“It’s not much of a week off if you still go in to the offices,” she pointed out.
“I’m the owner. There are certain things that only my brothers or I can do.”
She was surprised he was even bothering to explain any of this to her. She was surprised by his attitude change altogether. He was almost treating her like a human being instead of his plaything. But she’d do best to remember this wasn’t typical.
They made their way outside, where his driver, Max, was waiting. Jewell said nothing as he helped her into the backseat and then joined her. They drove for several hours, chatting about nothing of importance, and she finally found herself relaxing in his presence. She didn’t even care where they were going. He’d said a walk, but so far the only walking they’d done had been from the elevator to the car.
When the driver stopped, then quickly came around and opened her door, she was surprised to find herself at a winery and vineyard.
“We’re going to a fundraiser tomorrow night, as you know. I thought I would give you a sampling of good wines while we stretched our legs.”
Blake obviously thought she was a newbie to any wine that needed a corkscrew to open. But she wasn’t going to get all huffy about it. He was pretty much right.
And soon the two of them moved through the vineyard, and they stopped at several stations to taste the local wines associated with each variety of grape being grown, some of which left a sour taste in her mouth, and some of which she wanted much more of.
After an hour, he led her to a private balcony off the main lodge restaurant, where a table was already set with wineglasses; food arrived not long thereafter.
“I’ve spent some time mulling over what you said yesterday, Jewell, and I think I jumped too quickly to an unfavorable conclusion.”
Her heart started thundering. Did he believe her? She was too fearful to even voice the question.
His next words made her glad she hadn’t.
“Though I don’t believe your story, I do believe that there’s a story you aren’t sharing with me. I would like to know what it is,” he said levelly.
She’d had so many tastes of wine — she really should have spit them out like the experts! — that she had to fight past the fog her brain was in. Sure, the glasses had been small and they were far from full, but she must have had the equivalent of four to six full glasses. She really needed to eat some of the food before her if she wanted to come close to keeping up with him.
“I thought you told me you didn’t care about my story, Blake.”
“I shouldn’t care in the least, Jewell, but oddly enough, I find myself wanting to know more about you.”
“Why? Our time is nearly up — as if I need to remind you of that again. There’s nothing else you need to know about me.” She picked up a piece of bread and began eating it, hoping it would soak up some of the alcohol she’d already downed. She didn’t dare touch the wineglass in front of her.
“Just because our time is almost up doesn’t mean we can’t have a conversation. Sunday hasn’t arrived yet.”
“Well, I just want to get through the next few days,” she told him. Those words were truer than any other she’d spoken to him.
His smile evaporated and he looked at her intently. “I am trying to be pleasant. I don’t appreciate it that you’re not putting in the effort to do the same.”
“You can’t just flip a switch all of a sudden and expect me to pour out my heart to you. It was only a few days ago that you told me to do my job and not to even think of feeling anything about you.”
“Maybe I’ve changed my mind about that,” he said.
She looked at him in utter horror. That had to be sarcasm; it couldn’t be anything else.
His eyes turned a bit colder after seeing her response, but otherwise showed no emotion. “So you would rather I treat you as nothing but an object, something I’ve bought — no, rented?”
“Yes, I do. That would be best for both of us.”
“Fine, Jewell. You want that. You have it,” he said, and a dangerous gleam appeared in his eyes.
Their lunch was forgotten. Blake stood and held out a hand, not as a courtesy but as a command. Her stomach dipped. But she took his hand, and when she did, she swayed on her feet. Where was he going to lead her?
When they ended up in a small basement room in the large house overlooking the winery, she felt panic coming on. And with reason.
“Strip for me, Jewell. That’s what you’re so good at.”
The color drained from her face. She was a prostitute. It was for the best that he was reminding her of that fact. Trying to erase all thoughts, all emotions, to become nothing but a robot, a sex toy, she began taking off her clothes. That only dim lanterns lit the room was of small consolation.
By the time they left, Blake had stripped another piece of her soul away.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Two nights!
That’s how much time she had remaining with this man. Only two more nights. Jewell knew that she shouldn’t be elated, filled with a sense of euphoria — after all, it wasn’t as if freedom awaited her. She’d have to go back to Relinquish Control, and who knew what sort of man Blake’s successor would be? She’d really meant to give this all up, but getting custody of Justin would be so much easier if she had more money. And as he’d made her realize, she really was just a whore.
But there was no reason for her to be standing in the shower feeling almost as if doom were hanging over her head. Something more had to be going on with her.
No, she wasn’t falling in love with Blake. That would be impossible. He’d barely shown her any kindness. Yes, he’d held her close after the plane nearly crashed — though he insisted he’d had it under control — and at other times, she’d seen small moments of softness in him, but not nearly enough.
No. If anything, any time he showed the barest amount of humanity, he would quickly mask it by letting the dominant, controlling part of his personality take over. She still felt dirty after their “tryst” at the winery. He’d taken his pleasure within her against a wine barrel, and he’d done it in total silence.
So she was relieved to be leaving him. She just wasn’t relieved to be going back to the cold building where the next man would choose her as if she were nothing more than a piece of cattle up for sale. That had to be the source of the doom.
After taking her time in the shower, she took even more time getting ready for the evening. This was no stay-at-home evening of TV or kinky sex. Tonight she had to go to a fundraising dinner with Blake, and the whole idea had put her stomach in a constant state of upheaval.