Page 37 of Theirs to Desire (Club M: Boxed Set)

ADRIAN

I ’m walking back from lunch on Tuesday when a bracelet in a shop window catches my attention. It’s a wide platinum cuff, simple and unadorned, and the instant I see it, I can picture it on Fiona’s wrist.

Nita follows my gaze, and she gives me a sidelong look. “I didn’t know you were seeing someone.”

I don’t tend to discuss my personal life with my employees. Nita is absolutely trustworthy, of course, and I even consider her a friend, but certain boundaries exist for a reason. “It’s early days.”

Sandy had a collar. Meant for play, it was a thin gold choker.

I don’t know what happened to it. I couldn’t handle the disposal of her belongings; it was too heart-wrenching.

Sandy’s sister Diane had taken care of those details.

She might have wondered about the piece of jewelry, and she might have had her suspicions about what it signified, but she never asked.

Fiona’s too gun-shy for a collar, but a bracelet is less intimidating. More discreet. And even though it’s too soon, I like the idea of Fiona wearing something I gave her. Something to signify she’s ours.

“I’m glad.” Nita grins. “You’re far more agreeable when you’re in a relationship. Brody too.”

“That’s a polite way of saying I’m a pain in the ass, Nita.”

“Your words, not mine,” she says, her eyes dancing with amusement. “I’m going to head back to the office. Don’t forget, you’re meeting with Daniel Snow at two. It was on Brody’s calendar, but he’s busy with Patrick Cohen’s curve-ball, so I moved it to yours.”

“I’ll be there.”

I push open the jeweler’s door and walk in. “May I help you find something?” the woman behind the counter asks me.

“I’d like to see the platinum cuff in the window, please.”

Her eyes gleam in anticipation of a commission.

“Of course.” She pushes open the glass case, reaches for the bracelet and hands it to me.

I hold it in my palm, its weight satisfying against my hand.

It’s simple in design. The platinum is two inches wide.

“It’s hinged,” the clerk says. “And it clasps shut.”

You’re getting way ahead of yourself, Lockhart.

We haven’t talked about the future. All Fiona has agreed to do is play with us exclusively until the pet-play demo. Nothing else.

But I can picture Fiona wearing a bracelet on each wrist and nothing else. Her hair tumbling down her back, her rosy nipples swollen, her clit engorged, her cunt slick with arousal.

I pull out my wallet. “I’ll take two,” I tell the woman.

What the hell, Lockhart?

Fiona’s supposed to come over at seven. After a few hours in the office, and a quick stint in the gym, I get to Brody’s place a little after six.

He’s looking at his phone. “Felicity just emailed us,” he says. “Twenty percent of our business is at risk. And we’re going to lose nearly five hundred grand getting our teams home.”

“Ah well.” I shrug philosophically. “Such is life. You don’t have any regrets, do you?”

“I regret not punching Downing’s face,” he replies, not looking up from chopping tomatoes.

“Me too.” I open his refrigerator and pull out a beer. “Something struck me this weekend. Fiona doesn’t know we knew Downing was going to be there.”

He stops what he’s doing and looks up at me. “Fuck,” he swears. “This isn’t good.”

I know. At the start, protecting Fiona had been an obligation, something I did because of what happened to Lina. But that’s not the case anymore. Not after this weekend.

For two years, my life has been tinged with darkness, but Fiona’s brightness and laughter are chasing them away, replacing them with something lighter and more hopeful.

We’d been immensely lucky once to have found a woman that was perfect for us. When she was taken away too soon, I didn’t dare think we’d get another chance at love. “I want this to work.”

Brody looks up from the cheese he’s grating. “Are you sure?”

I nod, a smile breaking out on my face. “I think I am.” I take a deep breath. I never thought I’d get to this point. It feels good.

Brody gives me a direct look. “If we want this to go somewhere, we owe her the truth.”

“Tonight.”