Page 61 of Ravage
I try to peer at the contents from my current position, but after a brief scan, nothing sticks out at me from this distance. I need to get closer to the desk and I need more time.
“Oh, okay.” He’s standing at the edge of the sitting area. “Actually, I am a bit thirsty. Would you mind—”
“Curtis!” Joe shouts out before I can finish. The assumed-butler appears in the doorway as if he’d been standing at the ready just outside of it for this exact purpose. “Some drinks, if you would.”
“Of course, Sir.” Curtis looks at me. “What would the lady like?”
My teeth bite down on my inner cheek in frustration. Right. He has house servants to get these things for him. Why did I assume Joe would get me a drink?
Then why did he go to the kitchens to order my food?
Food he apparently decided on without asking me.
“Just a water, please,” I answer.
“Nonsense.” Joe waves a hand at my reply. “We’re still celebrating the end of summer and going right back to the party. A champagne will do. I saw her drinking some at the mayor’s house.”
Curtis nods and exits without another glance my way.
It shouldn’t matter that he disregarded my request like that. I don’t plan on drinking either option anyway. But the implication that I don’t have a choice stirs up old memories that coil tightly around me.
Memories of being forced to do things. Of being told how I should act or feel. Of all choices being taken from me until the only choice I could make was his.
I force my stiffened body over to the sitting area and take a seat on one side of the sofa.
I need to steer my thoughts away from Gordon. Especially now. I know I fit the image of the girls he takes advantage of. Is that how there are so many? He jumps at the first opportunity to lure them in?
“Rebecca.” Joe’s voice is keyed down low, but it’s how close it sounded that startles me.
I glance over to find him seated right next to me, but the firm cushion barely moved when he sat.
He strokes the side of my face. My teeth clench to stop myself from moving away.
“You’re a beautiful woman. I can see the fire in you, even though you’re doing your best to stay polite. I like that. You’ve learned some control over the…unfortunate emotions that women have to deal with.”
I grip the edge of the sofa.
“That’s my good pet. How should I reward you this time?”
Blood rushes in my ears as my heart thumps wildly. It feels like my skin is stretched too tight and I need to claw a hole in it to make some room. The world around me begins to spin, but Joe continues on, taking my silence for whatever he believes as implicit approval for him to keep going.
“I wanted to talk to you about that internship opportunity. I understand you were already thinking about taking one with Steve, but I’d like you to reconsider being my intern instead.”
His words are barely there. Like words spoken behind a pane of glass that I could make out if I concentrated hard enough, but I’m only able to pick out bits and pieces instead.
I need to get a grip on myself.
Gordon is dead.
This is a non-gifted human. I can use my gift if it gets too bad.
But his words are so much like Gordon’s were. I hadn’t counted on that.
“Going to school for a degree in law, and then going on to a law school, it can be a challenging road. You’re going to encounter professors you don’t like, who don’t like you. You’re going to be overwhelmed in your workload and tests. There are hundreds of thousands of nuances in laws and regulations that you’ll have to familiarize yourself with. In short, it’s going to be difficult.”
The hand on my face moves and air fills my lungs at the space. But then, he rests his hand on my exposed knee and my entire body tenses before I can hide it. I try to laugh it off nervously. “I knew all of that when choosing my degree.”
“What I’m offering is a chance to…smooth out any potential bumps in your road. Pave that road, so you can learn what you need to without the fear. The stress. The drama. I can get you to that degree, with some effort on your end of course.” His fingers start to climb up my thigh until they reach the hem of my beach dress.
