We didn’t talk about it again.

And she got better, she did. I could tell she was consciously trying not to upset me. But it also meant she was walking around me on eggshells, twitching at every sign of trouble and biting her lip nervously at any sign of conflict. It was making me angry. She acted almost as if she was afraid of me, and I didn’t fucking like it.

We’d fucked. Every day. The sex was insane. Intense, crazy. She’d end up in tears or passing out and I’d dig the hole I was in just a little deeper with every touch I shared with my Pet.

It was the weekend, and I had special plans for Pet. Of course, she had no idea yet, so when I came home that Saturday and gave her a big cardboard box, she gave me a quizzical, but excited look.

“What’s this?” she asked me, and I grinned.

“Open it.”

Her hands shook as she took off the lid and sifted through the tissue paper. She pulled out the garment, a pretty black dress I thought would go well with her complexion. Her eyes widened as she looked it over, draping it over her arm. The dress was modest for my taste, but still sexy enough. It was short, with long sheer sleeves and bejeweled cuffs. It would look beautiful on my Pet.

“Thank you, it’s gorgeous,” she said softly as I shrugged my jacket off. “What’s the occasion? Are we going somewhere?”

“Dinner,” I told her, and she perked up. I hadn’t really taken her out anywhere. We’d been cooped up in the apartment for weeks.

She grinned at that. “Where to?”

“La Maison. I got a table for four in an hour, so you might want to get ready now, Pet.”

“A table for four? Who are we going with?” she asked, and I walked over to her, smoothing her hair away from her face.

“Your parents.” I grinned, and she swallowed, hard.

“My parents?”

“Yes,” I confirmed. “I spoke to your father a few days ago.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me?” She was getting feisty, and I gave her a warning look. She backed down right away, and I almost regretted it. “One hour?”

“Yes, an hour, so be a good Pet and get ready now.”

She nodded meekly and made a move for the bathroom. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards me.

“It’ll be fine,” I told her. Her eyes were dancing over my face, trying to understand why I was doing this. “We’ll have fun. I won’t be a dick, promise.”

“Okay,” she nodded. “I wasn’t worried about… that.”

“What then?” I rubbed my thumb along the inside of her wrist and she moaned softly.

“I didn’t think… you’d want to meet my parents. I guess it’s a bit of a surprise.”

“I want to know everything about you, Pet,” I told her simply. “And don’t worry. I’ll call you Sapphire in front of them.”

I expected her to giggle, but she frowned instead.

“What should I call you?” she asked softly.

“Whatever you want to,” I told her, and let her go.

She took her time getting ready, but once she walked out into the living room again, I was left speechless. She looked fucking stunning. That mass of hair, tumbling down her back in pretty waves. Her heels were high and her dress was much too short. Perfect. She’d painted her lips a cherry-red I wanted to ruin. I made a promise to myself to do just that. Preferably in the restaurant.

“Shall we go, Pet?” I asked her, and she nodded.

I took her hand and led her downstairs to the car. As always, my driver was sitting in the front and the partition was up. She got into the backseat and I followed behind. For the whole ride, Pet fidgeted with the hem of her dress and would barely look at me.

“Why are you nervous?” I finally asked her.

She gave me a fleeting look, but no answer.

“Pet.” My voice held a warning tone. “No fucking secrets.”

“I haven’t seen them,” she admitted, looking out of the window at the moving city outside. “My parents. I haven’t seen them in a while.”

Six fucking months, I wanted to remind her.

Six months of them being worried fucking sick.

Her father nearly crying with relief when he talked to me on the phone.

Why, Pet?

Why?

I didn’t say a word. Instead, I pulled her into my lap and held her close, her head resting in the crook of my arm while we drove towards the restaurant.

She nearly stumbled when she stepped outside, but I caught her hand and helped her into the building. I felt so many pairs of eyes on us as we walked inside. And why shouldn’t they look? We were a good-looking couple. Let them fucking stare.

I led Pet to my usual table. Her parents were already there, fidgeting in their seats. Their faces brightened as soon as they saw her, though her dad’s expression was a little shocked when he noticed the transformation of his beautiful daughter.

Mea culpa.

I smiled at them and shook their hands.

They were both kind people. Simple, but kind.

The theory of either of her parents abusing her, or even knowing about it, disappeared from my thoughts as soon as we sat down. Pet sat between her mother and me, and the woman, Sylvie, placed a hand on hers and stared at her adoringly.

“Sweetheart, we’ve missed you so much,” she told her. “You have no idea how worried–”

“Have you ordered?” I cut in smoothly.

“Err,” Pet’s father looked embarrassed. “The menu’s in French, I believe. We’re not really fluent.”

“Would you like me to recommend my favorite?” I asked.

“That would be fantastic,” Pet’s father, Robert said.

I ordered for the whole table, though Pet cut in and changed her order from the duck to the chicken. I was pretty sure it was only so she could prove to her parents she was still somewhat in charge. I knew she hated chicken, called it dry every time we had it. But I let her do it, and even gave her a smile.

The conversation was stilted at first. Her parents seemed desperate to find out what had happened, and Pet kept steering the chat away from that. Sensing the discomfort at the table, I finally took matters into my own hands.

“Your daughter is absolutely lovely,” I told Sylvie, and she beamed with pride. “I haven’t met a young woman as talented, beautiful or… stubborn as she is.”

