I wondered if Calloway had done the same sorts of things. I’d never considered it before. Before I came along, he probably participated in things more serious than just a Dom/sub relationship. He’d probably been with two women at once, maybe more. He’d probably had a lavish sex life that I couldn’t fathom. I’d spent my life as a virgin until the right man came along.
Since I’d lost my train of thought, Calloway started the conversation. “We’ve been visiting Mom a lot lately.”
The mention of their mother immediately changed Jackson’s attitude. He was no longer the playful playboy. “Is she okay?”
“A few months ago, she kinda remembered Rome,” Calloway explained. “She couldn’t necessarily remember her name, but she did recognize her face. I talked to her doctor about it, and he encouraged us to see her every day to see if her condition would approve.”
“You’ve been seeing her every day?” Jackson asked incredulously.
“Not every single day,” I said. “But almost every day.”
Jackson rubbed his chin just the way Calloway did. They looked a lot alike, but they had distinctly different features. Calloway had a hard jaw, and Jackson’s was a little softer. “And has there been any change?”
“No,” I answered. “We are going to try for a few more weeks and hope something changes. But I think it could help if you came along.”
He tensed at the question like he’d been hoping it wouldn’t arise.
I was sympathetic to his reaction, but only so much. “This is your mother we’re talking about, Jackson. You should be there for her. She would be there for you.”
“I’m not really the best person for this,” Jackson said. “I’m not good at the talking thing. And Calloway will tell you I can barely read.” He forced a laugh that sounded completely false.
“Calloway isn’t the best person for this either,” I argued. “But he does it because it’s the right thing to do. Calloway shouldn’t have to carry this burden alone. You should be in this together.”
“I’m not trying to sound like an asshole, but our mom is gone.” Jackson shrugged in apology. “She can’t remember us. She can’t remember Dad. She can’t remember who the goddamn president is. It’s pointless. I’m not going to go down there and read to her when she’s not going to remember anything anyway. Why put ourselves through that? She’s in an assisted-living facility for a reason. Besides, I don’t want to see her like that.”
“But what if seeing you helps her memory?” I countered.
“Best-case scenario, she does remember Calloway and me. We spend the afternoon together and bond and whatever. And then the next morning when she wakes up, she forgets everything all over again. I know I sound like a dick, but seriously, what’s the point?”
I understood where he was coming from, even if it was harsh. “Because she’s your mom, Jackson. She gave birth to you and raised you, in case you’ve forgotten. It shouldn’t matter if she remembers you or not. I’m sure you’ve forgotten lots of wonderful things she’s done for you, but that didn’t stop her from taking care of you.”
Jackson bowed his head like the insult had some sort of impact.
Calloway crossed his leg and rested his ankle on the opposite knee. His fingers were interlocked on his lap as he stared at his younger brother behind the desk, in the seat he used to occupy on a daily basis.
Jackson gave a better response. “I’ll think about it, okay?”
That was the best I was going to get out of him. “Thank you.”
Calloway turned to me, surprise in his eyes. He probably assumed Jackson would never change his mind.
I rose from the chair because I was eager to leave Ruin. The place only reminded me of the kind of man Calloway used to be. When I was trying to find the right man to settle down with, he was here with a chain around some woman’s throat. I didn’t like thinking about his past, especially when it changed my current opinion about him. It wasn’t fair either. “We’ll leave you to your friends…”
Calloway followed me out without saying goodbye to his brother. We left the office then walked down the hallway. His hand found mine instantly, the affection reminding everyone around us that we were committed to one another. “I didn’t think you were going to change his mind.”
“Well, I haven’t changed his mind—not yet.”
12
Calloway
I had an incredible dream that night.
I walked into the house after a long day at the office. I undid my tie as I walked through the door and popped open the top button on my collared shirt. Rome was sitting on the couch with her paperwork on the coffee table. Her heels were slipped off her feet and tucked neatly under the table.
I stood at the edge of the living room and stared her down.
She met my look with her usual feistiness. “How was your day?”
I wasn’t in the mood for small talk. I wasn’t in the mood to be equals. I just wanted to be in control. “Don’t speak.”
The feistiness stayed in her eyes, but she didn’t open her mouth again, obeying me like the good submissive she was. She knew I was in the mood to be more than just her boyfriend. She knew I wanted to dominate.
“On your knees.” I didn’t need to tell her twice.
She moved to the floor and sat on her knees, her hands resting on her thighs. Defiance was in her eyes because she didn’t want to obey me. But she listened to me anyway, knowing this was what I needed.
And that made me rock-hard.
I stripped off my jacket and tossed it on the ground. Then I moved to my shirt next, taking my time as I undid each button. Despite her discomfort, I made her wait. She would sit there as long as I wanted her to. Now she was the submissive, and she had a job to do.
I dropped my shirt then undid my belt. I felt the leather in my hands and pondered if I should spank her for no reason whatsoever. I liked striking her hard, making her cry and beg for more at the same time.
