Page 112 of Ward Willing
Something darkens in his expression as he walks over to me and pulls my chair out. “Do I need to answer that?”
That’s a yes, then.
I straighten my spine and sit down primly as he pushes my chair in for me before walking into the kitchen. I want to ask him what kind of food he’s serving, but the submissive in me stays quiet. A minute later, he comes out with two small bowls of soup.
“I called in some favors,” he says slowly, setting my bowl down with a soup spoon. “Chase knows the owner of The Black Rose.”
“The fancy place on the other end of the town?” I ask, looking down at the dark red soup.
Liam nods. “The chef prepared five courses for us and cursed me out when I asked for takeaway boxes.” I smile and look down at the soup. It smells divine. “The first course is beetroot soup with horseradish cream. Don’t ask me what else is in it because I’ll butcher it.”
I smile as I take the first bite, and my mouth fills with saliva. “Oh my god. It’s like an orgasm for my mouth,” I say without thinking. Liam is watching me eat with an unreadable expression, and as I pat my mouth and set my spoon down, I swallow and clear my throat. “What?”
He shakes his head as his expression softens.Fuck,something about watchinghimwatchmeis so sexy. Because for most people, his expression is serious.
But for me?
He looks at me differently than anyone else.
His lips twitch. “I like watching you eat. You know… since you’re really bad at it when I’m not around.”
I snort and cover my mouth. “Idoeat. I just… forget sometimes.”
“Keep going,” he says, his voice rough and laced with dominance.
We finish our soup in near silence, and as he brings in the next four courses—aged beef, grilled scallops in a half shell, a winter mushroom and squash salad, and finally, fig leaf ice cream with flakes of edible flowers on top.
It’s completely over the top, but I can’t help but smile the entire way through. As I lean back and watch Liam clear the plates, my stomach erupts in butterflies again. He slowly walks into the living room, and my heart skips a beat. He’s too handsome for his own good, and I can’t believe I get to bewithhim.
“Shall we?” he asks, offering his arm.
“Where are we going?” I stand up and walk over to him.
“For a walk.”
Liam offers me his coat when we get outside, and he doesn’t say anything as we walk along the quiet main street. The pub and Orion’s new bar are busy, but other than that, we have downtown Crestwood to ourselves. I know Miles spent a lot of time commissioning the city council to get the city to look as nice as it does, and as we walk underneath old-fashioned lamps and string lights, I secretly thank him for making it so cozy.
When we arrive at The Grand hotel, Liam gestures for me to go inside.
“Here?” I ask, eyes widening. “Rooms here are like two-thousand dollars a night.”
He takes a step forward and pulls me into him by my waist. I let out a tiny gasp as his other hand comes to my cheek.
“Here’s what we’re going to do,” he purrs, holding me close as a couple walks out the revolving door of the hotel. Kissing the top of my head affectionately, we both smile at them as they walk away. When they’re out of earshot, Liam brings his lips to my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “You’re going to walk into the hotel with me, and once I pay, we’re going to go up to our suite,” he adds. “Every snarky comment will be tallied up, so choose your words wisely.”
Holy.Fuck.
I’m having a hard time believing that Liam has never done this before me.
“Okay,” I concede as a thrill goes through me. “Daddy,” I add, trying to hide my smile.
Little does he know, I’ve been waiting for him to punish me for weeks.
Liam stiffens, and his lips tug down into a frown. “One,” he says sternly.
Goosebumps run down my arm at his warning. He turns and ushers us through the revolving doors.
I take a deep breath, gearing up to show him how much I want to make him work for it.
