It has a receptionist, footmen, a waiting room. I thought we might even be in a hotel.
No, Callum doesn’t have a house. He has aHall. Fern Hall, to be exact, an historical monument built in the eighteenth century for one of our monarch’s mistresses. The town manor takes up half a block, just a few streets down from the royal palace, with a view of the park.
“Is this…your parent’s place?” I look around, half expectingto see his mom and dad around the corner.
He shakes his head. “No, I bought it from the Harwicks when I got access to my trust fund at eighteen.”
I blink. “You bought this. At eighteen.”
I knew he came from another world. I didn’t realize it was an entirely different galaxy.
He smirks. “I got lucky. The Harwicks needed an infusion of cash, and not many wanted to deal with renovating a place with so many features that couldn’t be touched: the ceilings, the stained glass, some of the walls.”
Somehow, though, despite the complex ornamental ceilings, columns, and yes, those stained glass windows on the first floor, this place did feel modern. Dark wood, simple decor, in deep reds.
“After renovating, I sold the west wing. Less, his brother Nic, Hux, Hawk, Caden, and Sebastian live next door. They each own a floor. The sale recouped what I spent on the property and all improvements, with a fair bit of change to spare.”
“So you meant to say you bought the entire block, not just half.”
This is unbelievable. “And those seven floors are all yours?”
“Indeed. I mostly use the penthouse, on the upper floor.”
“What do youdowith all the space?” I wonder.
“Orgies, mostly.” He shrugs, as casual as if he was talking about the weather. “About once a month or so, I get all the eighteen- to thirty-year-old royals together in one place—with their partners, their friends, their dolls, their toys. Not many people have the space for a gathering like that in town—and why travel to a country estate when I can host?”
I’m completely out of words.
“You’ll love it, won’t you, my precious doll? You adore being the center of attention.”
I flush, looking away. “I really don’t understand you, sometimes. Like, you say I’m yours and all that, and at the same time, you seem to like nothing more than letting other people touch me.”
He snorts, leading us to the lift again. “For me to share something, it has to be mine in the first place. Be honest, love. How does it make you feel when you’re being watched? When Hawk, Sebastian, and I shared you?”
My insides clench as my core tingles. I don’t say anything, but Callum still smirks smugly. “That’s what I thought.”
The lift opens up to the floor I already know.
“There are people who are completely possessive with their affections. I’m not one of them. I love showing off what’s mine. I want the entire universe to know just how beautiful and precious it is, and be quite certain that it belongs to me,” he explains as we walk into the familiar lounge, with that pole still set up near the window.
I wonder if people can see it from outside.
Maybe.
Probably.
Considering what he just said, I’m fairly certain he set it up so theywouldsee. Maybe not in detail, at that height, but still.
“I realize that’s not how the majority of the population feels. But here’s the thing, love. You like to be shared, too. You know that,” he adds somewhat gently. “And that’s one of the many reasons I’m keeping you.”
“Keeping me,” I repeat with an eye roll.
“And you’re staying right here until you can assure me you understand that. Make yourself comfortable.”
I don’t believe my comfort is Callum’s primary concern. First, he bends me down in the billiard room, then he gets me to dance on the pole, naked, before fucking me on the floor next to it. We break for lunch, only for him to request a lap dance in the library.
“I’ve never actually done one of those.”