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I felt overwhelmed by his hoer along the gleae table that doement of flowers in the middle of the table It was a mix of vibrantly colored orchids, displayed in a short, square, intricately carved criant view of central park when Ja a thin square box and s

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Mr Mercurial

He took rand tour later," he hts of stairs, then down a long hallway

"I seeet to see very specific parts of your houses," I responded archly

He sent me a conciliatory smile "I’ll make it up to you Later"

He pulled me into a room that I could see was the master bedroom just from the monumental size of the bed The blinds were opened to the sa rooher Thelined nearly an entire wall of the roo The bed was a as, with cleaner lines, but I was sure it had the sae-like top and thick, square posts The hues in the rooreen, accented hite, with starkly dark wood do all of the furniture and the floor With an entire wall fra a spectacular view of the park, it had the feel of an indoor forest

"It’s a," I told him honestly

He smiled, pleased with my reaction

I noticed a small door with no handle near the open bathroom It was conspicuous because there was a lit panel with a button beside it I pointed at it "Is that an elevator?"

His smile turned wicked "Yes"

"I didn’t realize the apartment had an elevator"

"It has a few, actually But that one goes so you soon First, I want you to get on your knees and close your eyes"

I sent hi, as usual It was hard to keep up with his changinghim because ere in his bedroom, and it was just so natural to let him rule me here

I closedplaced against the very upper edges of htened the collar ofit around

"Perfect," he murmured "You can wear it to work" He tucked what felt like a slightly rough circle of soainst my chest

"Okay, open your eyes," he said finally

I did, and he pulled e, softly lit closet The closet ice the size ofthe walls It smelled divine, like Jae floor-length an to undressit on a hanger He showed e, bare rack in the closet "This will be for your things If you run out of room, I’ll make more for you"

I was a little stunned at his assus here

"I would very much like for you to use my personal shopper to buy a wardrobe for you here in New York, so you don’t have toin touch with you in a few days"

"That’s silly I don’t want you buying ry "It feels too hed "It’s just clothing I thought we had decided that you weren’t going to balk at gifts"

I glared at him, and he saw my expression

"Please, just consider it You don’t have to decide right now We have other things to talk about, at the ht as he reered on the button atmy shirt open to reveal the necklace he had placed around my neck

It was lovely, made of some kind of silver metal into what looked like one solid band, but was in fact soft and htly linked necklace It sat right at the very top of ht It had been hidden just perfectly under e diaered it, and he reached around htly

"It’s lovely," I told hinificance to him?

"I had it made as a sort of workable version of a slave collar"

I froze at the word, instantly wanting to take off anything with such a na the my intent