Terrence begged to differ, but he didn’t think arguing about it was his best course of action at the moment. To him, it damn well was concerning that Lewis knew who he was. Aside from the man’s vast wealth, he probably held enough power to ensure Terrence was never offered another acting job.

  A probability Ken launched into and discussed in more detail than Terrence cared to hear.

  “And another thing,” Ken said after ranting for several minutes about the shitstorm Terrence had created. “What the hell were you thinking going to a club in LA, of all places?”

  There was no answer Terrence could give that would make the man happy, so he said nothing, allowing his agent to continue spewing his displeasure.

  “Last thing,” Ken finally ended with. “You need to find a place to stay hidden until this blows over. And by place to stay hidden, I mean somewhere that is not LA. If I see or hear of your ass being in this city before I tell you it’s safe to come back, I’m dropping you as a client.”

  And with that, he ended the call.

  Terrence winced and placed the phone on the coffee table.

  “I take it your agent isn’t happy?” Lennox asked.

  Terrence snorted. “Isn’t happy is a polite way to say it.”

  “What’s the plan?”

  “For me to stay low and out of LA until I’m told it’s okay for me to come back.” Terrence dropped his head into his hands and scrubbed at his hair. “I’m not sure where to go.”

  “Surely you have plenty of friends you could stay with,” Lennox said. “Big-time actor like you.”

  “If only,” Terrence replied, but didn’t explain.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “I can count the number of true friends I have on one hand with fingers left over.” Terrence shook his head. “I’m sure I could call up an actor colleague and they’d be fine with me staying at their place for a night or two. Listening to Ken though, I get the feeling I’m going to have to be out of sight for a lot longer than anyone wants me as a houseguest.”

  “Why? Are you messy or something?” Lennox said in an obvious attempt to make him smile.

  It worked, Terrence realized as he caught himself grinning. “If only that could be my problem.” He paused a second before continuing. “You know how this city is. How it can slowly peel layer after layer of humanity and normalcy away until you don’t recognize yourself in the mirror.”

  Lennox cocked an eyebrow. “I have the feeling we aren’t discussing where you can stay for a few months anymore.”

  “The sad fact is I don’t have anyone I can count on like that. To support me. To help me.” He glanced at Lennox before adding, “Not since Andie.”

  If Terrence’s words caused any sort of reaction in Lennox, it wasn’t visible in his body language. His friend simply nodded. “I had a feeling the breakup affected you more than you let on. And I suppose I should apologize since a member of my staff is the primary reason for that breakup. But I can’t. Maybe if Marie and I weren’t together and I hadn’t experienced the depth of love I feel for her, it’d be easier for me to be apologetic. But I have and I can’t. Not when I see Andie and Fulton together.”

  “I understand that,” Terrence said, and it was true. Hell, he vividly remembered how the punch to his gut felt the first time he saw that very thing between the two. “It’s not so much Andie, I don’t think, but rather the idea of her. She grounded me. Made me feel normal. I craved that and mistook it for love.”

  Lennox said nothing for a long moment, and Terrence was unprepared for what he finally did say. “I know a place where you can stay for as long as you need. A place that would welcome you and offer work that would keep you busy. As an added bonus, it’s far enough away that driving to LA won’t be a temptation at all.”

  It sounded too good to be true to Terrence, but then he remembered that Lennox had been in the real estate business years prior and had done quite well for himself. Better than quite well, truth be told. Should it really come as a surprise he knew where to find such a property?

  “Tell me,” he said.

  “At the academy.”

  Terrence had to repeat those three words in his head several times in order to get them to make sense. “Your academy? On the island? With Andie?” Surely he misunderstood.

  “It meets your requirements,” Lennox answered. “The spring session is almost over, and we’ve decided to only have a handful of week-long sessions for the summer. Andie and Fulton will be there some of the time, but Fulton told me they were going to do a bit of traveling. You can look at it like a summer retreat. No one will bother you.”

  It wasn’t the worst idea he’d ever heard.

  “And to be honest,” Lennox continued, “it would be a big help for me because I know running everything in my absence is harder on Fulton and Andie than they let on. If I could twist your arm into teaching one class, it would ease part of the burden on them.”

  While Lennox could probably guess Terrence didn’t give two shits about easing Fulton’s burden, he had to know Andie still meant a lot to him. If he had the power to do anything to help the woman he once thought of as his, he’d do it and not think twice.

  “But teach?”

  “Only if you want.”

  Terrence wasn’t sure. While staying and teaching at the academy wasn’t his ideal solution for the predicament he currently found himself in, it was a solution. Even more so, it would fulfill all the requirements laid out by Ken. Though he wasn’t sure he would tell the man exactly where he’d be staying for the foreseeable future. Terrence was willing to bet, however, Ken would say he didn’t need to know where he was hiding out as long as he was doing what he’d been told to do.

  “I’ll let you know one way or the other in the morning,” he told Lennox. “I try to make it a point not to make major decisions quickly.”

  Lennox chuckled and stood up. “Sounds like a solid plan.”

