The Domination Game Book 2

ADIRE

I had a dinner to attend that evening. After my encounter with Tyler the previous day, I wasn’t exactly in the mood for small talk and pleasantries. So, I poured myself a drink.

Just as I was taking that first soothing sip, Allie decided to call. Just my luck. “You holding up okay?” she asked, her voice filled with sisterly concern.

I took another sip of bourbon before responding. “No.”

“Are you drinking?” she asked, her tone filled with shock.

“Yes,” I shot back.

“A.B., you don’t drink. What on earth are you doing?” she asked, worry seeping into her voice.

I took another gulp, trying to drown the pain of missing a man I could no longer have.

And I was trying to figure out what to do about another man who could easily shatter me, both professionally and emotionally.

To say this man had me bent over a barrel would be an understatement.

Allie would only worry if she knew, and I didn’t want to burden her when there was nothing she could do.

Ignoring her concern, I replied, “I need a little something to take the edge off, Allie. It’s nothing to worry about.”

“Nothing to worry about?” she practically shrieked. “You don’t drink! You’ve always said you hated the stuff.”

“Just let me get through this rough patch, Allie. Then I promise I’ll stop drinking,” I tried to reassure her.

“No, this is absurd,” she protested. “Just call him, A.B. Tell him you want to work things out. Tell him you miss him instead of drowning your sorrows.

“You know what mom always said about us Irish and our drinking.”

“You know, Allie, I’ve never appreciated your knack for raining on my parade,” I retorted.

She laughed, her anger subsiding. “Isn’t that what best friends are for?”

I sighed, walking over to the sink and pouring the rest of my drink down the drain. “It’s gone, Allie. I’ll get through the party with just water, okay?” I promised.

“That’s my girl. I know you’ll be okay. You and Davis just need to talk, but I won’t nag you about that now.

“So, what are you wearing tonight? Is it super sexy?” She giggled.

I laughed, slipping into my dress. “No, it’s not sexy. It’s classic. A little black cocktail dress is always appropriate.

“I’ve told you a million times to get one,” I said, fastening my slim gold watch.

She sighed. “I know, I know. When you come back to visit, we’ll go shopping.”

“I can’t come back home. There’s too much pain…”

“A.B.…,” she started.

I didn’t have the energy to have that conversation right now. “I need to get going, Allie. I’ll talk to you soon.

“I’m dealing with some very demanding people who think I’m at their disposal,” I told her.

“Okay, A.B. I’ll talk to you in a couple of days, then.”

“That sounds great. Why don’t you invite Kitty over, and we can all Skype.”

“Sounds good. Now go be your usual badass self.” She giggled.

“Thanks for the pep talk,” I joked, and we hung up.

The dining room where the dinner was being held was stunning. Once I was in the grand setting, I was able to compose myself and mingle.

So when Mr. Chow approached me, I was relaxed and engaged in conversation. But Mr. Chow seemed particularly talkative that evening.

After listening to Mr. Chow rave about the Gravin Corporation and a certain man’s business acumen for an hour and a half, I was in desperate need of a drink.

“Please excuse me, everyone.” I excused myself from the group and made my way to the bar.

Maintaining a facade of grace and composure when all you want to do is break down and cry is harder than it sounds.

The bartender asked what I wanted to drink. What I really wanted was something strong, something that reminded me of a certain cowboy-hatted man.

But remembering Allie’s words and the promise I’d made, I sighed.

“Just a water, please,” I told the bartender, knowing that breaking my promise to Allie would bring bad luck.

You know that feeling when you sense someone watching you? That’s how I felt right then.

I scanned the room, looking for someone who might be watching me. But no one stood out.

Even so, the feeling persisted.

When someone approached from behind, I tensed.

Then I caught a whiff of aftershave, and I knew exactly who it was. But I couldn’t understand why he felt the need to confront me in public.

You’d think a woman would be safe in a crowd… guess I was wrong.

“So, Tyler, you’re the type of man who sneaks up on a woman now?” I accused him.

He moved in front of me, his smirk making me itch to wipe it off his face.

“You’re still only drinking water, I see. There’s a whole world of better-tasting drinks out there. Maybe it’s time for a grown-up drink, don’t you think, A.B.?” He laughed.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head, annoyed. I turned to the man who used to be a lover but was now just a nuisance.

“I don’t get this fixation you have with me being a ‘big girl’. I can drink if I want to, and I can swear if I need to. You’re just trying to make a point,” I snapped at him.

His hand landed on my knee, his grin never leaving his face.

I glanced at his hand on my knee, then shot him an angry look.

“I just know how you are,” he said, still smirking. I was at a dinner party and wanted to yell at him, but I couldn’t. So, I cursed him in my mind.

I grabbed his hand from my knee and tossed it aside.

“Your touch isn’t welcome or appreciated, Tyler. And I haven’t received any threatening texts from you.

“So, let me make this clear once more—we’re done. Got it?

“If I catch you in my personal space again or even suspect you’re following me, I’ll call the cops and get a restraining order.”

He moved closer, his pants brushing against my leg. He put one hand on the back of my chair and the other on the bar. “And do you think they’ll enforce that in Beijing?” he taunted.

My shoulders were so tense, I felt like they were knotting up. “I’m not here to play your stupid games. I’ve said what I needed to say, and that’s it.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” I said, standing up from my stool and pushing him aside.

As I tried to get away from him, he reached out and grabbed my arm.

