“I need you to trust me.” He grips my chin, giving me the physical contact I long for, more so than I realized until he’s staring deep in my eyes. “Trust me.”
“I trust you,”I confess and his hold on me drops.
“Do you?” he asks and his voice is testing. His tone is low and his dark eyes narrowed at me. There’s a shift between us and it steals my breath along with every bit of my strength.
“I don’t mean to—”
“Stop,” he orders. He signals for silence and I’m quick to obey. He is my Dom. My everything. Swallowing thickly, I nod. It feels as though I’m a child in trouble. Worse than that, I feel like I’m on the verge of losing anything and everything that matters to me. All because of his disappointment. How does he have such a hold on me?
Insecurity runs rampant through me as I twist the napkin in my lap. The chill across my skin is quickly heated when Z reaches out, his thumb resting on my bottom lip and a heat sparking in his eyes. “You are my good girl, Ella. You’re going to listen to me now, aren’t you?”
Nodding eagerly, I’m desperate to just go back to a few moments ago. I don’t want to push him. I don’t want to lose him.
As if reading my mind, he leans forward, kissing the crook of my neck and then whispers at the shell of my ear, “I am here for you, Ella. My very existence is for you. You have me, you will lean on me tonight and in every way I tell you to.” His words send a warmth through me, a comforting security I desperately need. “Won’t you, my little bird? You’ll let me take care of you in every way, even if it pushes your boundary … you haven’t said your safe word. Have you even thought of it?”
No. His statement resonates deep within me. The safe word never entered my mind.
My heart races at the sound of the private door opening and Z pulls back, appearing completely unaffected. As if he didn’t just have my entire world in his hand to do with as he pleased.
“And for you, miss,” the waiter says, setting down the plate of perfectly seared scallops. “To start,” he adds and asks if I’d like fresh ground pepper. He holds the pepper mill in offering and I answer “No, thank you” as politely as I can, attempting to contain myself and hold back the intensity that’s been building since I took my seat in the burgundy leather dining chair.
Before the waiter leaves, I notice Zander pass him something that appears to be cash.
“What was that?” I question as soon as we’re alone.
“A note to stay the fuck out for the next twenty minutes,” Z answers as he pushes back the chair, towering over me as he unbuttons his shirt.
“Z,” I protest breathlessly as he lays his shirt over the back of his chair and then pulls mine out, turning it with a commanding force and dropping to his knees in front of me. A thrilling shock takes hold of me. “What are you doing?” I barely manage to whisper as my blood heats.
“I don’t want to dirty the shirt.” He stares into my eyes. “I’ve decided I’ll start my meal with your cunt,” he tells me and my cheeks flare with heat that starts at my chest before bringing a warm flush all the way to my temples.
With his hands on the inside of my thighs, he spreads my legs, forcing the green velvet fabric to rise up.
A gasp leaves me as he grips my hips and pulls me to the edge of the chair. To keep my balance, I grip his shoulders, his bare skin hot under my touch.
“These need to come off,” he says and slips the lace down my thighs, leaving openmouthed kisses as he goes. His name escapes my lips amid heavy breaths of disbelief.
“You’ll be quiet,” he tells me in between kisses and when I agree, he licks my entrance all the way up to my clit. My back bows from the sudden touch and pleasure races through me.
My head falls back as he sucks and licks, toying with me and my sharp nails dig into his shoulders. I can’t help but moan and the moment I do, he stops to grab the cloth napkin and brings it to my lips.
“Do I need to gag you?”
“No,” I’m quick to answer and eager for him to continue.
“If you can’t be quiet, I’ll be forced to stop. Is that what you want?”
“No, I’m sorry.”
“I know you are, but more than that, you’re mine. Are you?”
“Yes.” The single word is desperate.
“And you know I’ll take care of you and that you should listen to me. You should trust me.”
“Yes.” My heart pounds desperately as he stares back at me, waiting for my submission. I’ve never wanted to give it to him more.
I reach out to him, my body moving of its own accord. I can barely push the words out when I say, “I trust you, Z. I can’t—” I have to pause to swallow. Closing my eyes as I do and when I open them, Z stares back at me with a raw intensity that seems to see through me. Through everything surface level and deep down.