Page 103 of Ivory's Ruin Romance

She giggled. “Wearing your clothes makes me feel like a badass. Maybe I should have worn this instead of my witch costume.”

“Your ass is very bad, indeed.” His lips twitched. “I’ll take care of that later.”

Oh no. “That’s not what I meant,” she protested.

He stood and kissed her on the head, dick pressing impatiently against her hip. Her pussy clenched in anticipation. “Tease me all you want, sweetheart. If you want attention, attention is what you’ll get.”

FIFTY

As she worked in the kitchen, her black knight’s eyes grew as dark and foreboding as his nickname, his lips unnervingly softer with every stolen kiss.

The worst, or maybe the best, reaction was his smile—one of a man equal parts amused and assured by a secret he wasn’t willing to share. Somehow she knew he wouldn’t touch her until after they ate, and teasing him felt a lot like poking a bear with a six-foot pole—enough distance to feel safe but nowhere near enough to get away unscathed. Risky yet appealing, especially since he’d already promised to give her a challenge.

But how bad could it get?

When they sat down to eat, she felt starved for too many things at once. Starved for the meal in front of them and for the man getting ready to eat it. For more lingering glances and for less space to separate them. For time to skip forward to her reward and for it to slow down so the weekend would never end.

She swallowed her second bite and looked up, hoping Adrian appreciated the meal as much as she did. His eyes met hers, and they both smiled.

“Thank you for the pancakes,” he said, spearing a fluffy stack. “These taste even better than the last batch.”

“This meal does feel more complete,” she agreed, and her stomach chimed in with a rumble. Compared to their last breakfast, this one was a million times better. They’d worked out a way to move forward with their relationship. Adrian had made plans to take care of Jace, and neither had a class or job to rush off to.

Furthermore, she could eat with her eyes as well as her mouth. Raising a glass of cranberry juice to her lips, she tried to conceal her stubborn smile. “I can’t believe you’re eating like that.”

“Mm, doesn’t sound like a complaint.” He slid the pancakes off the fork with his teeth and leaned forward on his elbows with a wicked grin. The muscles in his chest pulled taut, and his knee brushed hers under the table.

He was enjoying this. Enjoyed how he could wear nothing at all and still hold every ounce of power over her. Enjoyed how she hadn’t been allowed release yet, her nipples puckered under the shirt. And how he knew that watching him only made the ache grow worse.

She shook her head. “Nope, not a complaint.”

Adrian didn’t need clothes. Not on a lazy Sunday morning when she could have this instead. When she could admire the body of a man who effortlessly dominated hers.

“Although, before we start having more fun today, I would like to go over some things,” he added while picking up a piece of bacon.

“Oh?” She perked up. Conversations had always been easy with him, whether they were about sex, school, or general life. If he asked to talk, the suggestion came without apprehension. She trusted him with her mental vulnerabilities as much as she did her physical ones.

“Have you attempted power exchange before us?” he asked. “Or done any research into it?”

She shook her head again. “My ex was too vanilla to even think about bringing it up…and that time with Jace had been my only other attempt.” She looked down, stirring syrup around her plate with a soggy pancake. “After that, I was too ashamed to do any research.”

“Hey, you’ve been excellent so far.” He reached across the table and grabbed her empty hand. She managed a weak smile, reassured by his touch. “Never think you’re failing as a submissive. It’s the Dominant’s responsibility to keep the scene in check, and if something needs to be corrected, we’ll work through it together.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “Thank you. Things have been so different with us. It’s freeing.”

“I feel the same, Iv. I can’t remember the last time I woke up with a smile.” His words sent a ripple of butterflies through her chest. Or maybe it was how his hand held hers, firm in a way she knew he wouldn’t let go, soft enough to make her crave more.

He continued. “Part of what makes our dynamic rewarding is that I can keep you happy and safe.” His thumb rubbed over the back of her hand. “In order to maintain that, we both need to set limits. By the end of the week, I want a list of things you’d like to try and a list of things you don’t. But first, we’re going to give you more to base your thoughts on. It’s a lot different imagining what something will feel like and actually experiencing it.”

She hummed in agreement. So far, all of their interactions had been better than her fantasies. Submitting to him had been rewarding, but it’d also been more intimidating than she first assumed. Being restrained in real life felt a lot different from pretending to be tied up in the safety of her own bed.

“I’ll only use our bodies this time, no toys or props,” he said. “Once we have a better idea of what you want, I’ll buy you your own set, and we can test them all out.”

She bit her lip. That sounded fun.

Adrian’s hand shifted to pick up her finger, then dragged it through the syrup on her plate. She watched thick amber liquid coat her fingertip as he spoke. “Keep in mind small things can become intense, too. Your safe word is valid in any situation.”

He lifted her hand to his mouth, inspecting it before looking her straight in the eyes. “Never underestimate what I can—and will do.”

---