When you've been at a shitty place once and you got a chance to get yourself together and things start looking a little brighter, there's a lot a person would do to not get back to that shitty place.

I choose to beg. "Adrian, please. I won't do it again, I promise, please, don't do this." I'm desperate. If he lets me go, that means I not only lose him but I lose everything else. I go back on the street because I have nowhere else to go. And it's the middle of winter.

"Yeah? Do you know how many times I've heard the same thing?"

I'm shaking. "I didn't hear the alarm! I was tired. Please."

He tilts his head to the side. "Does this excuse change things?"

"I – pardon?"

"Your excuse. Does it change what happened?"

"Well ... no, but –"

"Then find another one."

"Disculpe?" I ask.

Adrian shifts on his seat so he's facing me. "I will not cut you any slack just because you have a great pussy. I told you, Cassandra, it's on you if you keep the job or not, only by the way you do it. And I was not satisfied with you today. Therefore, you must learn your mistakes have consequences."

"Adrian –"

"Do you feel like you're entitled to use my given name right now?"

My mouth parts open. Is this the same man that came in my room in the middle of the night and fucked me? "You ... you told me to call you that, I –" I'm rambling, I'm desperate and I'm scared. Oh, so damn scared.

"I did, indeed. But, right now, Cassandra, do you feel like you're in the place to call me by my name?" He's stoic, showing no emotions. And I swear, at this moment, I hate him. I truly hate him. He's being an asshole – unnecessarily.

He could do this in a nicer way. "I guess I'm not," I mumble, defeated. I'm afraid to say anything that'd piss him off even further.

Adrian nods. "You can go get your stuff. Milena will take over."

That's ... it? He's truly firing me. I've lost my job. Truly. I couldn't even keep a simple job like this, that's what a failure I am.

I walk to my room without any further words to at least keep some of my pride and dignity.

I almost lose it when I come into my room. I'm on the verge of a mental breakdown but I don't let myself break.

I don't have much of my stuff, anyway and the packing doesn't take me long, especially because I haven't unpacked the clothes, anyway. I don't even need them since I have my uniform.

I pack my stuff slowly, dragging the moment I'll have to leave. I can't believe this is actually happening. But with the money I earned, I might actually buy warm clothes and food to survive. Before I came here, I didn't even have that.

I stand by the window, staring out at the sad sky, mocking me when the knock comes. I don't answer, but my body jolts. I'm afraid to turn around.

The door opens and then ... silence. A look over my shoulder tells me it's Adrian. He's casually leaning against the doorframe, the top three buttons of his light blue dress shirt opened, the sleeves rolled to his elbows. He's not wearing a suit jacket or a tie.

He looks relaxed while I'm a mess. I look towards the window again so he doesn't see the single tear that falls down my cheek. I quickly wipe it. I don't let myself cry. I don't deserve to feel sorry for myself. It's all my fault.

"I'll go soon. Just give me the money I've earned."

"The money gets transferred on your bank account."

Dios, his voice. I'm going to miss it. Even though it's making me want to cry like a baby right now. "I don't have a bank account. That's stated in the contract."

I hear Adrian coming into the room. I hear the door closing. "Look at me when I'm talking to you."

"I don't think I have to take your orders anymore. I'm not working for you." I slowly turn around, crossing my arms over my chest.

We get into a stare-down, both of us glaring at each other. Adrian is the first one to look away. He steps to the bad and taps his knuckles against the wood, the sound awfully loud in a silent room.

"Where do you live?"

I look towards my suitcase. Where do I live? I shrug. "Nowhere at the moment."

Adrian's eyebrows draw together. "Meaning?"

I exhale, annoyed with him. "For fuck's sake, don't make me say it out loud." I hate him for trying to humiliate me.

Adrian puts his hands in his pockets and straightens up. "Where do you live, Cassandra?" he repeats the question in that nonchalant way.

"I could say nowhere again. But you know what?" I let out a dry laugh. "Let's look at it from a positive side; I can live anywhere I want."

Adrian comes even closer. "You don't have a home?"

I shrug. Yes, I'm embarrassed. Because this is a man who has everything, lives in a huge mansion and probably wouldn't know what it's like to not have anything at all. "It's not your concern, Mr Welch. Please, pay me and I'll be on my way."

Adrian dares to put his hand on my cheek, tracing it softly with his thumb. His dark eyes are on me, gentle as ever, but also with a spark in them.

I sharply lean back, away from his touch. "What? Do you want one last blowjob before I go?"

Adrian sharply takes his hand back. "You're not going anywhere."

I stare at him. I don't say anything.

"Cassandra? Do you get me?"

"No soy estupida, señor Welch." I'm not stupid, Mr Welch.

"Of course not," he says softly. "I ..." He sighs. "I may have overreacted." He looks me straight in the eyes when he says that.

I scoff. Adrian's jaw clenches. "And I'm sorry," he says, still looking me straight in the eyes.

"The way you treated me wasn't really nice," I admit quietly. I'm hurt, I have to admit it. He could've reacted a little differently.

Adrian at least has the decency to look ashamed. "Forgive me. I tried to make you understand that what you did was not okay and that what we have is not influencing your work. I meant it, if we're sleeping together, that does not mean I will not let you go if you don't do your job well enough."

