The Billionaire's Ultimatum: His Absolute Need (A BDSM Erotic Romance Novel) (Book One) by Cerys du Lys

literary as Dante's Inferno , you
know?"  He grinned a wicked grin. 
    "Asher, I'm
so terribly sorry about that again.  I really didn't mean to ruin your book.  I
still feel badly."
    He waved away my
concern.  Then he scooted further to the side and patted the cushion next to
him.  "Sit here.  It's easier to discuss things if we're closer."
    Was that it? 
Yes, it made sense to some extent, but not really.  Still, I went.  I would
have gone no matter what.  I didn't know what it was about him, but I felt like
I should hang on his every word, wait for him to demand something from me, and
then do it as best I could.  And not for any particular reason save for the
fact that he seemed like the type of person who would never lead me astray. 
Why did I think this?  What was it?  I felt guarded and unsure around him, but
I also felt a sense of trustworthiness.
    When I went to
sit next to him, moving slowly as if in a dream, he brought out a pen and pad
of paper from his suit coat.  As a random observation, I added, "You're
still wearing your coat."
    He gave me a
quizzical look, then laughed.  "I am, aren't I?  Well, there's no need for
it.  I guess I just feel more comfortable in it than out of it."  He took
it off, revealing the rest of his silver shirt, and put the coat at his side.
    "The way I
see it, and I don't know much about this business so forgive me any mistakes,
but there's many ways to become successful when dealing with something like
this.  First, reviewing something that sells is..."
    "Asher,"
I said, interrupting.  "I know you mean well, but..."
    "I'm
getting ahead of myself, aren't I?" he said.
    "No, it's
not that, but..."  I didn't know how to say this gracefully, so I just let
it loose.  "I'm not a very good drinker."
    "Oh."
    "I don't do
it too much and..."
    "Yes, sake
has a decently high alcohol content."
    "I'm not
drunk, but..."
    "We can
discuss business another time," he said with a grin.
    "What do
you do?" I asked, suddenly.  I don't know why I asked it, because I knew
what he did.  He was the CEO of Landseer Enterprises, running numerous
different entertainment and vacation holdings.  Resorts, mostly, with a few
casinos, and there were rumors they had share in other places, but that
information was kept carefully secret.  Why?  I didn't know.  I wasn't a
billionaire, or else I'd probably keep billionaire secrets, too.  That didn't
stop me from wanting to know, though.
    "Besides
running a multi-billion dollar company, which makes me seem much more
extravagant than I think I am," Asher said, "I like
photography."
    I stared at him,
dumbfounded.  "Photography?" I asked.
    "Yes,
but..."
    "But?"
    "I won't
tell you the type."
    "Please?"
I begged.  Like some foolish girl I tugged on his shirt sleeve.  It was the
alcohol, I told myself, except I really just wanted to touch him, to be closer
to him.
    He leaned close
to me, whispering into my ear.  "I trust you'll keep a secret.  I enjoy
photography of an intimate and female sort.  I don't share this information
with many people."
    I looked at him
as if he were daft.  "So you take sexy pictures of scantily clad
woman?" I asked.
    "You make
it sound so artistic," he said, rolling his eyes.
    "I guess it
could be..."
    "I'll show
you if you want."
    "What do
you mean by that?  I don't want to see pictures of other women."
    "No,"
he said, matter-of-fact.  "Of course not.  We can do a session, you and
me, and I'll show you what goes into it, then you can see the results first
hand."
    "Asher,"
I said, leaning my head on his shoulder.  "That won't work.  I'm not sexy
enough."
    He downed his
current cup of sake, then poured me another, and held out his cup for me to do
the same.  Together, we drank.
    "I beg to
differ," he said.
    "What do
you mean you beg to differ?  I think I know myself, and I definitely know I'm
not sexy enough to be in any of your pornographic photos."
    "Pornographic!"
he said, as if it were the most amusing concept in