Natalie paced nervously about their suite. Her hands were clammy and posture straight. She was hot and then she was cold. It would be easy to say she was ill, but that wasn’t it. Her attention went to the large windows. Snow still covered the ground and trees. Inside, it was warm—too warm. She tugged at her sweater. Circling the collection of suitcases, she shook her head. There were so many. It was everything they possessed in the villa. It seemed ridiculous. She’d never worn half of the clothes, and now they were taking them back to the States. There was also makeup and jewelry, accessories she’d only seen until today.

Today she was dressed and made up. She was prepared to leave.

And she wasn’t.

The clothes covering her body were worse than Dexter’s restraints. Somehow she’d grown accustomed to being without. The black turtleneck sweater itched, its soft yarn threatening to suffocate her. Natalie tugged again at the material around her throat.

It wouldn’t choke her. She knew that. However, the restrictiveness was testing her nerves. The gray wool slacks flowed over the heeled boots and were bound too tightly at her waist. It wasn’t that she was heavy or that the slacks fit improperly; it was that she hadn’t worn pants of any kind in months. Even in the sitting room or around the villa, when she was clothed, she wore dresses. The heels were another issue. Though she’d walked in high heels from a young age, it had taken her a few days to do so again without resembling a gorilla playing dress up. Even the designer brands pinched her toes. The bra and panties were the absolute worst. Why did people wear them?

Her heart beat faster as she wrung her hands. Maybe it wasn’t the clothes. It was everything. It was too much. They were leaving their haven. And the world beyond these walls scared her. She could please Dexter within these walls; would she be able to outside of them?

Natalie was also concerned about their flight. She’d never do or say anything to upset Dexter, much less incriminate him. Not because she feared his punishment, but because she loved him. Yet she couldn’t stop thinking about the cocktail. Dexter hadn’t said if she would drink it or not. They’d discussed it many times, each time with her promising to behave.

She replayed their conversations and his concerns. Though she hadn’t had an opportunity to prove to him that she would behave in public, it seemed as though she’d proven she would behave. The only reason it hadn’t been in public was that they’d yet to leave the villa. As she stared out the window, she imagined returning to the States and regaining the ability to communicate. If she dug deep enough, there was a small part of her—a very small part—that wanted to rebel. He was right: she couldn’t do it in Austria, but she could in the States.

Could Dexter sense that small part?

Of course, he could. He saw Natalie like no one else could. He knew her thoughts and feelings before she did. Would he punish her for those ideas, or worse, make her drink his behavior-altering concoction?

As she tried to push her worries out of mind, her reflection caught her attention. She paused. It was her, yet it wasn’t. Not only was she fully clothed, but even her hair was styled, in a low bun. She lifted her chin and stared into her own green eyes. Had she changed as Dexter said?

Quite possibly.

There was something regal in her stance. Was it something she’d always had or was it because now she was Dexter’s queen? She was proud to be on his arm, beside him, and in his bed.

She spun as the bedroom door opened.

Dexter stood motionless, his hand on the large knob as he took her in. As it had many months ago, his gaze burned, leaving a trail of charred remains over her skin. This time it wasn’t because she was naked, but because she wasn’t.

As time ticked away and he didn’t speak, she finally did. “I-it’s what you told me to wear, what was laid out.”

Without a word, Dexter took a step toward her and then another, until he was right before her. His eyes never left her, their blues and greens swirling like a turbulent sea. Finally, he looked down to the necklace’s pendant lying upon her breasts and picked it up. Within his grasp he ran the large swirled silver charm through his fingers, and then let it fall back to her chest.

Her breath stilled, unsure of his thoughts.

“You’re stunning.”

Nat sighed. “I-I feel so...claustrophobic.”

“I have something that may help. A solution I think will work.”

“No,” she replied quickly, her eyes filling with tears. “Please. Please trust me. Please don’t make me drink it.” She would if he insisted. He wouldn’t need to trick her this time. She’d do it simply because he told her to, but she didn’t want to.

Dexter’s expression morphed from confusion to a grin. “No, bug. That’s not what I’m talking about.”

She let out a long breath, her chest falling accentuated by the tight black ribbed sweater.

He took her hand, stepped back, and encouraged her to spin. Like the small dancer inside her childhood jewelry box, she pirouetted. His gaze lightened as he admired her curves from every angle. “Simply stunning.”

When their eyes met again, she responded, “Should I be concerned that you seem to find me more attractive with clothes on than without?”

“That isn’t true. You’re always ravishing. It’s that I’m not used to seeing you like this. In this...” He motioned up and down. “...you resemble the girl I watched from afar, but the difference is that I now know what’s under those clothes. Perhaps there’s something enticing in having it all hidden, in knowing that I’m the only one who knows what’s beneath the wrapping.” He traced a rib of the sweater from below her neck to her breast. “I’m the only who knows how incredible your breasts look engorged and needy with your nipples clamped.”

Nat’s eyes fluttered as her insides tightened.

His hand moved to her behind. “How your radiant skin glows when it’s marked by my hand or a crop.” He slowly brought his hand upward, feathering her hips, ribs, and moving along the swell of her breast. It was as if he were worshiping what he couldn’t see, making love to her with only words. When he reached her chin, he grasped it gently, causing her eyes to open. “To know how your gorgeous eyes sparkle with joy during both pleasure and pain.” He softly kissed her cheek. “And how you give me the great honor of sharing both your smiles and your tears.”

