12. Safe Word
SAFE WORD
CHELSEA
I didn’t know if he was serious or not, despite his tone.
But I didn’t want to disappoint him. I stared hard at the expensive flooring and swallowed.
You can do it. You already crawled for him at the restaurant—his restaurant.
Taking a shaky breath, I lowered onto my knees and bit my lip at the marble flooring.
“After me, Princess.” Sean’s voice rang out from the end of the hallway as if he wasn’t interested in watching me, like he made every woman crawl after him.
Sighing, I followed him, crawling on all fours and hearing my high heels clink after me.
I shivered, feeling the end of my dress move against my inner thigh and exposing my sex.
The rush of the breeze made me shaky. I didn’t understand why crawling after a rich lawyer who’s twice my age made me get so wet.
Looking up, I found him entering his study. The floor-to-ceiling shelf behind his mahogany desk looked Victorian and intimidating. A hint of old books and his musky, clean scent hovered in the air. I sighed at the feel of a soft Egyptian rug underneath my knees and palms.
“You look pretty like this,” he said, sitting on the couch with his legs spread and a glass of whiskey on the rocks in his hand. He sipped on it, loosening his tie. The action made his biceps bulge underneath the shirt, veins of his arms tensing and making me swallow at the sight.
What the hell was in the food? Because I shouldn’t be so turned on by someone’s arm!
Sean licked his lips, settling the glass on the flat surface of the arm of the couch. His eyes raked over my body when I inched closer. “But you’d look prettier with a collar, don’t you think so?”
My pulse increased. “A collar?”
His hand went straight to my hair, running his fingers over it, making me want to melt, and lay my head on his thigh. “A pink collar for my pretty princess.” His voice was soft and deep, making me lean into his touch as his knuckles brushed over my neck. “Would you wear it for me?”
I hummed, peering up at him and knowing he’d want to hear me say it. I whispered, “Yes, Daddy.”
His dark orbs settled on my face. I licked my lips, wanting to close the distance between us and kiss him. He was a good kisser. I never thought about making out for fun, but with him, it was fun . I could kiss him for hours.
But instead of kissing me, he leaned back on the couch and asked, “Can you remind me what I said to you when we first met?”
Uh oh . He used that tone. The Daddy tone that gave me goosebumps and made me scared yet aroused.
I shifted on my knees and remembered that night. “Y-you told me to kneel for?—”
He waved his hand. “Not that.”
I swallowed. His tone was casual, but stern at the same time. I felt like I was in big trouble, and I didn’t know what I had done. It reminded me of a teacher or a professor reprimanding me for not remembering an important detail during a class.
“You told me that you won’t do anything I don’t want,” I said, fumbling with my fingers in my lap and hoping it was the right answer. The anticipation of not knowing made a tingle in the pit of my stomach.
Even though he was stronger than me, taller and richer, I felt safe. I knew he would never touch me without my consent. He had brought me home that night, fed me, let me bake with his expensive equipments, and paid me a lot just to spend time with him.
My exes used to touch me or gaslight me to do things for them, and they never ever bought me dinner.
Sean wasn’t like that. He was a gentleman.
A gentleman who wanted to do dirty things to me.
Tension hung above us and with each passing moment, my nerves amped up with anticipation and curiosity.
I couldn’t find the strength to meet his eye.
What if he was disappointed by me? I would never be able to look at him—or worse, I’d start crying.
But I secretly wished he would lose his control and take me on the soft rug or the couch or bend me over his desk.
“Good answer, pet, but I said something else too,” he said, leaning close.
I frowned, thinking about it—I gasped when he took me in his lap and turned me over. My hands flailed to protect myself, but I was only flipped over his lap with my hair covering my face.
What the hell .
“Do you want me to help you jog your memory, my silly princess?” He crooned, his voice dark as his large hand ran over my back and legs.
I looked over my shoulder to see him eyeing my ass that was half-covered by the dress. My cheeks heated at the position I was in, with my legs lying on the couch and my stomach resting on his lap.
What is he doing?
“I…” I felt breathless, as if I had run a mile.
Sean raised his eyes to me and patted my butt. “I will help you, don’t worry,” he smirked and raised the dress to expose my ass to him. I looked away, cheeks warm as air brushed over my naked skin, making me tremble. “Do you have a safe word, Princess?”
Safe word?
My eyes widened, making me dig my nails into the soft couch. “I-I don’t know,” I told him the truth.
His hand stopped gliding over my skin and I took a sharp breath when he pulled me up. My heartbeat was beating thunderously as I straddled his lap, his arms around me.
Sean’s brows were furrowed. “You don’t know?”
I shook my head, feeling the heat of his body through his silk pants and shirt.
“I’m sorry for assuming you would know about it.” His eyes softened. “Safe-words and safe gestures are something you will use to stop me.”
“Stop you?” Why would I ever want to stop him?
“Yes, if I do something that makes you uncomfortable or icky, you can say your safe word, and we will end the play, and I will take care of you.” His hand felt soothing, rubbing my back. “Or if you cannot use your mouth, you can use your safe gesture—like tapping me twice or snapping your fingers.”
Oh.
My eyes widened. “Y-you mean…” I cupped my mouth, my body tight with shock.
I couldn’t believe it.
He raised his brow and took my wrist to move it away. “I mean what?”
I blinked at him and stared at his chest. The top button was unbuttoned revealing his skin. I couldn’t meet his eyes, strangely feeling shy. “I’ve read about safe words and gestures in a few books.”
His hand lowered to my ass, and I gasped when he pulled me forward and I was forced to meet his eyes. They were gleaming with mirth.
“My Princess is so dirty,” he started in a teasing voice, “She reads filthy little erotica and doesn’t tell her Daddy the scenes she wants to recreate.”
My lips parted at his amusing voice, and I was surprised when he pouted at me, cupping my cheek. “I am hurt, baby.”
He couldn’t be real.
I was not expecting him to be… this . Playful and bratty.
“Romance,” I said to him, feeling myself get wetter at his behavior. As much as I liked him being stern, this was something new and hot. He was fun. “I read romance. Not erotica.”
“Same thing, Princess.”
“They’re not.” I scowled. “Romance is— mmfh! ”
His lips pressed against mine, kissing me. I sighed and opened my mouth when his hand went to my jaw. My heart danced with excitement. I felt the electricity of his touch, his soft lips gliding against me in a smooth motion. I groaned when he bit my bottom lip, leaving my mouth burning with fire.
My eyes widened at the hardness I felt underneath my crotch and shifted. Jesus . He was so big.
“Safe word, Princess,” he said, his husky voice making me shiver. “Give me a safe word so I can spank your pretty ass red.”