"Y...yes, sir," I whispered awkwardly. I couldn't believe I was having this conversation. I was beyond grateful he'd reserved this private room. If we'd been in the dining room, I'd have crawled under the table in embarrassment for sure.
"Good," he said in satisfaction. He cocked his head curiously. "What have you used before?"
Crap, he had to ask that didn't he. My face felt like it was on fire now. I grabbed my wine glass and gulped down some of the cool liquid. When I set my glass down and looked at him again, his eyes were shining with clear amusement and a corner of his mouth twitched. I reacted badly to that.
"This may be everyday conversation to you, but forgive me if I'm uncomfortable talking about such private things," I snapped at him indignantly as I crossed my arms over my chest. "So go ahead and laugh it up. I'm glad my embarrassment amuses you," I added sarcastically.
"And here I thought you weren't going to give me the opportunity to punish you," he replied in an even unperturbed tone that rattled me far more than anger would have.
"Punishment?" I blurted out in a panicked voice as I stared at Gareth with wide eyes.
"I'm a very creative Dom, Malory," he replied, his voice lowering dangerously. "I suggest you don't tempt me to punish you. You never know what I might come up with." His intense dark eyes pinned me where I sat.
"You...you won't hurt me if I use my safeword," I said in a shaky unsure tone, suddenly wondering what I had signed up for tonight, because real pain wasn't something I wanted at all.
"Malory," he said reassuringly as his face softened. "I would never truly hurt you. I'm not into that, and clearly neither are you." His eyes turned flinty. "However, I won't tolerate being disrespected when we're in our roles as Dom and sub. You'll find that my punishments tend to run more toward denial of the pleasure I could give you, rather than corporal punishment." He smiled slyly as his eyes glittered salaciously. "Besides, I'd rather flog you for pleasure than pain."
Heated desire poured over me, banishing any embarrassment or anger I had. I really liked the sound of that. If it was anything like the spanking he'd given me, I was in.
"Now, answer my question, and we'll forget your little lapse in judgment occurred," he said demandingly.
"I...I have a...a vibrator, sir," I stuttered out, fighting through my discomfiture to answer him.
"Good girl." He nodded in approval just as the door opened and our waitress walked in, followed closely by a man I'd only met once or twice and hadn't seen in a long time. It was Max Richmond, the owner of The Glass House and my sister's boss. He was tall and broad shouldered with thinning gray hair and thick dark brows. His kind dark eyes were warm and jovial.
"Mr. Caxton," Max called out with a welcoming grin. "It's so good to see you here again. Is everything set up to your liking this evening?"
"Of course," Gareth replied evenly. "Just like always."
"Good, good," Max answered with obvious relief. "If there's anything you need, anything at all, just let Veronica know," he motioned to the pretty brunette who was smiling next to him. "And I'll make sure you get it."
"Thanks, Max. I'll keep that in mind," Gareth replied with an indulgent smile. I could tell he wanted them to hurry it along and leave.
"I hope you and your date have a lovely evening," Max said as he turned to look at me. His eyes widened in sudden recognition. "Malory," he said as his smile broadened. "I had no idea you'd be here tonight. It's good to see you."
Gareth's eyes focused on me in wary curiosity.
"It's good to see you too, Max," I replied, honestly surprised that he remembered who I was since it'd been years since I'd seen him. Though being a restaurant owner, I guess it was in his best interest to remember people's names and faces.
"How are Lydia and the baby?" he asked.
"Happy and healthy so far," I answered Max with a smile.
"I'm so happy to hear that." His face turned wistful. "We miss her dearly in the kitchen. Your sister can't come back to work soon enough."
"Don't worry, she'll be back before you know it, Max."
Max's eyes turned sympathetic as he put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I never got a chance to tell you how sorry I was about your mother's passing. I know how difficult it is losing a parent."
The deep pain and loss I usually kept firmly controlled in a tight little ball, suddenly burst open inside me. My eyes felt hot and began to sting. "Th...thanks, Max," I whispered roughly as I fought to rein in the waterworks. I hated it when the grief popped up out of nowhere and overwhelmed me like this.
