The Rules (7 page)

I inched forward, but only to make it easier to speak to him. “Where are my clothes, Sir?”

He ignored me. “Amelia, come here.” He reached out a hand.

I went to him like a puppet. When I rounded the couch, he grabbed my arm and pulled me closer. Before I knew it, he had his arm around me and hauled me into his lap. He plucked at the sheet tucked tight around my breasts. “That’s cute. Ingenious.”

My eyes widened as he made light of my situation. Nothing about his demeanor insinuated he was finished with me. That was when it occurred to me that although I’d had a fantastic orgasm at his hands earlier, he had not. There was little doubt in my mind he would want to have sex now. Of course he would. I wasn’t even opposed to the idea. Afterward, I would never see him again. Who the hell cared if I slept with him before I left? I could certainly do worse in selecting someone to take my virginity. At least I knew it would be beautiful. The man was far from hard on the eyes.

I flushed. Contemplating having sex with Cade Alexander while sitting naked in his lap wearing only a sheet was enough to make me think I’d either died in a car accident earlier in the day, or I’d gone insane and was currently in a padded white room living in my own dream world.

“What’s going on in that huge brain of yours, baby?” Cade tapped my temple.

“Did you want to have sex before I leave?” I sputtered those words out without thinking. But if it sped things up, it wasn’t for naught. I really needed to get out of there, collect my brain cells from the front porch, and hightail it to my car.

Cade chuckled. “So blunt.”

“Well, I just thought…”

“I know, baby. And you’re so precious, like a bright light in the darkness.”

Whatever that meant.

He turned me to face him more fully on his lap. “Look at me, baby.”

His words, like all his words, bore a hole in my resolve. The way he said
baby
brought renewed wetness to the area between my legs. The last thing I wanted was to make a wet spot on his sheet.

I met his gaze.

Cade lifted one hand and stroked a finger down my face until he settled it under my chin. “I’m not going to fuck you today, Amelia.”

Oh
. This was a shock.

“You aren’t ready.”

How the hell did he know if I was ready or not?

“There are things you need to learn and understand before I claim that sweet, hot pussy of yours.”

His words were crude. My ears heated, and I squirmed to escape his embrace to no avail.

Cade held me firmly around the waist with one hand, his other still under my chin. “Eyes on me, Amelia. I have rules. There are many. But one of the most important ones is I expect you to look me in the eye when I’m talking to you.”

I lifted my gaze from my lap to his face again. This did nothing to ease the heat suffusing my face. My cheeks burned with my ears.

He has rules?

“Good girl. Now, I want you to understand a few things.” He turned to glance at the table and then looked back at me. “Those packages you picked up are all for you.”

If it was possible, I flushed a deeper red. I didn’t drop his gaze. To do so would mean looking in the direction of the table, and I didn’t need the reminder of my humiliating day gathering gifts for his… They were for me?

“Now she’s catching on.” He smiled. I loved it when he smiled. “You’ll earn those gifts. I’ll give them to you one at a time when I think you’re ready for them. I won’t fuck you until you’ve opened the last one.”

I nodded. Was this a game? Did he intend for me to do charades or something for the remainder of the evening? Or go on a scavenger hunt to prove my worth?

More heat. More of his intense staring. “It will take you at least a week to earn all three boxes.”

That answered that question. He meant it when he said we weren’t going to have sex tonight. Just as well. I might have lost my virginity doing so, but I would have lost a part of my soul also.

Cade released my chin to trail his fingertip down my neck and across my collarbone. He used that one finger to tug at the front of my toga between my breasts until it slipped.

I reached with both hands to hold the sheet, and therefore a small chunk of my dignity, whatever morsel remained.

“Rule number two,” Cade began as he released my waist to grab my wrists and pull them behind me. He held them at the small of my back, tucking them in one hand. And then he resumed loosening the sheet at my chest. “When you’re with me, I’ll insist you be naked most of the time. Your body is divine. I want to see it, touch it, smell it, or anything else I can think of at my leisure.”

He had to be kidding.

“I’ll make some exceptions when we’re in public, but when you’re in my home, I expect you to remain naked.” As he spoke, he managed to free my chest and tug the toga away enough to expose my lap.

