Beautifully damaged boxs.., p.21
Beautifully Damaged Boxset, page 21
“Ah, Pierre.” Brynn kissed him on his cheek, then squeezed his bicep. “How are you?”
“Wonderful. I’ve been busy buying art and working with galleries around the globe. I’ve finally made myself a name in the world of art, sex, and drugs.” He chuckled. “Speaking of sex ...”
Brynn raised her eyebrow, and Pierre had the decency not to finish his statement. “Pierre, I’d love for you to meet Holden’s girlfriend, River.”
Pierre assessed me harder than he had Brynn. “Holden Alastair?”
“Yeah.” I gave him a little wave, feeling horribly self-conscious.
“Damn, girl. You must be something else to make the Pacific Northwest’s most eligible bachelor settle down.”
“Pierre, you’re embarrassing her.” She winked at him.
“Did you meet Holden at 4 Play?” Pierre asked.
Shit. How was I going to explain how we met?
“No, she didn’t meet him there. They met through a mutual friend.”
Relief washed over me, and I mentally thanked Brynn for saving me from sharing personal details with someone I didn’t know.
“Well, River, if Holden breaks your heart, just let me know. Maybe I can talk you and Brynn into getting a room together on the lower floor.”
I choked and turned away quickly. What the fuck? This guy was seriously forward. He was obviously a member at 4 Play, too.
“Behave, Pierre,” Brynn scolded.
Pierre chuckled, then Brynn got down to business and had Pierre give us a tour of the new pieces that had arrived. Vaughn walked quietly behind us, and I constantly checked over my shoulder for Tim.
“River,” Vaughn softly said from over my shoulder. “I’ll make sure no one messes with you, including him.” He gave a discreet nod in Pierre’s direction. “You’re safe.”
I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Thanks,” I replied in a hushed tone. “I appreciate it.”
Once Vaughn had reassured me, I was able to relax and enjoy the rest of the afternoon. Some of the art pieces were seriously strange, but one in particular grabbed my attention. A faceless woman stood naked, her palms covering her breasts. Red, yellows, and blues dripped down her skin, mixing together. The complexity of who she was, her feelings, and the depth to her many layers struck a chord inside me.
I slipped my arm through Brynn’s. “This is amazing.” I remained still, admiring the painting and the emotions it evoked.
“You like it?” Brynn glanced at me, then back to the piece of art.
“Yeah, and the longer I stand here looking at it, the more I love it,” I confessed.
“Pierre, are there any additional pieces to this one?” She patted my hand.
“There are four total. They can be sold separately or together. In my opinion, it would be a shame to separate them. The girl has different poses and colors in each. Would you like to see the others?”
“I would,” I chimed in. Pierre took us to the back of the gallery, where the other three pieces graced the wall. In two of the paintings, the girl had a face and was crying. In the additional one, she was faceless.
“What do you think?” Brynn asked me. “They’re gorgeous, if you want my opinion. If you and Holden don’t get them, I will.” Brynn grinned at me.
“Hands off, lady.” I giggled, then took my phone from my back pocket. “Pierre, can I take a few pictures and send them to Holden? I would like his thoughts as well since they’ll be in our new home.”
The color drained from Pierre’s features. Maybe he didn’t think Brynn was serious when she explained that I was Holden’s girlfriend, but it seemed as though he understood now.
“Turn your flash off.” He stepped away and gave us some privacy. I snapped the pictures of the pieces individually, then together.
Hey, babe. What do you think of these for the penthouse?
My phone buzzed almost immediately.
They're fantastic. Buy them, and we’ll store them until our place is ready. On second thought, I’d like to strip you down and paint you. He added a smiley emoji.
I laughed as my fingers danced across the screen with my response. I love you too. I’ll let Pierre know we want them.
Excellent, meet me at 4 Play when you and Brynn are done. Let Brynn know the guys are here as well.
I replied with a heart and an eggplant.
LMAO. Get your ass over here. I miss you.
