by Andra Lake
“I…” I opened my mouth and closed it, suddenly afraid. What had I gotten myself into? By accepting, what was I promising him?
“You have only agreed to a day,” he said softly. “I intend to show you why it should be much more than that.”
I bit my lip. My head was spinning. “Do you mean in real life or sex?”
“Everything is about sex, Amy. The engagement ring symbolizes commitment, and back in the day it was the promise of a woman to give herself to her husband.” He shrugged. “I want you to give yourself to me and only me.”
“But I have. I mean, since I met you, there hasn’t been anyone else.”
There will never be anyone else, I thought, and the realization of how deeply I felt about Dallon hit me hard. It was frightening how much I wanted to be with him.
“What I’m trying to say is that while this may seem possessive—as a sign of ownership—it is so much more than that to me.”
“I know,” I said softly, reaching up to finger the silver lock. “I love it.”
“Right now I wish it were the only thing you were wearing.” His voice was a low growl as he looked at my robe pointedly.
I sucked in my breath. I was still getting used to being naked around Dallon. Still, I watched myself shrug out of the top half of my robe, as if someone else, a braver Amy, were responding to his wishes. I sat across from him exposed to the waist, the heart lock resting just above my breasts.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said, gazing at me appreciatively. “I wish I had this view every morning.”
The heat in his eyes made me both aroused and embarrassed. I broke eye contact and looked back down at my food. This wasn’t lost on him.
“One of my goals today is to make you more comfortable with your body. I want you to feel comfortable bearing everything to me. I want you to want to bear all to me.”
“I’ll try.”
His answering grin gave me hope. Dallon could be the worst thing for me, but he could also be the best.
I picked up our plates and carried them to the kitchen to put them in the dishwasher. When I straightened, Dallon was behind me, his hands grasping the counter and caging me in.
“I want you to wear the dress on your bed today,” he said, his breath tickling the back of my neck. “And to put your hair up. I like seeing your beautiful face.”
I turned to face him, but he kept his hands on the counter. “You’re dressing me now?”
“We’re going out of town.”
Excitement and nervousness raced through me. “Where?”
He raised a brow. “That’s not for you to know. Can you handle the uncertainty?”
“I just thought…”
He tilted his head to the side, a trace of a smile on his lips. “You thought that our arrangement meant we’d fuck all day.”
I heated at the vulgarity of his statement. And that he was right.
“Believe it or not, I want more from you than just sex. Besides, I think the bedroom is the only place you have it mastered.”
“Have what mastered?”
He just winked at me in response, a gleam in his eye.
I glared at him and went to my room, where I found a blue sundress lying on the bed. How had Dallon known my size? Had he purchased it for me or had someone else do it? I held it up. The straps were white and lined the bodice, which was V-shaped and came together in a white stringed bow, revealing more cleavage than I was used to. It was also quite short.
“Do you like it?”
I turned and saw Dallon leaning against the doorjamb, half his mouth turned up in that sexy, smug way.
“You know I have trouble accepting gifts from you.”
He straightened and sauntered into the room. “Maybe I just think color will bring out the blue in your eyes.”
“You picked this out?”
He sprawled across my bed, put his hands under his head. “I had my shopper pick out a few things for you. This was one of my picks.” With a slight jerk of his head, he motioned to my closet.
Oh no.
I opened it to find hangars full of clothes, from long, formal dresses, to pant suits.
“This was the most casual choice, but it was still from Saks,” he winked.
“You’re crazy.”
“I thought you needed some new clothes for your new position.”
I closed my eyes, biting back the desire to tell him that I would now have my own salary.
Dallon chuckled. “I can tell this is killing you. Hurry up and get into that dress—our flight leaves in an hour.” He didn’t move, making it clear that he expected me to dress in front of him.
The dress fit like a glove, and like I’d expected, showcased my breasts in a way that made me more than a little uncomfortable. Not only that, but it could barely be considered a dress and more like a shirt with a bit of fabric attached to it. I put a blazer on over it and immediately felt better. Dallon frowned but didn’t argue when I said I didn’t want to be cold. Then I tied my hair up in a ponytail.
Dallon had already packed a bag for us; it was sitting by the door. Just as I was about the climb into the cab, he grasped my hips, pulled me back against him. “You’d better not bend over in front of anyone else but me,” he whispered into my ear.
I clambered into the cab, embarrassed, and he slid in easily after me, a playful grin on his face as he told the driver to take us to the airport.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going yet?” My tone was petulant.
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
When he turned to look at me, his eyes were dark. “Because I don’t have to.”
I glared at him again and moved to cross my arms, but his hand caught mine, giving it a warning squeeze. “Careful or I’ll fuck you in this cab.”
My eyes snapped to the rearview mirror, catching the driver’s eyes before he quickly glanced away. I sunk lower in my seat, mortified.
Dallon chuckled. “That’s better.”
I was still seething when we arrived at the airport, and I couldn’t look at the driver as Dallon handed him a wad of cash and shook his hand. He took my hand and pulled our bag with the other, moving at a determined pace so that I almost had to run to keep up with him. At the United Airlines desk, he led us into the First Class line, skipping ahead of the poor souls that had probably been here for an hour or more.
