she replied. “They were like kids in a candy store.”

Loretta followed her gaze as the car pulled away.

“He was a good one. Your best yet,” she said softly. “Don’t discount yourself.”

“I’m not,” Adria answered quickly. “He had his challenges, but in the end, those numbers were more about him. About the work he put in.”

And that part was true. Cole had struggled with confidence. But every day, he pushed himself. By the time of the auction, he wasn’t just ready. He was captivating. The kind of submissive who could hold a room hostage with a single glance.

“Liked this one, did you?” Loretta asked, her voice knowing.

“He was sweet.”

Loretta mouthed the word like she was tasting it. “Do you ever think about keeping them?”

Adria’s eyes flicked to the empty stretch of driveway. She already felt the difference in the house.

People were always chasing the dream—white picket fences, cozy fireplaces, someone to curl up with while reading romance novels and sipping wine.

After his time with Mistress Eve, Cole would become a financial investigator. He’d be the dependable one. The guy who bought thoughtful gifts, even when there wasn’t a reason. He’d be someone’s warm, safe place.

Cole was the cottage.

He was the fence.

He was the daydream.

Adria gave a slow shrug. “He didn’t fit.”

Loretta slipped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. It was the second hug Adria had gotten in ten minutes, and she wasn’t sure what to do with that.

“Someday you’ll find someone who fits,” Loretta said. “Or at least one you can keep around that isn’t under contract.”

Adria didn’t argue. What was the point?

No one was ever going to fit. Not with her. She didn’t date. She never extended contracts. Not because of her family name. Not even because of the Nine.

But because she was the puzzle piece the dog had chewed.

No matter how carefully you tried to fit it in, it never quite matched the picture on the box.

Loretta made her way to the garden room for tea, and Adria was stopped by one of her staff members.

“This was in the dead drop today,” he said before handing Adria an envelope.

A dead drop was a pre-selected location where correspondence between families was placed. The Nine families were old school and liked to keep their digital footprint to a minimum.

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