Chapter 44
Jamie knew she”d come to him sooner rather than later, so he wasn”t surprised when she turned up as he made dinner.
He looked at Cat. ”Rebecca is here. Be cool, okay?”
The cat swished her tail and blinked. When he wiped his hands on a kitchen towel and checked his appearance with the camera app on his phone, she took the hint and padded away.
Opening the side door, Jamie enjoyed watching her approach, thrilled to see her confidence displayed with every step.
He was so happy to see her that his dick reacted to her appearance before his brain did.
She looked like a summer day. Her pretty sundress was short, with delicate straps tied on her shoulders. Judging by her swaying breasts, she wasn”t wearing a bra.
A pair of wedge sandals gave her steps a bit of a bounce.
Her hair was down and loose, and behind one ear, she”d tucked a miniature peach carnation from the flowers he”d sent.
The sexy but demur look captured his full attention.
She stopped short of the door and spoke. Her voice was strong but held hints of shyness.
”Hello, Jamie. May I come in?”
Happiness filled him.
”Of course,” he replied. ”I was expecting you.”
He motioned her inside, saying, ”I was just making us dinner.”
He saw joy in her eyes, and for half a second, she looked like she might cry.
As she slid past, he smelled her perfume and a mixture of soap and fresh air.
His dick really needed to settle down because, no joke—a celebration erupted in his pants.
Everything about her vibe turned him on. She was a femme fatale and an uncertain novice at the same time. She took no liberties, entering his home but venturing no further than his side. Her hands shook until she put them behind her back.
The submissive pose hit him broadside.
A heavy weight settled on his shoulders. This was not a game or an act. The subtle but transformative power exchange—his taking and Rebecca relinquishing—rocked Jamie”s world.
I”ve waited my whole life for this.
Even though the ball was in her court, she was hesitant. Taking control of the conversation would be putting words in her mouth, so he kept what he said to a minimum.
”What”s on your mind, Rebecca?”
”Can we talk?”
Choosing a careful response, he spoke with deliberate authority. ”You can talk,”he said. ”I will be courteous and listen.”
”Thank you.”He sensed relief in her response.
”Come into the kitchen for a minute so I can check on things.”
She followed dutifully. ”May I help?”
”Absolutely.”He lifted the lid on a pot and stirred. ”Taste this and tell me what you think.”
Watching her lick the spoon, he studied her reaction.
”Oh, my. That”s delicious. Lemony and chickeny. What is it?”
”My mom has a hundred poultry recipes. I”ve made her lemon and fresh herb roasted chicken this evening for our dinner. You taste-tested the pan drip sauce.”
Anxious to hear what was on her mind, he quickly recalculated the dinner prep and led her into the living room after ensuring everything was good to go.
”Would you like to sit?”
Her eyes swung around the room. She nodded yes and gestured to the leather wing chair beside the fireplace.
Intrigued that she hadn”t chosen the sofa, he sat and looked at her expectantly. Was she going to stand? Sit? What?
When she gracefully knelt before him and sat back on her feet, Jamie felt his heart thump wildly.
”I”m more sorry than you know about my awful behavior,”she began timidly. ”I didn”t think, and that”s on me. There”s no excuse for what I did. You were right to call me out and put me in my place.”
She bowed her head slightly. ”I”m grateful for the lesson, Jamie. Truly.”Her eyes rose to his. ”Can you forgive me? May I have another chance?”
He didn”t answer right away due to the uncomfortable thickness in his throat.
What he did next mattered a great deal.
”I did not enjoy having to issue a rebuke. Discipline is a Dom”s responsibility—part of the dynamic—but punishment is not my thing.”
”I”m so sorry what I did made you have to do that.”
A woman he”d been married to for nine years had committed horrendous acts of betrayal and even gone to jail for her crimes. Still, that same woman never once accepted a single iota of responsibility.
Conversely, Rebecca”s behavior was a minor infraction in the grand scheme of things. That said, her fulsome acceptance of responsibility revealed who she was inside.
He shifted to the edge of the chair and wrapped his hand around the back of her neck to pull her forward. She offered no resistance.
Claiming her mouth with a deeply passionate kiss, Jamie felt a thrill dance up and down his spine when she did nothing but submit to his passion while her hands remained in her lap.
Jamie knew that she”d take no action except to kiss him back until he allowed her off her knees.
By the time he ended the kiss, his dick throbbed.
”Well done, sub,”he whispered against her lips. ”That is how we go from punishment to reward.”
She didn”t hide her excitement.
Standing, he towered over her, drank in her sexy surrender, and then stroked her hair.
”You may stand.”
As gracefully as she had kneeled, Rebecca rose and faced him. In the blink of an eye, he moved past the incident that brought them to this heavy scene and flipped a switch.
”I thought we”d eat out back.”He scrutinized her attire and nodded approvingly. ”You dressed for the heat. Good girl!”
Taking her hand, he led her into the kitchen and started babbling.
”Can you carry that tray to the patio and set the table?”
