*Genevieves' pov*

I woke up slowly, sleep not leaving my mind easily.

Stretching my arms to the sides, I felt that the bed around me was cold and seemed unused for quite some time. I opened my eyes and saw that one of the balcony doors was ajar and the white curtain covering it was lightly blowing in the breeze. From the light peeking through the billowing curtain, I could tell it was early morning.

I leaned up on my elbows, looked around the room, and noticed that I must've been in the master suite. The bed was a huge king with a wide-screen tv on the wall across from me.

There was a dresser underneath the tv and I could see that there was a single picture frame on the dresser that held a picture of Dominic and a younger woman with the same dark-color hair as him.

'Sister?'

Probably... hopefully.

If not, and that is a girlfriend or something more and he is a serial cheater while his poor wife is out of town or something, I've just spent the night with a taken man...

'That's a very high conclusion you're trying to jump to... Look, relax. He hasn't given you any reason to distrust him..."

Yet?

"Good morning, Genevieve," Dominic said in a clipped tone as he walked in through the bedroom door wearing yesterdays pants and nothing else. He laid my folded dress next to the picture frame under the tv.

I pulled the sheet higher up my chest and knew it was silly to try to cover myself after last night but I was suddenly feeling a little self-conscious from his tone.

"Good morning, Dom," I whispered.

I noticed he wasn't smiling and that instead, he was scowling. Definitely not a good sign after last night.

"Something the matter," I asked, not knowing what could've happened at this early in the morning to have him acting this way.

"No, it's just, uh... I need you to get dressed so I can drive you home," he said with a straight and emotionless face.

My heart dropped and my stomach churned.

So, that's it?

Was his girlfriend or wife suddenly coming home and he needed to get me out as soon as possible...

Or...was I just a lay for him?

The thought that after I gave him my virginity, he was just kicking me out...

I mean, I knew we probably weren't going to start a relationship, and to be honest, I wasn't really looking for one, but I, at least, thought he'd make me breakfast first before he kicked me out.

'Something could've come up--something important. Maybe he'll explain everything to you.'

No, he should've started with whatever it was.

Clenching my jaw, I sighed, "Ok, give me a few minutes."

I was glad, in that moment, that I had inherited my dads' pride because if not, I would've probably asked the hundreds of questions flowing through my mind right now; with only one of them being: What had him acting so hostile towards me?

But Carlyle's' don't grovel or beg unless it is for something we really want or need, and I don't want or need him...

Only what he and his company can do for me.

He nodded once and I saw a flash of something in his eyes, guilt or regret maybe, but then he left the room.

I quickly got up and pulled my dress on, not bothering to use the zipper.

Stepping out into the hall, I saw my heels sitting beside the door so I took a moment to put them on and then ran a hand through my hair, throwing it to one side.

I walked down the stairs and saw him standing in the foyer a few feet from the door donned in yesterdays button up as well.

"Let's go," I sighed as I moved past him to the door and opened it. I walked down the steps and over to his car that he had, thankfully, already unlocked. I didn't even bother waiting for him to open the door for me as I got in and shut it behind me all before he was done locking the front door and walking down the steps.

The drive back into the city was painfully quiet save for me telling him which roads to turn down.

When we finally made it to the front of my apartment building, I unbuckled my seat belt and grabbed the nipple pasties that had fallen into the cup holder yesterday.

I opened the door and placed a foot onto the concrete, "Have a wonderful rest of the weekend, Mr. Blackstone," I said, my tone icy and venomous, before climbing out and shutting the door more forcefully than was required.

My pride and ego were bruised and, for some reason, I needed him to know that.

I did manage to not look back as I walked through the door, even though I could feel him staring a hole into the back of my head.

When I was finally inside of my apartment I pulled the dress over my head and threw it into the hamper before tearing the heels off my feet and leaving them by the closet door.

I placed the pasties on the bathroom counter and started the shower, turning the heat up as high as I could possibly stand it. I needed to wash off the feeling of his hands in my hair, his hands on my body, in my body and then I needed to sit in front of the tv in my underwear with a pint of ice cream for the rest of the weekend.

Then and only then would I be ready for Monday, when I would have to get his breakfast, sit across from him all day, and perhaps even have lunch with him.

I huffed and stepped into the shower and under the steaming water. From here on out, I would not try to seduce Dominic again and I definitely would not flirt with him.

From here on out I would stick to myself. I wouldn't pursue him or Jeremy or any man. I would just work my job, get my money, pay my bills and then come home. It would be just like college, no boys, no friends, no distractions.

The thought of not having Doms' eyes on me throughout the day caused my stomach to churn and for that very reason, I needed to push harder in bettering myself. I needed to give my parents no reason not to trust me and I needed them to think I was doing good on my own.

I only needed to work directly under Dom for about a year or two until I had experience and then move up in the company and away from him. I would have to suck it up and do it for my future.

From here on out, he would no longer be Dominic, Dom, Daddy, or Master. He would be Sir or Mr. Blackstone.

Nothing more, nothing less.