“What do you want to know her name for?”

He’s silent for a minute. “She’s sweet. I wanted to take her out.”

“Not going to happen.”

“Why not?” he snaps. “Has she got a man?”

“Yes,” I almost spit. “She does.”

“All the good ones are taken,” he grumbles. “Well, can I at least know her name?”

Her name.

Her name.

I close my eyes. Not even she knows her name, I can’t just give it to my brother. He can’t have a piece of her that no one else but me has.

“I don’t remember it. There’s too many of them.”

He’s silent again. “William, are you lying to me?”

My chest seizes. Just the thought of lying to someone has everything inside me coiling up. I hate liars, and I hate people who do wrong. I just lied to my own brother. I just became what I’m trying to teach the girls not to be.

“Yes, sorry,” I mutter. “Her name is Emelyn.”

Just saying her name has my entire body breaking out in shudders. Such a perfect name for such a broken girl.

My broken girl.

“Damn,” he murmurs. “It’s as pretty as her.”

“Are we finished here? I have work to do.”

He snorts. “Always the charmer. Send me the reports you did up last week. I need to go over them before sending them in.”

“I’ll do it now.”

“Also, the figures for January are due up tomorrow. You got them ready?”

“Yes.”

“Right, if I don’t see you before then, I’ll see you at Dad’s birthday.”

“Later.”

I hang up the phone and sigh deeply.

This isn’t going how I’d planned.

WILLIAM

“Send Number Twelve in,” I order George.

He nods and walks out. I head over, switching the light off and taking a seat on the lounge with only a dim lamp on. I have been narrowing it down between the three girls for the past few weeks. Number Seven has no interest in giving herself to me; she’s too timid, and finds it difficult to speak to me. It’s now between Number Twelve and Number Thirteen.

I have a strange connection with nne8217;s tooNumber Thirteen. She makes me feel, which is something I rarely do. She challenges me, she brings out the best and the worst in me, but she’s stubborn, and she’s quite determined to fight me with this the entire way. Number Twelve is sweet, and is slowly allowing herself to trust me. She’s letting me in, but she’s dong it so easily. Almost too easily.

“Sir, here she is.”

I turn in the seat and see Number Twelve, blindfolded. He leaves her at the door, and closes it.

“Come over here, Number Twelve.”

She makes her way over to me, her hands reaching out to guide her way. When she stops at the couch, I take her by the hips and pull her onto my lap. She’s bigger than Number Thirteen; she doesn’t fit me so perfectly. I reach up and stroke her long, thick hair. She shivers, and nestles in further. I want a lover; I make it no secret. I just need one who...fits.

“You’ve been behaving very well, Number Twelve,” I say to her.

“Yes, Master.”

Another thing Number Thirteen doesn’t do—she doesn’t call me Master.

I won’t admit that I like it. I like that wild, determined side.

“And are you beginning to feel more comfortable?”

“Yes,” she breathes.

“I’m happy.”

I stroke my fingers down her back, and she shifts in my lip.

“Sir?” she whispers.

“Yes, Number Twelve?”

“I...I just . .. I know we’ve been doing this now for a while, and I think I know what you’re wanting from me. And I wanted...I mean...”

“Don’t mumble, just tell me,” I encourage.

“I want to give myself to you. I trust you, and I want to go to the next step. I want this.”

I can’t say I’m not shocked; I am. It’s what I’ve been working towards. I want their trust, and I want them to offer themselves to me. I’d never force a woman, but I never expected her to be the first to give it. I rest my hands on her legs, knowing that she thinks she wants to give herself to me, but that she’s not entirely ready. However, I cannot make an informed choice if I don’t take her up on her offer.

“Lay down, Number Twelve.”

She makes a squeaking sound, and shuffles off my lap. I place her in front of me, staring down at her. She’s beautiful, without a doubt, but I can’t seem to push Number Thirteen from my head. I have to do this, even if my body is screaming at me to go the other direction. If Number Thirteen never gives herself to me, I’m risking losing everything. I have to give them all a chance.

“Spread your legs, sweetheart,” I murmur.

She trembles, but her legs drop open. I take hold of her pants and lower them, before discarding her panties. She’s spread wide for me, and she’s a very beautiful woman down here. She’s fresh, and lovely, and she smells great. I push any hesitation back, and I do what I have to.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” I murmur, and lower my head.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

The week drags by.

None of us speak or really communicate at all. We just go about our business as instructed. We clean, we cook, we do the gardens, and we all visit with Master William. He doesn’t see Number Seven as much as Number Twelve and I, but I thinkI, wid she’s okay with that. She doesn’t seem to want to be with him. I’ve been seeing him daily, and he continues to hold onto me, stroking my hair, running his fingers along my skin.