“That’s a Dom/sub thing when the sub tries to take control of the Dom. I don’t recommend it, my sweet.”
He attempts a stern face, but his eyes twinkle with pleasure and delight. He’s happy to be able to speak freely about these things, and that makes me happy, too.
“Tonight, I want to see your eyes, Nat, without the contacts. Will you give me that?”
“Yes,” I whisper.
He kisses me again and then withdraws his phone to place the food order. It arrives a short time later, and we eat in silence, the anticipation building with every minute that goes by. I’m almost too nervous and excited to eat. But knowing I need the fuel, I consume half of my dinner without tasting much of anything before pushing the rest across the table to him.
He eats all of his and half of mine.
Apparently, I’m the only one too nervous to eat much.
After we do the dishes, Flynn says he wants to take a shower. “I’ll be quick so you can use the bathroom.”
I refill my wineglass and take advantage of the alone time to get my head together and calm down. No matter what happens tonight, it’s still Flynn and me and no one else. There’s nothing to worry about. I already know I’ll probably love everything he does to me, even if the context has changed.
He comes out fifteen minutes later, his hair damp, his face freshly shaven, a towel wrapped around his waist. “All yours.”
I swallow the last of my wine and turn to him. “Thanks.” I feel his eyes on me as I walk into the bedroom and then the bathroom, which is lit by candles. He has filled the tub for me, and I’m touched by the thoughtful gesture. He knows how much I love that tub. As I remove my clothes and put up my hair to keep it dry, my hands tremble ever so slightly. I have twenty minutes until our “appointment.” I spend half of those minutes in the tub, soaking in the warm water, trying to relax. I shave my legs and then contemplate the hair between my legs. Part of Flynn’s fantasy was to shave me there. Does he want to do it himself, or would he mind if I do it?
As I sit on the side of the tub and lather the area with soap, I decide I’m willing to risk the potential punishment to make one of his fantasies come true.
I’ve left my phone where I can see the time. At five minutes to eight, I get out of the tub, towel myself dry and wrap the towel around my body. Standing before the mirror, I permanently remove the contact lenses I’ve worn for cosmetic reasons since I changed my name and became Natalie. As always, the rare sight of my green eyes is a reminder of how far I’ve come since I left April behind.
Despite the long road I’ve traveled since then, she’s still part of me. Her heart still beats inside me. Her trauma is with me always but no longer defines me. I’m determined to live my life as I see fit, without giving the man who ruined April’s life any more power than he’s already had.
I brush my teeth and hair, cover my body in scented lotion and take the deep, cleansing breaths Curt taught me to use whenever I feel overwhelmed or anxious. I’m neither of those things now. I’m fearless and determined—and extremely aroused from thinking about this all day. I bring the candles from the bathroom with me and place them on the bedside table, before assuming the position he has requested—on my knees, hands folded and head down.
And then I wait.
Chapter 8
And I wait. My knees begin to hurt, but I stay where I’m supposed to be as I wonder what kind of game he’s playing. Is making me wait part of it? The longer I stay there, on my knees, awaiting his arrival, the more turned on I seem to get. I’m throbbing between my legs and my nipples are tight, perhaps from the chill of being right out of the tub and naked. But I know that’s not why. My entire body is alive with anticipation.
Right when I think I can’t take the waiting any longer, he appears in the doorway. He closes the door, leaving Fluff in the hall. Her plaintive whimpers tug at my heart, but she can’t be in here for this. She’d go ballistic. She whines for a few seconds before seeming to get it’s pointless to protest. I picture her on the floor, head on her paws, watching the door.
My head is down, as instructed, so I see his feet first. Have I ever noticed before how big they are? The thought nearly makes me laugh, and my ass tingles at the thought of the punishment I might receive for laughing right now.
“You look lovely, sweetheart.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“Are you nervous, Natalie?”
“No, Sir.”
“Are you lying?”
“No, Sir.”
His low chuckle makes me smile, but I don’t let him see that. I feel his hand stroking my hair and then his finger on my shoulder, his touch so light I barely feel it, but it sets me on fire nonetheless. I shudder and try to maintain my position until he tells me what he wants.
“Are you aroused, Natalie?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Do you remember your safe word?”
“Fluff, Sir. As well as yellow to slow down and red to stop.”