“Pierre, we’d like the set, please.” I grinned at Brynn. “Holden likes them, too.”
“Of course, he does. You picked them out.” She gently nudged me with her elbow and winked at me. “Tell Pierre to put the art on Holden’s account.”
I blanched. “He buys here a lot?”
“Next time you’re on the top floor of the club, look around. A lot of expensive, seductive art.”
“And how would you like to pay for this today?” Pierre asked, rubbing his hands together. “The total cost is five hundred thousand dollars. We take credit card—”
I smiled, then interrupted him. “Please put it on Holden’s account.” Proud of myself that I didn’t pass out cold on the floor from the price tag, I offered him a confident smile.
“I’ll need his authorization. You understand.”
I did, but the tone in Pierre’s voice was condescending and I didn’t appreciate it.
I tapped Holden’s number on the screen and held it up to my ear.
“Hey, babe,” Holden answered. “Does he want to make sure that I sent you in there to buy something?”
I couldn’t help but grin. “Yeah. I’ll let you speak to him.” I offered Pierre my cell, then studied his face while he spoke to Holden.
“Yes, of course. Anything you want. Absolutely.” Pierre nodded enthusiastically, then said goodbye. He gave my phone back to me.
“Are you still there?” I asked Holden.
Holden’s deep chuckle rumbled through the speaker. “You can shop there anytime you want. I gave you authorization to buy the entire store and threatened his job if he laid a hand on you.”
“What?” I slapped Brynn’s arm, my eyes widening. “Why?”
“I know Pierre, and he’d either try to sleep with you or he’d treat you like the scum of the earth unless I let him know how it would play out for him,” Holden explained.
“He’s a member,” I whispered. “He already—”
Brynn jabbed me in the side and shook her head.
“Already what?” Holden’s tone was clipped.
“He already mentioned that he knew you from there.” I bit my lower lip, hoping I saved us from unnecessary drama. I could handle Pierre, but I would prefer to stop running into men that were absolute pigs.
“All right. Let me know if there’s ever a problem, though.”
“I will. Brynn and I should be there shortly.”
“Good. I miss you.” I could hear Holden smile through the phone. “Love you.”
“Love you, too.” I disconnected the call and leaned on my cane.
“That’s all I need. I’ll contact you or Holden to schedule the delivery,” Pierre said, his voice warm and friendly.
“Thanks for your help.”
Once we were outside the gallery, I glanced at Brynn. “I feel like I need a shower after being around him. Eww. He’s hot but an absolute asshole.”
“Now you know why I adore Holden so much. This world is filled with disgusting men that don’t respect women. You’ve got a good one.”
I inwardly swooned a little. Holden was one of the good ones. “Oh, the guys are at the club. Holden said to come on up.” I peeked at the time on my phone before I shoved it into my pocket. “I’d like to change into some of my new clothes first. Ya know, get his first impression.”
“Oh, great idea.” Brynn slipped her sunglasses into place as we arrived at the Mercedes in the parking garage. “Wear your Sevens, black boots, and that burgundy blouse. While we’re at Holden’s, grab the necklace.”
My stomach shook and I wondered if Tim might show up. “Vaughn, are you able to accompany us inside Holden’s house?”
“I will if you need me too.”
“Please.” I grabbed Brynn’s hand, wondering if Tim had come back home.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Brynn and I strolled through the club at a little after eight. The party hadn’t even started. I self-consciously ran my fingertips over my necklace, loving what the H stood for. Maybe I should wear it all the time. If Pierre had seen it, he’d have understood not to offer himself to Brynn and me.
I tucked my new dark wash jeans into my black boots and left my blouse unbuttoned to show a little cleavage, but not too much. It had been Brynn’s idea, and since I was with her and Vaughn, I felt comfortable enough to leave a few of the buttons undone. Plus, we were going up to the third floor without stopping.
We were flooded with attention as we walked through the main floor and to the elevator. I pushed the button, and the doors whooshed closed. “He said to meet them in the party room.”
