To Love and Obey (Boundaries) (22 page)
She jumped when Adam spoke, but was unable to tear her eyes away from the dramatic scene as he approached her.
“It’s stunning,” she whispered.
He nodded and put his arm around her. “Come on, dinner’s ready.”
She followed him out of the room and couldn’t help imaging how she would feel if he ordered her to strip and kneel at the dinner table to be fed by him. She’d seen a few subs at the club being fed that way, but it hadn’t really turned her on, so hopefully he’d let her eat her food on her own. Memories of the Master/slave relationship he’d had with his wife still niggled uncomfortably somewhere deep inside her, and she quickly pushed the unwanted thought from her mind.
He led her back to the kitchen where a table was laid for two by a set of large French doors leading out to the darkness of a garden. Several candles flickered romantically in silver candlesticks and a single red rose in a small crystal vase had been placed in the center.
If Adam did have any kinky plans for her, he certainly didn’t let on as he pulled a chair out for her to sit down. He refilled her wine glass and placed a bowl of steaming soup in front of her before joining her.
Adam nodded at her to begin then watched her as she took a small sip of the steaming soup.
Hmm, sweet potato and pumpkin. Nice.
“It’s delicious,” she said.
He looked pleased. “Good.”
They ate in silence for a few seconds then he spoke again, “I invited you here tonight for two reasons, Rachel.” He was looking serious again and his Dom voice had replaced the relaxed tone from before.
Uh-oh, she’d known there would be a catch.
“Tonight, you will tell me about yourself—your family, past relationships and those insecurities that seem to follow you everywhere. I want to know everything about you. You asked me on Saturday to wait for another time to discuss it because it’s painful for you. Well, I’ve waited and now it’s time to talk.”
His words made it clear that there was no use trying to dodge around it again, and her heart sank at the prospect of having to reveal her inner demons to him.
She smiled sweetly, not letting her anxiety show. “So, what’s the second reason?”
A devious grin spread across his face as he leaned over the table. “So I can order you to strip because I want you to be naked when we have dessert.”
She swallowed as heat flared inside her body. “Oh? And what’s the dessert?” she asked softly, her pulse rapidly increasing by the second.
“You.” There was no mistaking the sexual promise in his reply.
Her nipples hardened unbearably under her braless dress, and a persistent throbbing deep inside her made her move slightly in her chair to try to calm it. Her dress had ridden up when she had sat down, though, and her naked pussy rubbed against the leather of the chair, causing her to let out a small moan.
Adam grinned, and a flush crept up her neck onto her face.
Damn him, how can he have such a powerful effect on me?
“Okay, sweet thing, time to talk.” His sharp eyes held hers, letting her know he wouldn’t accept any excuses. Shit, her sudden arousal had made her forget about their impending chat. The sexy throbbing stopped as quickly as it had started.
“Well, what do you want to know?” she faltered. She genuinely didn’t know where to begin. Her life hadn’t been exotic or exciting or even remotely interesting, it had just been filled with rejection, pain and guilt—and that was a difficult thing to put into words. She’d never talked about it before, even to Mandy, and she wished she could just erase her whole sorry past and create a nice, normal upbringing.
“Well, let’s start with your last boyfriend. What happened?” He stood up, then cleared the empty soup bowls before dishing up the main course. She waited until he sat back down, and took a deep breath.
Here goes
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“His name was Paul. He was the first boyfriend I’d had that lasted more than a month.” Her eyes watered as memories of laughter and innocence invaded her, memories she had buried over a year ago. Adam remained silent, as if he knew she needed time to process the intense emotions overpowering her.
“He was sweet and funny and actually liked me for who I was. We loved each other and the day he asked me to marry him, I was the happiest girl alive.” A tear ran down her face and Adam reached across and gently wiped it away for her. She smiled, comforted by the gentle touch.
But then she felt her face twist with bitterness as she recalled the day her world had fallen apart. “A week before the wedding, he dumped me and ran off with another woman.” Somehow saying the words aloud didn’t portray the depth of the pain they signified.
Adam reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. “Oh, Rachel, that’s horrible.”
“Oh, there’s more,” she laughed bitterly. “It wasn’t just any woman he’d run off with, it was my sister.” The tears were running freely down her face now, as the pain of everything that had happened finally caught up with her.
“And what about now?” probed Adam. “Have you seen either of them since? Maybe talking to them after all this time will help you let go of the bitterness. They owe you that.”
Rachel shook her head as fresh tears exploded from inside her broken heart. “No, and I never will,” she sobbed. “Because they’re both dead and it’s my fault!”
About the Author
Katy Swann is in her forties and lives near London, UK with her husband, three children and two cats.
When she isn’t writing about strict, sexy Doms putting their strong-willed subs in their place, she likes to read about them. As well as writing, Katy spends her time trying to avoid the housework, keeping the kids from killing each other and drinking copious cups of coffee in the local coffee shop. Coffee and chocolate are the two things that keep her sane and focused, so they’re often close by when she sits down to write.
To Love and Submit is her first erotic novel, which will be closely followed by To Love and Trust and To Love and Obey, which will complete the Boundaries trilogy.
Email:
[email protected]
Katy loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at
http://www.totallybound.com
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Also by Katy Swann
Boundaries: To Love and Submit
Totally Bound Publishing
