Black Obsidian(5)

Her eyes widened when she saw my actions, knowing exactly what it meant.

“I’m no longer your Dom, Isabella. And you’re no longer my submissive.” Our arrangement had an expiration date, and we both knew it from the beginning. Despite how long we lasted, we knew this day would come. Like the sun rising over the horizon, it was inevitable.

In shock, she kept her same expression. To anyone outside of the two of us, they wouldn’t have a clue what her thoughts were. Her emotions were hidden deep like buried treasure beneath her permanent mask.

I stepped toward her then grabbed her right hand. I pulled the ring off her finger, feeling the snugness before it finally came off. The band was plain and black, matching mine with the exception of its width. I placed it on top of my ring and made them a pair once more. “You can speak freely.” She was no longer mine to control, so she could do and say whatever she wanted. It wasn’t the kind of freedom she wanted, but she had to accept it.

Her eyes took in the rings before she returned her gaze to my face. Large like the moon, both were glowing orbs that radiated mystical power. It was one of her features that attracted me to her in the first place. But now, they reflected her disappointment—and her pain. “I don’t understand…”

I hoped she would take this separation as emotionlessly as I would. In the beginning, I made it clear what kind of man I was, and I would never change. She claimed she believed me, but perhaps she didn’t. “It’s nothing you did, Isabella. You’re just as perfect as you were when I first looked at you. But I’ve come to realize I want different things.”

Her hands found each other in front of her waist, and slowly, her fingers started to fidget. Her shoulders weren’t as straight as they normally were, and the grace she once possessed had disappeared entirely.

I wanted to command her to remain still, but I couldn’t. I’d lost my privileges.

“We were fine yesterday. This is just so sudden… I thought you wanted me.”

This kind of desperation was pathetic and annoyed me. But she’d been with me for a year, trusted me for an entire year, and I had to be patient with her. I owed her that much. “I’m sorry if it’s unexpected. But honestly, my decision is just as unexpected. I still think you’re gorgeous, and every man downstairs will fight for you once they realize you’re no longer mine. But I’m not going to change my mind.”

Her thumbs continued to rub together anxiously, and deep in her eyes, tears started to form. Slowly, they coated the surface until they reflected my cold appearance.

“Don’t.” I had to stop it before it started.

She took a deep breath to steady her resolve, but the second she left my office, she would sob in the bathroom. I didn’t need to be psychic to figure that out. “Cal, is there someone else?”

I knew this question would come up, but I didn’t know how to answer it. I wasn’t even sure what my answer would be. When Rome gave me her name, my balls tightened back into my body, and I nearly came then and there. No woman had ever conquered my sexual desire the way she did. Those three slaps were better than any blow job I’d ever received. Instead of being annoyed by her power, I craved it. I wanted to conquer her—and I wanted her to conquer me. “Yes.”

She took another deep breath, her eyes watering all over again.

“I didn’t touch her. Don’t worry about that.” Isabella was the only submissive I was monogamous with, and that was because I made a promise to remain faithful to her. I always kept my promises, no matter how much I wanted to break them. With our relationship, there was respect and friendship. I would never betray her, even though my cock was eager to be disloyal.

“When did this happen?”

Just the night before, but it felt like a lifetime ago. I had no understanding of what I was doing or why I was doing it. The second I laid eyes on Rome, my entire world changed. I wouldn’t consider myself to be happy, but I was certainly content. But the second she slapped me, I felt distraught over what I didn’t have—her. “Last night.”

“Oh…” She rubbed her hands together, her fidgeting never stopping. “If you didn’t touch her, why are you ending this?”

I wasn’t sure. All I knew was I couldn’t be with Isabella any longer, not when my cock was this hard and my mind was this obsessive. Now, I only wanted one woman to be underneath me, the creature with the intense green eyes—and it wasn’t Isabella. I wanted her to fight me until her back hit the sheets. Then I wanted her legs to wrap around my waist as she begged for more. While love wasn’t in the mix, I respected Isabella too much to lie to her. We had a relationship based on trust—and that was something I would never sacrifice. “Because I can’t stop thinking about her.”