The Favor by Elle Luckett Read Free Book Online

enjoy my weekend with my friend and her old acquaintance, who, by the way, has some great fucking stories if you took the time to listen.”
    By the time I was finished, I was leaning in towards him, my hands balled at my sides. How the hell was I supposed to get close to this man when his walls were armored in steel? He'd buried himself behind them and, although I could understand the reasoning behind it, it was frustrating. No man as beautiful as him should be so cynical. He made accusations first and questioned second, not caring who he hurt in the process because he was convinced he was right. It was the first contradictory thing I'd seen since I'd pegged him for a Dominant.
    There was nothing between us but anger and frustration, and I knew trying to push past that would be impossible. I doubted we could ever build trust enough for me to get him to open up to me, let alone get honest answers. Without his assurance in me, I couldn't trust him, which made the gesture of even trying, empty. It would take a miracle for us to get any further than this.
    His silence spoke volumes.
    “I'm sorry if I insulted you,” I whispered, suddenly feeling guilty. “But not everyone is out to get your money. For some people, connections are more important than their bank balance. You're never going to find happiness until you figure that out.”
    I stepped past him and started towards the porch, angry at myself for letting down Mistress Kayla and Charles. They hadn't asked for much and it wasn't an impossible task, but I'd managed to screw it up in two blunt conversations.
    “How do you know I'm unhappy?” he called out, making me freeze mid-step. I took a deep breath and turned my head to look over my shoulder at him.
    “You hide behind walls, Jared. You don't let people in, and anyone that tries to get close is accused of wanting your inheritance. You're hard to read but easy to evaluate.” With that, I started walking again, leaving him behind in the dark as I slipped up the back porch steps and through the back door, pulling it closed behind me before leaning against it.
    Now, I had to figure out how to explain myself, and my actions, to my Mistress.
     

7
     
    I took my time getting to the room I was sharing with Mistress Kayla, only to find that she wasn't even there yet. The walk hadn't lasted all that long before I'd accused Jared of being arrogant and closed off and of chasing his grandfather’s money. It had to be a record.
    I paced the room for a while, annoying myself by passing over a creak in the floorboards. I was unsure of what to do. For two years I'd been, in one way or another, taken to bed and I hadn't worn anything in all that time. I'd grown accustomed to Mistress’ high thread count sheets against my bare skin and the connection of her body against mine. It seemed ridiculous that I was at a loss for what to do. I would have just gone halfway and worn underwear to bed, only I didn't have any on.
    I could have gone looking for Mistress Kayla for guidance, but I really didn't want to disturb her if she and Charles were having a reunion of some kind.
    Exhausted from my battle with Jared, I pulled off my dress and climbed into bed, my mind still spinning with questions and plans as to how I could fix the situation. I was sure he was naturally Dominant, but I was clueless as to how to bring that out in him or even broach the subject without offending him. I had nothing to lose if he ended up disgusted in me, yet there was a small part of me that cringed at the very thought.
    Why? It wasn't as though he was charming or personable. Sure, he was gorgeous, but his personality reminded me of that of a cat. Everything had to be on his terms. He was interesting and dull all at the same time. It was hard to tell if we had anything in common because all he seemed to do was make idle accusations and hold his stony silence. He'd called me infuriating, but he was the biggest culprit of that. He was a ball of contradictions,