But I didn’t.
I tossed the belt to the floor then undid my slacks. I dropped everything on the ground and kicked off my shoes. A metal leash appeared from nowhere, and I approached her with the open collar in my hands.
She eyed it with hesitance but didn’t object.
Because she didn’t have a choice. I was the one in charge. I closed it around her neck and rested the collar on her shoulders. The leash was in my hands, the cold metal quickly warming under my heated skin. “Up.”
She rose to her feet, still in the dress she wore to work that morning.
I walked up the stairs with her in tow. I guided us to the playroom that didn’t exist in my home. A stack of chains sat on the table, and I grabbed the one that would be perfect for what I wanted to do with her.
I leaned against the foot of the bed with the leash still in my grasp. “Undress. Eyes on the floor.”
She averted her gaze and unzipped the back of her dress. She yielded all the power to me, this mighty queen laying down her armor and bowing to me. She removed her dress and let it slip to the floor. Her bra came next, revealing her gorgeous tits that I would soon be clamping. She peeled her panties off next and kicked them aside.
Seeing her submit made my hands clamp around the chain, my knuckles turning white. “Come here.”
She walked to the bed, her gaze still on the ground because she’d never been told otherwise.
“On your stomach.”
Completely naked, she crawled onto the bed and lay flat, the curve of her ass contrasting against her level back.
I grabbed the extra chains that I needed and clasped her ankles together. Then I chained her arms behind her back and forced them to rest along the steep curve. She was bound and ready to be enjoyed.
I crawled on top of her with a throbbing cock. I kept one hand on the leash like she might try to run away. The lube was handy, so I squirted it into her ass then massaged the small hole with my fingers. She was tense in anticipation, knowing my cock felt even bigger in her asshole.
When she was loose enough, I shoved my huge dick inside her and stretched her unexpectedly.
She moaned when she felt the fullness in her back entrance, her moan mixed with a cry of pain.
“You know the safe word.” She had the power to get out of this anytime she wanted. But she never uttered the word because she wanted me to enjoy the fun. She wanted me to get what I needed. Every time I did, I could go longer periods without having it. It worked in her favor.
I yanked on the chain and forced her chin back, my cock buried deep inside her. “Beg me to fuck you hard.” I tugged on the leash until her face was nearly pointed to the ceiling. She gasped for air because she could hardly breathe.
“Please…fuck me in the ass.”
I released the chain and pounded into her hard, fucking her ass like a toy. I rocked the bed and banged the headboard against the wall. With every tap, I fell deeper into the moment. My woman was completely submissive to me, doing anything I asked without asking a single question. She let me do incredible things to her, allowed me to have complete control over her.
It was the greatest turn-on of my life.
I couldn’t last long, not when my fantasy was coming true. I listened to her release moans that were quickly followed by cries because I was fucking her so hard. She enjoyed it, but it hurt at the same time.
I couldn’t last any longer. I came with a moan.
And that’s when I woke up.
My eyes popped open, and I saw the dark ceiling. My cock twitched as I came under the sheets, my come landing on my stomach. My body immediately jerked, and an uncontrollable moan escaped my mouth. I was half asleep so I couldn’t think clearly. My hand wrapped around my cock, and I jerked myself as I finished.
Oh, fuck…
I stared at the ceiling as I caught my breath, still high from the incredible orgasm that shook me to the bone. It took me a moment to realize exactly where I was and who I was with. Rome was fast asleep beside me, having no idea what just happened.
Like a teenager, I had a wet dream.
Jesus Christ.
I kicked off the sheets then cleaned myself off in the bathroom. There was so much come I didn’t know how I produced it all through a lucid dream. The door was shut and the light was still off, so I gripped the counter and leaned against, the images of the dream still faint in my mind.
I came hard with Rome—but not like that.
I was dreaming about the woman who was already in my bed, about the things I wasn’t allowed to do with her. I thought I could defeat this, ignore my instincts, but perhaps that was wishful thinking.
Maybe I could never conquer this.
I wasn’t betraying Rome because all of my fantasies were about her. But when she asked if I had doubts about our relationship, I gave her a sugarcoated answer—just the way she did to me. We both had our secrets from one another, but all couples did, right?
I walked back into the bedroom and got under the sheets, still smelling a hint of my seed stuck in the fabric. Hopefully, she wouldn’t notice because she was used to the smell at this point.
I turned my head and glanced in her direction, relieved that she was still dead asleep beside me. Her face was beautiful when she slept, in the midst of peaceful dreams. She had no idea what kinds of thoughts existed in my mind. We saw two women making out for Jackson’s enjoyment, and that didn’t surprise me at all. Rome, on the other hand, wasn’t sure how she should react.
Now that I was wide awake, I couldn’t fall back asleep. My body was still hot from that dream I’d had, so erotic and dark. I’d give anything to do that to Rome in real life, to have her submit to me with a simple command.
Maybe there was a way I could still make that happen.
