“You didn’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“I told you to trust me. I wanted you. Now you’re mine. I told you in the very beginning that I wasn’t trying to remove you from your family or the other way around. We just needed time alone before we added them to the mix.”
Natalie’s skin prickled as a myriad of emotions flooded her system.
Dexter eased from the bed. “Don’t leave the bed, bug. I’ll show you something that’ll help you understand.”
Nearly an hour later, Natalie looked up from the tablet, her eyes red and swollen. From what she’d read, she hadn’t missed a thing. On every milestone, holiday, and birthday Natalie had communicated with her family. She’d sent pictures of landmarks with long-winded emails explaining her need to find herself after the debacle that was her college experience.
There were responses from both her father and mother. Though at first their words reflected their disappointment, with time, they both forgave, claiming they wanted nothing more than her return. Even her siblings corresponded. Not surprisingly, Nichol was more critical; however, like their parents, they both wanted her return.
“Why?” It was the only question she could form.
“For you. For them.”
She scrolled. The emails dated back to the day after her flight.
“This wasn’t for me…” Her volume rose. “…or them. It was for you!”
Dexter’s eyes darkened.
“You did it so they wouldn’t look for me.” She met his gaze, knowing that she should apologize for raising her voice, but she couldn’t. His actions may have saved her relationship with her family, but they also stopped the worldwide search she’d at one time prayed for.
Her shoulders straightened as she braced for his retaliation.
What would be the price for her outburst?
“Yes,” he said calmly. “It was for me, to give us time. It was also for you.” When she didn’t respond, he stood. “Nat.” He pointed to the floor.
Setting the tablet on the bed, her heart rate accelerated. Despite the fact they’d made love only an hour ago, her core dampened as she slid to the floor and knelt at Dexter’s feet.
“Tell me what should happen, what your outburst should cost.”
Her pussy clenched and breasts throbbed. This shouldn’t bring her body to life. His threatening tone shouldn’t make her as excited as she was frightened, but it did.
Natalie leaned forward until her face was near the floor and kissed the tops of his feet. Sitting back up, she replied, “I’ll take your punishment, my king. I was wrong. I should thank you for what you did. I guess it scares me. I want to see them. I miss them, but I don’t want to lose you.”
He reached for her shoulders and lifted her to standing. “You won’t lose me. I won’t lose you.” He lifted her chin. “Your family will see you for the queen you’ve become, not the spoiled princess you once were. While you were away from them, you received a tremendous gift. You went without to learn to appreciate. What do you say?”
“Thank you, Dexter, for my gift.”
“Now, turn around, bug. Hands on the bed, feet apart. My belt will remind you who you’re talking to and that outbursts are unacceptable.”
Her core clenched as she obeyed. Biting her lip to keep her smile at bay, she turned her face back over her shoulder until their gazes met. With veiled eyes, she asked, “Not your hand?”
Dexter ran his hand over her ass, dipping his fingers between her wet folds. “No, my queen. You like my hand on your ass too much. This needs to teach you a lesson.”
Chapter Sixteen
The greatest gift that you can give to others is the gift of unconditional love and acceptance.
~ Brian Tracy
Natalie’s heart raced as Dexter pulled the silver Jaguar XF through the iron gates of the Rawlings estate. They were both dressed for the occasion. It seemed odd to be so formal. Natalie had gone months without clothes; to be wearing a long gown, heels, and makeup with her hair styled added to her unease. She did find comfort in how handsome Dexter was in his tuxedo. This wasn’t a large gathering. There would only be the four of them, but it was the Rawlings estate.
Dexter’s deep-ocean hued stare served as her reminder. She’d done as he said and avoided the cocktail on their transatlantic flight. This trip, however, was on a private plane, the way he usually traveled. Still there were attendants and TSA. Truthfully, it hadn’t been difficult to play the role of his queen—it wasn’t a role. He was her fiancé and she now had the real ring to prove it. He was also much more: her king, tormentor, and savior.
Dexter Smithers was her everything. She was his. It was the way they both wanted it to be.
The last few weeks had been spent adjusting to his estate in Vermont. Like the home in Austria, it was secluded and luxurious. While her freedoms grew, she found comfort and sanctuary in their private space and his approval. Their home was similar to the world in which she’d been raised to live, but now she’d learned to appreciate it as the queen.
The queen who bowed only to her king.
His hand reached across the console and squeezed hers. “You’ve done well on the telephone calls. It’s time to face them.” Every call, every word, had been said in Dexter’s presence. The first time she heard her mother’s voice was the hardest. Natalie’s stomach pinched, knowing that in a few moments she’d see her.
The large white house appeared as the trees parted. It was beautiful and stately, the house her father had built for his queen. It was where her childhood was spent, but it was no longer her home. That was in Vermont.
Dexter and Natalie walked hand in hand up the front stairs. When the front door opened, Nat expected to see the familiar face of one of the staff. She didn’t.
“Natalie!” Claire called as she raced forward and wrapped her daughter in her arms. When her mother finally pulled back, her emerald-green eyes were full of tears. To Natalie, her mother never aged, as beautiful today as the pictures of her when her parents first married. “Thank God. I’ve missed you so much.”
Claire held tightly to Nat’s hand as she turned to the man beside her daughter. “Hello, you must be Dexter Smithers.”
He bowed his head respectfully. “Yes, ma’am. It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Rawlings.”
Claire’s cheeks rose. “That’s rather formal from the man who stole my daughter’s heart. Please, my name is Claire.”
During their telephone calls, Nat explained how during her adventure of self-discovery, she’d met Dexter. At first, he’d helped her, staying with her and keeping her safe. With time, their relationship grew. Dexter was now the man she loved, the one she was engaged to marry. In reality, her stories were true. It was just their adventures that varied.