given me hope.
Let me show you all the ways I can love you.
Don’t eschew the inevitable.
Because it is . . . inevitable . . .
You. And. Me.
Me. And. You.
Always yours,
Daniel
P.S. I’m out for the day. I have business to attend to and a little space does always seem to make the heart grow fonder. And I’m sure you’ll secretly miss me.
P.P.S. Took the liberty of ordering a few props for our “rehearsal.” I do believe, Miss Cole, after the way you so obviously enjoyed our scenario in the limo, you’re definitely ready for more, even if you are sharpening those shrew-like claws. Your bites and scratches won’t faze me one bit, though. In fact, I rather relish the idea of a bit of S&M.
Clever man. He always knew the right moment to hold back. Not having him here, not having him in my face alarmed me.
What ‘business?’ Where had he gone? Why couldn’t he be more specific? I held the note in my hands, my pulse racing. “Inevitable.” “Domination.” “Shattered pieces of Daniel Glass.” The words he chose were somehow shocking. It was true, he had been shattered by Natasha’s cheating. Shattered too, I supposed, by her death, even if they were about to get divorced, even though he’d known the baby wasn’t his.
Daniel loved me. Why did this terrify me? Would I lose myself in him completely if I submitted? Too late, I had submitted. This man was a powerhouse in every way. Persuasive, dominating. He could own me completely if I wasn’t careful.
It was easy to revere someone from afar. Easy, when Daniel had been unattainable. But knowing the feeling was now mutual, and the relationship was changing from distant adoration to reciprocal, the present dynamic threw everything I had come to know out of balance.
And I had been so obsessed with Daniel for so long, and put him on such a high pedestal—used to being in a position of unrequited love—that now that true love was being offered to me—our relationship on an equal footing—I was flabbergasted.
Mainly because when something seems too good to be true, it usually is.
AFTER SHOWERING I called room service and ordered a hearty breakfast of cereal, toast, eggs, and hash browns. And fresh orange juice to wash it all down. I was ravenous. Daniel had depleted me. It had been that way in rehearsals for As The Wind Blows, too. His exacting, demanding character never letting up for a minute. His intense, blue-eyed gaze always on me, as if judging me, sizing me up. And now that there was sex in the equation, it was even harder to hold my own. My resolve of fighting for my independence was already waning. The ache between my legs, the throb of wanting him inside me, holding me in his arms, his breath on my face, his tongue in my mouth, had already picked up pace. And it wasn’t even midday.
I replayed the limo scene in my mind and heard a low wistful whimper coming from my throat. I needed this man, for better or worse.
And boy, was I ready to start “rehearsals.”
My cellphone caught me out of my reverie. It was Will. What had he done last night? It didn’t bear thinking about, but I needed to let him have his freedom. Even if he was my little brother, Will was now twenty-one, and had shown us that he had a mind of his own. He was a man now—his body alone, not to mention his sexual appetite—had turned him into a new person.
“Will, what happened last night, how come you never showed?”
“I did, but you’d gone. You’d gone. Janie. Your guy’s name is Daniel Glass, right? Right? The director you like? The director? The one who bought you that dress and took you to the party?”
“Yeah,” I said, my voice tentative.
“The fuck!” Will shouted. “I met a couple blondes who told me—”
“No, Will, it’s all gossip, don’t believe—”
“How could he do that to you?”
“Will! Listen, it’s all . . . Will, are you there? Hello . . ooo?” But he’d hung up.
I called my father. It took him a while to pick up. My gaze wandered to the Strip from the penthouse window: cars passing, people wandering in an out of hotels and casinos, the bright lights and neon signs of Vegas twinkling and flashing, the pale purple mountains in the distance, reminding you that this was nothing more than a massive patch of uncompromising desert.
“Janie,” Dad said breathlessly. “Great to hear your