Page 105 of The CEO

My grip on her jaw tightens fractionally. “You might discover things about yourself you weren’t prepared for.”

“I’m counting on it,” she whispers, leaning into my touch. “I’ve spent my entire life in control, Damien. Fighting for it, maintaining it, never letting it slip. I want to know what exists on the other side of that control. And I only want to explore it with you.”

I consider her request, the implications, the possibilities. The trust she’s offering is staggering. It is what I’ve demanded from her, but to have her come to me, asking for me to remove the restraints I’ve kept in place until now . . . to allow my passion and lust for her to run truly unbridled . . .

“We would need boundaries,” I say finally. “Rules. A way for you to stop things if they become too much. First rule is the safe word we’ve discussed previously.”

“Yes.” She agrees.

“Second rule: Your body belongs to me. You come when I permit it, not before. Disobedience will be punished. Understood?”

“Yes, Lord.” The anticipation in her eyes is unmistakable.

“Third rule: Complete honesty. If something truly distresses you, you use your safe word immediately. No enduring discomfort to please me. This only works with absolute trust.”

“I understand, Lord.” Her sincerity is evident.

I release her hair, sitting back slightly. “Stand up.”

She complies immediately, rising from the bed to stand before me, naked and vulnerable in the moonlight. My eyes travel over her body with deliberate slowness, letting her feel the weight of my gaze, the assessment of what now belongs to me.

“Turn around,” I command. “Slowly.”

Again, she obeys without hesitation, turning in a complete circle as I study every inch of her. When she completes the turn, her eyes meet mine, a slight flush coloring her cheeks at the thoroughness of my examination.

“Beautiful,” I comment, watching her response to the praise. “Now, kneel.”

She sinks gracefully to her knees on the plush carpet, settling naturally into a position of submission—back straight, knees slightly apart, hands resting palms up on her thighs. The natural elegance of her submission suggests she’s given this more thought than she admitted.

“Have you researched this?” I ask, curious about her preparation.

“A little,” she admits. “I wanted to understand what I was asking for.”

I nod, satisfied with her honesty. “What did you learn that particularly interested you?”

She hesitates, gathering her thoughts. “The exchange of power. The freedom that comes from surrendering control. The intensity of connection when roles are clearly defined.”

“And what aspects made you nervous?” I probe, needing to understand her boundaries before pushing them.

A small smile curves her lips. “Pain. Discipline. The possibility of disappointing you.”

“Yet you still want this?”

“Very much . . . Lord.” Her certainty is unwavering.

I stand, moving to the suitcase I brought to the island, retrieving a small locked case I had included without explaining its contents to Eve. Her eyes widen as I place it on the bed and open it, revealing carefully-selected implements gathered specifically for this possibility.

“You planned for this,” she observes, surprise evident in her voice.

“I consider all possibilities,” I remind her. “I suspected you might be curious about exploring submission, given certain responses I’ve observed in our previous encounters.”

Her flush deepens, confirmation that my observations were correct. “What are you going to do to me, Lord?”

I select a length of black silk rope from the case, letting it slide through my fingers. “First, I’m going to bind you. Restrict your movement, your freedom, make you physically experience the surrender you’re offering mentally.”

Her breathing quickens, pupils dilating as she watches me handle the rope. “And then?”

“Then I’m going to pleasure you until you’re begging for release.” I move behind her, drawing her arms behind her back. “And deny you that release until you understand completely what it means to submit to my will.”

---