He reached up and grabbed a firm fistful of her hair, slowly pulling back until he had her chin tipped up. He leaned in close. His pupils appeared huge, his eyes the dark green of emeralds, and she felt an impressively hard bulge straining through his jeans.
She wanted to drop to her knees in front of him, but he wrapped his other arm firmly around her midsection, keeping her on her feet, her body pressed against his.
“Do you know what I mean?” he whispered. “Do you understand what I’m talking about?”
She couldn’t nod. She managed to squeak out an, “Uh-huh!”
His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t speak.
Her heart raced. He was waiting for a different answer. She wanted him to kiss her, but suspected he wasn’t going to do anything but stand there all night until he heard what he wanted.
Duh! The answer finally struggled its way through the lust-soaked portions of her brain and made it to her vocal cords. “Yes, Sir,” she whispered.
His smile nearly made her come right there. “Good girl,” he whispered, so close his breath brushed against her lips. Then he kissed her. He tasted like a sweet, dark lager, earthy and mellow. She moaned into his mouth and wrapped her hands tightly around him, wanting more, wanting him to totally own her.
He’d read her mind without even trying. He knew her heart’s desire. And no, he couldn’t really beat her in an unfair fight. However, if she didn’t blast him, under normal circumstances she knew he could keep her in line and would value the opportunity to do it.
“Can I trust you?” she fearfully asked.
His expression softened. “You are my mate,” he whispered. “I would die for you. Even if I wasn’t bound by the Code of the Ancients to take care of you, I would do any- and everything in my power to keep you happy. I only need one thing from you, and you have to willingly give it. I couldn’t force you if I wanted to.” He relaxed his grip on her hair, instead stroking it. “I don’t want to force you.” His smile regained just a hint of mischievous evil. “Well, I don’t want to force you to submit to me. Maybe I will force you to do other things.”
She had a feeling she’d enjoy every second of those other things. Unfortunately, he still hadn’t answered her question. “I don’t want to spend the rest of my life with someone who suckered me in for one night of hot sex and can’t deliver for the rest of my life.”
He tightened his arm around her as he brushed his lips across hers. “I want a mate, a partner, a wife, a friend, a lover. But I need that woman to be all those things and be my submissive, too. Someone strong enough not to be a doormat. Someone who only gets on their knees for me. Someone who will submit to me willingly, but who also has a spine of steel.”
Her knees felt like jelly already.
He smiled. “I won’t wake up tomorrow and find you to be a puddle of goo, will I?”
“Probably, but not in the way you mean.”
He laughed. “I also need a partner in life who has a good sense of humor.”
“Did you happen to notice the purple hair earlier?”
“I did. I thought it looked beautiful on you.” He ran her red hair through his fingers. “So does this. I think I prefer this. I know what would look better, though.” He grazed his teeth across her throat, making her moan.
“What?” she gasped.
“Your clothes on the floor and my cuffs on your wrists and ankles.” He gently nipped the hollow of her throat. “And my collar locked around your neck.” He nipped her again. “And you will wear my collar.”
Oh, Goddess! She wanted it. She wanted it more than anything, wanted to believe he could and would follow through.
He suddenly released her. Callie almost lost her footing and grabbed for the counter so she didn’t hit the floor. He went to the fridge and started rummaging through it. “Can I get you something to drink?” he asked.
“Huh?” She couldn’t think. She didn’t want to think. She wanted more of that.
More of him.
He held up a can of soda. “I have Coke, tea, milk, water. Want anything?”
She swallowed hard and shook her head.
He closed the fridge. Smiling, he popped the tab on a can of Coke and took a couple of swallows. Then he walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.
On trembling legs, she followed him. He sat on the couch, picked up a remote control, and turned on the TV.
She stood there in disbelief. “What are you doing?”
He smirked. “Relaxing.” He patted the couch. “Come here.”
She did. She wanted to pounce on him, rip all his clothes off, and fuck his brains out, but she had a feeling he wouldn’t let her do that. She managed a glance at the bookshelves lining the wall holding the forty-two-inch TV. A wide variety of books, a few pictures, and quite a few carved items were neatly lined up on them.
“What are those?” she asked, pointing.
“What? The carvings?”
She nodded.
He shrugged. “I wanted a hobby. I like making stuff like that.” She loved his playful grin. “That’s not what you want to talk about though, is it?”
She shook her head.
He leaned in close. “Let’s not waste any more time. I won’t force you to submit to me, even if I could. But if you give your submission to me, I promise I’m more than man enough to keep you in line.”
She tried to kiss him, but he grabbed her by the hair with his free hand and pulled her back with a playful smile.
“If you want me,” he said in a dangerous tone that totally soaked her panties, “then you need to get on your knees and ask me.”
“What about calling red?” she gasped.
“That’s for when we’re playing. I could easily do things the old-fashioned way and chase you down, but honestly? That doesn’t appeal to me. I want to know you want me. I want your submission to be willingly given to me. I want you to beg me to do every nasty, depraved thing to you that you’ve ever wanted done. Maybe even a few things you never knew you wanted done to you. Once I know all of that, from that point on, I can do all the chasing I feel like. And I will catch you every time.”
She stared into his eyes. She’d never wanted anything more in her life.
And that was a pretty damn long time.
She nodded.
He released her hair and pointed at the floor in front of him. “On your knees, facing me,” he quietly said.
All right! One blow job, coming up!
When she tried to reach for his zipper, he laughed and gently pushed her persistent hands away. “Did I tell you to do that?”
“But—”
He grabbed her chin. “Stop. Turn your mind off. Follow orders.”
With a frustrated sigh, she sat back on her heels in front of him.
He tried not to laugh. She looked nearly frantic with need. “Very good.” He suspected no one had ever dared tell her no before.
She’d have to get used to it. He would keep her on a short leash at first, give her a taste of the control he knew she craved.
Who was he kidding? He wanted to slake his thirst to have a total submissive all his own who wanted every bit he could give her and then some. Someone he didn’t have to hold back with, physically or mentally.
“Hands on your knees,” he quietly commanded.
She glared up at him while she complied.
“Good girl.” He reached over and stroked her hair, slowly fisting it and tipping her head back so he could look deep into her eyes. “Don’t try to lie to me and tell me you don’t want this,” he softly said. “I can smell how wet you are. I can hear your heart pounding. Don’t worry, you’ll get all the orgasms you can handle and then some, but only when I’m ready to give them to you. Do you understand me?”