Brynn rolled her eyes. “The guys are here so much they set up a pool table, television, PlayStation, and Xbox upstairs. That’s the party room.” She grinned. “Holden’s been known to sleep here on occasion after a late night.”
I almost asked with who, but I caught myself before I stuck my foot in my mouth. Holden hadn’t ever tried to hide the fact that he’d been a player, but I didn’t want to know about it.
The elevator stopped, and we stepped into the same hallway as the conference room. Brynn made a left, and I followed her. “Here we are.” She turned the handle and opened the door. Vaughn remained outside in the hall. I bet his job was boring as hell sometimes.
“Dayummm.” Jace stood, his eyes on Brynn and me.
“Back up, man.” Holden playfully smacked Jace on the chest, then approached me.
“You. Look. Sexy. As. Fuck.” Holden slipped his arms around my waist and planted a searing kiss on my mouth.
A low whistle filled the man cave, then laughter. I peeked around my boyfriend, my attention landing on Chance.
“You two are steaming up the room. I’m not going to be able to see the game if you don’t stop.” Chance leaned to the right, his fingers flying over the controller.
Brynn laughed and sat on the arm of the couch near Chance.
“Did you have a good day?” Holden whispered against my ear.
“I did. It was really good.” I peered up at him through my eyelashes, heat stirring deep inside of me.
“Excellent. I have something to show you.” He kissed my forehead and took my hand. “See you all in a bit.”
The guys just grunted at us as we slipped out of the room. Holden led us to the elevator. “Vaughn, we’re going to the penthouse. We’ll be back in a few.”
“Sir.” Vaughn nodded, acknowledging Holden’s request.
“I wanted to show you the space.”
“I’m excited. Hopefully the new art pieces will work well with it.” Anxiety hummed beneath my skin as Brynn’s earlier conversation played in my mind again. I’d promised not to tell Holden, but now that I was with him, I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do. My conscience flipped around faster than a weathervane in a tornado. Either way, there would be consequences.
The elevator doors pinged and slid open. We strolled down the hall, then to a door. Holden removed a key from his jeans pocket and unlocked it. I chewed on my lip. That had to change. We needed an eye scanner here as well. I made a mental note to talk to him about what security upgrades we would have.
“Damn,” I said, my attention shifting as I scanned the huge space. My boots scuffed across the clean concrete floors as I walked around.
“This includes the kitchen, dining area, and living room. I was thinking about an open concept. What do you think? We can make any changes you want to.”
I nodded in agreement. “It will be perfect. Plus, the view is stunning. I would prefer not to have walls in the way.” I strolled over to the windows.
“You can see for miles and miles.” Holden joined me and slipped his arm around my waist. “I can’t wait to wake up here with you every day, River.” He glanced down at me, and my heart raced in response.
“Me, too.” We stood in silence, reveling in the peace and beauty that surrounded us.
“Are you ready to see the master? Well, what will become the bedroom?”
I nodded, grinning like a little girl on Christmas morning as we strolled to our future hideaway.
“Wow.” I hurried to the middle of the room and spun around. “This is way bigger than the one we’re currently in at your mom’s place.”
Holden chuckled. “Yeah, I guess a big-ass bedroom and huge bathroom are perks of owning it.”
I laughed, loving the idea of our own home.
“Do you know what I love the most?” Holden approached me, his brown eyes flashing with mischievousness.
“What’s that?”
“You never have to wear clothes at home again.”
My mouth formed a big O. “Oh my God. We can walk around naked and fuck on every surface available.” I grinned and did a happy dance the best I could with the cane.
“I like the way you think.” Holden placed his finger beneath my chin and tilted it up. “I love you, River.”
“I love you, too.” I leaned into him, then pressed my lips against his.
Holden showed me the rest of the space, and we made some decisions about the design. One of my favorite things about the penthouse was the windows on two sides. The view of the Spokane River warmed my heart.
“Hey, I have a question,” I said, standing in the middle of the last guest bedroom and tapping my chin with my finger. “Is there enough room to have our own … playroom?”