Jamie pointed to a wood tray with easy-to-grip handles on which he had stacked plates, silverware, and linens.
”I”ve got to do my cheffy thing—ensure everything”s ready for us. It”ll take a few minutes, but I”ll follow you out and pour a wine I chose just for you.”
* * *
Becca feltlike she could breathe again, so she took in a deep inhale that filled her entire chest. A rush of simple and pure pleasure made her quiver and shifted her awareness.
”Oh my god,”she whispered aloud. ”I”m in love with him.”
A slight whoosh of air rustled the leaves and vines. She took it as a sign.
”Gurl,”she snickered to herself. ”Really? Imagining a magic garden bestowing a sign of approval? Well, now that the truth about my wild imagination is out, I guess I can”t pretend to have no idea where Kori gets her quirks.”
An outdoor ceiling fan beneath the pergola kept the warm air moving as she carefully dressed the patio dining table.
Hyper aware of every detail, she placed Jamie”s setting at the head of the table, with hers to his left. Thanks to a weird and utterly random factoid stuck in her head, Becca pictured a chivalrous medieval man—his lady on his left arm, leaving his right arm—his sword arm—free if he had to defend her.
The symbolism felt right.
A clay pot full of succulents served as a perfect centerpiece. She moved a medium-sized hurricane holder with a chunky candle onto the table so that when the sun began to set, they could enjoy the ambiance of candlelight.
Her eyes swept the patio, and she spotted wine glasses and an ice bucket on a beverage cart parked beneath a colorful umbrella.
”He wasn”t kidding about expecting me. Wow.”
Jamie was unlike anyone she”d ever known. This relationship was unlike anything she”d experienced or even dreamt was possible. Kneeling before him, literally and figuratively, was the right thing. Owning her foolish fuck-up, demonstrating remorse, and promising to do better wasn”t something she did to check off boxes on a list. She felt her words and actions on a deep, deep level.
Becca touched her lips, remembering his raw, possessive kiss. She took note of the message at the heart of the rapacious tasting. The man meant business. He”d been clear about his needs. By humbly prostrating herself in apology, she”d delivered on her commitment to him and the unusual relationship they had formed.
In every single way that truly mattered, this was day one of her future. What came before was practice. Everything after this laid the foundation for whatever came next.
Spinning around to the sound of the patio doors opening, her cute sundress swished around her thighs. She”d worn it because the bandeau top kept her boobs in line, and the swingy, A-line style kept her cool.
Jamie”s eyes swept from the flower behind one ear to her wedge sandals.
Taking a cue from Madonna, Becca struck a pose.
”I have something special to please your taste buds.” The sensual timbre of his masculine voice wrapped around her like a warm embrace.
Carrying a wine bottle, he placed it on the beverage cart and gestured to her to come close.
He spoke in a smooth, sexy cadence, his tone a magnetic allure that made her shiver.
”This is a Malbec. Best enjoyed chilled. Perfect for a warm summer evening.”
He poured the deep purple wine into the two glasses and pushed the uncorked bottle into the ice bucket.
”I discovered this bold, robust wine during a business trip to Argentina. You can taste the rugged landscape in every sip. I find it luscious,”he murmured. ”Like you.”
Somehow keeping her hand steady, she accepted his offering and tilted the glass, watching the purple liquid swirl as it coated the sides. Bringing the drink to her nose, she sniffed deep. Inviting aromas of dark fruits like blackcurrant and cherry with an earthy hint of spice filled her senses.
Jamie looked on approvingly.
”Mmm,”he murmured after taking a sip. ”It dances on the tongue.”
Becca knew what he meant. The wine had a velvety mouth feel that begged for another sip.
”Do you like it?”he asked.
”It”s so smooth.”She took a small sip. ”Elegant.”
It struck her that she sounded like someone who knew what they were talking about and gave a little chuckle.
”Full disclosure,”she drily added with a half-smirk. ”My wine knowledge comes from things wait staff and bartenders have said over the years.”
”I try not to sound like a bougie snot.”His cinnamon eyes glittered. ”A workshop here and there plus hanging around others with knowledge are my qualifications.”
He shrugged and swirled his glass. ”I know what I like, and I take it from there.”
The handsome veterinarian”s softer side kept her from loathing him during their battleground days. He was witty and intelligent—a devastating combination for a girl like her who dreamed of a man with good looks AND an engaging personality.
”I also enjoy questionable humor, am a devoted fan of The Golden Girls, have a complicated relationship with junk food, and think there”s nothing wrong with men wearing sweatpants—grey or otherwise. So take all that with a grain of salt when listing my attributes.”
She responded with a sly smile: ”Hold up. I don”t remember you disclosing any of that on your application.”
”Application? What application?”
”Your application to date me.”
”Oh, that,”he answered, his face showing his amusement. ”I was in a hurry when I filled it out—but with Betty and her HR crap forcing us to declare our relationship, I guess we need an addendum.”
An addendum. She snickered and took another sip of wine.