Page 9 of The Billionaire Submissive
“So how do you go from a piece of paper to…that?” He pointed at the wall where she’d hung several different projects for display.
“I cut up the pattern. Then select the glass for each piece of the puzzle. Not just color is important in this stage—but also the pattern and design in the glass itself. Some of the carnival glass is very busy and uneven in thickness. It won’t fit in certain designs—but will absolutely make the piece sing if put in the right place. Like this.”
He walked closer and studied the pieces of glass on the table. It was like a kaleidoscope puked out its contents onto the table. Random shapes of glass, mixed up colors. Pretty, but no defined pattern that he could see.
“Each one of these is cut out by hand.” While he watched, she rearranged the shapes, lining them up to match the pattern. “Even after all these years, I still break glass unexpectedly, so I can’t rush it. The better each piece is cut, the less time I have to spend grinding down the edges, because it has to be perfect or even a fraction of an inch will cause it not to fit together.”
Then he could see it. A sunrise, with rays of light shooting through the sky. She’d used at least three different colors of blue, including one with a swirl of white that made it look like clouds scuttling across the sky. Below, greens and bright colors made up a patchwork of green hills and fields of flowers. The focal point was the burning sun rising above the hills. The glass with a bright mix of yellow, orange, red and white, the surface uneven as if it’d been made by hand.
“This pane is only 10x20 inches and takes sixty-three pieces of glass. Once each piece is cut and ground to the appropriate size, I have to wrap each one in lead.” She moved down the table to the opposite side, where a vise held long strips of lead. “Once I can assemble the pieces together and they’re fitting nicely, I can begin to solder them together. Then they still need to be cleaned, cemented and polished, all which can take a full weekend to prep. In the end, I’ll probably have at least fifty hours of work in this single piece, and that’s if everything comes together perfectly the first time.”
Fifty hours for such a small piece. At that rate… “You’re going to need a small army to finish my windows by Christmas, then.”
The look on her face was priceless. She opened her mouth, but she had to take a deep breath and swallow before she could reply. “Christmas? That’s only…”
“Six months.”
“If you want it done so quickly, then I’m not the best person for the job. I don’t work like that.”
“You are the best person for the job. I want you to oversee it, but hire as many workers as you need to finish it.”
She stared down at the worktable. Gnawing on her lip, she removed the rubber band and undid her braid, aimlessly combing her fingers through the thick mass of hair while she thought. “It might take weeks to finalize the design. I don’t even know what the theme is going to be, let alone the colors… Even then, I still have to pick out the glass for each individual pane. It’s a massive undertaking and if I rush it, neither of us will be pleased with it.”
He thought he had her hooked by the idea, and she wasn’t afraid of the scope of the project. It was the deadline overwhelming her. If he pushed too hard, he’d lose her. She wouldn’t risk failing on something—especially to a potential submissive. She had to be in control and confident every step of the way or she wouldn’t accept the job. “I don’t want it rushed, but once I set my mind on something, I want it done yesterday. If we don’t hit Christmas exactly, it won’t be the end of the world. I don’t have an event planned to announce the unveiling. Why don’t you write up a project plan for me? Then I’ll know how quickly you need answers on the theme, design and color, and then we can begin hiring enough workers to finish the windows as quickly as possible.”
He glanced around the garage once again, impressed with what she’d been able to do alone, but also realistic. “You’re going to need a lot more space.”
“Assuming I agree to take on the job.”
“You will.” He gave her a very rare thing indeed—a genuine smile. “You can’t resist a challenge.”
“Are you so sure?”
“For my sake, I hope so.”
She sighed ruefully. “That’s one hell of a good private investigator you hired, Mr. Morgan. How’d you figure out all of this about me from a few sneaky photographs?”
It was his turn to look away and run his hand through his hair. He wanted to take off his tie and loosen the neck of his shirt, but that might be too informal too quickly for her. “I have an instinct for people. That’s why I’ve been able to take a modest family business and turn it into an international billion-dollar company. The numbers are just columns on paper. In the end, it’s the people who make or break a deal.”
He spared a glance at her, not surprised to see her studying him as avidly as he’d done earlier. “You’re a surprising man, Donovan.”
To hell with it. He loosened his tie to relieve some of the pressure on his throat, hoping she wouldn’t sense what really troubled him. He didn’t want to think about it himself.
If I’m going to have something tight on my neck, I want it to be hers. Because she has me collared and bound.
“Very well,” she said. “How soon do you want to meet and go over contracts?”
He locked his knees to keep from sagging with relief.Contracts. Plural. So she’s at least willing to consider taking me on as a submissive in addition to the windows.He waited until he could reply without his voice breaking or cracking like a fool. “Tomorrow morning, nine.”
Her eyebrows rose. “So quickly?”
“I never approach a deal unless I’ve already run my numbers and decided what I want and what I’m willing to give.”
“Eleven. I’m not a morning person.”
No way in hell was he waiting until lunch to settle this. “Ten,” he countered. “And I took the liberty of writing up both contracts to make this deal as expedient as possible. They’re in my car.”
“Contracts?”A sliver of displeasure sharpened her voice. “You’re forgettingmycontract. When it comes to Mistress L, my contract is the only one that counts.”