"Give Lydia and her family my love," Max said with an understanding expression. I could only manage a nod in reply. "I'll let you get back to your evening." He nodded once with an apologetic expression before leaving the room.
"Um...I'll...uh...I'll give you a few minutes to look over the menu," Veronica, our server, mumbled out uncomfortably as she noticed that my tears had finally managed to escape my control. She hurried out of the room as I sobbed quietly.
I looked across the table at Gareth through a curtain of tears. The Dom that had been sitting there earlier was long gone now, and in its place was that soft side I'd only seen a few times before. He eyed me with a concerned and compassionate expression.
"Malory," he said with tender sympathy as he reached across the table toward me.
I put my hand in his immediately, and his warm comforting grip was a balm I sorely needed right now. He didn't say another word as his thumb rubbed soft circles on the back of my hand as I wept quietly for a few moments.
"She...she died from cervical cancer five years ago," I said, somehow inexplicably wanting this man I barely knew to understand my pain. "B...but it still hurts." Gareth's hand squeezed mine, his eyes suddenly filling with pain as his jaw clenched tightly.
"I...I know," he said raggedly, like it pained him to force the words out. "My...my stepmother...she...she died eight years ago from a blood clot in her lungs." His eyes glittered as he averted his gaze and stared down at the table. "I...I still miss her everyday," he added in a barely audible whisper.
I sat and gaped at Gareth. I had never seen this side of him, and the pained anguish he was obviously feeling pulled at my heart. He was sharing a vulnerable side with me that I didn't even know he had. It touched me that he trusted me enough to show it to me.
"Gareth," I said in a soft tremulous tone, feeling a deeper emotional connection to him for the first time. There was much more to this man than he had shown me so far, beyond the sexy Dom I'd seen to the real man inside. It made me want to know more about him.
Abruptly, Gareth let go of my hand and jerked it off the table like it had just burned him. "Excuse me," he blurted out brusquely as he stood up, his face hardening. "I'll...I'll go find our server, so we can order." He hurried out of the room without another word, tension-filled discomfort bleeding off him in his wake. I stared after him, frowning over his sudden shift in mood. I didn't mean to make him uncomfortable.
I sat there alone brooding over it and feeling bad. I was planning on apologizing to him when he came back, but when he returned a few minutes later, it wasn't the same man who'd left. The Dom was back in full force. I could see it in his calm calculating eyes and the predatory way he carried himself.
"I took the liberty of ordering your dinner," he announced firmly and unapologetically as he sat back down across from me.
"Yes, sir," I replied softly, feeling relieved.
At this point, I didn't care what I ate, I was just glad he was acting like himself again. He was strength and power personified to me since I met him, and seeing him so thrown off had rattled me even if it made him seem more human and approachable.
That was when I realized it wasn't me who'd upset him enough to make him flee the room. It was the lack of control his emotional upheaval had caused him. It made me wonder how long he'd been a Dom, and what triggered his need for control. I suspected he wasn't always this way, but right now I wasn't going to ask. Right now, I was going
to let him have the control he so desperately needed, and revel in the freedom of letting go as I gladly give myself over to his will.
13
GARETH
I stood in the entryway of The Glass House in my black wool coat with Malory's coat slung over one arm. I was waiting for her to return from the restroom, brooding as I glowered out the darkened glass of the front doors. Despite resuming control of this evening after my pathetic emotional reaction earlier, I was still disturbed by my loss of control. I'd never had that happen before or felt so vulnerable with a woman since my wife, but seeing Malory cry did something profound to me. I thought I was immune to the tears of a woman. Ryan's tears had always been purposeful and manipulative, and I'd learned to not be effected by them or any other woman since, but Malory's were different. They were genuine.
Our shared pain pulled at my dead heart and made me feel things that I didn't want to, and want things that I wasn't capable of. I told her things I never told another woman before. When I told Malory about Viv's death, it just seemed to slip out of my mouth. What the fuck was happening to me? I didn't know, but one thing was certain. I wasn't going to allow it. Emotional attachments with a woman led to weakness, which in turn would lead me to lose myself. I'd fought so hard after my marriage to be my own man again, and I wasn't going to let it happen a second time.
