Page 43 of Just Between Us

She playfully slapped my arm. “I walk past this house all the time. Ilovethis house!” With excited eyes she swiftly moved up the driveway and approached my house on the bluff.

I tucked my hands into my pockets. “Home sweet home.”

She stopped and shook her head. “I didnotpeg you as a picket fence guy.”

My arms crossed. “Where did you expect me to live?”

She teased her lip as mischief sparkled in her eyes. “You give off”—her hand waved in front of me—“a moody dungeon, heavy-metal, black-silk-sheets kind of vibe.”

My shoulder lifted. “I’m used to not being what people expect.” I unlatched the gate and swung it open. “Come on, the dungeon’s inside.”

Her bright laughter floated on the breeze, and it was the prettiest sound I’d ever heard. Veda Bauer was typically stern nods and final decisions, but her playful giggle was a shotgun blast to my chest.

I swung open the front door and allowed her to enter my space. I stepped behind her, pressing my front to her back and toying with the ends of her hair. “When you’re here, you’re in my space ... so I need you to understand a few things.”

I guided her shoulders so she would face me. My finger slid under her chin so her wide, green eyes could look up at me. “Here,Iam in control. I will never hurt you. We will never do anything you don’t want to do, but when you walk through that door, you’re mine.”

A sigh escaped her lips as she shuddered. “No more decisions. No more worries. You do as I say, and I will take care of the rest. Do you understand me, Precious?”

She swallowed hard as her eyes closed and she nodded.

“Say it,” I gently demanded.

“Yes, sir.”

My cock went rock hard, pressing into her as she looked up and waited.

TWELVE

VEDA

Who is this warm,melting ball of need standing in front of Royal King and agreeing to let him take control?

Need roped through me as my nipples pinched into sharp, aching points. His hard body radiated heat and power as he looked down on me. Gone was the wry, playful grin I’d come to know. In its place was an intensity—a ferocity—that was directed atme.

My hand moved over his chest, the muscles evident beneath his shirt. Against my palm, his heart thunked a rapid beat. There was a small comfort in knowing his pulse was as out of control as mine. The air around us shrank, and the reality of what I had agreed to settled in.

Let me teach you how to let go a little bit.

My stomach skittered, and I took a breath to steady myself. Every rational, pent-up part of my brain screamed at me that it was a mistake to let go, to let someone else have a say. In silence, Royal commanded the darkened entryway, and it was clear he was waiting forsomething—some sign that I was willing to give this experiment a try.

Royal promised that there was something good and fun on the other side of clutching every aspect of my life. Myknees wobbled and indecision ricocheted around my skull. Time stretched out before us as he watched and waited.

On an exhale I melted into him. A swell of emotion stung in my nose as I fought back unexpected tears. I wanted to be enraged. I wanted to stomp my foot and demand that I could do anything and everything by myself.

But I was so damn tired.

Instead of fighting it, when his arms wrapped around me, I softened.

I leaned into the comfort of his sturdy frame, letting his body heat seep into me like the first cup of hot coffee on a frigid day. His cologne was woody and intoxicating as I breathed it in, basking in his embrace. I exhaled once more, letting each breath liquefy my resolve.

“There she is.” His rich voice was so warm and soothing that my shoulders relaxed and my arms hung at my sides. Royal eased back to look down at me. One tattooed hand reached up to gently hold my face and guide my attention to him. “It is my responsibility to protect you. My honor. And if you’ll let me, I will show you what real freedom looks like.”

A hot ball of nerves expanded in my throat. Standing in front of Royal in his dimly lit home felt too close. Too intimate. He didn’t move away, but rather held me and waited.

My lower belly flooded with heat as everything around us faded away. His thick cock pressed against my stomach, and I brushed my hand down his side until I reached his belt. Lower still, I ran my hand along his hard length. Royal groaned and his hips twitched forward.

“You are going to be my undoing, Precious,” he whispered.

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