  Long after Lennox left, Terrence sat alone. The events of the past twenty-four hours made him feel like an emotional yo-yo. He should be exhausted, and even though he wasn’t, the smartest thing to do would be to at least try to get some sleep. But his mind wouldn’t let him.

  Chapter 2

  Veronica

  Five Years Later

  Veronica smoothed out invisible wrinkles on her black skirt, thankful it was well-made enough that the signs of wear were barely visible and that she had been smart enough to purchase timelessly classic pieces of clothing years ago when she could afford to buy new things. Since breaking all ties with her father, she had limited herself to shopping twice a year at secondhand stores.

  The teenager the world had known as Ronnie would have stuck her nose up at the mere thought of purchasing previously worn clothing. Of course, that teenager would never have guessed that at age twenty-four she’d be trying to keep her head above water and pay her rent on time. Hell, had that girl even known what rent was? Probably not.

  She would learn, however. Although the first and hardest lesson was how drastically she’d romanticized the process of leaving behind everything and everyone she’d grown up with. When she’d planned it out in her mind beforehand, she pictured herself flipping off the entire Lewis family while walking out the remodeled palatial plantation home her parents were so proud of. And how after that, everyone she came into contact with would give her a high-five and heap massive praise on her about what a badass she’d become.

  Instead, she’d soon discovered it was hard to live without the silver spoon in her mouth, much less to aspire to anything resembling a badass. Everything she did was an eye-opener, whether buying food (who knew a package and processed loaf of bread could cost so much?) to her first paycheck (what the hell was FICA?).

  As for those high-fives? Nonexistent. Most people looked at her as if she’d lost every bit of sense in her head upon hearing that she’d removed herself out from under the Lewis umbrella of protection and prestige.

  She was able to resist the temptation to run back to her parents only because she had a small bank account no one knew about. On her sixteenth birthday, Aunt Meredith, her mother’s sister, told her everyone needed an emergency stash of money belonging to them and them alone. Ronnie thought it sounded like a good idea and had opened an account. Too bad she’d never added anything to it beyond the five thousand of that first deposit. Now it sobered her to know most people made do with a lot less.

  Taking a deep breath, she glanced at the clock on the wall off to her side and couldn’t resist smiling at the thought of teenaged Ronnie sitting and waiting for anything. That girl didn’t wait for anyone. People waited for her. And woe to the person who got that backward.

  Over the past five years, she’d done a lot of things she’d never thought of before. Although, if she were honest with herself, she’d have thought by now she’d be better off career-wise than she was. Not that she was one to complain—or at least she wasn’t now; things could always get worse. But after struggling to get a degree, she’d made the incorrect assumption she’d be considered highly marketable considering who her family was.

  And yes, she supposed it made her somewhat of a hypocrite to attempt to use for her own benefit those family ties she’d severed. She didn’t care.

  But as she soon learned, there was no line of people outside her office waiting for a chance to talk to her. Nor was her phone vibrating with an endless number of incoming texts and urgent voice mails. It didn’t take long for her to see the Lewis name was nothing but a hindrance. Mere months after leaving everything behind, she started going by her mother’s maiden name—Fair. Lately, she’d been working with an employment service to find work. She realized as soon as they sent her here changing her last name had been an exercise in futility. She would never be able to live down that night five years ago.

  “Ms. Fair?”

  She looked up to find a tall, well-built man with dark hair and piercing blue eyes standing in front of her. “Yes.”

  “I’m Fulton Matthews,” he said, shaking her hand. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Come on back to my office.”

  Veronica followed him into a neat and tidy office with a large wooden desk and two plush leather chairs. She sat in one, noticing the picture on his desk as she did. It was a candid shot, obviously taken on his wedding day. His bride had her head thrown back, laughing while he watched with a look of such raw passion Veronica felt like a voyeur.

  “I’m not sure what the agency told you about this position,” Fulton said, sitting down behind the desk and drawing her attention away from the photo. “The short of it is, the academy’s executive assistant is taking a leave of absence for the summer, and even though there won’t be any students on the island, we still need someone in that position.”

  Veronica nodded. That was the information she’d been told. Along with the fact that this was no ordinary academy.

  “I’ve looked over your resume,” Fulton continued. “I want to ensure the agency did mention, and that you are aware, this is a BDSM academy?”

  She cleared her throat. “Yes.” Knowing he couldn’t ask any direct questions along those lines, she volunteered the information she assumed he wanted. “I have experience in the lifestyle. Not recently, and not a lot even when I was active, but enough, I believe, not to embarrass either myself or the academy. And I don’t know if it matters or if you even need to know, but I consider myself a submissive, or I did when I was active in the lifestyle.”

  “Thank you for that,” he said with a smile. “Why don’t I show you around, and while we walk, I can fill you in on the details of the job?”

  She agreed and followed him as he led her down the hall. Their first stop was the kitchen, and Veronica was shocked to find the woman from the photo—Fulton’s wife, she assumed—behind a counter and wielding a knife like nobody’s business.

  Fulton waited until she stopped before addressing her, probably so she wouldn’t chop a finger off.

