Free Because of His Past by Kelly Favor

Jameson’s building doesn’t mean I’m trying to be part of some stupid rich person’s club.   I’m not like you—I really couldn’t
care less about belonging with the cool kids.”
    “Sure,” Scott said.   “I’m sure none of this has anything to
do with Liam Houston, either.   Very
convincing story, sis.”
    “Stop pushing me, Scott.   I don’t owe you any explanations or any
excuses about how I choose to live my life and spend my time.   I don’t know who you think you are—“
    “I’m your brother, remember?   The one you always come crawling to when
you need money, when you need to be bailed out, or emotional support because
you screwed up yet again?”
    “Don’t count on that happening anymore,”
she said, wanting to hang up on him now.
    Scott’s voice grew low and
aggressive.   “You better not be
seeing Liam Houston, Grace.   You’re
not just screwing with your own life anymore—I won’t see my business be
killed due to your self-esteem problems and your disregard for all of my hard
work.   I built my life and my
business up from nothing and you don’t just get to shit on it because you
haven’t done a damn thing to deserve a life, so you’ll just cheat me to get it
for yourself—“
    Grace hung up on him, her hands shaking
as she stared at the phone as if it was the thing that had spouted all of those
horrible insults.
    What was wrong with her brother?   Why did he insist on saying so many
hurtful, cruel opinions about how she’d failed so badly in life?
    And yet, as she gathered her things and
prepared to leave the office after her first day on the job, Grace couldn’t
deny that Scott’s words had indeed hit home.
    You
did see Liam again , she
thought, as she walked out the door and then headed down the hallway, yearning
for the outside and fresh air.   She
felt claustrophobic in this building, and she needed relief.
    But what she really needed relief from
was her mind, which wouldn’t cease its attack.
    Not
only did you see Liam Houston, but you had sex with
him in Easton Rather’s office.   On Easton Rather’s desk.
    Everything
Scott said is true.   You didn’t earn
the job and so you’re not respecting it.   And Liam Houston clearly doesn’t respect you either, or he wouldn’t have
put your job at risk and dragged you into Easton’s office for cheap, random
sex.
    Do
you think Liam would have done that if you were some rich, country club girl
that his mother approved of? Liam’s just having fun.   He’s got nothing to lose,
while you have everything to lose.   You don’t have any power in this relationship, and Liam knows it.
    When
he’s done, he’ll throw you to the side just like Scott warned.
    Getting outside, Grace was practically
running away from the towering office building, her lungs sucking in air as she
tried to clear her mind.
    She didn’t know what to think
anymore.   Part of her was considering
just blowing Liam off—not showing up at the hotel and going home
instead.   From there, she’d call her
brother and tell him that he was right, and that she was sorry for causing him
to worry about his business.
    But Grace quickly shook off her panicked
thinking and realized that she was never going to reward Scott for his
insulting comments and his infantile behavior.
    She took out her phone and called Liam.
    “I’m coming over,” she said.   “I should be there in just a few
minutes.”

 
    ***

 
    She’d been tied up again.
    This time, he’d been careful, deliberate,
using cloth to tie her wrists to the bedframe and then he’d even tied her
ankles together.
    More than that, he’d also blindfolded
her.
    Grace was naked, having had her clothes
stripped off piece by piece, as Liam had kissed her on the giant bed in his
very own penthouse suite.
    By the end of it, they’d both been
completely nude, with only the light from candles he’d lit surrounding them,
casting glare and shadows on their bare skin as they’d touched one