She looks at her bare feet. “I’m not wearing any boots.”

“Fine. Kiss your toes.”

Her grin is infectious, but I don’t replicate it. That sounds dangerous. “What do you want from a Domme, Ian? Or have you even thought about it? You can’t come in here and assume I tap your ass a few times, jerk you off until you can’t come anymore, and call you a man-whore. What I do isn’t devoid of humanity any more than yours is.”

“I know.” Unbuttoned, my shirt opens to show her my physical vulnerability.

She steps forward, arms still crossed, chin still pointed up. “Do you love me, Ian?”

An earnest question.

“I mean… truly, madly love me?”

I brave touching her arms. She doesn’t shrug me off and call me a bad boy. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

For all my misgivings, my apprehensions, and my inability to process what may happen tonight, my heart is incredibly still in my chest. It’s not afraid. If my heart and my body aren’t afraid of what Katie will do to me, then why should my head be?

This Kathryn has been with me all this time. Lurking. Waiting. But there.

If I can’t trust her, then I can’t trust anyone.

“I’m not doing anything unless you want it. What it is you want… that’s up to you.”

“That’s easy.” I don’t need her to tell me to take off my shirt. I can see it in her icy blue glare. You know, the same one keeping my cock hard in my pants. “I want to feel so in love with you that nothing else in the world matters.”

The moment my shirt hits the chair, I’m sinking to my knees, eyes up and meeting hers. Kathryn takes an unexpected step back.

I take her hand. Her left hand. My finger entwines the one next to her pinky, the one rumored to have a path directly to the heart. “I’d ask you to marry me, Kathryn Alison, but I know I can do one better. I want to entrust you with my body, my soul, and my heart. Just as you have given me yours time and again. It’s only fair.”

She opens her mouth.

I interrupt her.

“And I want it. I want to show you how much I love you. I want to worship you.”

Her wide eyes narrow. Is she happy? Is she disappointed? It’s hard to tell from down here.

“Since you can’t possibly buy me a ring that impresses me, I suppose this will do.” Kathryn puts her hand on top of my head, petting me like a loyal dog. “Get up. I’m making love to you, not turning you into my pet.”

Did you hear that?

I’m getting what I want.

Chapter 25

IAN

The moment I’m on my feet again, Kathryn kisses me, her strength pushing through my body as she takes my face into her hands and works her fingers down my neck. I’m stirring. Not merely from lust and my desire to have her, but from the thumps in my chest, coming from my stupid heart in love.

“Did you leave your ego at that door?” she asks, nails biting my skin. “Are you in control of your alpha tendencies? Because if you’re not, I will make your life hell tonight.”

Oh, boy. “I did. I am yours.” As long as she keeps touching me, she can do whatever she wants. Well, within reason.

She’s looking at my chest, at my golden zipper sticking out because my dick is about to burst from my pants. “I’ve thought a lot about what I want to do to you. You may be surprised. I don’t want to punish you for anything… unless that’s what you want.”

“Not tonight.”

“No, not tonight. Tonight is about something else.” She unzips me, tortuously. Heaven forbid she go for it like if we were being vanilla. “Tonight is about sharing something very tender and wholesome.”

She’s not smiling. She’s 100% serious.

“If I feel your sincerity tonight,” Kathryn continues, opening my trousers and placing her hand against my cock still hiding in my boxers. “Then I will not only give your family the money you need, but I will give you myself.” Her lips press against mine. “Forever.”

Death is about to claim me. Did she say she would be mine… forever? Does that mean she would also… you know…

Debut for me?

“I am serious, Kathryn.”

“No. Mistress.”

I swallow. “I am serious… Mistress.”

“That’s the spirit.” She kisses me again, harder, squeezing the back of my neck and holding me to her, as if I’ll make my escape any moment now.

No.

She’s letting the world know that I belong to her. We may be the only ones in this apartment, but fuck me, the world will know I’m hers.

And she mine.

Let it be known that even though I walked in willingly, I am still who I am. When the woman I love – let alone lust after – pulls on my tongue and snakes hers around it, I am going to damn well try to turn the tables. I don’t mean to do it. I’m perfectly content letting her run the show, but damnit, she tastes so good, and I want her to feel how much I want her!

She pushes away, finger beneath my nose.

“Don’t.” I’m further scolded with a click of her tongue. “You don’t get to do that tonight, Ian. I’m the one in charge. If you can’t behave, I’ll have to restrain you. Understand?”

It’s weird having your own words thrown back at you. I bet she loves this.

“I understand, Mistress.”

“Excellent. Now try not to touch me. You can touch me when I think you’ve proven yourself worthy.”

The words are different now.

The intent isn’t.

We Doms play a lot of games with our subs. It’s a part of their training, their servitude, and as a way of expressing love and adoration. When a Dom says “try not to touch me,” that means they’re testing you. Not just your boundaries, but your self-control. Very rarely does a Dom not want to be touched. It’s more like they want a reason to restrain and punish you later.

So when I clamp my hands on her hips the moment she starts kissing me again, I know I’m being a bad boy. I don’t care. I deserve what’s coming to me.

“I think you did that on purpose.” Kathryn pushes away, walking to my pile of clothes and picking up my tie. “Are you being insubordinate on purpose, Ian?”

“No.”

“No, what?”

I grimace. “No, Mistress.”

She clasps my hands behind my back and knots my tie around them. It’s a loose knot. I could easily break free, but I choose not to. I want to see where this is going.

About five million different directions. Fifteen, if I count the money she’s promised me.

“That should keep those grabby hands off me. What, do you think I’m some idol you can grab off the mantle? You men. Men.” I’m shoved back, her disgust overplayed by holding a kernel of truth. “Men like you think you can have whatever you want. You do the bare minimum to get us, and you do the bare minimum to keep us. Did you think I would be satisfied submitting to you and having boring vanilla sex for the rest of my life?”

For the love of mercy and all the good in this life, she pinches both my nipples.

“Well, do you?”

“No…” Okay, this hurts a little. I’m not used to pain. I’m not used to a woman grabbing my chest and giving me a purple nurple like this is second grade. “It’s not right or fair to you.”

“To me? You’re right.” She releases me, but the soreness remains. To say I feel knocked down a single peg is an understatement. This is starting to feel too real. “Other women may be satisfied with kowtowing to you for the rest of their lives, but I deserve better. Don’t I?”

“Yes, Mistress.”

I’m not on autopilot. Katie truly deserves better than being made a man’s plaything. She’s strong. She’s independent. She’s opinionated and doesn’t give a fuck if you disagree. For a man to take her and reduce her to nothing more than a happy little sub nodding her head and sucking cock is, well, wrong. They would break her spirit. They would take the great thing about her away from this world.