  “Andie,” he said, getting her attention after she placed the knife down.

  Andie smiled and walked toward them, wiping her hands on the towel attached to her waist. “Hi.” She reached her hand out for a shake. “Andie Matthews.”

  “My wife,” Fulton said, his voice filled with pride. “And the best chef in the state of Oregon.”

  “Or at least on this island,” Andie said, rolling her eyes. “You must be looking into the executive assistant position.”

  “Veronica Fair,” she said. “And yes, I am.”

  “Veronica Fair. What a beautiful name,” Andie said.

  Veronica felt a little guilty not confessing that it wasn’t her given name. Even though she’d only just met Fulton and Andie, she didn’t think they would hold the Lewis name against her, but it wasn’t anything she wanted to test at the moment. “Thank you.”

  “I’m giving Veronica the grand tour,” Fulton said to his wife. “Would you like to come with us?”

  “Sure. I need a break.” Andie walked back to the counter she’d been working at. “Let me put this stuff in the refrigerator so it doesn’t spoil.”

  Fulton showed her around the inside of the academy. She peeked inside several empty classrooms, surprised that most of them actually looked like classrooms. They stepped into the dining room, which was also empty. Andie told her there were other people on the island. Namely, a handful of teachers and a few year-round employees. She added that since there weren’t any students for the summer, she wasn’t cooking meals, but the kitchen was open for anyone to use. “As long as they clean up after themselves.”

  They didn’t go down to the lower levels. Fulton explained that was where the playrooms were but that they weren’t for personal use. She didn’t care, and to be honest, he really didn’t have to tell her. It wasn’t as if she had any plans to do anything kinky during the summer. But she smiled and nodded just the same, telling herself it wasn’t as if he knew she wasn’t going to proposition the first single Dom she made the acquaintance of.

  As they made their way outside, Fulton told her about the owners of the academy. According to him, Lennox and Mariela MacLure had a residence on the island but spent most of their time in an expansive log cabin they built a few years ago about sixty miles north of Spokane.

  “Although log cabin doesn’t do the place justice,” Andie added. “Seeing as how the main house is over twelve thousand square feet.” She shook her head. “But they do try to visit the academy every month or so.”

  “They typically stay longer in the summer,” Fulton said and, at his wife’s nod, turned to explain his statement to Veronica. “For the past four or five years, a friend of Lennox and Mariela’s stays on the island for about two months during the summer. He’s in a high-profile occupation and uses the time here to decompress and make plans for the following year. He pretty much keeps to himself other than when Lennox and Mariela are visiting, though you might see him walking around some.”

  She’d make sure to stay out of his way. Growing up with her father had given her an education on men in high-profile occupations, and she knew all too well that the best thing to do was to stay as far away from them as possible. She imagined that went double for those who were so stressed out they had to retreat to an island once a year in order to decompress.

  The rest of the tour went smoothly. The island was gorgeous and peaceful, and she found Fulton and Andie both to be friendly and easygoing. As they walked around the property, Fulton made it a point to speak to each employee they passed. It was easy to see why the MacLures trusted him to run the academy and oversee the island.

  On their way back to the main building, Fulton pointed out the lighthouse where he and Andie lived. They’d already passed the residential area that housed the majority of the academy staff. All things considered, the job seemed to be a lot more sedate than she’d thought when she first heard about it.

  Since housing was provided as part of the position, she’d be able to sublet her current apartment. Extra money in her pocket was always a plus.

  The three of them walked inside, and Andie shook her hand once more. “Nice to meet you, Veronica. I hope to see you back soon.” A quick kiss on the lips for Fulton and she was off toward the kitchen.

  “If you’d like,” Fulton said. “I can show you the office that would be yours.”

  She told him that would be great and followed as he led her to an office a few doors down from his. Her jaw hit the floor at the sight of the messy desk.

  “I’m afraid Lisa left the place in a bit of a mess,” Fulton said. “I attempted to clean it up but was fearful of throwing something important away, and then I thought whoever took the job might like to set up the place with their own organizational style.”

  Veronica snorted. “I think it’s more likely you just didn’t want to deal with it.”

  “That too.”

  She raised an eyebrow at him, more than a little impressed he had been honest. “Lucky for you, I love nothing more than to take a huge mess and shrink it down to something orderly and manageable.”

  “Serious?” he asked, eyes lifted in shock.

  Veronica laughed. “It’s one of my personality quirks.”

  A smile covered Fulton’s face as he replied. “I think you would fit in nicely here at the academy and on the island. The job is yours if you’d like it.”

  She could try to play it cool and keep him guessing by saying she’d get back with him. But the truth was, she’d never been one to play games. “I’d love it.”

  Chapter 3

  Terrence

  As the boat made its way to the island, Terrence couldn’t help but think back to the morning after Lennox offered the academy as a safe place for him to hide away from the world five years ago.

  * * *

  “Last night, did I make it up or did you suggest I move for who knows how long to an island, only accessible by boat, where my ex-girlfriend lives and works with her current partner?”