“We’d like to check in for the flight to Savannah.”
Savannah? I practically jumped on the spot. I’d wanted to go to Savannah my entire life. It was on my list of places to visit.
Dallon’s hands were now on our passports, so I put an arm around his waist instead, nuzzling into his side. Normally I would have been insisting that I pay him back, but not being able to argue today gave me the freedom to just enjoy our trip which, I realized with a surge of happiness, had been Dallon’s plan all along.
As we boarded the plane, he lifted our hands to his lips, kissing my knuckles. “I’ve wanted to go on a trip with you for a while now.”
I couldn’t believe how large the seats were in first class and again I had to stop myself from jumping up and down. The Flight Attendant offered me a blanket, noting that my legs might get cold on the flight, and I accepted it gratefully. Dallon then ordered us Coffee and Baileys.
“How long is the flight?” I asked, the warm liquid coating my belly. We’d put the arm up between the seats and I was curled up against him, both of our drinks resting on the tray in front of him. His fingers played with my hair as he took another sip of his drink.
“About two hours.”
Wonderful. I closed my eyes and sighed happily. Dallon pulled me in closer, his hand moving from my hip to dip between my legs under the blanket.
I stiffened and moved to sit up, but his arm tightened around me. “Shh. Don’t make me angry.”
I bit my lip and settled against him again, closing my eyes and surrendering to the feeling. His fingers were massaging me through the thin layer o
f my panties. I’d been aroused since our interactions this morning so it didn’t take long. His finger moved in circles over me as he read something on his e-reader, and the pleasure built until I was teetering on the edge of a climax.
“Would you like another round?”
I sucked in my breath. The Flight Attendant was smiling down at us.
“I’d love another,” Dallon answered smoothly, his fingers never faltering. I wanted to grab his hand but knew that would only attract her attention.
He turned to me, smiling wickedly. “What about you, Amy?”
For the love of God, is he really going to make me answer?
“Mm hmm,” I said, trying not to pant.
“Another round for both of us, please.”
“I’ll be right back.” She flashed Dallon a winning smile.
The moment she turned away, I came, shaking under the blanket and muffling my cries in Dallon’s side.
“There you go, baby. I said I’d take care of you.”
Chapter Twenty-three
We pulled up at the hotel just after two. Dallon pushed open the door, and my jaw dropped.
“Are you going to go in?” Dallon asked, amused.
Still gaping, I stepped inside. It was a large suite consisting of a bedroom with king-sized bed, a study and a bathroom with a large, Jacuzzi tub. The large window offered a view of the pool and the Savannah River beyond. If I craned my head, I could see the edge of a golf course.
“Do you golf?”
“Sometimes,” he said, placing our bag on the luggage stand. “There’s a spa too if you’d like to go.”
“I’ve never had a manicure,” I confessed.
Dallon raised an eyebrow, and I wondered if he’d had one.
I shrugged. “I figured it’d get wrecked anyway. I always had paint under my nails.”
“Just let me know, and I’ll make the call.”
“I’d prefer to see the city.” I twirled and fell back on the bed, covering my face. “I can’t believe I’m in Savannah!”
“Believe it, baby,” Dallon winked as he hung his clothes in the closet.
I propped myself up on my elbow. “Have you been here before?”
“A few times, yes. I thought we could do all the touristy stuff, like the Historic Carriage Tour and tour the Mercer House.”
“You won’t be bored?”
“Not with you.”
I walked over to him, stood on tip-toes to press my lips to his. “I’m excited.”
“And I’m looking forward to catching every moment of your excitement.” He grinned as he pulled something out of the carry-on.
“You brought your camera.” Instinctively, I took a step back.
His eyes twinkled. “I did.”
“For the touristy things,” I clarified.
“For whatever I want. It’s my day.” He stepped forward as I stepped back, prowling after me like a predator, camera at the ready.
“Eek!” I made a dash for the study and he followed, snapping pictures.
There was a bowl of fruit on the table and I picked up an apple, threw it at him. He caught it with his left hand and bit into it, still snapping photos with his right. “Thanks.”
As he moved around the table, I moved too, until we had switched sides and I could run for the bathroom. Inside, I turned on the tub, yanked out the hose and swiveled to face him. The hose ended in a cylindrical spray head with 4 columns of tiny nozzles.
“Take another picture and I’ll spray you!”
“Then you’ll be in trouble.”
I swallowed. “It’ll be worth it.”
He cocked his head to the side. “Come now. I don’t think you really want to ruin my camera that much. How will we save the great memories of our trip?”
I sprayed his leg.
“Oh, Amy.” He shook his head disapprovingly as he approached, his eyes darkening. “Now you’re going to be sorry.”
Dallon lunged at me and I squealed, releasing the hose. The spray head hit the ground and water shot everywhere. Calmly, he marched through the spray, turned off the faucet before picking up the spray head.
“I should fuck you with this,” he said, examining it thoughtfully.
I gasped, and he smirked.
