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I like movies too. We have that in common.
Tell me about your work. I ve seen some of the film sets you designed. I love
your style
Owning Wednesday 37
He cut her off gently. Thank you, but we re talking about you. What else do
you like to do besides write? You like to read, I assume?
I read a lot, yeah. I work a lot too.
You like your job?
Yes. It s really rewarding, editing people s writing. It s a big responsibility.
They give it over to you when it s so personal and meaningful to them. Entrust you
with it, to improve it. I don t know. It s hard to explain.
I understand. Taking care of something given over to you in trust. She met
his eyes. Trust me. I m sure you re very good at it, Wednesday.
I try to be.
So do I.
She fell silent again, his tense black flower.
What else? he asked. Surely you do more than work and write.
She shrugged. I like to work out.
You like to work out? Most people find it a chore.
I like to sit and& think. I like to just think about things sometimes for hours.
I m boring, I know.
No, you certainly aren t. What do you think about when you think about
things for hours?
She balked then. He could practically hear the inner monologue. You can t
have my thoughts. You can have everything else, but not that.
Okay, he said. Tell me this. What did you think about last night as you fell
asleep? He lowered his voice. Did you think about me?
Her gaze skittered away from his. Yes.
Tell me what you thought about.
I thought about tonight. What we would talk about. How it would be to& be
here with you. How it would be& if&
38 Annabel Joseph
If you were mine? I was thinking about that too. I ve been thinking about it
for quite some time actually. Since the night I met you. It s been a long, long time to
think.
I know. It has. She stared down at the table and took a small sip of wine.
Let me tell you what I ve been thinking about, Wednesday. Look at me,
please. When I talk to you, I d like you to look at me. Just like that, the authority
crystallized in his voice, and he d already taught her a rule. She took a deep breath
and obeyed, and his gaze held hers.
Before we take this any further, I m going to be blunt with you. An
arrangement like you and Vincent shared would not be enough to satisfy me.
I know. That s why I feel kind of scared.
That quiet, open admission gave him hope for them. Thank you for being
honest. I ll always want you to tell me how you feel. One of my kinks, I suppose, he
said with a half smile. I m going to want to know you inside and out.
If I m going to be yours.
If you re going to be mine. You see, the better I know you, the more easily I
can& He almost said love you but thought better of it and said, The more easily I
can make you happy. For him, loving and being happy were the same thing. For
her, well& he wasn t so sure. Have you ever been in love?
No, I never have.
Why? Open up to me, Wednesday. Tell me.
I guess because love is so messy and makes people strange.
He couldn t hide his smile at that, although he tried to. So what you and
Vincent had that wasn t strange?
You disapprove of Vincent. She frowned. You disapprove of me for staying
with him so long.
Owning Wednesday 39
I d prefer if you didn t tell me what I approve or disapprove of. I only want to
express to you that Vincent and I are different, as different as night and day. I m
sure he was an excellent dominant to you, but you ll find I m not much like him.
Yes, that s pretty clear to me already.
Their food arrived then. They ate in tense silence as he retreated, regrouped.
Things weren t going well. By this point he d thought they d be discussing
preferences, specifics, how she would address him, what she would wear, the days
they would get together. Instead he was racking his brain for a way to salvage
things.
When the silence grew ridiculous, he fell back on the only thing he could think
of. You know, this is what he wanted for you. What he wanted you to find. She
didn t have to ask who he was. He might as well have been sitting at the table with
them. Do you still love him so much? Is it really too soon for us?
I didn t love him. I don t.
You did. You do. You d return to him right now if he d let you.
She looked up at him as if she d been slapped, then turned away, completely
closed off. She placed her utensils beside her plate.
Dinner had been an unparalleled disaster.
Daniel sighed loud and long and signaled the waiter for the check.
40 Annabel Joseph
Chapter Four
He drove her home in tense silence. Was he giving up? Not even. For the
moment he was he would give her some time and space, then he d try again. He
escorted her to the door of her apartment and was going to bid her good night, when
she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
Tears. Fucking tears from this woman. From any woman, but especially this
one.
Wednesday, don t& he said, but it was too late then. Too late.
He pushed her inside her apartment, shut the door, and took her in his arms.
He kissed her hard, trapping her hands at the small of her back, both of her hands
that fit perfectly in one of his. With the other hand, he pressed her nape, drawing
her closer, tasting her, taking what he d fantasized about for so many months.
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