Page 43 of Ward

“I’ve been ready for you this whole time.”

The desire in her voice calls to me. I close my eyes, tensing for the moment I’ve been dreading.

“There’s something you need to know first,” I say. “When we started this, I said I wasn’t going to fuck you. That hasn’t changed.”

“Why not?” she asks, puzzled.

I swallow hard. I don’t relish the thought of lying to her, so I aim for the truth mixed with a little ambiguity. “Because I don’t have sex with my submissives.”

“Ever?”

I shake my head. “Never.”

Grace frowns. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s the way I do things. However, if you wish to continue serving me, you’ll need to accept it.”

She studies the collar, tracing the O-ring with the tip of her finger.

“Do you...do that with anyone?”

“I’ve had sexual relationships with people I didn’t practice kink with in the past. I recognize that kink can be arousing for a lot of people, but I won’t be touching you with the goal of making you come.” The fear that I’m beginning to lose her kicks my pulse into overdrive. “That said, unless I tell you not to, you’ll have my permission to touch yourself when you’re alone. And I have no interest in seeing anyone else while we’re involved.”

She nibbles her lip as she considers the choices I’ve set before her. I wish I could know what she’s thinking, or that I could divine the right things to say to persuade her to be mine. I’ve never felt this invested in a BDSM partnership, especially not at such an early stage.

But Grace isn’t just anyone. She’s my ward, my family. Mine...

“Will you do all the other stuff?” she asks. “The bondage and the flogging?”

“All of that, and more.”

She seems to like that answer. My chest tightens as she frees the collar from its velvet-lined packaging, holding it out for me to take. I grasp the collar, hoping she doesn’t notice the slight tremor running through my hands.

She lifts her hair, baring her neck to me. I place the collar around her throat and hold it there so she can get a feel for its placement and weight.

“Do you vow to give yourself over to me completely?” I ask one last time. I need her to be sure before I engage the locking mechanism.

“I’m already yours, Sir.”

Her words set off a chain reaction. Shifting into Dom mode isn’t just a mental transition. It’s a full-body response. I stand up straighter, plant my feet firmer. My attention narrows in on my little one, until she becomes my sole focus. The most important person in my world.

Drawing the pliers from my pocket, I step behind her so I can lock the collar in place. Pinching the mechanism closed, I feel a wave of satisfaction surge through me.

Grace belongs to me. I’m responsible for her.

“Stand up and turn around so I can look at you.”

Grace does as she’s told. Everyone and everything outside of this moment fades into the background as she shines her smile on me. Resting my hand on her shoulders, I walk her to the closest mirror so she can see how the collar looks around her neck.

“It suits you beautifully,” I say. “How do you feel?”

She meets my gaze in the mirror. Once again, I’m struck by how exposed she is in her nightclothes.

“I feel wonderful,” she says. “Like I can finally relax, knowing you want to keep me.”

Contrary to what my calm demeanor suggests, relaxation is the furthest thing from my mind—something she could easily tell if she pressed against me. I rub the thin fabric of her shorts between my fingers.

“Are these new?” I ask. “I don’t recall you trying them on today.”

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