"I'm ready to go," Malory's voice spoke sweetly behind me.
I turned, and the sight of her took my breath away like it always did. I ignored my emotional reaction, and latched on to my body's visceral physical response to her. It was the only safe connection to cultivate between us.
I held her coat out and helped her slip it on, admiring the soft ivory skin of her back and breathing in the salty ocean scent of her sweet perfume. "Malory," I whispered as I trembled with need. I helplessly leaned down to press a soft kiss to her neck before her coat covered her luscious skin.
She turned and smiled radiantly up at me. Her hazel eyes were bright and so goddamn beautiful that they pulled me in again. My heart suddenly stuttered and ached in my chest. Fuck. I shoved it down with a swift exertion of my will. I was a Dom for fuck's sake. I should have more control than this.
"Tonight, your mine, Malory," I told her in a quiet yet fierce tone, trying desperately to focus on only the sexual chemistry between us. "Tonight, I'm cuffing you to my bed and ravishing your body." I dropped my voice to a harsh whisper. "And all you'll be able to do is take it." I took a shuddering breath. "Tell me you want that. Tell me you're mine tonight."
"I want that, sir," she immediately answered in a breathless voice. "I'm yours, sir." She licked her lips and it nearly did me in. "Please," she whispered helplessly, her body thrumming with need.
I growled out deeply as I pulled her close and pressed myself against her. Lust seared through my entire body. We needed to go home. Now.
"Mr. Caxton?" It was Max again. Why did he insist on interrupting us again? I sighed audibly and turned away from Malory.
"Yes, Max?" I asked brusquely, not hiding my annoyance at all. I was pissed by his interruption and didn't care if he knew it.
"Um...I'm so sorry, sir," he said apologetically with trepidation in his eyes. "But I've just been informed that your vehicle was vandalized in our lot."
"Excuse me, what?" I snapped out as I stiffened in surprise.
"The valets heard your alarm go off, but by the time they got to your vehicle someone had broken your headlights and your windshield. I'm sorry, but they didn't see who did it either."
My annoyance ignited into full-blown rage, and I barely caught myself before I took it out on Max and ripped into him. I closed my eyes and rubbed at my temples as I fought for control. This wasn't his fault, and it was just a vehicle. Viv's death and then the superficial way my wife fought over our money and possessions taught me how meaningless those things really were. I had insurance and the means to get it fixed quickly. Besides, he was an important client of my father's corporate law practice, and I didn't want to cause any problems for Dad or Derek's father, Carson West, who represented Max, by being an asshole.
"I'll gladly pay to have it towed and repaired, Mr. Caxton," Max insisted in a pained voice. "I've never had anything like this happen here before. I am so sorry."
"There's no need, Max," I finally managed to force out in a tight voice. "I'm fully insured, and it's not your fault. Vandalism can happen anywhere, and this is pretty tame compared to most crimes." As a criminal defense attorney, I was well aware of the horrible things people were capable of. This was nothing compared to what I'd been exposed to in my career.
"At least let me have it towed and arrange a ride for you, sir," Max insisted, obviously very upset by what happened.
"Very well," I conceded, "but I can arrange my own ride, Max."
He nodded in sheer relief. "I'll have it towed immediately, sir. And again I am so sorry."
"It's fine, Max. Don't worry about it." I let him know where I wanted it towed, starting to grow weary of his continuous apologies, but I kept my irritation to myself. Then I called one of my dad's town cars to come pick us up. I rarely used our family's drivers, preferring to drive myself, but in this instance, I was grateful for it. I just needed to get Malory home, so I could forget this disaster of an evening had ever happened, and focus on her pleasure instead.