I squirmed. Words wouldn’t come to me.

Cade held my wrists firmer. “Sit still, baby.” He spoke as he circled one of my nipples with his finger and then flicked the tip.

A squeak escaped my lips. The traitorous nipple immediately stood at attention.

Cade switched to the other one, stroking it until it matched its twin. “So gorgeous. Do you realize how sexy you are?” He lifted his gaze to meet mine.

I didn’t move.

Cade chuckled. “You have no idea.” His finger trailed down my belly, making it dip as he touched my skin.

Goose bumps rose all over my flesh as he reached lower and then tugged at my pubic hair. His gaze came back to mine. “I want you to shave this off, baby.”

Shave? Was he insane?

“If that seems insurmountable for you, I’ll do it myself.”

Now he’d reached an entirely new level.

And so had the burning in my cheeks. The image of Cade between my legs shaving my sex made me moan in a mixture of mortification and desire. I wasn’t sure which sensation won.

“Which is it, baby?”

My eyes widened. My mouth fell open. Nothing came out.

“I’ll let you decide later. If you shave it yourself, I’ll know what you decided. If not, I’ll assume you want me to do it for you.”

As soon as I managed to escape this house and the hypnosis of Cade Alexander, there would be no “next time.” This rule of his was moot.

“Another thing. You aren’t to touch yourself without permission. I mentioned that earlier. I want to reiterate it.” He gripped my chin again and held it steady, forcing my gaze to meet his. “That’s a hard rule. I won’t bend on it. Am I understood?”

“Yes, Sir.”

He smiled. His hand trailed back down my body to cup my sex. “This pussy is mine. Your orgasms are mine to dole out when and how I see fit. You will
not
masturbate without my permission.”

“Yes, Sir,” I repeated, softer. My body stiffened. With his fingers so close to my sex, I slipped deeper under his spell.

“Another rule. No panties. Ever. I abhor them. I like your pussy open and available to me at all times. Whether or not I take advantage is up to me, but the option is mine and mine alone. Your job is to be ready for whatever I decide.”

I knew my expression was blank. There was no wrapping my head around his words.

I knew one thing for certain. He hadn’t been kidding. He was a Dom. I’d never known another Dom, so I had no one to compare to, but I suspected Cade Alexander was used to getting his way, in all things.

“I think that’s enough rules for today. If I pile on too many, you won’t be able to comply, and I don’t want to spend half the week correcting you. If I have to punish you ten times on the first day, then I haven’t done my job.”

Punish me
.

I was in so deep… What a mess.

The knot in my belly that had formed hours ago hadn’t abated. It needed release. The orgasm he’d given me while I stood in front of him and he fucked my channel with his fingers had only eased the ball of need temporarily. It was back in full swing now. And I wasn’t pleased.

Cade cupped my breast and met my stare. He drew lazy circles around my nipple while he spoke. “I gave you a lot to consider. Please repeat the four rules I’ve given you.”

I licked my lips. They were too dry. I couldn’t have repeated his rules back if I wanted to. I was in a daze. And I was debased.

“I’ll reiterate. You repeat after me.” He paused. “You will remain naked in my presence any time I request it.”

I swallowed. The thought of repeating those words made me feel so small I couldn’t verbalize anything at all.

“Am I moving too fast for you, baby?”

This I could consent to, so I nodded.

Cade’s response was to heave himself off the couch with me in his arms and carry me back through the house until he reached the room where I’d napped. He sat me on the mattress. “Don’t move.” He turned toward the window and opened the blinds. The room filled with the evening light. And then he was back. “Lie down, Amelia.”

I was sitting on the edge of the bed, facing him, clutching the sheet around me.

Cade pressed gently on my shoulders and eased me onto the bed on my back. He tucked his hands under my arms and hauled me several inches toward the center and stuffed a pillow under my head. Next, his hands came to mine where they gripped the sheet. He pried them open, again gently, and lifted my arms over my head. “Leave your hands there, baby.”

The sheet was yanked away immediately, leaving me open and vulnerable. As if that wasn’t enough, Cade grabbed my knees and pushed them up and out, leaving my sex completely spread to his view.

