50 Shades of Drake 1 and 2

Chapter 6ixty-Nine

    Aubrey was a man of his word. He showed her the condo he would set her up in, one in the same building as his. A cute, one bedroom number with an amazing view of the condo complex swimming pool. He had several cars at his disposal and told her that she could have her pick of one. She chose the pearl white Range Rover and he gave her the keys without hesitation. He even offered to have the title transferred in her name.

    He would have given her just about anything she asked for, as long as she didn't leave him. She was very standoffish with him, keeping him at arm's length. She was a lot less affectionate than she used to be, and he was okay with that. As long as she was still around. All he needed was time.

    She reminded him that she was only contractually obligated to be available to him Friday through Sunday.

    He confirmed that she was correct and reminded her that he had final say and approval over which people she could and couldn't spend her recreational time with. He gave her a list of names of approved friends that she could communicate with via phone calls and text. Carlos, Jasmine, and Candace were all included in that list. All members of her family were approved without question.

    She agreed.

    He glanced around the one-bedroom condo he was giving to her. It was a unit that he'd previously rented out, one that he himself used to live in. When he'd signed for the one-bedroom unit, he hadn't expected needing more space. He was single and planned on staying that way for quite a while. One bedroom seemed to be all he would need. He outgrew the space a lot more quickly than he'd anticipated, but he hadn't wanted to sell. "I'll have someone from my staff go grocery shopping for you," he told Destiny as he walked throughout the unit. Since the condo was so empty, his voice bounced on the walls around them, causing a slight echo effect. "A maid comes in once a week, just like my place. The shower curtain is new so it doesn't need to be replaced."

    She trailed behind him with her hands clasped in front of her.

    He poked his head into the barren bedroom. "I'll have furniture delivered within the next few days."

    "Do I get to pick it out?" she asked him quietly.

    He turned and looked down at her. "You're milking this."

    "I'm not!" she exclaimed. "I'm just...picky when it comes to furniture."

    He shook his head and smiled. "You can pick out the furniture."

    She looked past him and into the bedroom. "This is more space than I imagined."

    "I lived here, before moving to the unit I'm in now," he explained. "I didn't think I needed more space than a one-bedroom condo. I was wrong."

    "Hard to have a play room, or a red room, with only a one bedroom unit," she remarked.

    "Exactly," he said, looking down at her.

    She avoided his gaze.

    He reached out and touched the D-shaped ring on her collar. "I want you to wear this, even when you're here."

    "Yes, Sir," she said, still avoiding his gaze.

    He took a deep breath and raised his eyes. "So you need groceries, furniture. The Range should probably be taken in and checked out for any possible issues. I haven't driven it in more than a month."

    "I need a television," she added.

    He arched a eyebrow at her.

    "Just one," she said.

    "...And a television," he amended.

    She walked away from him, down the hall and into the space that would be the designated dining room. She walked over to the wall of windows. "It's so beautiful."

    "And now it belongs to you," he said from behind her.

    "I don't need to own it," she said firmly. "I don't need to own it or the car. I just...need them while I'm here."

    "Throughout the rest of your contract period," he finished for her.

    She nodded. "Right."

    "You will have the option of keeping both once your contract period ends," he told her.

    She turned and frowned at him. "I'm telling you, that's not necessary."

    "Consider it a token of my appreciation."

    "I'd rather my student loan go away than a car that I can barely afford to maintain," she insisted.

    "I'm already going to take care of that when you start work next week," he advised.

    She tilted her head to the side, staring at him. "You don't have to do that," she said.

    "I know I don't have to," he said, closing the distance between them. "I want to."

    Her hands balled into fists that she kept at her sides. "Offering me cars and condos and paying off my student loan won't change how I feel," she told him. "I'll still want to leave once the contract period is over. You can't bribe me to stay."

    "My intention isn't to bribe you," he said, lifting a hand to touch her hair. "My intention is to show you that I appreciate you. I know that...sometimes gets lost in translation."

    "Easy for that to happen with other women walking around," she muttered, looking away from him.

    He let his hand fall at his side. "That free day I gave you ended yesterday," he reminded her.

    She pursed her lips shut and lowered her eyes.

    He sighed. "I want us to move past that."

    "Okay," she said.

    "Okay?"

    She nodded. "Yes. I can move past that."

    His eyebrows drew together. "That was...easier than I expected."

    She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm going to remove my emotions from this situation," she told him. "You want me to do your bidding? Follow orders? I can do that. I'll be just like your maid. Someone else under your employ. This is your show. I'm just another bit player playing a role. Right?"

    He frowned down at her.

    "I mean, right, Sir?" she said, holding out the skirt of her lilac-colored dress on both sides and attempting to curtsy.

    Instead of responding, he said, "Since we have to wait for your furniture to be delivered, you'll spend the next few nights with me. Follow me."

    She followed him out of the condo and waited for him to lock up. Then, she followed him to the elevator, where he pushed the button for his floor. Once the elevator doors slid open, she followed him out and down the long, familiar hall to his own condo. He unlocked the door, entered, and told her to close the door behind her.

    He dropped both sets of condo keys on the narrow table near the entryway and continued walking to the hallway. He stopped in front of the door to the red room and looked down at her.

    She looked back at him.

    "Mockery and disrespect aren't something that I can tolerate, Destiny." He reached out, grabbed the doorknob, and opened the door.

    The lights were left dim.

    He moved around the room slowly, evaluating the various toys and tools on the shelves. Taking his time in determining what he would use on her. He would look down at an item, look up at her, and study her, as if he were imagining the item being used on her. Then he would move onto the next item and do the same thing.

    She stood at the center of the room with her arms wrapped around herself. Anticipation built up within her as she waited and watched. She didn't know what to expect. There was a thrill in that, but there was also an underlying, foreboding sense of fear.