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Then she’d compounded the torture by imagining him with Ashley.
Jealousy and dread tore through her stomach. She pushed it away and finished washing.
After drying herself, she walked naked into Noah’s dressing room and peeked through his clothes. On one side, sharp designer suits hung neatly next to four trays of ties and cufflinks. On the other, casual clothes, shoes, and men’s accessories had been laid out. She picked up a Vassar College T-shirt and pulled it over her head. She was about to turn away when she noticed the closet at the end of the room.
Intrigued, she opened it and froze.
She’d never shied from using sex toys for self-satisfaction when her needs had grown too explosive to handle. But compared to her paltry collection, Noah’s was the super-deluxe version.
She bypassed floggers, ball gags, and cock rings and stopped in front of the heavy-duty stuff. A five-rung silver rack with black straps hung on a spike. Next to it, a three-foot metal rod with cuffs at each end leaned against the wall. She touched the cool metal and her pulse shot up.
“Sweetheart, you coming to ea?—”
She jumped and whirled to face him. Noah’s gaze raked over her as he strolled lazily toward her, all lean hips and sleek muscles. At some point he’d rolled up his sleeves so his forearms glistened gold under the dressing room lights. His hair was a touch disheveled as if he’d run his hands through it a few times.
God, he was beautiful.
He stopped in front of her. “You’re wearing my favorite shirt and you’re standing in my favorite room. I may never let you leave,” he growled.
The combination of rough tone, delicious man, and wall-to-wall sexy toys threatened to fry her synapses. He stepped up toher, turned her around so her back was to his chest, and leaned down.
“Which one would you like to try first?” he whispered.
She touched the metal rod. “What does this do?”
“The straps go around your ankles so you can’t close your legs. I like the idea of having you wide open to me for hours while I make you come again and again.”
Shivering, she touched the rack.
“That goes on the wall in my bedroom. Same principle. Full and unfettered access. But that comes with complete trust. And we’re not quite there yet. Ceding control to me in the bedroom was a first step, but there are several steps to complete trust, baby. I want you there with me when we use this.”
He took her hand and led her out.
“Come and eat. If you’re good, I’ll let you choose something from in here later.”
Leia tried not to be hurt about the trust remark. Deep down, she knew he was right. Her first instinct when the shit hit the fan today had been to run and hide the way she’d been doing for the last five years. She’d almost walked away because she’d been too scared.
It was time to shed the fear and take a leap.
She curled her fingers around his, and he sent her a smile as they entered the living room. She hadn’t taken the time to check out his condo before, and she now looked around.
“Wow, I love your place.”
His smile widened. “Yeah?”
She nodded. The living room was huge with vast amounts of open space. White furniture dominated, contrasted with bold splashes of color that drew the eye to strategic pieces of modern art in the room. Floor-to-ceiling windows met on two sides. At this time of night, she couldn’t see the ocean but by day it would be spectacular. “I’ve never been in a billionaire’s pad before.”
He caught her to him and smacked her hard on the ass. “And you’ll never see another unless it’s mine.”
His hand soothed her flesh. Then he groaned when he realized she was naked beneath. “Let’s eat. It’s been nearly twenty-four hours since I last fucked you. You’re getting it rough and merciless for what you’ve put me through today, but you’re also getting it fast.” His eyes held a shade of vulnerability and hurt. “I also need your vocal cords functioning tomorrow for when we meet my guy.”
He started to walk away, but she caught him back and touched her fingers to his cheek. “Noah, I’m sorry I didn’t call. I was scared you’d think the baggage was too much.”
His hand pressed her fingers into his cheek and he kissed her palm. “Sometimes our nightmares loom larger than they really are. Willoughby is a problem. The videos are a problem. But they’re not problems you need to deal with alone. I told you, you’re mine and I’ll take care of you.”
They shared a smile that stung her heart and pierced her to the core. For a moment she didn’t recognize the feeling. Then it slammed into her.
Happy. She was happy.