**********
A short time later, I was helping Malory into the black town car that pulled up to the curb just as a flatbed drove past to go get my Range Rover. I let out a disheartened sigh as I sank into the soft leather next to Malory. I stared out the window as we pulled away from the curb, disgusted by how this night was falling apart. This was the part of the night where my ex-wife would have started laying into me about my inability to plan a decent evening. This was when Ryan would have picked everything I did apart, and I would sit and take it until I was left feeling like a husk of a man. I pressed my lips together in a tight line and wallowed in my bad memories. I felt Malory's hand come to rest gently on my knee.
"I'm sorry about your car, Gareth," she said with heartfelt sympathy. "If it makes you feel any better, up until your car was vandalized, the evening was perfect."
I turned my head to look at the kind and genuine smile she was giving me, a feeling of awe coming over me. Her reaction was unexpected, and pulled me out of my depressing thoughts. Malory was nothing like my ex-wife, like no other woman I'd been with at all. I didn't know what to say, and stared at her dumbly.
"And it can be perfect again," she added as mischief glittered in her eyes. She squeezed my leg as her smile twisted wryly. "Sir."
Without thinking and without a word, I reached for her, hooking my hand gently around her neck and lacing my fingers in her soft red hair. I pulled her face in close to mine and pressed my lips to hers. Damn, I missed the taste of her full luscious lips. How I'd managed not to kiss her tonight, until now, confounded me. I moved my mouth slowly over hers, savoring the way our tongues clashed and our lips fit together.
I deepened the kiss, wrapping my arms around Malory and pulling her body closer. She molded herself against me, her sexy little moans telling me she was enjoying herself. We kissed on and on for what felt like an eternity, my whole world focused on only this amazing and unbelievably sexy woman, until the sound of a throat clearing brought me back to reality.
"We're here, Mr. Caxton," the driver said in an even polite voice.
I ripped my lips off Malory's with a soft moan of disappointment, since I didn't want to stop. Malory's eyes looked glassy and distant, her sweet lips swollen and red from our long kissing session. I couldn't remember the last time I just made out with a woman like this. Probably not since I was dating Ryan in college. I didn't like that thought at all, or what it might mean, so I shoved it away. I was losing control of the evening again, and it had to stop.
"Thank you, Mitchell," I said firmly, gathering the fraying edges of my control around me like a cloak of armor. I was a Dom, not some pathetic lovesick fool.
> I quickly climbed out of the car, dragging Malory along with me by the hand. I wordlessly stalked into the building with Malory hurrying along behind me with her tiny hand still gripped in mine. I pulled her with me through the lobby until we were in my private elevator, then turned to face her. She opened her mouth to speak, but I pressed a finger to her lips and stopped her.
"You will not speak another word without permission tonight, unless you need to use your safeword," I told her in an uncompromising tone. "Is that clear?"
"Y...yes, sir," she whispered, her beautiful eyes wide and turning jade with arousal.
"I'm going to secure you to my bed, so I can explore your body and use some of those toys we discussed over dinner." I watched her cheeks flush red.
We discussed that and a lot of other topics that had her blushing on and off through dinner, but she'd seemed curious and open to everything I brought up. Our sexual needs and preferences were on par with each other, and I couldn't wait to show her more of what I could do to her body.
I slid my hand down to cup her chin, staring at her soft lips as my thumb brushed across them. I was barely reining in the hot lust that burned through me. It hardened my cock almost painfully and demanded that I rip her damn clothes off and take her right now. I shuddered violently as I fought to control myself, finally managing to win before I claimed her with my dick deep inside her up against the elevator wall.
"I'm going to test your limits and push you out of your comfort zone, Malory, but if you trust me, I can take you to the heights of pleasure." I brushed my lips across hers in a feathery touch, making her shiver. "Are you with me?" I whispered roughly.
"Yes, sir," she answered breathlessly, yet with a sure confidence that floored me. Something about the way she trusted me so completely made my heart sing.
"Good girl," I crooned with a wicked smile as the elevator doors slid open behind me. I stepped out, pulling her with me and swiftly let us into my penthouse. We walked inside, and I took my coat off as I watched Reggie rush up to greet Malory, dancing in front of her excitedly with his mouth wide open in what looked like a dopey grin.
Dark Dominion: Dangerous Desire Book 1 Page 14