Page 65 of Pretty Please Me
I pull my hands away. “I’m fine, Sam. You can stop checking me for bruises.” I idly rub my hand over my wrist to replace the heat from his touch.
“I’m sorry I was so rough with you last night. I’m angry with myself for losing control like that. I shouldn’t have pushed you so much. I guess I just got lost in the moment.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. Really. Last night was incredible. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life. I know that for sure.”
The flight attendant arrives with our drinks, setting them down in front of us. “Here you are. I’ll be back to check on you in a little while. Press the call button if you need anything until then.”
I take a sip of the cold bubbly soda. I don’t know what it is, but it somehow tastes better when you’re flying three thousand miles above the ground in a private jet.
“So, are you always this charitable with your submissives, or is this just because we’re friends?” I arch my brow as I ask the question that’s been on the tip of my tongue for the last week.
Sam laces his fingers together, setting his hands on the small table between us. “I do enjoy pampering my submissives. Though I suppose I’ve never done it quite to this extent. I like to think I rise to the necessary occasion.”
“And I needed more pampering than usual?”
“You were in desperate need of being shown what you deserve. I’m afraid I’ve only skimmed the surface of the things I’d like to do for you. But I understand this is only a temporary arrangement, and we simply don’t have the time. I’m doing my best to give you the cliff notes version anyways.”
His words hang in the air between us, and a sickening feeling pricks at my stomach at the mention of the timeline. Sam and my arrangement will be over soon, and I don’t know what kind of heartache I’ll walk away with. I can’t be a fool and assume I’ll walk away completely unscathed, but hearing him bring up the contract is the reality check I need to bring me back down to earth.
Sam is a generous guy. His kink is to pleasure women who submit to him. Sure, he may make me feel like I’m the only woman in the world, but that’s because of our contract. I can’t forget that I asked him for help, and he’s simply fulfilling his end of the bargain. It’s nothing more than that, no matter how much my heart aches from confusion.
His terms were clearly stated in the contract. He doesn’t want a relationship outside of his arrangements. He doesn’t want to settle down. He doesn’t want a family. Without thinking, I start to chew on my nail-bed as my mind wanders to all the reasons he could be the way he is.
Of course, I could never ask him. Sam is so private that I feel lucky to know him as well as I do. If he wanted me to know, he would have told me, so I need to respect his boundaries and stop trying to figure him out.
“You’re ruining your manicure.” Sam reaches for my hand, gently kissing each of my fingers, then laces his fingers with mine. “What are you worrying about over there that’s got you chewing your fingers to little nubs?”
“I… uh… I was just thinking how nervous I was to meet your family,” I lie.
Sam’s face relaxes, and his warm smile meets his eyes. “They’re going to love you. Don’t worry about that.”
“Remind me again. Who will I be meeting?” I ask, genuinely curious. I may not have thought that at that particular moment, but they’ve certainly been in the rotation of things I’ve been worried about ever since he sprung the trip on me.
“My dad, James, and stepmother, Charlotte. My younger brother, Simon, and his wife, Wren. And my two baby brothers, Drew and Jamie. Everyone will be nice and welcoming, but I can’t promise Drew and Jamie won’t try to embarrass me. I haven’t been home since last Christmas, so they’ll probably give me a hard time about it.”
Nervous energy bubbles up in my stomach. I don’t know whether to be afraid that I’ll disappoint them by not being Sam’s real girlfriend or excited to be included in someone’s family celebration for the first time ever.
“Are you and your brothers close? What about your dad?”
“My brother Simon is only a year and a half younger than me. We were always inseparable growing up. Not quite Irish twins, but close enough. He’s a lot like me. Ex-military. Quiet. Serious. But his wife, Wren, is the complete opposite. She brings out the best in him, so he may even be able to hold a conversation now, but I can’t make any promises. He’s had some trauma in the past, so he can be pretty distant.”
“Wow. Thanks for the heads up. What about the other two?”
“Drew and Jamie are younger. They both inherited our mother’s bubbly personality. They can be annoying as hell, but that’s just because they remind us of all the fun we’re missing out on.”
“Aw, that sounds like a lot of fun. It must’ve been so chaotic growing up with all that testosterone.”
“You can say that again. My poor dad; I think he was solid gray by the time he was forty after raising the four of us. There was always something going down in the Jordan house…” He shakes his head and laughs.
“Well, I can’t wait to meet them. I hope they like me.”
Sam traces his thumb over my collarbone, sending heat to my core. I press my thighs together and sigh. “They’re going to love you. Don’t even worry about that.”
“What did you tell them about us?” It’s a genuine question. Surely Sam’s family doesn’t know about his kinky lifestyle… unless they do, which would make this even more uncomfortable.
“I told them you were my girlfriend.” He smiles and licks his lips as his gaze scans my body, eyes lingering on my cream-colored silk camisole as my hard nipples brush the soft fabric. It was a bold move to go braless for our flight, but I’d say it’s worth it for how Sam’s staring at me right now.
I press my arms together, giving him a better view of my cleavage as an idea pops into my mind. “You know, I’ve always wondered how one becomes part of the mile-high club?”
