He sweeps it aside with the pad of his thumb. Then looks at it there, a little droplet, before offering it to me. Nudging my lips open, letting me taste my own fear.
I’m so terrified that I wish I could run, and yet so drawn to him that I can’t move a muscle. He pulls his thumb away. “What are you doing to me?” I whisper.
He smirks. Smug, cocky. “No more fucking questions, you hear me?”
I nod. “Yes. I hear you.”
“Good.” He takes the end of the terry-cloth tie and tugs it slowly, undoing the bow. His robe falls open, and I stand partly naked in front of him. On instinct, I reach to cover my breasts, but he grabs my forearms and puts my hands at my sides.
“Don’t fuck around with me, baby. The more willful you are, the harder this is going to be.”
Inside me is a clash of emotions like I’ve never known before. Wanting and fearing. Needing and dreading. But always, under all of it, a powerful desire to be his. And to know this man that I have imagined so many times.
He hooks his finger over the collar and lets the robe slide off my shoulder. He walks around me, as if inspecting the winning prize at the auction.
“Show me,” he says.
My thoughts are all in a tumble and I don’t want to make any mistakes now. “Show you what?”
He reaches out, rolling my nipple between thumb and forefinger. I moan out a painful, pleasurable whimper.
“Show me what you’re willing to do to stay. Show me your desperation.”
CHAPTER 5
Dane
Her nervousness makes my balls want to explode right inside my hundred dollar boxers. I take one step into her, slide my hand down to the small of her naked back, and then take her left hand in my right.
“Are we dancing?” she asks.
It almost makes me laugh because what the fuck else would we be doing in this position? “What did I say about questions?”
She swallows hard enough for me to hear the little gulp move down her throat. “Right, sorry.” Her hand is clammy in mine.
Glancing at the mirror, it’s almost more than I can fucking stand.
Clothed male, nude female.
The most basic power dynamic of all. I want to sink into this moment with her, stay here. Savor this. Before I really teach her about power.
“Play a song,” I tell her.
Her eyes dart side to side. “Umm. I don’t…”
“Don’t lie to me. What was that earlier? When you were in the bath?”
“Oh,” she blink-blink-blinks. “That?”
I lift my eyebrow then squeeze her hand, drawing her eye. “Questions.”
She smiles just enough to show off her dimples. “Esme,” she says, “Play Simone Kermes.”
And just like that, we’re in a ballroom, four hundred years back.
One. Two. Three.
One. Two. Three.
Together she and I box-step our way around my bedroom. She is awkward about it at first, uncertain, unsteady as a foal. I press my hand into the small of her back harder. “I’ve got you. I lead. All you have to do is let yourself follow. Don’t think.”
Her big eyes lift to mine. So fucking innocent. So fucking young.
Young enough to listen. Young enough to be led. Fucking young enough to be my own daughter.
That last thought flashes crimson in my vision as she falls into rhythm with me, mirroring my steps, letting me show her what to do. But every time we turn, the full-length mirrors on the other side of the room show me her beautiful body in all its innocence and I want her flesh to burn with my marks.
Her vulnerability sets something off inside me. I yank her into me tighter, almost angry with her again now. Fuck her for blowing up my rules. Fuck her for screwing up my plans.
Fuck her for being the potion that ignited this other thing inside of me. This man who needs something from her he never knew before.
“You have no fucking right to be so beautiful,” I seethe.
Her cheeks flush with splashes of fuchsia. Her eyes dart back and forth between mine, like she isn’t sure which one to focus on. And very slowly, she runs her fingertips up the back of my neck.
One more time around the room and I can’t fucking take it anymore. I spin her away from me and shove her knees down on the bed, so she’s facing the mirrors and I’m standing behind her.
She yelps, twists, tries to pull away, scared now, fleeing. I smack her ass to stop her squirming and unzip my pants.
She gasps as my cock springs free. “Dane, Mr. Philipe, wait,” she pleads over her shoulder. “Wait. I’m a virgin. You can’t…”
Fuuuuuck. The fear in her eyes, the way she’s writhing to get away—I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything so much as I want her right now.
“Yes, I fucking can,” I grit out, taking my dick in my hand. I hook my arm around her thighs and drag her back toward me. “You’re mine, babygirl. You hear me? Mine. I’m the one that watches you. I’m the one that takes care of you. And it’s time for you to take care of me. I told you, you did this to me. You made Daddy weak.”