Rachel chewed on the end of a strawberry. “Hmm, that’s a weighty allegation, Ben. And everyone in the office is behind this rumor?”
“Well it started with Patricia, you know how chatty she can be but then again everyone at the office loves to gossip so maybe it’s just a rumor?”
The Allen Brothers often fought with Rachel when they thought she went too far with her interviews. They weren’t exactly the most upstanding citizens in the state but in Rachel’s book they were good enough and sex trafficking wasn’t something they were capable of. Yet, it was something to look into to get back at them for replacing her so easily with Dana.
The fashion show had been a success and Rachel was feeling very optimistic. She had gotten to interview a couple of pop singers, actresses, business moguls, and models, all of whom had attended dressed in elaborate clothes. Thanks to Larry and the camera he provided she was also able to do her amateur photography. She was her own camera crew and scriptwriter but she was good at it. She asked the right questions and by the time she submitted the rest of her articles to Larry he was positive she was going to keep making front page.
As Nate had said, when the time came for her to leave Mainland, Tom was there to drive her to the airport. Rachel boarded the plane with him grateful to be away from all the fanfare, and Vera and Dana and Jacob…she gladly welcomed the warm Gem Hills weather when the plane was flagged down. By the time her luggage was wheeled to the back entrance, Tom was waiting for her in a car Nate sent.
In the back of the car, Rachel sat with her head pressed against the back window watching the streets go by. Tom wasn’t driving to Nate’s city apartment, he was driving to his home, the place he had taken her when he stalked her to Ermernia, the place where she signed the first contract.
It was a long ride and by the time the car rolled through the gates and into the garage to be parked with Nate’s other mechanical toys, she was exhausted. Tom got her things out of the car and a housekeeper that wasn’t there before they left for Mainland was also there to take her things upstairs to a room that had specifically been designed for her. It wasn’t the same as the last time Nate had brought her back from Ermernia. Everything smelled new.
There was a table by the window looking out into the misty river with the boats like spotted dots on the flat surface. On the table was a laptop, clearly brand-new, a camera with a flash and tripod stand, a newly installed wardrobe with some clothes and shoes in it, a new blanket over the huge bed, and a pink comforter over it.
Rachel walked into the room amazed at the personal touch. Was this what he meant by the Room?
And it had taken just 4 days to set up? She hadn’t even known Nate had been setting up a space for her in HIS house. It amazed her and it angered her. She was touched by his concern and annoyed by his control. But first, she needed to thank him for everything.
Now where to find him?
He wasn’t in the room he had taken her the last time neither was he in the living room. She walked all over the house making the softest sound with her feet. The house was quiet, too quiet for a man with a busy job. He was one of the moving powers charging the engines of Gem Hills ’economy. He was also internationally known as one of the richest, youngest billionaires – number 4 maybe. He was hot and fawned over by cougars, hot models and teenage girls alike yet here he was in the countryside of Gem Hills hiding in a mansion.
On the walls of the house hung pictures that looked like they were drawn by children, amateurish paintings that looked unbefitting for a man of his stature but who was she to talk? Each to his own taste.
She checked another room downstairs and found the housekeeper chopping vegetables on the counter. It was the kitchen.
“Oh I’m sorry, I thought this was a…Uhm my name is Rachel Rivers.”
The friendly-looking middle-aged woman smiled at her. “I know who you are Miss. Mr. Madden said you would be staying with us.”
“He did eh?” and he never consulted her about it. “Uhm about that, I need to thank him for the offer, where can I find him?”
“Oh, he must be in the library. Second floor, first door on the left, you can’t miss it. You can call me Carol, ma’am.”
She smiled at the woman. “Thank you, Carol."
Quietly she went up the stairs following Carol’s directive and came in front of a large mahogany door. It occurred to her that this was the place Nate had drawn their first contract. What was he doing in there now? Was he thinking about her?
When she opened the door she didn’t find him sitting on the huge mahogany desk with his chin in his palm thinking about her, instead, he stood by the window with his phone to his ear. His back was turned to the door and the huge bookshelf filled with new and old edition books. There was a printer, a world globe, a huge map on one wall, another painting and some other things she couldn’t see.
“I don’t care about the diamonds, Trevor, what about the children?”
He listened to the person on the other end.
“Send the diamonds to Gem Hills. Of course, I care about making the money. Vera took a chunk off of me but those children…” he suddenly stopped talking. Even though she could only see his back, she could see the tension in his shoulders and back. He knew she was there. “I’ll call you later, Trevor.”
He dropped the phone from his ear and slipped it into his pocket. “I didn’t know you were here already.”
She stepped into the room and looked around. It was masculine in every sense of the word. It belonged to the man talking about diamonds from his many mines. She was intrigued by his conversation.
“I didn’t hear you come in either," he added.
“I came in not long ago,” she said softly. Something about the atmosphere in the office put her on the edge. It was fraught with tension. It was as if she just intruded into his private space and he wasn’t too happy about it. When he turned to her his eyes raked her body with something akin to appreciation but the look in his eyes was hard. “Aren’t you happy to see me?”
“You can’t come in here whenever you want. This is my office, my private space.” He came closer to her with his hands in his pocket. When he came to stand in front of her he lifted a hand to touch the side of her face. “Have you seen your room?”
“Yes I have, I came to thank you for everything; the laptop, the camera…”
He put his finger to her mouth, gently caressing her lips dipping into the corner before outlining the heart-shaped top lip. “I accept your appreciation but...You truly belong to me now. What are you supposed to call me?”
She fought the urge to bite her bottom lip. “Master."
“Why haven’t you called me that?” he didn’t wait for her to answer. “Sshh, I will show you the room but not tonight,” his finger made another round trip around her mouth before he dropped it. “You must be tired after your trip tonight. Carol is going to serve dinner, don’t wait for me. Eat and go to bed, tomorrow is a big day.”
She didn’t argue with him, maybe it was the change she felt in him or maybe it was the fact that they were in stage 2 of their relationship. Whatever it was she nodded, turned and left the room.