Holden’s features lit up. “Like the Master’s Playroom, but for us?”
I nodded. “For when we want privacy.”
Holden’s heated gaze landed on mine. “Is there a time we don’t want privacy?”
I gave him a half shrug. “I’ve toyed with the idea of someone watching us.”
Holden scrubbed his face with his hands and blew out a breath. His bulge was evident in his jeans, and I resisted the urge to free his thick cock while we talked. “We would be safer in the Master’s Playroom, but our friends would be the ones watching there.”
Oh shit. I liked that idea way too much. “I’m getting wet just talking about it.” I bit my lower lip and placed my palm against his chest. “I know you all have watched each other before, but I’m the new player. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
“It would be dark, so they’d see our outlines, but babe, they would be busy playing on the other couches.”
“So we’d be watching them too?” I asked, heady with anticipation. “Can I trust them? In some ways a stranger would seem safer.”
“If we use the Voyeur Room, they’ll see us, River. Not only your body, but your face. I can’t have men stalking you in the club or while you’re at work.”
“You’re not worried about Jace, Chance, or Brynn?”
“No. They understand the rules. This doesn’t have to happen, babe. The only reason I’m agreeing is because you’re exploring what you like. I know what I like. We don’t need any toys, whips, handcuffs, or anything else. I love being with you, connecting on a heart-to-heart level.”
“Brynn admitted she likes me.” I mentally kicked myself for blurting that out.
“I know.” Holden rubbed my cheek with the pad of his thumb. “She asked if we might be able to share.” A slow grin eased across his face. “I told her hell no.”
I blushed furiously. “I told her I loved you, but if I ever wanted to try it with a girl, I would see if you’d be all right with it.”
Holden’s mouth opened and closed before he spoke. “Are you saying ...”
“Nope. Don’t get your hopes up.” I patted his arm. “I love Brynn, but I’m not interested in a physical relationship. All I meant was that if I ever wanted to try it, I would feel safe with her.”
“Damn, I was hoping.”
“Holden Alastair!” I smacked him on the chest.
“Babe, I’m asking for your honesty, so I’ve got to give you mine as well. I’ve lived that life. Yes, I like to play and play hard, but with you, not anyone else. I do trust the guys, but I won’t lie. I don’t like the idea of them or anyone watching us.”
I loved him even more for being honest with me. “Then let’s table the thought. Holden, you’ve opened a brand-new world for me, but I never want to hurt you. Please promise me that you’ll continue to tell me when you’re not okay with an idea. The communication goes both ways.” I slipped my arms around his waist and dipped my hands into the back pockets of his jeans.
“You’re right. I want to give you everything you want, babe. I want to show you that the world isn’t all bad, and I want to protect you. Once the clothes are off in front of someone else, people look at you differently.”
I completely understood what he was saying. It took me a while to adjust after my first visit to the Master’s Playroom.
Holden kissed me gently. “I have one more thing I want to show you.”
“Yeah?” I was finally realizing that Holden’s surprises were good ones. Growing up, they never were. My heart twisted painfully in my chest as Dan’s sneer appeared in my mind. I grabbed Holden’s arm and squeezed it.
“Are you all right?” he asked as we walked to the elevator.
“Yeah, it’s just that sometimes memories pop up.” I couldn’t force myself to tell Holden that Dan had stolen my virginity. It wouldn’t have done any good to talk about it. Dan was dead. Gone. Wild animals most likely ate his flesh, and only the bones were left. I’d heard that seeking revenge usually ended up badly, but I found great satisfaction in recalling that Dan had gotten what he deserved.
“You’re safe, babe.” Holden placed his hand on my back, the warmth of his palm comforting me.
The elevator doors slid closed, and within a few seconds, we were exiting again on the third floor. Instead of heading to the conference room, we went in the opposite direction. Holden stood in front of the eye scanner. The door clicked, then he opened it. An overhead light turned on as soon as he stepped inside.
