Wicked Obsession (Bend to My Will #6) (4 page)

“I’m sure it’s a bitch to talk about. I’d think it’s something he wants to forget.”

“Of course he would,” Vivienne said, “but a brutal childhood like that is damaging. He needs to talk about it. He still has nightmares, which is an off-limits subject. And he won’t tell me what they are about.”

“Does he remember them when he wakes up?”

“I think so.” Vivienne looked at her half-empty drink, recalling the last time Jacob had woken up sweating. “I can see it in his eyes, the horror of it. I’m sure he thinks telling me about the dream would affect me, but I’d rather know than not know.”

“Give him time,” Lana said. “At least he has shared this much. That’s progress.”

Vivienne was grateful for that, and relieved that she could tell Lana as much as she had. Often, she felt so alone in all of this. Vivienne loved Jacob, more each day. Her inability to share his pain, the darkness that still tried to pull him under, was frustrating. She was convinced that she could help, if only Jacob would let her.

Chapter 6

Vivienne focused on her business at Vee’s, which continued to grow, and coordinated with Alfred about the new venture as needed. A definite launch date still eluded them, but it wouldn’t be too far in the future. She looked forward to her twice-a-week aerobics with Lana. The exercise was invigorating, plus with her active life Vivienne really needed to stay in shape.

Jacob sent texts to her during the week, which Vivienne took as a good sign. He might just be keeping an eye on her. But even if it was his possessiveness that sparked the urge to message more often, that was fine with her. It was nice to talk more frequently.

One day, Jacob called about a company event. “It’s next Thursday evening,” he said. “My PR director suggested it as a way to smooth over the relations with our best distributors. I haven’t told you much about those issues. But the point is: it’s a business thing. Often these kinds of cocktail parties are boring, and I hate to put you through that. In the past, I’d take an escort, but…”

“Don’t even think about it,” Vivienne said. “If it’s a cocktail party, then that’s a date. And if it’s a date, I’m your only choice.” She couldn’t believe that he’d even consider another option. The man could be infuriating.

“Okay, well, maybe it won’t be that bad,” Jacob said. “My top staff will be there, including Trace. So I assume he will bring Lana. At least you’ll have a friend.”

Trace better bring Lana
. “That’s great. It sounds fun, really. Where is it being held?”

“At the Gansevoort Hotel in the Meatpacking District. I’m told the room holds over fifty people, so it should work well,” Jacob said. “Oh, and one other thing: everyone will be wearing masks.”

“Like a costume party?”

“It was Meg’s suggestion. She said we should do something fun, so that everyone will let their guard down. The masks were her idea.”

“I like your assistant. She’s not afraid to think outside the box,” Vivienne said. “And I still owe her for recommending
Wicked
.”

Jacob laughed. “Yep, she does come up with some good stuff.”

Apparently, it wasn’t a costume party, as such. The women would be in cocktail dresses and the men in jackets, with the addition of masks for everyone. Vivienne thought it would be exciting, as it gave the impression of anonymity, even though the attendees knew each other. A party with flair; she liked Meg’s idea.

For the party, Lana wore a royal-blue bandage dress that looked great with her big brown eyes, and had a blue mask with gold trim. Vivienne chose a silver and gray satin dress to go with her silver mask. The mask reminded her of earlier eras, with its delicate embroidery and beaded trim. The men were knockouts in their dress wear and color-coordinated masks.

They rode together in a limo that Jacob hired, so it was kind of like going to a prom for grownups. Trace opened a bottle of champagne on the way over, which bubbled over onto the carpet, making Lana giggle. It seemed her doubts about him had been put to rest, at least for the moment.

At the hotel, they made their way through the lobby. Jacob wore a gray blazer with some sheen to it, over an ivory shirt, and was as swoon-worthy as ever. Even under the fancy clothes, Vivienne couldn’t take her eyes off his muscular build. His shoulders filled out the jacket nicely, and hugged his biceps when he moved. She couldn’t wait to take it off later that night.

