Claimed

Wow. It felt amazing to say that. When had anything ever been truly about what he wanted? Especially where women were concerned. Feeling expansive, he picked up the toast and held it toward her. “Want a bite?” he inquired solicitously.

Though her expression was mutinous, Kelsey nodded. He would soon wipe that insolence from her face, but for now he just held the toast to her mouth. Crumbs fell on her bare chest, and he wiped them away, making a mental note to bring one of his cloth napkins on the next meal tray.

When all the coffee, fruit and toast were gone, James dipped a spoon into the oatmeal. “How about just a bite?” I could make her, he thought, but decided against it. Just the knowledge that he had that power was enough—for now.

“No,” Kelsey said forcefully, and then in a more contrite tone, “No, thank you. I’m—I’m full. Thanks. Can I use the toilet now?”

James removed the tray and balanced it on the night table. He stood and reached for Kelsey’s arm, helping her out of the bed. She leaned heavily against him as they made their way to the bathroom. He let her use the toilet in relative privacy, leaving the door ajar as he stepped into the bedroom. When he heard the toilet flush, he returned and helped her to the sink, allowing her to brush her teeth and wash her face.

“I’ll wash your hair later and give you a sponge bath,” James said, regarding her in the mirror. “Come back to bed first. We have some important matters to discuss.”

“James,” she began, “this really can’t go on. You’re going to—“

James reached for her shoulders from behind and gripped them hard as he stared at her face in the mirror. “Kelsey, you need to stop. I’ve told you already, what’s done is done. There is no going back. You and I are partners now. I know you don’t love me yet, but I’m hopeful you’ll come to have feelings for me, once you understand how much I adore you.”

Kelsey’s eyes met his in the mirror, a look of incredulity on her face. James felt a vein pulse in his temple and he clenched his teeth. Was it really such a stretch to think they might fall in love? He was head and shoulders above any of those idiots who had sniffed around her at the bank. She could certainly do worse than him for a life partner. He was reasonably good-looking and, though she didn’t yet know it, quite wealthy. More importantly, he loved her. Didn’t she get that?

James let go of her shoulders and took a step back. He forced himself to take a deep, cleansing breath, which he let out slowly. He would teach her. She’d learned quickly on the job—she would learn quickly at home. He would see to it. “Come on,” he said, keeping his voice gentle. “Come back to bed.”

Kelsey allowed herself to be led, James supporting her with a strong arm around her back, half-carrying her so she needn’t put any weight on the wounded leg. He helped her back onto the mattress and pulled up his desk chair to the side of the bed so he could face her as they talked.

“So,” he said, “I’ve been giving it a lot of thought, Kelsey. I think it’s time we make some of your secret sex fantasies come true.”

Kelsey wrinkled her cute little nose at this pronouncement, which made him smile. “I do love the thought of you making love with another woman while your lover, in this case, me, watches, but we’re not ready yet to bring anyone else into our relationship.”

Her mouth had fallen slightly open, and James smiled knowingly at her unasked question. “Then there’s the fantasy about you being with two guys who are both really into you. You know you have to choose one of them by the end of the night, but meanwhile you just revel in all the erotic attention.”

Her cheeks were suffusing with pink, her mouth opening wider into a pretty little O. “How do you…” she breathed, not finishing the question.

“I know a lot of things.” James grinned. “I have to say, my favorite is your ‘slave for a day’ scenario, you know, the one where you submit to all your boyfriend’s sexual desires, no matter how outrageous or out there they are.” He rubbed his hands together. “That’s one we can enact right away. I have a lot of ideas of my own in that regard, you can be assured.”

Kelsey stared at him blankly for several seconds, and then he saw the light go on. “That’s how you did it,” she breathed, the color draining from her face. “You’re Brittney.”

James gave a modest nod, smiling. “At your service,” he agreed. “It was an interesting experiment pretending to be a female. I have to say, I find the constant use of that annoying little initialism LOL quite tedious, but it seems to be what all the girls use, so…” He shrugged. “I had to do some research about your high school to seem credible.” He shook his head, offering Kelsey an ironic smile. “You really should be more careful who you friend on Facebook, Kelsey, and who you choose to share your secrets with. Don’t you know there’s no privacy on the internet? Once you put it out there, it’s potentially available for the whole world to see.”