Protege(29)
She knew the others were watching, but he’d whispered in a voice too low for anyone else to hear. The fact that he gave her that private moment to let him know where she was emotionally—not that she had a clue—told her he was in control of the situation and she was still his first concern.
She shook her head. This was the most bizarre moment of her life, yet she wasn’t afraid. She was merely uncomfortable with their audience. “I’m okay, Sir,” she rasped, and he stood at his full height.
“Good. Say good night to Ezra and Lea.”
It had been a long time since she felt such sharp humiliation. But most painful was the knowledge that he inflicted that humiliation on purpose. Everything he did, every interaction between them served a purpose. The purpose here was clearly to show her how explicit his authority was. “Good night.”
The door opened and closed and they were alone. “Do you need to use the bathroom?”
She nodded.
The cuffs around her wrists loosened and she curled up on her side. He surprised her by lowering to the edge of the bed and brushing a hand down her back. “Take a moment, Collette.”
She sniffled. “Why were they here?”
His hand remained on her hip, fingers brushing softly. “Because I asked them to come.”
“Why?”
He drew in a slow breath and removed his touch. “Your Dom will likely take pleasure in exhibitionism from time to time, Ms. Banks. We are not a shy people—private, but not necessarily what I’d consider shy. My point is, pleasure is the Dom’s right to stipulate. It’s the submissive’s privilege to provide. Do you want to provide everything your Dom needs?”
“Yes.”
“Then you need to listen and let him lead you. The beautiful thing about a qualified Dom is that he provides explicit instructions. There are no games. I wanted you to lie still and that was exactly what I asked of you, yet the simple task proved too much. Obedience isn’t about force of will, it’s about control, your control over your own will.”
He still didn’t explain why he’d invited them into his private bedroom when she was unprepared and undressed. But it was over now and she had thirty days to think about his intentions. She understood he was teaching her a lesson, asserting his authority in a manner that showed her, had she done as he’d asked, that never would have happened.
Leaning close, he pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “Go freshen up and we’ll start over.”
She took several minutes in the bathroom, washing her hands carefully and staring at her pale face. It was her decision to plunge into this without much consideration of how it would actually feel, and now that all these unexpected emotions were coming into play, she feared she’d made a grave mistake. Truthfully, that was her greatest fear, that she wasn’t strong enough to do this for herself. It wasn’t supposed to be this difficult, but then again, she hadn’t really examined all the privileges linked to free will.
When she returned to the bedroom, he waited with his shoulder against the bedpost. “Better?”
She nodded.
“Do you have something to say to me?”
She’d give it twenty-four hours before making any major decisions. Playing his game, she muttered, “I’m sorry I questioned you.”
He sighed, his eyes softening as he walked to her. “You’re allowed to ask questions, but you may not question my authority every step of the way, Collette. You’re not the boss, peach. The sooner you accept that, the easier this will be for you.” He studied her for a moment. “You have something else you’d like to say. Let’s hear it.”
Her lips tightened and she shook her head.
“Collette, you signed a contract swearing to communicate honestly. I’m inviting you to speak freely now.”
How could she ignore such an invitation? Narrowing her eyes, she said, “You embarrassed me in front of your friends.”
“Which is something I do not enjoy doing. You tried to rush a process that takes time, and I showed you how it feels when important steps are skipped. Patience is a requirement. Furthermore, your defiance gave the impression you needed attention. I gave it to you, perhaps not the way you expected, but you were indeed the center of attention for all of ten minutes. I could have done a lot worse, sweetheart. You’re not even the first naked woman they saw today. Don’t read too much into it. I needed to make a point and I made it. Now you’ll remember.”
Oh, she wouldn’t forget. But where the hell was his apology?
Just then, he said, “I’m sorry you needed such a reminder. Perhaps next time you’ll follow directions without argument or attitude.”
Her eyes narrowed again. That was hardly an apology.
“It’s getting late.” Taking her hand, he led her to the edge of the bed. “Sit there.”
She did as he instructed without question.
“Good girl. Part your thighs. I want you to get used to sitting that way when we’re alone.” He waited. “What do you say?”
“Y-yes, Sir.”
“Good.” He surprised her with a kiss to her forehead, his hand brushing affectionately down the back of her hair. It was incredible how much that praising gesture eased some of her confusion. “Unbutton my pants, Collette.”
Her hands trembled, but she reached for his belt buckle and carefully slid open the clasp. The heat from his stomach touched the back of her knuckles as she unfastened the button.