“No?” Chuckling, he put it back in its holder, and I breathed a sigh of relief that didn’t last long. He strode toward me and I backed up, my pace matching his, until I was pressed against the vanity.
Then, as if emerging from a trance, he halted directly in front of me, trailed delicate fingers along my jaw.
“But I won’t. You’re lucky,” he murmured, his blue eyes on my lips, which parted as I began to breathe again. “This isn’t about that.”
I blinked, surprised.
“Besides, the sun will only be up for a few more hours, and I don’t want you to miss it.”
With a wink, he turned and walked out of the bathroom.
***
“I actually wanted to attend SCAD, but I knew that my parents would turn the idea down,” I told Dallon as we walked hand-in-hand through the historic district. “Not that I’m complaining about NYU. I love living in New York.”
“This city has such old world charm.” Dallon paused to snap a picture of a wrought-iron gate encircling a garden of flowers, a stone fountain at its center. A brick staircase led up to the red door of the townhouse.
“Why don’t you display any of your photographs?”
He took my hand again and continued walking. “I decorated before I got into photography. I haven’t changed anything around.”
“We should put some up.” I bit my lip and heated, realizing how presumptuous that sounded. “I’m sorry. I mean, it would be nice to see your work.”
He grinned and squeezed my hand. “Perhaps we will.”
Two college-aged girls passed us, both of their heads turning to watch Dallon. He continued to look straight forward, but there was a trace of a smile on his lips. Jealousy rose unbidden within me even though I knew he must be used to it.
“It has old world charm but it’s funky too,” I said, eyeing the Vespa’s and cruiser bicycles parked outside of shopSCAD, a store that sold designs, jewelry and art by SCAD students.
Next we moved on to Forsyth Park, where we walked through a canopy of oak trees draped in Spanish Moss. Dallon insisted that I stand in front of the marble fountain for a picture. To my surprise, he passed an elderly couple his camera, and then jogged into the photo with me. His arm tightened around my waist and I couldn’t help it—I grinned like a schoolgirl.
Dallon was brilliant and gorgeous, and he wanted me. Not only that, but he was willing to give me his most valuable possession: his time.
“Let’s go for dinner by the river,” he said, lifting my hand to his lips to kiss it before helping me navigate the steep staircase and then the cobblestone street. The sun was beginning to set and a Riverboat was docked along the walkway’s edge.
“Can I borrow your camera please?” I asked.
I snapped a picture of the boat with the Savannah Bridge behind it. When I handed the camera back to Dallon, he made a low whistle.
“Why Miss Clair, you do have a good eye.”
***
Dallon adored Italian as much as Seafood. It was another piece of the Dallon puzzle.
At dinner he ordered us the Steamed Mussels in a Korean Chile Broth as an appetizer, himself the Seafood Linguini, and me the Mahi Mahi.
I frowned. “I wanted the Seafood Linguini too.”
“We’ll share. I want you to try it.”
I bit my tongue and picked up my $25 glass of wine. Dallon hadn’t batted an eye at the menu. What would it be like to have that kind of money, I wondered.
When the Mahi Mahi came, I had to admit that it was pretty good.
“I’m glad you like it. I prefer to eat fish.” He exhaled a deep, shuddering breath. “I watched a documentary on slaughterhouses, and the cruelty rocked me.”
“I’ve heard.” I looke
d down at my food, feeling guilty for not taking more of an interest in what was going on in the world. “Is that part of the reason you started your animal shelter?”
“Partly, yes. I also witnessed animal cruelty as a child, and I resolved to do something about it. I created the shelter before I received the inheritance, but most of the money was donated to it afterward. Since then, I’ve been considering expanding the foundation or else starting a new one. I have a few ideas in mind. I’d like to tell you about them sometime.”
I could tell from his last sentence that he didn’t want to get into it right now, so I reached across the table and took a bite of his linguini.
“This is delicious as well!”
He grinned. “Glad you’re enjoying yourself, Miss Clair.”
As we walked back to the hotel hand-in-hand along River Street, Dallon asked, “Where would you go if you could anywhere in the world?”
“Wow, that’s a tough question.” I thought for a moment, navigating the cobblestones carefully. “I’ve never thought about that before.”
“Why not?”
“I’ve never been good at those games. I feel like if I let myself dream then I might get disappointed.”
“Dreams keep us going,” he said, glancing up at me disapprovingly.
“I have a dream about being a successful artist,” I said defensively. “I just don’t like to think about things that will never happen. You know how people talk about what they would do if they won the lottery? I never think about it.”
“Because you don’t think you’ll win.”
“Yes. It makes me uncomfortable.”
We entered the hotel and stepped into the elevator. “Well where would you go?” I asked him.
He smiled sadly. “I don’t tend to think about traveling because I don’t really have the time.”
“And you’re lecturing me?”
He laughed. “Okay, I’d go to Africa. On Safari.”
I sighed. “That would be nice.”
We were silent as the elevator made its ascent to the top of the building. With a ding, the doors opened to our floor.
“Time’s up,” Dallon winked. “Where would you go?”
“I just said Safari would be nice.”