Page 104 of The CEO

I brush a strand of hair from her face. “Old habits.”

She shifts closer, her body warm against mine. “Share with me. What’s going on in that complicated mind of yours?”

“I’m contemplating the nature of control,” I admit. “How it’s defined my existence for so long.”

Her eyes sharpen with interest, sleep falling away. “And?”

“And I’m wondering what it would be like to surrender it.Trulysurrender it, not just in matters of The Shadows’ operations, but in ways more . . .” I search for the right word, “personal.”

A smile curves her lips, understanding dawning in her expression. “With me, you mean.”

“Yes.”

She sits up, sheets pooling around her waist, moonlight gleaming on her bare skin. “I’ve been thinking about that too, actually. About control. About power.”

“Have you?” This intrigues me, her mind once again mirroring my own in unexpected ways.

“Mmm.” She nods, eyes never leaving mine. “I’ve been thinking about how we balance power between us—in The Shadows, in public, in our marriage.”

“And in our bed,” I add, seeing where her thoughts are leading.

“Yes.” Her voice drops lower, something shifting in her expression. “I’ve been thinking about that aspect quite a lot.”

I sit up as well, intrigued by this revelation. “Tell me.”

She hesitates, an uncharacteristic display of uncertainty. “We’re equals in so many ways, Damien. Partners in everything we do. But sometimes I wonder . . .”

“What do you wonder, Eve?” I encourage, curious now.

“What it would be like to not be equals. At least not all the time.” Her eyes find mine, bold despite the vulnerability in her admission. “What it would be like to fully surrender to you, to your control, without reservation or compromise. I know that was the promise when I came back into your life, but I also know you’ve taken your time to show that side to me . . . unless I force it out with disobedience.”

Heat floods through me at her words, at the images they conjure. “Are you saying you want me to dominate you?”

“Yes.” No hesitation now, just certainty. “Not just physically, though certainly that. But completely. To submit to you in ways I’ve never submitted to anyone.”

I study her face, searching for any sign of doubt or uncertainty. “Why?”

It’s a genuine question. Eve is fiercely independent, formidably capable. Her strength and autonomy are fundamental to who she is—to what makes us work so effectively together.

“Because with you, submission wouldn’t be weakness,” she explains, her voice steady. “It would be another form of power. Because I trust you completely. Because I know you would never misuse that gift.”

Her words hit something deep inside me—a recognition of the profound trust this represents. Eve Thorne, who has fought for control her entire life, offering to surrender it to me willingly.

“What are you asking for, exactly?” I want complete clarity, no misunderstandings.

She meets my gaze directly. “I want to explore what happens when I give you total control over me. When I follow your commands without question. When my only purpose is your pleasure.”

The heat that was simmering now roars into an inferno. “And this is something you want? Not something you think I want?”

Her smile turns knowing. “I think we both want it, Damien. I’ve seen how you look at me sometimes—like you’re holding yourself back, restraining something powerful. I want to experience that power unleashed.”

I move closer, my hand coming up to cup her face. “You understand what you’re asking for? The nature of dominance and submission?”

“I’m not naïve,” she reminds me. “I know what I’m asking for. And I know that with you, I’d be safe to explore it completely.”

“Safe, yes,” I agree, thumb tracing her lower lip. “But not necessarily comfortable. Dominance isn’t gentle, Eve. Not the kind you’re describing. It requires absolute obedience. Consequences for disobedience. Surrender that goes beyond just saying the words.”

“I know.” Her eyes hold mine, unflinching. “That’s exactly what I want. To surrender to you so completely that nothing exists except your will and my submission to it.”

---