Chapter 30

~ALEX~

Swirling the glass of whiskey in my hand, I leaned against the balcony, staring out into the lights of New Orleans. The club's beat thumped below me, a constant reminder of the life I lived. It had been weeks since Elysia had left, and the empty space she'd left behind was a gaping wound that no amount of alcohol could dull.

Her scent lingered in the room she'd once occupied, a haunting echo of her presence. I'd thought the bondage and the games had been enough, but I'd been wrong. She'd shown me another side of life, one that wasn't just the highs and lows of pleasure and pain. I'd been allowed a taste of something real through her, something different than the games of power that had consumed me for so long.

I took another sip, but the amber liquid had done little to ease my discomfort. I'd tried filling my desires with other women, but none had tamed the fire of need that burned within me. I wanted to go to Elysia, but I couldn't. She'd demanded there be no secrets between u