She shakes her head from side to side. She’s curious, but she’s also fighting all the negativity that fucker put in her head.
“Have I hurt you?” I ask. She shakes her head no again.
“Did I promise I would never hurt you? That I would never do anything to hurt you physically or mentally?” I ask. She nods her head yes.
“Do you believe me?” There’s only a split second hesitation before she nods her head yes again.
“This is what I’ve chosen for you, My Angel,” I say as I produce the scarlet red silk sash. “I would love to blindfold you, if you will trust me.”
“You’re not tying me up?” she asks meekly.
“No, love, just covering your eyes. Your hands will be free to take it off any time you feel the need.”
She nods in agreement, “I trust you, Dom.”
“Sit up on the side of the bed,” I instruct and she complies. Moving behind her, I place the sash over her eyes and pull the end around the back of her head to tie it securely in place. Then, I lean over and place open mouth kisses on her neck and across her shoulder. “That’s my good girl,” I praise her, “I’m so proud of you.”
Moving back to her side, I scoop my arms up under her hips and easily lift her. Depositing her back in the center of the bed, I cover her body with mine and let her feel my rock hard cock glide across her leg as I position myself between her legs. Sophia lifts her head, offering her mouth and wanting to kiss me. For her leap of faith, I reward her with another kiss.
“You can relax, love. You are mine and I take care of what’s mine.”
Making my way back to my cupcake, I lick and devour it like I’m a starved man. Her icing only makes it better and I relish every taste of her, every one of her cries of pleasure, and every time she writhes from my touch. Moving up her body, I leave love bites in my trail until I reach her breasts. As I lick and bite around the swell of her breast, I thrust my cock deep inside her.
I almost come undone from the feel of her soft sheath as I fill and stretch her to accept my size. Thrusting forward to the hilt once again, she’s unable to contain her screams. At the same time, I increase my bite pressure on her breast, leaving my mark and claiming my territory. The mixture of pain and pleasure creates another wave of orgasms. Over and over, as my hips surge into her, and my teeth find her delicate skin, her body clenches around me and begins to milk me. Unable to hold out any longer, I grab her legs and push them forward to penetrate deeper as I come with her.
“Fuck, baby, you feel so good,” I utter while thoroughly kissing her. I remove the blindfold and my chest swells with the look she gives me. Her eyes are filled with complete and utter trust. She shows me her love and desire without saying a word. Her relaxed state shows both contentment and excitement at the possibilities we have in our future.
She is mine. I am her Dom. And I love it.
Chapter Eleven
Daylight is barely breaking but I’m wide-awake and watching Sophia as she sleeps soundly. Memories from the rest of our day and night are so very fresh in my mind and I’m consciously restraining myself from waking her and making love to her again. Even though we’ve only experienced the tamest of bedroom antics at this point, I already have an unquenchable thirst and insatiable appetite for her.
She moves and her long hair slowly falls over part of her face and shoulder. If I push it back, it will wake her up and she just looks too content to bother yet. After carefully slipping out of bed, I quickly dress and leave Sophia a note telling her I’m at the gym in case she wakes before I return. Passing the restaurant where we ate last night, I can’t help but smile as I recall our conversation.
She had a different glow to her skin and a permanent smile on her face. The way she batted her eyes and looked at me adoringly made me feel like the luckiest man in the room. When the waitress approached our table to ask if we wanted dessert, I couldn’t help but smile mischievously at Sophia as I asked the waitress if they had any cupcakes. The light tinge of pink that normally fills her cheeks was replaced with a deep red shade of embarrassment.
When the waitress said they did, in fact, have red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing, I thought for a second that Sophia may actually crawl under the table and hide. She was trying to keep from laughing out loud but only succeeded in sounding as if she was choking. The waitress’s concern for her was sincere but I could barely contain my mirth over her predicament as the waitress patted her back and asked if she should call an ambulance. When Sophia realized the waitress thought she was really choking, she quickly pulled herself together and assured the poor girl that she was fine.
