they’d done. The way she’d behaved, allowing him to order her around.
Embarrassment spiked through her.
She glanced at the clock on the bedside table and realized it was five a.m. She wouldn’t
get back to sleep now, so she’d spend the next hour just lying here, stressing about
having to face him when he woke up. That would be really embarrassing.
She glanced at the clock again. It would take her about forty-five minutes to shower
and get dressed, fix her hair and makeup, then finish packing the few things she had
into her overnight bag. That meant by the time she checked out and had the front desk
lock away her overnight bag for safekeeping while she was at the career fair, it would
be six and she’d have time for a leisurely breakfast where she could prepare herself
for the day ahead.
Slipping away now would mean no muss, no fuss. And he’d probably be just as happy
to avoid awkward morning-after conversations.
She’d be tired today, but she wasn’t going to sleep any more, anyway. She might as
well do something useful.
She slipped from the bed, being careful not to waken Dane. When she returned from
the bathroom, dressed and ready to go, he was still sleeping. She tossed her makeup
bag and toiletries in her case along with yesterday’s clothes, and quietly zipped
it closed. She grabbed some stationery from the desk and wrote a quick note for Dane,
then headed out the door.
* * *
Dane woke up to an empty bed. He glanced around and saw a note sitting on the dresser.
Pushing aside the covers, he shoved his hair from his face, then strolled over and
picked up the note.
Last night had been delightful. Jessica had resisted being commanded at first, but
clearly she enjoyed it once they got going. In fact, it had turned her on immensely.
He grinned. It had been fun coaxing her into submission. He would love the opportunity
to pursue more with her. To ease her into a full Dom-sub relationship.
He read the note, telling him that she’d wanted to get an early start on breakfast
and to prepare for the career fair.
He snorted. Right. She had definitely fled. Just like she had from the Starbucks.
She went on to assure him that she’d paid for the room and all he had to do was leave
the keycard behind when he left.
A woman who left a note and fled in the middle of the night—from her own hotel room—definitely
had issues. Whether they were with him, with the domination, or with getting over
her ex, he didn’t know.
But he was willing to take the time to figure it out. He just needed to find a way
to see her again.
* * *
Jessica sighed as she sat down with the paper coffee cup in her hand. The noise of
the hustle and bustle in the big ballroom where the career fair was taking place washed
over her. She had been networking like crazy and had talked with representatives from
a few companies which offered positions that she felt would be well suited to her,
but after the interviews she didn’t feel that prospects were good. They wanted experience
that directly related to what they were doing, and seemed disinclined to take on an
inexperienced but enthusiastic employee to train because, frankly, with the job market
the way it was, they didn’t have to. There were lots of people with the exact experience
they were looking for in search of a job.
Her experience was just too general. She stroked her finger over the smooth stone
in her pocket.
“Do you mind if I sit with you?”
Jessica glanced up at the female voice. A pretty woman with upswept hair and wearing
a tailored suit—the basic uniform of the day for everyone here—stood by the table
with a coffee in her hand. There were a few empty tables around, but Jessica knew
she should take every opportunity she could to network.
“Not at all.”
The woman placed her coffee and small clutch purse on the table and sat down. Jessica
noticed her badge with the blue
Ben Aaronovitch, Nicholas Briggs, Terry Molloy