“Look at me,” Max commanded. Unable to resist his deep, sexy voice, Ella stared mesmerized into his silver-gray gaze. His presence filled her thoughts. He overwhelmed her. He controlled her with just a look, a simple glance. It was breathtaking. This must be how his submissives felt when he dominated them. Her whole body buzzed when he brushed the hair from her tear-stained eyes. “He’s gone, and he won’t be coming back.” He said it with such authority. Surely she had to believe him? Only she doubted herself. She didn’t feel strong enough to cope on her own anymore.
“Max, I don’t want to be alone tonight,” she whispered breathlessly.
“Baby, you won’t be. I’m just across the courtyard. Only a few steps away. Trust me, I won’t allow you to come to any harm.”
“That’s just it. I feel safe when you’re around, but if I wake up and he’s there, I don’t know what I’ll do.” Panic flared once more within her, making her tremble uncontrollably.
He breathed in and rubbed a hand across his chin. She heard the rasp of bristles against his fingertips. “Ella, I can’t deny I’m attracted to you. If you stay in my room, things may happen that you later regret.”
A quiver of anticipation ran through her veins. Max wanted her? When did that happen? She couldn’t help blurting out the words, “Does that mean I get to see your playroom?” Fuck, why had she just said that? The words seemed to tumble from her mouth. During her visits with Kirk, Max had never allowed either of them inside the playroom. The mysterious room where domination and submission took place both frightened and intrigued her. It had always been strictly off-limits. Wondering just what it was like had fuelled her fantasies for years.
He laughed and playfully tapped her nose with a finger. “No, the playroom is reserved for bad behavior that needs correction, and besides, I need to get to know a woman intimately, before I take her there.”
“Oh? I’m not a child, Max. I know what goes on in a D/s relationship.”
He raised a brow. “Really? You surprise me, Ella. I didn’t know you knew about such things.”
“Well, that’s where you’re wrong, Mr. Dom. You can find out just about anything on the Internet. Besides, Sara gave me an explicit book on the subject.” She’d keep him in suspense as to how much she really knew.
“It figures.” Max’s derisory tone said it all.
“You don’t like Bill and Sara. You don’t like Kevin, either. Why?”
“They’re on the fringes. They practice something I have no interest in.”
“Which is?”
“Humiliation. I’m not into humiliation. Just like I’m not into pain, for pain’s sake.”
“Then what are you into?”
“Total possession.”
Those two simple words sent a shiver down her spine. The way Max looked at her now, she was in no doubt what he meant. He wanted to consume a woman until he controlled everything about her. She saw by the look in his eyes that nothing short of complete ownership would satisfy him. It scared and excited her in equal measure.
“I see.”
He laughed again. “Don’t look so worried, Ella. I’m just a very sexual guy, but I’m not a monster. I have enormous self-control. I just thought it best to lay my cards on the table, so there can be no misunderstanding.”
She knew her panties were soaking wet. How did Max make this happen with just a look? She took a deep breath, hoping he wouldn’t notice her chest rapidly rising and falling. “Thanks, Max. I appreciate your honesty.” She guessed Max wouldn’t take advantage of her emotional fragility tonight. She couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed, knowing that he wouldn’t make the first move. He’d laid down a marker though, a line in the sand so to speak. He was warning her what could happen, if she kept pressing.
He glanced at his watch. “It’s gone midnight. I don’t know about you, Ella, but I’m ready to turn in. I’ve been up since six this morning. I’ve had a long day. If you want to, you can come across to my room. I’ve already laid down the ground rules, so there can be no ambiguity. I promised I’d be there for you.”
Ella walked across to her room and looked at the nightdress she’d placed on her pillow earlier that evening. The tiny pink baby-doll nightie was made of a flimsy, see-through material. Apart from a blue silk gown, and a change of clothes for the morning, it was all she had. She sighed. After packing her bag that evening, she’d hardly thought she’d end up sharing a bed with the gorgeous Sicilian, Maximiliano D’Alesandro. Or did she? Her nightie was way too sexy. She smiled. Kismet came to mind—what will be, will be. Perhaps she and Max were always meant to be.