“Dex-ter...” She elongated his name as her nipples hardened under the bra and sweater.

“My Nat, you take my breath away every time I see you. Every time my eyes land upon you, from the first time until forever. I’m lost to you. I’ve told you that you don’t have control, but that’s not true. You hold the real power. Only you could break my heart.”

She shook her head. “Never.”

“Whether dressed for a plane ride, a gala, or naked and broken, never doubt that I see you as anything other than ravishing and alluring because under all the wrapping, you’re lovely, inside and out.”

Her cheeks warmed as she melted toward him, her breasts flattening against his hard chest. “I just want to make you happy.”

“You do, simply by being you. You don’t have to try.”

She took a step back and looked down at the clothes she detested a few minutes ago. Maybe they weren’t so bad. Shrugging, she asked, “So this is all right? You’re okay with me wearing this?”

Dexter laughed as he once again scanned her up and down. “Today. Yes. I don’t think escorting you naked onto our plane would be appropriate. I believe people may talk.” He lifted his brow. “But once we’re in the air...?”

“Our plane?” she asked.

“I don’t fly commercially...unless there’s a reason. I know you chose it willingly last time you flew. How did that work out for you?”

It was Nat’s turn to laugh. “At first, not so great. But now, I’m content.”

“Content?”

“More than content, Dexter. I have everything because I have you.”

He winked. “I think from now on we’ll stick with private.”

“Okay. Does that mean I don’t need to—?”

Dexter touched his finger to her lips, stopping her request. He then tugged her hand leading her to the sofa near the large bedroom windows.

Following his lead, she sat, their knees touching.

“I told you I had something that may help you feel better. I didn’t mean the cocktail.”

“What...?”

He slid from the sofa to one knee.

The small hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention. Their positioning was wrong. She belonged on the floor.

“Natalie Rawlings...” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring, a diamond ring. The most beautiful ring Natalie had ever seen.

“The last time we flew, I told you that one day you’d earn real rings. I also promised you that they were more exquisite than the fake ones. I hope you agree. They’ve been in my family for a few generations. What I didn’t know when I told you that was that you are more exquisite than I ever imagined. You are my love, my life, and my queen. I’ve promised to never leave you nor to ever let you go, but before we board our plane, I hope that we can make it official.

“Natalie, will you be my wife? Will you fulfill your promise to never leave me, to always love me, and to be all that I need?”

Before she could answer, he added, “And I will do everything in my power to be all that you need.”

As he spoke, Natalie lost focus of the ring. All that she saw was the loving admiration from the man she worshipped, adored, and loved. He was the man who had seen her at her lowest and lifted her to heights she never previously knew existed. He was her devil and her king. She was his, body and soul. She ran her fingers through his blond hair. “Dexter, I love you.”

“Bug, I love you too. That isn’t an answer.”

She nodded. “It is. It’s the answer to every question you ask me for the rest of our lives. I love you. I trust you. I’m yours. I’ll be your wife and your queen, or your companion and your slave. I’ll be whatever you want me to be.”

He lifted her left hand and slipped the stunning diamond onto her fourth finger. “My wife and my queen, forever.”

Natalie nodded. “Yes, I’ll marry you.” And then she, too, slipped from the sofa to her knees. “And I’ll always bow to you.”

Their lips came together as they sealed the deal.

“Marry now?” she asked, not sure how she felt about it. Nevertheless, if it was what he wanted, she wouldn’t hesitate.

“Wouldn’t you rather plan it with your mother?”

The fear from before returned as her chin fell forward.

He lifted her face. “Bug?”

“Yes,” she said, “I do want that. I left them. I don’t want to take my wedding away from them too.”

He smiled. “Then we won’t. We’ll wait.”

“But what if they don’t want me back?”

“I showed you the emails. Nat, they want you back.”

She took a deep breath. “I don’t think I can face them without you.”

“I’ll be right there.”

Later, as Dexter helped Natalie with her wool coat, she thought once again about how heavy the material was on her shoulders. And then as the large front door to the villa opened to the waiting car, the fresh mountain spring air made her appreciate the covering. It also took her breath away. The bright sun upon the snow was blinding as the wind nipped her cheeks.

Had it not been for Dexter’s strong hand in the small of her back, she wasn’t sure she’d have been able to step out into the world. It was too much sensation...too much everything.

“Are you all right?” he asked, once they were settled in the backseat of the sedan.

Natalie nodded. “I am because you’re here.” Her green eyes opened wider. “Dexter, what’s my name?”

He tilted his head. “Your name?”

“My passport?”

Dexter reached for a small handbag that he must have put into the car earlier. Opening the clutch, he removed a slender wallet. “Here.”

Her hands trembled as she opened the clasp. In the transparent compartment was her driver’s license—her real one. She tugged out the credit cards, reading the name. They weren’t the ones she had before, yet each one said the same name: Natalie Rawlings.

Her eyes filled with tears as she reached for the clutch and looked inside. Nestled within a narrow pocket was her passport, the one she’d used to board the plane over four months ago in Boston. Finally, she looked back to the man she loved. “My old credit cards...these are new?”

“You’re mine. It’s my responsibility to take care of your needs. Your old cards were from your parents. Their job is done.”

“Thank you.”

“Is that what you want, for your name on the cards and IDs to be that?”

Natalie shook her head. “Not forever. Now, I do. But eventually, I’d like it to read Smithers.”

Dexter took the wallet and passport and put them back into the bag. Handing her the purse, he said, “One day, my queen.”