Back in our cottage after dinner, we reviewed the plan for today’s meeting with Rick and decided the best approach to take with him. He’s a blowhard type of guy—he likes to think he’s in charge but is mostly full of hot air. After looking over his business case, I decided to remain quiet as he presents his case so he can be satisfied with being heard. Then, I will lay down the Powers law and inform him how we will handle this contract or it won’t happen at all.
After I finish my workout and my run on the beach, I stroll back across the grounds to our cottage. My Angel is still sleeping when I walk in our bedroom and she’s snuggled up with my pillow. I stifle a chuckle at her penchant for sleeping with her body permanently attached to something. Last night, it was me that she was glued to—no matter which way I moved, she followed. Apparently, now she is using her ‘Dom pillow’ to snuggle with in my place.
I crawl across the bed and place soft kisses on her face, moving her beautiful hair out of my way as I move down to her neck. “Wake up, My Angel. It’s time to get ready for our meeting today,” I softly croon to her. She stirs and rolls over to her back as she stretches. The sheet falls away from her breasts and the mark I branded her with yesterday draws my eyes.
I lean over and kiss the red and purple remnants of my love bite and she threads her fingers through my hair, holding my head in place. “Good morning, Dom. Were you looking for something?” she asks coyly.
“I think I found something,” I retort as I flick my tongue across her skin, across the area where I’ve claimed her.
“Hmmm…look at that, would you?” she says playfully, her voice still drowsy with sleep. “It seems someone has left me a present.”
“There are many more where that came from,” I say as I move to her neck. Just as I reach her ear, I murmur seductively, “And I can put them anywhere you’d like.” The instant reaction her body has to my voice flashes across her arm and down her leg. I smile against her ear before softly kissing it.
“But not right now. We have to get ready and leave to meet with Rich this morning. Get your fine ass out of the bed, My Angel, “ I state, ending with a good morning kiss. She stretches her lean body and grumbles in complaint, but she swings her feet over the side and saunters off to the bathroom. I admire the view as she disappears from my sight.
After breakfast, we’re being driven to D-Force Games headquarters and I look over at Sophia, expecting her to be nervous about the impending negotiations. She’s cool and collected with no sign of fretting or anxiety at all. She turns her head toward me and asks sweetly, “What is it, Dom?”
“You just surprise me sometimes. I thought you may be nervous about today but you don’t seem nervous at all.”
“I’m not. I know this information inside and out. I’ve been over and over the data until I can recite it in my sleep. I will make you proud,” she finishes with a smile.
I have no doubt about that.
The offices of D-Force Games are extremely opulent. The marble entrance sets the tone for the rest of the building. With elevators strategically placed in the center of the large, open building, every floor is visible from the first floor to the top. The elevator walls are glass so we can look out over the terrarium-style lobby as we rise to the top floor of the office building.
When the doors open, Rich is waiting to escort us into the executive boardroom. Sophia l
ooks incredible in her black dress suit but she is in all business mode. Rich looks her over appreciatively from head to toe a couple of times, blatantly, and then he gives her his best attempt at a smirk. It takes every ounce of self-control I have to keep from laughing in his face when she levels him with her don’t-fuck-with-me look in return. His ego immediately deflates and he clears his throat before speaking.
“Good morning. I’m Rich Daltry,” he says as he extends his hand to me first and then to Sophia. “Glad you could make it. Follow me and we can get started. We have coffee, juice, and water in the room if you want any,” he says to no one in particular as he turns to walk toward the boardroom.
I steal a glance at Sophia and give her an approving smile when she looks up at me. She gives me a half-grin and I can tell she’s trying hard to hold in her full smile. Once it gets loose, it’s normally out of control and she knows that wouldn’t be appropriate after she basically emasculated Rich in front of me. As we walk through the hall, I take note of the many empty offices and cubicles we pass.