The humiliation I’d felt earlier didn’t compare. I turned my head to one side, fighting not to cry.

“Eyes on me, Amelia.” His voice was soft and deep. “Amelia, now.” His tone got firmer.

I slowly let my gaze come back to center.

“Baby, I know this is confusing, and you don’t understand what’s happening, so I’m going to make it clearer. You’re a submissive, Amelia.” He paused, apparently letting that soak into my addled brain.

I shook my head finally. “That’s crazy.”

“No it’s not. You just didn’t realize it before now.” He tapped my nipple and then pinched it sharply.

I arched into his hand.

Cade trailed his fingers down my body toward my core.

When I tried to close my legs, he grabbed both thighs and held them wider.

I moaned involuntarily, and Cade slipped a finger into my channel with no warning. “Eyes on me.”

I jerked my attention back to his face in time to watch him lick his finger clean of my moisture. “Baby, you’re so wet for me.”

This was indisputable.

His finger dipped back inside me, and then he brought it to my mouth.

I died three deaths as he spread my arousal on my lips. “Taste yourself, Amelia. Suck my finger into your mouth, baby.”

I did, amazed by the salty sweetness that was my arousal.

“Good girl. Are you starting to understand what I’m saying?”

Not even close
.

He rolled his eyes, but smiled. At least he wasn’t angry. “If you weren’t so submissive, you wouldn’t be able to lie here spread open for me, so wet with need, your nipples jutting out, begging for attention. You’re a natural, baby.” He leaned in as he said this last part. “And you’re mine.”

At that moment, I couldn’t argue his point. I was totally his. My entire body was on fire. My sex gripped at nothing, pleading for any sort of contact Cade would provide.

“So, let’s get back to my rules. I have rules for a reason, Amelia. Most important is discipline. I’ll train you to submit to me in the manner I enjoy. You will be rewarded beyond measure in a manner I can assure you’ll enjoy. Is that clear?”

I nodded, though I had no idea why. I grasped onto the word enjoy and went with it.

“So, you will remain naked any time I demand it.”

I nodded.

“Repeat my rule, baby.” His hands landed on my spread thighs, caressing the skin between them.

“I’ll remain naked with you, Sir,” I whispered.

“You will not masturbate without my permission.”

I swallowed. That one was easy since I hadn’t masturbated previously without his permission. “I won’t touch myself when I’m not with you, Sir.”

“Good girl. You will keep your pussy shaved smooth at all times. I’ll let you decide in the morning whether you want to take on that task yourself or have me do it.”

I didn’t see how I was ever going to shave myself down there. And I flinched every time he referred to my sex as my pussy, often in a manner that left me wetter than before.

“Amelia, concentrate. Repeat what I said.”

“I’ll shave my, um, hair, Sir.”

“Good girl. Do you remember my last rule for today?”

“No panties, Sir.”

He smiled. His hands roamed my thighs, getting closer to my center with each pass. My legs shook. Even my arms shook where I gripped my hands together above my head.

“Baby, you’re so fucking sexy. I promise you won’t regret this. Give me a chance, and I’ll show you a world you’ve never even dreamed about.”

I didn’t doubt his capability in that department. I also needed to get out of there. Go home. Think. Make lists of pros and cons. I realized this was a foregone conclusion for Cade, but for me it was a major life decision.

At no point in my life had I contemplated submitting to another human being. I had never considered myself that weak.

Cade leaned in and nibbled a path up my thigh, making me suck in a breath. He lifted his face before he reached my center. “Tomorrow morning, come to work as usual, but I’ll be talking to Moriah about making sure you climb up from the lowest rung.” He smirked and then muttered, “She has a fucking master’s in business admin, and she’s bringing my people coffee.” He rolled his eyes.

“Sir,
no
.” I lowered my hands and lifted myself onto my elbows.

“No, what?”

“Well, first of all, there’s no way in hell I’m going to date you and work for you at the same time. If you were thinking about seeing me again after today—” I cut myself off. “Hell, after the way I’ve let you manhandle me all afternoon, I can’t go back to the office anyway, so this discussion is moot, but still, I would never want you to do anything to get me promoted. I intend to earn my way up in whatever company I land. I’ll turn in my resignation tomorrow.”