Bloom: A Dark Romance (The Order, 1) Read online

  He smiled slightly and I imagined the contrast was even more alluring in person. This was a man who liked rare things, and she seemed like a scarce jewel the way he spoke of her.

  “Her eyes are blue and always look like they’re accusing you of something.” He laughed softly and I smiled in response so he wouldn’t stop. “She has…beautiful lips. Everything about her is beautiful.”

  A pang of what felt like jealousy arose in my stomach but I knew that emotion was worthless here. This woman would always be his first choice. Still, I couldn’t stop the harmful thought of how he would describe me to her from bouncing around in my pathetic head.

  He moved closer and I wasn’t sure I it was intentional or if he was just trying to get comfortable. “I think you’d like her.”

  It took me so off guard that I was glad I was lying down. If I hadn’t been, I would have surely fallen over. “Why?”

  Master Lyon grinned and it was the most honest thing I’d ever seen him do. “You’re a lot alike,” he said. “And your differences are interesting too.”

  It was a vague answer, but I couldn’t force myself to ask more. I decided to instead turn his attention away from me and how similar I was to this woman I’d never met; this woman who was about to uproot my life. “How long have you been married?”

  “Five years,” he said, “but we’ve known each other for much longer.”

  “And was she…” I couldn’t grasp how I should word it. “Did you meet her in the same way you met me?”

  He studied my face, looking like he was back in the room with me for the first time since he started talking about this woman. “No,” he said with a finality that told me he wasn’t about to elaborate.

  It was silent and he wouldn’t stop staring at me. My eyes shifted around the dimly lit room, the space, the furniture. “Why did you bring me to your room?” I asked.

  My Owner looked around too, only his eyes moving before they were back on me. “Why not bring you to my room?”

  I tried to shrug but it sent needles through my shoulder. “You’ve only brought me here to beat me before.”

  Ignoring my answer, he said, “I don’t sleep well.” His eyes flashed to me as if remembering something. “Except the night you ran.”

  Interesting. “You can’t sleep because she isn’t here?”

  He sighed heavily, standing. “Why are these things so important to you, Doe?” He sounded frustrated, irritated. “They change nothing. You won’t change my mind.”

  His words were meant to hurt me, to close the door he had opened, but I was prepared for them. “I don’t know,” I admitted, staring down at the blanket covering my legs, the place where the indent of where he sat still remained. “I just…”

  I couldn’t believe I was going to cry again. How was that possible?

  He seized my chin in his hand and angled my head towards him. “Look at me,” he said as if I had any other option, but it was gentle, caring. “I mean what I say.” His other hand cupped the back of my head as if the additional contact made his words truer. “I am going to fix this.”

  I squeezed my eyes shut as if he’d slapped me and a few tears trickled down my cheeks.

  “Until then,” he wiped them away with his knuckle, “no more tears over this. No more questions.” It was soft, the way he said it, as if pleading in his own way. “I’m your Owner,” he said in the same tone, but with a distinct edge now. “Even after the transfer is complete, even after I leave you, it is I who protects you. It is I who owns you. No one else. Understood?”

  More so, he meant what the term “Owner” stood for in our small corner of hell. I was his. As long as that was true, no one could truly harm me—they didn’t have his permission. I just hoped I survived long enough to prove him right.

  To be continued…

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Thank you first and foremost to my readers, new and old, for trusting me to write a story like this. Bloom and the world and characters within it have been in my head for years and it was only through the courage you instilled in me that I finished it.

  I would also like to thank Renea Mason for asking me for change at that one book signing and giving me one of her books in exchange. Her erotic romance novels changed my view on the entire genre and inspired me beyond words to create this universe.

  My editor, Amanda Krenicki, is a freaking genius and I’m so happy she not only saw what I wanted to do with this story, but enjoyed it (once I got rid of those pesky commas I seem to like so much during my rough drafts).

  Special thanks goes to Al, my partner in life, home ownership, animal wrangling, and all that other mushy stuff I would never admit to in writing. I love you; you get it. Thank you for supporting my dreams even when it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel sometimes. You da best.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Nikki Rae is the head editor of Metamorphosis Editing Services and a writer who lives in New Jersey. She is an independent author and has appeared numerously on Amazon Best Seller lists. She is the author of The Sunshine Series and concentrates on making her imaginary characters as real as possible. She writes mainly dark, scary, romantic tales, but she'll try anything once. When she is not writing, reading, or thinking, you can find her spending time with animals, drawing in a quiet corner, or studying people. Closely.

  If you’d like to connect with Nikki Rae, follow her! She loves interacting with fellow book-lovers.

  Find Nikki at Nikki Rae or @nikkiraeauthor on all platforms