Once in the boardroom, the table is full of Rich’s department heads, including his finance and human resources officers. Rich makes introductions all around and points to the credenza with the drinks and snacks. Sophia places her belongings in her chair and makes us each a cup of coffee. Once she’s seated beside me, Rich narrows his eyes as they quickly shift between the two of us. His sneer tells me everything I need to know about him—he’s judging us and thinks this is a simple case of the boss fucking his secretary.
Jumping right in, Rich barely waits for Sophia to take a drink of her coffee before he starts touting all the reasons why DPS should accept a reduced rate of our normal amount for handling their programming needs. He name-drops several other similar companies that he could have called instead of DPS and proceeds to ramble on about how important his company is. Sophia maintains her composure, drinks her coffee, and lets him finish his long-winded rant. I’m starting to think she isn’t going to respond at all.
“I believe in being blunt. I think we all know that D-Force Games would bring DPS to the forefront of all software programming needs. The exposure from a contract with us would put you on the map more than any other company you could possibly work with and I think everyone at this table knows that,” Rich continues, his posture aggressive as he obviously tries to intimidate us. “Now, for that, I am proposing a five-year commitment, with you handling all of our internal programming needs, for an annually contracted rate of nine hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
I sit in stunned silence for a moment, staring at him in disbelief. I expected a lowball amount to start the negotiations with since Rich is known for that, but that amount is ridiculously low and he knows it. Had Sophia not been with me, I would have considered this a completely wasted trip and would have already left his contract in shreds on the table. Just as I’m about to speak and tell him where he can stick his contract, Sophia’s sweet voice fills the room.
“Mr. Daltry, while we appreciate your interest in DPS handling your programming needs, I think we all know that amount is inappropriately low. For a company the size of DPS, and with the yearly revenue it generates, your research should’ve shown that every company spends approximately one-percent of its revenue on the IT department alone. Since you’re asking us to basically become your IT department, your offer wouldn’t begin to cover the employee salaries, much less anything else.
“For that reason, our counter-proposal has been drawn up and is our final offer. My own research has shown that D-Force Games is on the cusp of signing a thirty million dollar per year contract as a joint venture with another gaming company. On top of your own success, this agreement is expected to exponentially increase your profits as well as your IT needs,” she concludes her side of the negotiation by sliding our proposal across the table to Rich.
Rich’s face turns red with anger and he opens his mouth to protest, but he has nothing to argue with in this case. Sophia has done more than her expected homework and came to this meeting more prepared than anyone else at the table, including me. Rich shuts his mouth and looks down at the figure on the contract. His lips form a thin line and he shakes his head in disgust as he reads the stipulations.
“We will supply a team of twenty programmers to remain onsite and handle your internal IT needs. Any large-scale additions to the system and set-up you currently have in place would require the addendum charges, as noted. The total price for a three-year commitment is eighteen million dollars,” Sophia further drives the knife in. “You’ve made some great decisions of late, Mr. Daltry, by sending much of your staff to work at home and reducing your overhead costs. The sale of this building and moving to a smaller building should prove to be very lucrative for you.”
All heads at the table snap to Sophia at her final statement. “How did you know about that?” Rich growls at her, causing me to bow up at him to protect her.
“It’s her job to know that, Rich. As it’s your job to know that lowball amount you offered us is an insult. Our final offer is on the table. If you didn’t believe my company is the best at this, you wouldn’t be here at this table right now. If we didn’t know that this relationship would be mutually beneficial, we wouldn’t be here. The terms are reasonable considering what you’re asking in return. Now, if we can have your answer, we can conclude this meeting,” I growl back at him.
Rich looks at his Chief Financial Officer, who has been reading the contract terms and stipulations during my rant at Rich, for his input. Without uttering a word, the CFO simply nods his head and pushes the contract back to Rich. I can tell that Rich is stalling as he picks it up to read the same words again. He knows he should sign it but he can’t stand to feel like he’s lost the game. I know the feeling—we’re all very competitive.
