I was just as interested in hearing about him. I learned that although he had grown up in the Atlanta area, he had gotten a football scholarship to the University of Tennessee. He blew out his knee his sophomore year, ending his football career. But he had managed to parlay his love of the sport into coaching. I was envious of all the traveling he’d done in his life. Using his summers off, he’d backpacked all over Europe and explored caves in Australia and New Zealand.
With the café beginning to set up for the dinner crowd, our waiter appeared at our table with a look of impatience. I couldn’t blame him since we’d been at the table for hours. At least William had slipped him a fifty to make up for the tips he might be losing from us staying. “Are you ready for the check now, sir?”
As undeniable electricity popped and cracked around us, William’s dark eyes bore into mine, seeking and searching. The moment wasn’t just about casually ending a breakfast date. It was about severing a connection—one that neither one of us could have anticipated. We both knew the finality of when we said good-bye. I would go home and start teaching, and William would go back to 1740 and find a new Mistress.
Since I knew he was waiting for my response, I replied, “Yes. We are.”
“I’ll be right back.”
After the waiter left us alone, William gave me a small smile. “I suppose that’s the only time in our dynamic when I would ever get to be called ‘sir.’”
I laughed. “Yes. It is.”
He surprised me by shoving his chair up against mine. After placing one of his hands on the table, he put the other on the top rung of the chair and leaned in. At the feel of his warm breath on my cheek, I fought the urge to jerk away. But a Domme and a strong woman always held her ground.
“Give me one night.”
My heartbeat broke into a wild gallop at his request. “You can’t be serious.”
“But I am.”
I shook my head. “What’s one night going to do?”
“It gives me the chance to be inside you.”
I inhaled sharply at his words. Regardless of all the reasons why I shouldn’t, I wanted the same thing he did. After seeing and feeling him last night, I couldn’t help wondering with his size and girth what he would feel like as he pumped inside me. Fuck, I had been dreaming about exactly that this morning. In spite of his words and my illicit thoughts, I argued in a low voice, “You had your tongue inside me last night. Wasn’t that enough?”
“No. It was just a tease.” A wicked look flashed in his eyes. “Just a taste, no pun intended.”
A laugh bubbled from my lips, slightly easing the tension that hung around us.
“You want to go to 1740?”
William shook his head. “No. I want to be somewhere alone with you without all the distractions and complications.”
Cocking a brow at him, I said, “I’m assuming Mistress Calla would be part of your reasoning?”
“That’s part of it.”
“Is it true she wanted a relationship with you?”
“Yes. But more than anything, she wanted to collar me.”
I couldn’t hide my disgust. “Sorry, but I’ve never understood collaring. The whole idea of an outward symbol to show that you’re owned and possessed by someone else is bizarre to me.”
“One could argue that a wedding band is also a symbol of ownership.”
“I guess you have a point.” I hesitated before posing my next question. “Were you afraid of the commitment?”
“I’m thirty-two—I’m ready for commitment.”
“Then what was the problem?”
“She wasn’t the one.”
“Oh,” I murmured.
“To bind yourself completely to someone else, you have to be in love with them. I realized that although I cared for Calla, or Brook in real life, I didn’t love her.”
“So you ended up breaking her heart, and when you break someone like Calla’s heart, she becomes a vengeful bitch.”
“Yeah, unfortunately so. It was never my intention to hurt her.”
I couldn’t help smiling. “I believe that. I don’t think you could ever intentionally hurt anyone. You’re like a big, sweet teddy bear.”
“That makes me sound like a pussy.”
“No, William. You’re all man from your head to your incredibly large dick.”
He laughed. “Thank you.”
Since we needed a subject change, I said, “Since 1740 is out, just where do you presume we go? I mean, I might live in a basement apartment, but it’s certainly not a dungeon.”
“We could go back to my hotel room.” I didn’t question him on why he wasn’t asking me back to his house. A lot of the clients at 1740 were out-of-towners who came into the city to play. Thus, the need for hotel rooms.
I smirked at him. “Hmm, no penthouse in the city with a playroom? You disappoint me, rich boy.”
“For your information, there is a penthouse. But considering my grandfather has access to it, there’s no way I can throw a St. Andrew’s Cross into the guest room. He and my grandmother are there this weekend, or I wouldn’t be staying at a hotel.”
“What a pity.”
William smiled. “Yes. It is.”
“Then I guess we’re going back to your hotel room. Of course, we’re going to have to improvise when it comes to playing.”
“I have some rope in the truck.”
“What a prepared sub you are. You just never know when you’re going to need to be tied up.”
He nudged my leg playfully with his. “I used it for rappelling when some buddies and I went rock climbing. I told you before I was a rope virgin.”
“That’s right. Did you like it?”
“Yeah, I did. I’d like to try some of the more intricate ones.”
“I’d like to see you in them,” I said, in an almost wistful tone. I don’t know why I thought that, least of all said it. Even though we were going to be together again, it was only for one night. There wouldn’t be any more opportunities to see him tied up. It wasn’t something I had ever really desired when it came to sex, but I could see myself enjoying it with William.
The waiter returned with our check. When I started to reach for my purse, William shook his head. “My treat.”
“I don’t need your charity.”
“Consider it a tip for last night.”
“But you didn’t pay me. We were just playing.”
“I can still tip, can’t I?”
I pursed my lips at him. “I suppose so.”
“Just kills you to give up some control, doesn’t it?” he asked with a smile.
“As a matter of fact it does.”
William’s smile broadened as he placed another fifty in the envelope. “Ready?”
I nodded. “First, you’ll need to take me back to my car.”
“You don’t want to just ride with me to the hotel?”
“No. I want to be able to come and go as I please.”
“Such a Domme,” he muttered as he rose out of his chair.
I pursed my lips at him. “Are you afraid I’ll just drive off and not show up?”
He waited a moment before answering. “Maybe.”
“I can assure you I’m a woman of my word.”
He tilted his head to the side, then his gorgeous, dimpled smile made an appearance. Oh shit. The dimples are a serious weakness. “I believe you, Sophie.”
“Good.” When I stood up, I found it easier to put weight on my ankle. I still limped a little, but it wasn’t as bad as before. Of course, William hovered around me, ready to swoop in and save me in case I fell.
The parking lot of the park had thinned out by the time we got back. William eased his truck in beside my car. “You want to follow me?”
I laughed. “I think you’re trying to top from the bottom by trying to control this hookup.”
Taking his hands off the steering wheel, he held them up. “I was just trying to be helpful, I swear.”
“Just ease up on it, okay?”
“You know, it wouldn’t kill you to let someone help you from time to time.”
While I wanted to tell him where he could shove his helpfulness, his earnest expression made me think otherwise. “I’ll work on it.”
“Good. I’ll see you at the Ritz downtown.”
I snorted. “I would have been so disappointed if you had said anywhere else.”
He winked. “I’m glad to please you, Mistress.”
When I opened the door, I was surprised to find William wasn’t racing around to help me. After glancing back at him, he smiled. “Just doing as you said and easing up on being helpful.”
“Nice job.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you at the hotel.”
“See you there.”
Fighting mortification, I eased my decrepit Honda Accord up to the valet stand at the Ritz. I momentarily kicked myself that I had to be such a control freak and hadn’t ridden with William. His Escalade fit right in with the upscale clientele while my Honda stuck out like a hooker in church.
After handing over my keys to the attendant, I pulled my shoulders back and tried to hold my head as high as I could considering I was wearing spandex running clothes. William met me at the door with a beaming smile. “See. I’m a woman of my word,” I said.