Page 65 of The Billionaire's Baby

"It may have crossed my mind, yes." I rub my jaw. "And okay, I did prepare for the eventuality that she’d one day be on the boat with me, but the storm and being holed up here… Nope, not that."

"Your mind is a powerful tool. When you truly want something, it can manifest it for you."

"And how’s that working for you? What have you manifested lately, Father?"

"A reality that I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life."

"You could change it," I point out.

"Could I?" he mutters. "The only way to avoid regret is to say yes to opportunity, after all, so yeah, you may be right."

"You talk in riddles, Ed." I bark out a laugh. "And yet, you often make more sense than anyone else I know."

"That’s me," Edward’s voice is bitter, "I can help others see the way, but my own way is not that simple to spot."

"Isn’t that the truth?" I roll my neck. "And by the way, that entire regret versus opportunity thing... I hope you meant it for yourself."

"Maybe…" I sense him shrug over the waves, "maybe not. But this conversation is about you. So, what are you going to do next?"

"I…—" I hear a noise behind me, see her standing inside the door, "I have to go." I disconnect, and turn as she makes her way over.

"What are you wearing?" I take in the sweatshirt, the rope tied around her waist that outlines her hourglass figure, a reminder of how good she’d looked when I’d bound her, how beautiful she’d look if I were to tear her clothes off, then tie her up and suspend her, with her legs wide open before I take her.

"These are the clothes you left out for me."

"No, I didn’t." I gesture to the rope about her waist.

"You mean this?" She dances her fingers over the rope. "I found it in the closet. I needed to find a way to hold up your jeans."

She blinks rapidly at me, "You don’t mind, do you?"

My fingers tingle to reach out and yank the rope off of her, then tear off the rest of her clothes, before I bind her again and…Stop with that. You bind her one more time, and you won’t be able to walk away from her.Weird, where are these thoughts coming from? I’ve never had such an emotional reaction to any woman before. Hell.

"Who were you talking to?"

"Edward."

She glances at my phone, "Think I can use it to call my team?"

"Do you want to call your team?"

She rolls a strand of her hair around her fingers. "No, strangely not." She shakes her hair back from her shoulders. "I don’t miss the daily routine as much as I thought I would."

"Perhaps you were ready for a break?"

She glances around the small shed, "What’s this place?"

I watch as she takes in the hard point in the ceiling, the mat below it, the ropes folded into figure eights that line up one wall, the other paraphernalia I use in my art on the table that stands against the opposite wall.

"Oh," she gulps, "so this is where you bring your women?"

I fold my arms over my chest and widen my stance. "There’s only ever been one woman here, and that’s you."

24

Karina

My heart begins to race, my pulse pounds, and my throat closes. I stare at him, trying to understand what he’s saying. "So, no one else has been here before me?"