I had a phone meeting with a donor on the other side of the world, so I took the call while Rome prepared dinner in the kitchen. I could smell the shrimp on the stove along with the vegetables and rice. She didn’t need to pay her portion of the mortgage because she definitely compensated in other ways.
I ended the call just in time to eat. The plates were on the table along with two glasses of wine. I sat across from her and enjoyed my dinner like I did every night, feeling like a married couple rather than something less serious. But the comparison didn’t bother me. The idea of forever with this woman excited me rather than terrified me.
“How’d the call go?”
“Good. I got him to pledge a lot of money.”
“How do you do that?” She swirled her wine before she sipped it. “To get people to hand over cash like that?”
“I’m pretty charming.” My mouth stretched into an arrogant smirk so she knew I was kidding.
“You are very charming. Where did you learn?”
“It’s not something you can learn. It’s something you just have.”
“I guess that would explain why Jackson’s a shithead.”
I chuckled before I drank my wine. “Great insight.” I took a few bites and liked the flavor. Rome knew how to mix things together without making anything overly potent.
She stirred her rice around before she finally took a few bites. She chewed slowly then straightened her posture in the chair, as if she was preparing to say something. “Can I ask you something personal? Something you probably don’t want to talk about?”
Even if I didn’t want to talk about it, she could still ask me anything. “What’s on your mind?”
“I was thinking about what I saw in Jackson’s office the other day…”
The two women?
“I know you’ve been a Dom for most of your life.”
All of my life.
“But…have you ever done other things?”
“Such as?”
“Like…been with two women at once?”
I was surprised she asked the question since the answer was pretty obvious. “Why do you ask?”
“I just…I’m not sure why. I know I don’t really want to know these things. What you’ve done doesn’t change where we are now. I guess I’m just curious, and I know curiosity killed the cat.”
“Do you want me to answer your question?”
She took a few more bites as she considered the question. Then she dabbed her pretty lips with the napkin. “Yes, I do.”
The question wasn’t difficult to answer. “Many times.”
Her expression didn’t change into one of disappointment. She’d obviously been expecting it. “Did you ever do things where you weren’t the Dom?”
It wasn’t something that could easily be turned off. It was a part of who I was. It was why I struggled to deal with her bossiness sometimes. My anger got the best of me, and I blew up when I shouldn’t. “Other than with you, never.”
“And a woman has never asked for more?”
Not even Isabella. All she wanted was to be my sub again. “No. I made my intentions very clear. Besides, women prefer me as a Dom.”
“All the time?”
I nodded, knowing Isabella couldn’t get enough of it.
She still seemed skeptical of that. She eyed me with hesitance before she took another bite of her food.
My hand automatically formed a fist on the table, my inner Dom clawing to the surface. I wanted to command her to get on her knees and suck me off until she choked. I wanted to tell her I would be her Dom whether she liked it or not. If she tried to run, I’d just chain her up.
“Everything okay?”
Rome’s sweet voice forced my hand to relax. I eyed the food in front of me, reminding myself how happy I was just to have dinner with her. This sensation came at the most unexpected times. In general, I was happy and satisfied. I learned that I enjoyed making love when it came to the right woman. I enjoyed holding her while we slept together every night. I enjoyed everything about what we h
ad.
But I would always want more.
I’d considered my plan several times and knew it wasn’t solid. Rome could react in many different ways. She could tell me I had a serious problem and our relationship would never work. Or she could be tempted by the dark side and join me.
I wouldn’t know until I tried.
I waited a few hours after dinner before I mentioned it. She was already in one of my long t-shirts as she sat on the couch, her hair pulled over one shoulder and her eyes on the TV. In a few hours, we would make love then go to bed.
But I had other plans.
I grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.
Rome eyed me, knowing it was too early for bed so I must want to say something.
“There’s something I want to show you.” I rose from the couch and grabbed my keys from the entryway. “I don’t want to answer a million questions. I just want you to give me a chance and trust me.” I inserted my hands into the front pockets of my jeans.
Rome’s expression didn’t change, but she was definitely caught by surprise. She watched me by the door until she rose to her feet. She looked at the ground as she considered the request. Her feet guided her to the stairway adjacent to the entryway. When she looked at me, the hesitance thudded in her eyes like a bright light. But she must have taken my words to heart because she said, “Let me get dressed.”
I drove us to the private parking area in the back of Ruin.
The second we pulled into the spot and I turned off the engine, she knew where we were. She eyed the building before she turned back to me, disappointment written all over her features. She was a smart girl and had connected the dots instantly. A quiet sigh escaped her lips, loud enough that I could hear it in the car.
“Trust me.” I knew she could ask me to take her home at any moment. If she did, I would have to do as she asked. I was a Dom who wanted to be obeyed, but strangely enough, I wanted her to have the power. The second she wanted something, I would give it to her—even if I didn’t agree with it.
When she didn’t speak, I knew she was trying to keep an open mind.
Black Promise (Obsidian Book 3) Page 14