Pet rolled her eyes and my hand sneaked under the table, squeezing her thigh. She nearly jumped in her chair.

“We always knew Sapphire would be successful,” Robert told me with a grin. “She always had that special something.”

“Well, you must know,” I said, “I have every intention of pushing her to her limits.”

Pet shifted uncomfortably but her parents nodded obliviously.

“I’ll make sure she’s used to her full potential,” I added, almost feeling her discomfort.

“We truly appreciate it, Mr. King,” Sylvie gave a solemn nod.

“Please,” I said, “call me Hayden.”

I fucking hated that name.

“Hayden,” she smiled.

“I must ask,” Robert said. “What exactly is your… relationship with our daughter?”

I stroked Pet’s thigh. Her skin was hot to the touch. Almost scalding. But I smiled smoothly as if the question didn’t bother me at all.

“I would say we’ve gotten very close in a relatively short time,” I said. “I can safely say your daughter means a lot to me, and I think the world of her. I only hope she thinks the same of me.”

They ate up my words, though Pet glared at me through the rest of dinner.

Her parents ate their food with gusto, relaxing with each glass of wine the maître d’ poured for them. Just as well.

I peppered the conversation with the questions I needed answers to.

What was she like as a child?

Did she have any friends that left, maybe moved away?

Big family?

Religious?

I felt her eyes on me. Felt her getting angrier and angrier as the dinner went on. When I asked about her moods when she was younger, she pushed my hand off her lap and pushed her plate away.

I didn’t give a shit. I needed to know. I needed to know every fucking brain cell in that head of hers if I wanted to make her mine, really mine. And I didn’t give a fuck if she liked it or not.

Her parents remained oblivious, and answered every question in detail. Not that it helped, or brought me any closer to the truth.

We said our goodbyes two hours later, with Sylvie and Robert tipsy, and Pet furious.

“Sapphire, you have to promise to stay in touch,” her mother begged. The wine she’d had added a tone of desperation to her voice as she clung to her daughter’s hand.

“I will,” Pet said noncommittally.

“Are you safe?” her dad asked. “Where are you staying?”

Pet looked away uncomfortably.

“She’s perfectly safe, Robert,” I promised her father. “She’s staying with me.”

He seemed both surprised and relieved by that information.

“And here,” I added, pulling out a business card and scribbling on it. “Pet’s…”

Fuck.

“Sapphire’s number.”

I smiled them a charming smile, and it seemed as if they hadn’t noticed. Pet was glaring at me, though, but I pretended not to feel the intensity of her gaze.

“Thank you so much,” Sylvie gushed. “Sapphire, I’ll call you next week.”

“Okay,” Pet said softly.

She seemed surprised when her parents hugged her, unsure of how to react to the contact. She relaxed after a few seconds, and it pleased me to see it.

I shook her father’s hand, but her mother surprised me by giving me an extremely uncomfortable hug.

“Thank you for everything, Hayden,” she said, and I cringed hearing my name.

“You’re most welcome. And we will see you soon,” I promised them.

I made sure they got a cab back home and tipped a valet handsomely to drive their car back to their home.

And then I led Pet into our own car, fully expecting her to lay it on me as soon as the doors closed.

“What the fuck was that all about?” she hissed.

No surprise there. “What?” I asked her. “I wanted to meet your parents, Pet.”

“The fucking twenty-one questions,” she spat out. “Why are you digging?”

“Why shouldn’t I be?” I asked her. “I like to know my pets very well.”

My fingers cupped her chin and she groaned, looking away.

“You make me feel so fucking worthless,” she muttered, and it made me laugh.

“Yeah, I can see that,” I told her. “Treating you to a new dress, and a nice dinner with your estranged parents. Fuck, I really am a jackass, aren’t I?”

Her eyes shot daggers at me, and on an impulse, she climbed on my lap and straddled me almost forcibly.

“You think you pull all the strings, don’t you?” she hissed against my lips.

I took her wrists in my hands and pinned them behind her. Stroked her pretty neck and made her moan like a needy little kitten. The tough girl act was gone in seconds.

“I want to take care of you,” I told her simply. “So you better fucking let me, Pet.”

“So stop making me feel inferior,” she said, a sad tinge to her voice. “Stop talking about… the others.”

I tugged on her arms in warning.

“I’m being honest here, Pet.”

Which is more than I could say for you, I wanted to add, but bit my tongue.

“Your honesty is hurtful,” she complained, and I laughed against her lips.

“No,” I told her. “This is.”

I bit into her shoulder roughly and her hips bucked against mine. She responded to pain like she fucking craved it. I wasn’t sure whether it excited me or made me fucking upset. But the way her body reacted… It was like a chemical reaction. Like she couldn’t fucking help it. Like she needed it.

I bruised her throat with my mouth and she melted in my hands.

“I’m going to find out everything,” I muttered against the hollow of her throat. “Every single fucking thing that defines you, Pet.”

“No,” she protested weakly.

“Yes,” I promised her. “And by the time I’m done with you…”

I pressed my thumb down on her throat and she gasped, her breathing ragged.

“You’re going to scream your secrets at me.”

“No,” she mewled.

“Yes.” I was determined about that. “And once I know them all…”

I could feel the heat of her pussy against my crotch.

“I’m going to make it all better,” I said, my voice gentle. Her breath hitched at that, and I caressed her neck softly. “I’ll make it all okay, Pet. I fucking promise.”