Jacob admired her choice of dress, but didn’t like the glances from others as they strolled across the polished floors. He leaned over to whisper in her ear, “You attract a lot of attention in that dress. It’s so short it barely covers your ass, and with those high heels your legs—”

Vivienne didn’t let him finish. She didn’t want to start the evening with jealousy. “I didn’t wear this to attract attention.” She looked up into his steel-blue eyes. “I wore it
for
you
.”

Jacob had no comeback, so he dropped the subject. The diamond bracelet watch he’d bought for her glimmered on her wrist. He glanced at it then smiled. Vivienne liked the watch, and the party was a perfect opportunity to wear it. She couldn’t traipse around the city with diamonds on her wrist without risking getting mugged. It was New York, after all. But tonight’s party would be invited guests only, so she’d be in safe company. She enjoyed seeing the gems sparkle under the lights, and it made her feel special to wear it.

They elbowed their way into the elevator and traveled to the fourteenth-floor penthouse. When the doors opened, they exited directly into the rooftop bar area. Since the weather was warm, the wall-sized window panels were retracted, so it was like being outside. To the left there was an outdoor pool, although the way they were dressed, nobody would be swimming.

The inside lounge was filled with low leather settees, and the outdoor space had black, trendy chairs, benches, and plastic stools in a sort of wraparound seating arrangement. They got drinks then went out to look at the fantastic view of the river and New Jersey. They sipped their drinks, while taking in the panoramic vista.

Loud music played through the sound system, controlled by a hired DJ. When they’d arrived, Maroon 5 had been playing. As Vivienne leaned against Jacob, and talked to her friends, one of Rihanna’s songs started. If there had been room, she might have danced, but as it was the party was loud and crowded.

Vivienne could see why Jacob considered such events boring. She was glad Trace and Lana were there. The other fancily clad guests were strangers to her, and since she didn’t know much about importing, Vivienne wasn’t sure about striking up conversations. It was hard to hear each other talk over the music, so they drank and pointed out the different types of masks the other guests wore.

Jacob leaned over so Vivienne could hear him. “Since it’s our party, I suppose Trace and I should make the rounds and say hello. Do you want to come with me? I can introduce you.”

It sounded agonizing. “I’ll catch up with you. Let me find the ladies’ room.” She could use a few moments of quiet. “Go ahead, enjoy.”

Vivienne glanced over at Lana, who was chatting to a lady next to her dressed in expensive designer wear. She left her to make friends, and went inside by herself. The restroom shouldn’t be too difficult to find; they were normally at the back. Winding her way through all the people talking and drinking, Vivienne made her way toward where the bathroom might be.

The alcohol had gone to her head. The raspberry lemonade must have been potent. It had Skyy Vodka, and fresh-squeezed lemonade with raspberries. The bartender must have been liberal with the vodka. As it turned out, the rooftop bathrooms were outside. They had stalls with closing doors, but were out in the open. Vivienne went inside one of them, and could feel a breeze from the ocean.

When Vivienne went inside, she spotted Jacob. He was engrossed in conversation with a group of businessmen, so she decided not to interrupt. Their wives or dates must be otherwise occupied, since the men were alone.

The DJ had taken a break, so the room was quieter. But the noise level was still fairly high with so many conversations going on. Vivienne was blocked in by the crowd, then she noticed a woman standing right in front of her.

The woman wore a bronze and lace dress that showed off her curvaceous figure. Ample cleavage was revealed at the top of her deep-cut bodice. Her full lips were painted fuchsia, and her makeup was perfect. The woman was Vivienne’s height, with a volume of wavy blond hair that hung past her shoulders. She had her mask pushed back, so it was on top of her head like a headband. Her clear green eyes were startling, and Vivienne realized the woman was staring at her.

Vivienne’s first thought was that she could meet her; it would be a woman to talk to at the party. But there was something off about how the woman looked at her. “Excuse me,” Vivienne said, deciding to walk around her and forget about introductions.

But it seemed the woman had other ideas.

“I don’t see the attraction,” the blonde said.

Vivienne was baffled. “I’m sorry, but have we met?”

Without a smile, the blonde extended her hand. “I’m Annaliese, and you are?”