“I will have my legal team look over this contract and get back with you tomorrow, Powers,” Rich finally states.
Sophia and I rise from our chairs and she asks, “Do you still want us to tour your facility, get a feel for the internal requirements?”
“No, no need,” Rich says, sounding like a petulant child.
We say our goodbyes to everyone and Rich has his secretary walk us out. Tucker is waiting at the curb with our car as we exit the building and Sophia looks stunned. “How did he know to come get us so soon?” she asks.
“I sent him a text from the elevator,” I say with a shrug.
“So, he just waits around for you to need him?”
“Yes, unless I’m sure I won’t need him for a considerable time,” I explain, confused that she’s asking so many questions about my head of security.
“Don’t you ever want to drive?”
“I do most of the driving at home. When I travel, I like to have a driver for convenience.”
Sophia nods and doesn’t question me further, so I guess my answer satisfied her curiosity. She’s very different than anyone I’ve ever dated before. She’s not accustomed to money or having the ability to splurge on the luxuries. I find myself getting more and more wrapped up in her and I know she is in me, too. Her eyes tell me without saying a word. Her body tells me without making a sound. Her interactions with other men make it clear that she’s not interested or available.
“I predict Rich will call later today and demand another meeting sometime tomorrow. It’ll be a time that is most inconvenient for us, so he can punish us in his passive-aggressive way, but he will accept it in the end,” I say to her as we get in the backseat. “You did great in there. I’m very impressed, Sophia. You really did your homework.”
“It’s my job,” she says and tries to act indifferent, but I can tell she’s uncomfortable with praise. “I only did what you pay me to do, Dom. It wasn’t anything special.”
“It was special,” I retort sharply. “Your research and forethought made it much easier for us to have a successful negotiation. Actually, it wasn’t a negotiation at all. You pretty much nailed him to the wall and gave him no room to argue.
That was awesome to see,” I praise her.
“I’m glad I pleased you, Dom,” she replies sincerely. Looking at me intently for a moment, she continues, “I know you’ve been taking it easy on me and I really do appreciate it. I am trying and I do want to please you.”
Leaning over to kiss her, I can’t resist, “You do please me, Sophia. Enough that I may even indulge and enjoy a cupcake again tonight.”
She blushes with embarrassment but can’t hide her smile. That word has stuck between us, has a special meaning now, and allows us to share our own private joke. That’s the part that makes it more meaningful—it’s only between the two of us. It’s ours, as a couple, and it creates an intimate bond between us. Sophia leans in closer and lays her head on my shoulder. After kissing the top of her head, I whisper softly to her, “My Angel,” and she snuggles in even closer.
Tucker drops us off at the hotel and we wind our way through to our private cottage. Once inside, I wrap my arms around Sophia from behind and pull her close to me. “We have plenty of time now, love. What would you like to do while we’re here?”
Sophia leans her head back on my chest and wraps her arms around mine. “I don’t know. I’ve never been here before. We could go back to the beach and swim in the ocean.”
“Get your bathing suit on this time,” I joke. “I’m not swimming in all my clothes again, no matter how much you beg.”
She turns quickly in my arms to face me, her mouth gaping open and her eyes narrowed in mock anger. She’s trying hard not to laugh, to pull off her mad-at-Dom look, but she just can’t bring herself to do it. “You are the one who picked me up and charged into the water!”
I shake my head in confusion, “I would never do something like that, Sophia. I don’t know why you’d want to make up lies about me like that. That hurts.” I somehow manage to keep a straight face as she comprehends my words.
“You – you…Dom…that’s just mean,” she finally says in exasperation but I see a smile playing at the corner of her mouth. “Maybe I should put you on a dessert-free diet now. No cupcake for you!”
Her Dom (Dominic Powers #1) Page 10