Chapter Eleven

ISABELLA

“It’s amazing what you can find on the internet,” he husks against my ear. “Wouldn’t you agree, darling?”

“What?” I ask, my voice heavy with sleep and confusion as his free hand begins to roam over me. “What are you talk-”

“Do you remember the last thing you said to me before you fell asleep last night, Miss Baxter?”

The sting of a sharp smack on my ass pulls me from the remnants of my deep sleep. Before the yelp can fully slip from my lips, his palm grips my thigh and flips me onto my stomach, using his arms and legs to hold me flat against the mattress.

“I was a little drunk, so not really,” I admit with a light pant. “But if it has anything to do with how you’re waking me up right now, it must have been brilliant.”

“That’s okay. I remember,” he whispers. “What baby wants, baby gets.”

Before I can come up with a response, his deep chuckle vibrates against my back and in one swift movement, he releases me just long enough to flip me on my back and restrain me once more. He forces my legs open and dips his head between my thighs, his tongue flat as it runs up my center before he sucks hard on my clit.

“Oh yeah…” I hum, my memory flashing back to me as my thoughts go hazy.

His teeth graze me before he spreads me wide with his fingers and begins fucking me with his tongue. My fingers curl around his grip, my back arching as he moves back up my center, devouring me. I begin to cry out, but his hand leaves my center and clamps down over my mouth, stifling me.

It only further throws me over the edge.

My hips buck forward, my thighs trembling beneath him uncontrollably as I hit my peak and feel my eyes begin to flutter shut.

I come long and hard, my orgasm so explosive I feel it dripping over my thighs as my eyes begin to tear.

“Gesu Cristo!” I whimper against his palm, my voice muffled and desperate. “Sto arrivando!”

The vibration that comes with his deep, rumbling groan has my body turning to jelly beneath him, my chest burning in all the right ways as my limbs go numb.

He laps at my release, gently cleaning me with his mouth before he eases the force of his grip, rising up to hover over me. His hand grips my chin, his lips hard and fast as he takes my kiss. When he pulls away, he licks his lips, running his tongue over my now soaked chin and grips me between the thighs, pulling an almost pained gasp from my chest.

“We’re getting a little bit closer,” he hums against my jaw, his teeth grazing my skin as he slaps me sharply between my legs, smirking when I shudder. “Come on, kitten. It’s time to get up.”

“Why?” I manage after a moment, burying my face in my hands as my mind still reels. “Oh, my God,” I pant, my legs still tingling. “Where are we… hmm… where are we going?”

“I thought we’d celebrate over breakfast.”

“What are we celebrating?”

“Your last day of freedom, little one.”

ADAM

“So, how does this work?” she asks, glancing up at me from her plate as she takes a bite from her toast. “I pretty much just have to do whatever you say?”

“Not exactly,” I chuckle, leaning back into my chair, sipping my coffee. “You weren’t wrong before when you said it was a trust thing. It’s not that I didn’t trust you, I just had to be sure you really knew what you wanted and that it was me.”

“And I’ve finally convinced you, huh?” she smirks as I watch her brush the crumbs from her fingers and lean back in her chair.

“It seems you have,” I wink, holding her eyes for a moment before I continue. “The most important part of all of this is communication, honesty and mutual respect. If we aren’t completely transparent about everything with each other, not only will this never work, it will completely destroy everything we’ve spent the last few months building,” I say bluntly. “We need to know each other’s limits and honor them without exception. You’ll respect me in every aspect imaginable, Bella, but you’ll get the same in return from me.”

“That doesn’t really seem that far off from our relationship now,” she muses with a shrug. “What’s the difference?”

“Well, your mouth for starters,” I say immediately, admiring her blush. “You’d be amazed at how many times I’ve had to stop myself from taking you over my knee,” I admit, making her swallow hard. “I’ll try and be patient, but that’s never been my strong suit.”

“I’ve noticed.”

Her comment is meant as playful, yet I can’t help the way I shake my head in disagreement.

“I don’t think you have,” I confess, holding her eyes. “Before we go any further, you should know that if you choose to take this step, there is no halfway point for me, Isabella. It’s got to be all or nothing.”

Her blue eyes blaze into mine, something about the authoritative shift in my tone touching her on a primal level that couldn’t please me more.

“How will this change our relationship?” she asks, her voice raspy. “Will you open up to me more? Will it make us closer?”

“In ways you can’t imagine, little one.”

“Okay, done,” she says immediately. “Just tell me what I have to do.”

“Not so fast,” I sigh, brushing away the impulse to take her word and run with it. “Before we do anything else, I’ll need your consent.”

“Consent for what?”