“Vivienne Lake.” She would have said more, but the interaction was awkward.

“I noticed that you are with Jacob.”

The comment threw her off, but anyone could have seen her arrive with Jacob. “Yes, I was just looking for him,” Vivienne said, ready to make her escape.

“You’re his escort?”

The snooty way that Annaliese asked the question irritated Vivienne nearly as much as the question itself. “
Girlfriend
.” She snapped out the word, too mad to say more.

Annaliese brushed her hair over her shoulder and wrapped her arms around her waist, drawing more attention to her breasts. Sexy was the only way to describe her. But what did she have to do with Jacob?

“That’s odd…you don’t look like the submissive type.”

Vivienne was stunned. In the throng of guests, no one else heard or even noticed their conversation. It wasn’t this woman’s business what she was to Jacob, nor did she care to hear her opinion about their relationship. Yet the woman persisted.

“Oh, I know,” Annaliese said, with a mocking laugh. “I used to be with Jacob.” She glowered at Vivienne. “I would get out while you can.” She sighed. “You won’t be able to satisfy him…I can tell you that.”

Jacob materialized from the crowd and appeared beside Vivienne. “I was looking for you. Do you want another…” His words faded before he finished the question. “Anna,” he said, stiffly.

Upon seeing Jacob, the woman’s demeanor changed. “It’s so nice to see you,” she said. “I assumed you’d be here.” She looked at him through thick lashes, and arched her back ever so slightly, her bosom attracting his gaze. “It’s been too long, Jacob.”

Jacob wrapped his arm around Vivienne’s waist. “It seems you’ve met Vivienne,” he said. “Behave, Anna. We’re off for drink refills.”

It was a strange thing to say to her. Vivienne was glad to move away from the woman, but distressed over her unwanted comment. “Who is that woman?”

Jacob looked angry. His jaw was set and his shoulders stiff. “Let’s go outside.”

Before they could make it to the terrace, two guests moved in and swept him away. “I’ll be right there,” he said, leaving Vivienne stranded. She went outside, breathing in fresh air to regain balance, since she was dizzy.

Lana walked over, smiling. “Hey, where’d you go?” Then she got a look at Vivienne’s face. “What happened?”

“I’m not sure. Jacob has some explaining to do.” Vivienne dared not mention that the woman had maligned her worth as a submissive. She hadn’t shared that part of her life with Lana. “I just met some woman named Anna who claims she used to be with Jacob.”

“Well, that shouldn’t shake you up,” Lana said. “Don’t you go online? Jacob has been with lots of escorts. Trace told me that before he met you, he was with a different woman at each event. There’s all kind of photos of him with some dressed-up babe on his arm.”

“Why didn’t I look before?” Vivienne felt foolish. “I should have. I’m so naïve.”

“So what if Jacob was seen with lots of different women on his arm?” Lana said. “He’s a wealthy guy, and a hunk, as well. But I don’t think there was anyone steady. I’m not aware of any regular girlfriends, or any engagements, or anything.”

Vivienne was so jealous. Who were all these women? Were they former submissives? Had they shared the same playroom, and been intimate with Jacob like she had? She was nauseated. Jacob had broken free from his guests, and came over to interrupt. He looked at Lana. “I need to talk to Vivienne…alone.”

Lana vanished, and Jacob swept Vivienne away from the crowd.

“Who is she, Jacob?”

“Her name is Annaliese Haller.”

“I mean who is she
to you
?” Vivienne bit her lower lip, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

“I was with Anna for a while…but it’s been a long time.”

“What does that mean…you were
with
her?”

“She was my submissive,” Jacob said.

If Jacob said anything else, Vivienne didn’t hear it. She was so embarrassed. That the woman would come up to her like that, and challenge her. But she was madder at herself than at Jacob. It was no surprise that she wasn’t the first to be his submissive.

Yet there was no excuse for not asking more about it, who he’d been with before, and what had happened. Was that why he had said their relationship wouldn’t last? Vivienne was his current submissive, just the next woman in line to be used and discarded…and she was furious.