I could only sit there blinking for several moments.
“Why would you make the Trials harder than they already are? Don’t you want to pass and become a member of the Silver Ghost?”
Emmett just shrugged. “Yes, I do. But I want it on my terms. Part of signing a contract like this is building trust with my submissive. I should never push you so hard you’d ever have to use your safeword. But I will push you. I intend to show the Elders that I am all they’re looking for in an Initiate and more. And I will demonstrate that through you.”
I let out a heavy breath. Good Lord, what had I gotten myself into?
But before I could think much more about it, Emmett stood up, naked as the day he was born and, I had to grudgingly admit, as gloriously handsome as a god—all hard muscle and tight ass.
I yanked my eyes away before he caught me staring. Soon, he returned to bed, and he had actual paperwork. He wasn’t kidding about the contract.
It wasn’t just a page or two either. It was a bound packet. With a table of contents.
I was wide-eyed as Emmett sat down beside me and started flipping through the contents and reading over it in the same lawyer voice as before.
Terms. Goals. The Rights and Responsibilities of the Master.
But it was when we got to the Responsibilities and Availability of the Slave that things really got interesting. The slave was always to be available to the Master in the arrangement Emmett was proposing—a twenty-four seven power exchange. I gulped even at the thought. Could I do it? Give over control of my life, every minute of it, for three months?
It was basically what I thought I was signing up for anyway; I just assumed I’d have some time to myself in the room. A little downtime here and there.
But maybe this way would be better. Wouldn’t it be… interesting, if not a little refreshing, to not have to worry about anything for three months? To have someone else making all the decisions and taking on all the responsibilities for a while.
Then I narrowed my eyes at Emmett.
Who continued to read through the list of sexual positions, toys, and kinks—some of which made my eyes pop open.
I immediately struck through the idea of fisting. No, no thank you. Moving on.
He rolled his eyes but didn’t press the point. Good Lord, did he actually—
Nope, not going to think about it. Moving on, moving on.
I had to ask him about several other terms, each more eye-opening than the last. I’d always thought myself a fairly open person when it came to sex, but compared to the things he was describing, I felt like the naive small-town girl I was.
I didn’t like it.
And I certainly didn’t like it when we got to the section labeled Punishment.
“Um, excuse me?” I asked. “Punishment? I’m not a child.”
He just arched an eyebrow. “Submissives who exhibit bratty behavior get punished.”
“Bratty behav—” I cut off, already feeling the heat rise in my cheeks.
“Talking back. Not obeying quickly enough. Trying my patience. Failing to live up to my exacting standards.”
I rolled my eyes at him, and he reached forward, grabbing me tight by the nape of my neck so that I was forced to look at him eye-to-eye, nose-to-nose. “Rolling your eyes,” he said in a low growl that for some ridiculous reason made my nipples harden.
I wanted to shove him away, but I didn’t. I just clenched my jaw and asked through my teeth, “And what will these punishments entail?”
A truly wicked grin crossed his face at the question. “Oh, you’ll see, princess. You’ll see. Now are you signing the contract or walking out the door right now?” He held out a pen he’d magically produced from somewhere.
I swallowed and then breathed out as quietly as I could.
I had no choice.
I grabbed the pen out of his hand and signed the line on the last page beside where he’d written out my name in neat script.
Why did I have the feeling that I’d just signed my life, dignity, and entire future away?
3
EMMETT
I’ve always been a sucker for a submissive in bed in the morning. Tousled hair, smeared makeup, and the distant smell of sex from the night before were my addictive drug. But not this morning. I kept my hands off Bellamy… for now. We’d have plenty of time to make up for it tonight, no doubt, but this morning was more about watching, learning, studying every move she made so I’d know just how to handle her in the future.
First thing I noticed… she was shy. At least when it came to her body and appearance. Her subtle movements to try to conceal her nudity first thing in the morning from my waking eyes weren’t lost on me. She wasn’t made up like the perfect Barbie doll, and her natural beauty clearly made her uncomfortable. The minute she exited the bathroom after a ridiculously long shower and whatever else she did behind the closed door, I instantly noticed a renewed confidence about her. Almost as if she had her war paint on and was now prepared for battle.
I also remembered her always being very sociable and chatty. The woman knew how to work a room at a party like a true southern socialite. But this morning, she remained very quiet. She spoke few words to me and seemed to just watch my every move. No doubt she was studying me as I was her.
As we sat down in the formal dining room, sitting across from each other at the extremely long table, we both stared each other down while we waited for Mrs. H to come in with our breakfast.
“Did you sleep well?” I began, feeling as if she was waiting for me to say the first word.
“No,” she stated simply, still locking her eyes with me. “I don’t see how I could, considering we were sharing a bed together—naked per your orders.”
“I could have tied you up or had you sleep at my feet. I could have even had a cage brought in and had you sleep inside as my little pet,” I countered with an evil grin. “So, consider yourself lucky and be grateful for the ability to sleep in the bed with my only expectation being that you remain naked.”
She didn’t say another word but simply scowled in my direction.
Clearly, this would be a battle of wills. I could see the sizzle beneath the blue in her eyes. This woman would be a challenge, but something about the idea made my cock twitch.
Mrs. H entered and gave both of us a warm smile. “What can I get you two for breakfast?”
“I will have scrambled eggs, toast, and a bowl of fruit,” I said. “And black coffee, please.”
Mrs. H nodded and then looked at Bellamy. “And for you?”
“She’ll have the same as me,” I ordered for her.
Bellamy shot daggers from her eyes at me as her mouth opened to order for herself. “I’ll just have coffee and some fruit,” she snapped, giving me the nastiest look she could muster.
“She’ll have exactly what I’m having,” I restated, narrowing my eyes and locking my jaw as I did so. I didn’t like to be challenged, especially in front of someone else.
Mrs. H looked at me and shook her head. “Emmett, can we save the dominance for the Trials, please?”
“She will have exactly what I ordered. Final.”
Bellamy shifted in her seat, and I could tell the glare I gave her made her uncomfortable. Which was a good thing. It meant she had some common sense and knew she pushed me with her stubborn act.