“Whatever I desire,” I say bluntly, making her pause before nodding. “Of course, we’ll go over what you’re comfortable with before that happens, but once we’ve done that and your consent has been given, you’ll have a set of rules which I’ll expect to be obeyed at all times. Any deviation of these rules will result in punishment of my choosing.”

“Punishment, huh?” she asks, biting her lip. “And what would that entail?”

“Spanking, time out, withholding pleasure…”

“You would do that?” she cuts me off.

“And enjoy it in most cases,” I promise, holding her eyes before giving her a subtle wink. “Don’t worry, kitten. You will, too.”

“Okay. What else?”

“I will demand control over virtually every aspect of your life, certainly our relationship. Your family, your career, spiritual beliefs, hard limits? Those will still be yours and yours alone. However, that’s the extent of it. The depth of transparency expected will increase tenfold. I’ll be one step shy of being inside your head,” I trail off, gauging her reaction. “Respect, loyalty, honesty … all of those will still be very much expected, but this will also mean challenging yourself to bend to my will. In nearly all things.” I watch understanding find her as she shifts slightly in her seat, glancing back up at me and willing me to continue. “Your purpose will be to serve me and my pleasure, obeying me at every turn.”

“That doesn’t sound like a relationship, Adam,” she says quietly, meeting my eyes. “That sounds like ownership.”

“That’s exactly what it is.”

She stares back at me over her coffee cup as she considers my words, setting it down in front of her for a moment before she returns her eyes to mine.

“So, aside from mind-numbingly good morning sex, what do I get out of this?” she asks, the blush behind her blunt words making me smirk. “I’m happy to please you, try my best to meet your expectations, but if I’m being honest, this is starting to seem like a pretty lopsided relationship,” she admits.

This time, I don’t hide my smirk.

“It isn’t. I can promise you that.”

“So, tell me then, Mr. Avery,” she leans back in her seat. “What can I expect in return?”

“You’re right. It requires a lot from you, Isabella,” I confess, holding her gaze. “But your reward will be a side of me that very few have ever seen and certainly none as long or as committed as I already am to you. I’ll be yours, Bella. Completely.”

I watch her rolling the idea around in her head for a moment before finally, I continue.

“There’s a common misconception about Dominant/submissive relationships that the Dom holds all the power, but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” I admit. “Yes, you’ll bend to my will, serve my needs, my wants, my desires, but with the whisper of a single word, it all ends,” I promise. “You tell me your limits, I push you to the edge of them and not an inch further.”

The depth of what I’m promising sinks in and I can’t help but notice the way her breathing hitches, her lower lip tucking itself between her teeth in thought.

“You say I’ll get you in return,” she begins, reaching across the table and taking my hand in both of hers. “It’s been my understanding that I already have you.”

“In ways that no one else ever really has,” I nod, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “But I think if you’re really honest with yourself, you’ll agree that as good as things have been, we’re both holding back. Me for fear of scaring you off and you for fear of getting too attached to something you’re not sure will last,” I counter, not missing how she looks away from me for a moment. “You don’t have to speak the words for me to know you want more out of this relationship than what I’ve been able to offer you up to this point.”

“Maybe that’s the part I don’t understand. Why does you giving me more of yourself depend so deeply on this?” she asks, her voice low and thoughtful. “If I mean enough to you to even consider this level of trust, why can’t you trust me enough to just give me the relationship we both obviously want?”

“The relationship we’re talking about and the direction we were headed in yesterday are two very different things,” I say honestly. “The bottom line is there’s a choice to be made and you’re the only one who can make it, Bella. I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because this is as deep as I can allow myself to go right now,” I confess. “When the choice comes down to my own personal desires versus meeting your needs, I’m not at moral liberty to extend beyond this.”

She stares back at me, her expression shifting ever so slightly. Her poker face is good, I’ll give her that. If anyone else was sitting across this table from her right now, they’d have never caught the subtle hitch of her breath, the light flicker of her eyelashes or the way her shoulders slightly tensed. Anyone else would have been fooled in a heartbeat.

I see right through all of it.

“You came to me with this, kitten. If you’ve changed your mind and want to maintain what we’ve built, we can do that. I care very deeply for you and your choice won’t change that,” I promise, returning my gaze to hers. “But I need you to know if we choose to stay on this path, this is as attached as I can allow myself to become.”

The heavy weight of my words slowly sinks in for a moment. Finally, she swallows hard, her eyes taking in the way our hands join between us.

“I’m not saying I need a promise of eventual marriage or anything like it to be happy,” she shakes her head. “But I also can’t justify spending my time in a relationship that you’ve just admitted will never advance,” she admits, finally meeting my eyes. “I care very deeply for you, too, Adam, but I’m just not sure that works for me.”

“Then give me your submission, Bella. Belong to me and I can promise you everything you want. Surrender to my every craving, darling, and I will worship you.”