“Tonight, Adire. I’ll send the photo tonight. Be ready for me to come to your room and tap that fine little ass of yours,” he promised.

I shrugged him off again and pulled away. “We’ll see about that, won’t we?

“Because so far, I haven’t seen any evidence that you have what you claim to have to blackmail me. So until then, Tyler, fuck off,” I said quietly so only he could hear.

“I hope that was a ‘big-girl word’ enough for you.” I gave him a sweet smile before turning my back and disappearing into the crowd.

Hopefully, he’d leave me alone now.

My night felt much longer than it actually was after the Tyler incident. I hoped he’d leave after our argument, but no such luck.

He mingled with the crowd, even joining the group I was talking to a few times, just to show me he could.

I got back to my room late. I unlocked the door and left the lights off. I was too tired to deal with the light. I just wanted to be alone in the dark.

My mind wandered to the alcohol that reminded me of the man I missed and thoughts I didn’t want to think about that night.

I guessed I was in for some bad luck because I really needed a drink.

I dropped my purse on the bed and unzipped my dress, letting it fall to the floor. I stepped out of the pile of black fabric at my feet and headed for the bar.

I left my underwear on and my black, crystal-studded heels. A pair of beautiful heels can make a woman feel sexy, even after a terrible day.

Remembering Tyler’s comment, I reached down and pulled my phone out of my purse before going back to the bar.

I pressed the button to open the curtains to the floor-to-ceiling window, letting the city’s neon lights back in.

I poured golden liquid into a glass tumbler as the first buzz from my phone came through, then two more. I should’ve known.

I stared at the phone for a moment, pretending everything was fine. I picked up my glass of bourbon from the bar top and took a sip.

When the burn hit my stomach, I downed the rest and poured more into my glass to face reality.

With my phone and drink in hand, I stood in front of the window, looking out at the nightlife.

I took a deep breath, bracing myself for whatever I was about to see. I looked at what Tyler had sent me—what he thought was his trump card.

I swiped my phone, and when I opened the text, the first of three very damaging photos stared back at me.

I gasped at the first one, then the second one, but the third one was the most damaging, just like he said it would be.

My hand dropped to my side as he texted me about when he was coming over tonight, and my head fell against the window.

This was bad; this was really, really bad. And he knew he had the upper hand.

Now I had to decide what I was willing to do for my career and whether I’d do what he was asking when I only wanted one man.

My phone started to ring, and I knew I had to make a decision.

I sighed as I leaned against the window and swiped my phone on, ready to hear what this jerk had to say.

“What?” I answered, my voice cold. I held my drink against the window as I looked down.

He laughed. “I told you I had some good ones, didn’t I?”

“You’re such a bastard,” I spat at him.

“Bastard or not, baby, I’m on my way over to start our new arrangement. I’ve got some ideas about taking you in the ass,” he bragged.

That made me laugh. “You think so, do you? You think I’m just going to bend over and let you have your way with me.”

“I don’t think you have a choice now, Adire, do you?” he said, sounding confident.

“Sweetheart, you’ve got it all wrong. There’s always a choice. The real question is, which choice can you live with?

“And for me, I’d rather you betray me than be your plaything,” I shot back at him, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

“I’ve got those damn pictures, Adire, and I’m not scared to use them! I’ll have you and that pussy of yours under my control!” he bellowed at me.

“Ah, yes, the pictures. You do have pictures of me, Tyler. But don’t forget, I know your secrets too.

“You might think you can ruin me with those photos, but wouldn’t people be interested to know what you did for me? If I remember correctly, you were quite the eager and obedient pet.

“In fact, you were my little bitch for a while, and oh, how you loved it when I called for you,” I taunted him.

I could hear the frustration in his breath as his easy conquest was slipping away. “You can talk all you want, A.B., but I know who you are, baby. Don’t forget that.

“And I’ll take everything from you,” he threatened.

I laughed again, taking a sip of my drink. “You have no idea who I really am. You were just a toy I used for my pleasure, one I could manipulate… and manipulate you, I did, darling.

“But you thinking you know me? Please, the master only shows the pet what she wants to show.

“So go ahead, show your little photos to whoever you want. Let’s see how far you get in ruining my career.

“Now that I’ve been with a real man, my submissive little playthings seem so insignificant.”

I could hear his angry breath through the phone speaker. “You bitch!” he spat at me.

That made me laugh. “You’re just now figuring that out, darling?” I cooed.

“I’ll get you. I’ll make you suffer!” he raged.

I’d had enough, and I didn’t want to hear any more from him. “Enjoy whatever you’ve got planned for me. But remember, Tyler, I was the one with the strap-on, fucking you in the ass!

“And I’d rather be seen as a whore than let some pathetic little sub control me,” I spat out, hanging up and tossing the phone to the floor.

I took several deep, ragged breaths, trying to calm the adrenaline rush coursing through my body.

“Oh God, oh shit, oh holy shit!” I gasped, trying to steady myself. My hand holding the drink was at my side, while my other hand against the glass pane kept me from falling over.

“What have you done, Adire? What have you done…?” I asked myself, shaking my head now that the conversation was over.

“I’d say you just saved that ass a trip to the hospital. Because if he got anywhere near you, sugar, I would’ve beat the fucking hell out of him!” came a deep Texas growl.

I jumped, looking over to the dark corner, only to see Davis stepping into the dim light of the room.