Dominated

Chapter 8

Amelia wasn't allowed to take her necklace off, not even when she arrived at work. As hard as she tried to hide it under her knitted top, the diamonds couldn't be concealed without snagging. Fed up with the heavy jewelry around her neck, she removed it and slipped it into her purse. She would have to remember to put it on before meeting Damien later that night for her first lesson or she'd be punished for removing the only thing to identify her as his.

"What's that?" Lily asked, appearing in the doorway. She gestured to Amelia's purse sitting atop her desk, but Amelia quickly grabbed it and placed it inside the drawer.

"Nothing," Amelia answered. She opened her laptop without looking at Lily and began scrolling through her unread emails.

"Is it real?"

Ignoring the question, Amelia looked up from her laptop and asked, "Can I help you with something?"

Lily blinked hard, surprised by her tone, but she stepped into the office anyway. "Someone's cranky this morning. I just wanted to let you know that your boyfriend came looking for you."

"Damien isn't my boyfriend, and I'm aware." She apologetically smiled when she met Lily's gaze and noticed the solemn look on her face. "I'm sorry. I had a rough morning."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Amelia shook her head, to which Lily accepted and then shut the door behind her.

"I wasn't talking about Damien, by the way," she told Amelia. "Wes stopped by and asked for you. You weren't here, so he left this."

Amelia pulled her brows together in confusion when Lily presented her with an unopened white box. There was a printed image of a phone on the box, and the seal was still intact.

"He left me a phone?" she asked Lily.

"It appears so," she replied. She approached Amelia's desk and slid it across the glass surface. "Please tell me your secret for getting these men to fall at your feet. I want to be spoiled too."

Amelia picked up the box and examined it. It was identical to the one Damien had gifted her, which he had demanded she set up as he drove her to the office that morning.

Sighing, she stood up to pull her jacket on and then threw her purse over her shoulder. "Is Vaughn here today?"

Lily shook her head. "He's on a business trip, which really means he's somewhere in Europe with his newest plaything."

"Good," Amelia said. "I'll be back later."

"Where are you going?" Lily asked. But she didn't get a response because Amelia was already on her way out the door.

As Amelia tied her jacket closed, she swiftly exited the office and took the elevator down to the street level. Wes worked only a few blocks from her, and although Brooke had declared him missing this morning, she knew he would be in his office. He hardly missed work. Wes Anderson was too dedicated to his clients.

Despite the cold winds, Amelia managed to truck through five blocks before arriving at Anderson and Carlson Family Law Office. Inside the lobby, Luke Carlson reprimanded a bonds agent for soliciting. He was Wes' classmate from law school and partner of the firm. Amelia had met him the night Wes celebrated his first victory in court and was never fated to meet him again. She was certain he wouldn't remember her, but she stood corrected when he quickly ended the conversation with the bondswoman and waved at her.

"Lia," he said, abandoning the woman by the reception desk. He opened his arms to Amelia who reluctantly accepted his embrace.

"It's actually Amelia," she corrected with a tight smile.