"Maybe you should not come into my room in the middle of the night, then," I suggest.

"I think I would rather go without a breakfast," Adrian replies immediately, making me press my thighs together.

He gets that dark look in his eyes, noticing my small movement. He's a receptive man, rarely anything ever escapes his notice. I'm still trying to figure out whether that is a good or a bad thing.

He takes one step forward, gauging my reaction, looking if I'm going to step back. I don't. His eyes get hooded and his arms are sneaking around my waist, bringing me closer to his body. I look up at him, a strand of his hair is falling over his eyes and I can't bring myself to push it back. It looks sexy. Untamed. Just like Adrian himself.

He leans his head to me, placing his mouth against my temple. "I'm going to teach you a lesson." My mouth parts open and I exhale. He probably feels it because he continues, "I want to be rough with you, Cassandra."

"How rough?" I manage to ask.

I feel his lips move against my skin, probably forming a smile. "Nothing you can't handle." He leans back and looks me in the eyes. "Trust me."

And I do. I really, really do. I nod.

"Pick a safe word."

My mouth gets dry and my throat gets clogged at hearing those words. "Are you ... are you a dom? Do you like BDSM?" He can hear the fear in my voice – I don't try to hide it. I try to step away, but Adrian doesn't let me.

"No, Cassandra, it does not go that deep with me. I love a dominance, but I won't perform anything you won't like me to on you. I've learned your limits, but I'm giving you a choice to use a safe word if it gets too much for you – which I hope it won't. I suppose you know when to use it?"

I nod.

"Words, Cassandra."

"When I say it, you'll stop immediately."

His mouth perks up at the side. "Very well. What's going to be your safe word?"

My eyes roam over his face ... over his dark eyes, dark hair, dark suit ... "Oscuro," I say, without even thinking much. Dark.

A surprise flashes across Adrian's eyes but it disappears quickly. His hand comes to my cheek and he caresses it. "You sweet girl," he murmurs softly. It seems like he does it unconsciously. "How do you know about BDSM?" he asks me quietly.

I lower my eyes. I don't think I want to admit that to him. I hang my head a bit, but Adrian puts his hand under my jaw and lifts my head back up. "Eyes on me, Cassandra," he reminds me.

I bite down on my lower lip. "I ... I've heard about it," I say, unconvincingly.

Adrian's dark eyebrow lifts. "Have you ever experienced it?"

I shake my head. "I've only had sex once in my life. Before you, I mean."

Adrian sucks in a surprised breath. He looks shocked. He doesn't try to hide it. His hand grips my jaw even harder, making it almost painful. "You're joking," he says, his British accent strongly present.

"I'm afraid I'm not," I reply calmly, carefully watching his reaction to my words.

"Christ! You were almost a virgin!"

I wince at the loud tone he uses. "Not exactly ..." I drag out.

"And you didn't find this information important enough to tell me before we had sex for the first time?" He sounds and looks so distressed it would be funny if it were any other situation.

"Does it matter now?" I shrug.

Adrian stares at me, long and hard. I hold his stare, not being the one to look away first this time. "Perhaps not. But it would've mattered then."

I cock my head to the side, clasping my hands together in front of me. "Would it be any different?" I taunt him.

His eyes flare. "Goddamnit, Cassandra," he grits out. "Get on the bed. And, for the love of God, get naked already."

"Aren't you a demanding creature?" I say sarcastically.

"Cassandra," he warns when I don't move.

I give him a sultry smile before I decide to give him a little show. I undo the lace on the front, making my movements slow and precise, also making sure he's watching. And, oh, he's watching alright.

I slip out of the dress, standing only in my panties and a bra. I unclasp my bra and toss it on the floor, slipping out of the panties next. And then I release my hair from the ponytail, moving my head from right to left to let it fall down my back in messy waves.

Adrian's eyes get as dark as a winter night. I see him clench and unclench his hands at his sides. And then he makes two long steps towards me before he pushes his hands into my hair and grips my head so he can press his lips against mine in a demanding way that makes my toes curl.

I put my hands on his forearms, holding onto him, feeling the rich, fine material of his suit under my hands.

But then, his lips are gone and he suddenly spins me around, pushing me down on the bed so I'm lying on my stomach with my toes still on the floor.

Adrian places his knee on the bed beside me and cups my bare pussy with his hand, groaning. "Already so wet for me." I press my lips together, swallowing down the moan that wants to get out of my mouth. "Be a good girl and wait for me in the same position you are right now. I'll come right back."

"Wha– where are you going?" I ask, already breathless and we haven't even started yet.

Adrian doesn't answer me. He leaves the room and I fight the urge to get up and get covered. I feel ridiculous, lying on the bed like that, completely naked and alone.

When he comes back, my heart starts thumping loudly in my chest when I see he's holding a whip in his hand.

"Adrian –" I start getting up but he comes to me, placing his hand on my back, preventing me from going anywhere.

"Trust me," he says gently.

I turn my pleading eyes to him. "Don't hurt me," I say quietly, fearfully.

Adrian's eyes become gentle, a spark coming into them. And there I hear a swish before the sound of his whip connecting with my ass is heard in the room. 

Well, uh. Yeah.