The Billionairess

Chapter 21

For several minutes, the two of us were silent. I threw my legs over the side of the couch, then stood up. Rose stood facing the door away from her. Against the quiet white of the walls and furniture, she was like a silhouette, strong and silent.

I tentatively approached behind her.

"Mistress?" I said softly.

Her head dropped and she took a slow, deep breath. Her shoulders rose and fell, then she turned to me. Her hands reached for mine and she undid the handcuffs. She let them fall to the floor, then stumbled backwards into a nearby leather overstuff chair. She rubbed her hand over her face and took another deep breath.

"Is he...gone for good?" I asked.

She nodded. She pressed a hand to her temple and her eyes to the floor. I could see emotions crossing across her eyes like ripples on a stream. "Yes, he won't be coming back.”

A few tears trickled out of the corner of her eyes. The last tiny pieces of grief, letting go of the positive memories she may have had of her and Tristan. Letting them float away. She wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Are…are you okay, mistress?”

She didn’t respond at first. Her eyes remained down at the floor. Something softened across her face.

“Yes” she said. Her eyes rose up to me. “Yes. I am now.”

She gave me a small smile. Something slowly, softly, swelled in my heart. It was a feeling so strong I swore I could’ve burst into tears. I wanted to hold her. I wanted to shower her with diamonds. My love for this woman, something deeper than lust, deeper than anything I had ever felt, it overflowed out of me. The kind of love so strong you could choke on it.

I kneeled down in front of her. She opened her legs so I could scoot up to her with her thighs against my ribcage. I could've wrapped my arms around her waist.

Instead, I held her face in both my hands.

"I love you, Hannah Steele” I whispered.

She closed her eyes as they began to surge with tears. She looped both her fingers in my collar and pulled my face close to hers. A smile found its way into her lips and she breathed me in.

"I'm yours forever, Hannah Steele" I said. "No matter your past, no matter your faults. I'm your humble servant. No dark crevice of you could ever scare me away."

Rose looked down at me. Her eyes were glazed with water like rain on the pavement. But she looked at me with a soft smile. She leaned forward and ran her fingers through my hair. I snuggled into her touch. Her voice was a soft, snake-like whisper.

"Then stay in my temple" she said. "Worship me as my slave. And you and I will live in paradise forever, together, and make love amongst the stars."