Taking It All (Surrender Trilogy #3)(33)

Her pulse immediately began to race and she couldn’t control the surge of wicked anticipation that licked like flames over her skin. Images from the past, the immeasurable pleasure they’d both enjoyed, raced through her mind. Another man touching her, pleasuring her, at Tate’s behest. Under his command, always in control, stepping in only when Chessy neared her orgasm. Those belonged to him. It was one of the two things he wouldn’t allow another man. The other was that another man was never to kiss her on the lips. Some may think it was an odd “rule” but Chessy understood completely.

Kissing on the lips was decidedly more intimate than being kissed in other places. It signaled a more emotional connection, one only found between her and Tate.

“Is it someone I know?” she asked in a low voice. “I mean is it someone you’ve chosen before?”

He stroked her cheek. “Is my girl worried? We don’t have to do this, Chess. I wanted to do something special for you. For us. I know it’s something we enjoyed in the past and I’m just sorry that I’ve let it go as long as I have without giving you something that brings us both pleasure.”

“No, that isn’t it at all,” she denied. “I was merely curious. If I shouldn’t be asking or if you don’t want me to know, that’s fine. But when on earth did you have time to pull this all together? Did you plan it before our anniversary?”

She was genuinely curious to know whether he’d planned it before or after the debacle of their anniversary night.

“You have the right to know anything that affects you,” he said firmly. “To answer your question, no, this isn’t someone we’ve played with in the past. I spoke to Damon and he gave me a few names of men who didn’t mind playing the Dominant when in actuality I would be in total command of every aspect. I arranged to meet them this morning. It’s why my client meeting was so late in the day. I wish I could say that I had planned this prior to our anniversary. It’s something I should have been more aware of, and I’m sorry for that. But I picked a man I thought would give you the most pleasure while allowing me to dictate what he does and doesn’t do. When I showed him your picture I thought he was damn near going to swallow his tongue.”

He laughed as he said the last and Chessy smiled.

“So he liked what he saw?” she asked innocently.

“Oh yeah. He liked.”

A thought occurred to her, one that had her blushing to the roots of her hair. Her entire face was literally on fire.

“Tate, tell me you didn’t show him one of those pictures,” she whispered.

Those pictures being ones Tate had taken of her in different sexual positions and in various stages of undress. Bound hand and foot. Some naked and spread-eagled, her hands and feet splayed wide and restrained in all directions.

They were beautifully erotic, but only intended for Tate. It made her sound like the ultimate hypocrite, being willing to allow another man to touch her. To flog her, mark her, give her pleasure. So why object to Tate ever showing such pictures to another man?

Except that to her those pictures were personal and were meant to be shared only between her and her husband. It didn’t have to make sense to anyone but her.

Tate’s expression grew serious. He cupped her chin, rubbing his thumb gently down her jawline.

“I would never betray your trust,” he said gravely. “Those pictures are for me and only me. I showed the man—James—one of my favorite pictures of you from our vacation in the Caribbean. The one of you in that sexy sundress smiling brightly enough to outshine the sun. There isn’t a man alive who wouldn’t be on his knees to have a woman like you. And that certainly includes me. You’re mine,” he said in a thoroughly satisfied voice.

She smiled then, feeling awful for having questioned him in the first place. It was baffling to her, this new turn in their relationship, where she seemed to question him with growing frequency.

She’d never questioned him in the past. She always, without fail, abided by his decisions. Accepted without reservation whatever he chose. So why now? She bit into her bottom lip, knowing exactly why she had begun to question him, even if she hadn’t openly acknowledged it until now. She couldn’t quite shake the sense of betrayal even though Tate was going above and beyond to make amends. Maybe these things just took time. They’d both already admitted that it would take more than a weekend to set to rights two years of unhappiness and the fear of their marriage dissolving.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

His look of surprise took her aback. “What are you sorry for, baby?”

“For questioning you. For not trusting you.”

His expression softened and warmth entered his eyes. He put his arms around her and rubbed up and down her back in a soothing pattern.

“I’d say you have reason for both,” he admitted. “I haven’t acted like someone you could trust or not question over the last two years. It’s me who should be apologizing to you, not the other way around.”

“You already have. More than enough times,” she said firmly. “And my apology still stands. I gave you my trust before we were even married. I gave you my love and then my submission and then my life when I married you. I’ll never regret any of those choices, Tate. I want you to know that. As far as I’m concerned the past is in the past. We’ve moved beyond that point and I have complete faith in you that you’ll keep your promise of putting me first from now on.”