Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Mace
Fuck, she feels good in my arms. Yes, she startled me when she revealed she has no actual hands-on experience with BDSM. It makes sense, though. I should have considered that possibility.
Anyone can do some research and learn their preferred kinks without interacting with other people. Romance novels will work, too. It just surprised me.
Perhaps if I tell her where I’m coming from, she will relax. “I’m a Dominant, Autumn. Apparently, you know what that is.” My arms are tight around her, and I’m not letting go.
She’s stiff in my embrace, but she isn’t fighting me.
I keep my lips on her ear because I like the way it makes her shiver. “I’ve lusted after you from the day I met you, Autumn.”
She gasps and holds her breath.
“That’s right, sweetheart.” While stroking her arm with my thumb, I continue, “Something about you called to me from the first moment I saw you. Maybe my soul recognized a kindred spirit. I had no idea that you were submissive, nor would I have ever made a move on you out of respect for your father.”
Autumn grips my forearm with her fingers. “Mace…”
I nuzzle her ear, loving the little tremors and soft noises that come from her. My God. This is happening. I can’t believe it.
“Turns out your father was more astute than I gave him credit for. He knew.”
She jerks her head around so she can face me. “No.”
I smile and nod. “Yes. It was in the letter. You can read it for yourself. He knew about your feelings, too.” I wink at her.
Her cheeks turn pink. “Ohmygod.”
I chuckle. “I don’t think you need to be embarrassed. I’m not.”
A hand comes to her face, as if she can hide her feelings from a man who is no longer with us.
I whisper in her ear again, “You’ve had feelings for me, too.”
She slumps against my chest. “Mace…”
Unable to resist, I kiss her neck. “Relax. I’m only saying this to avoid a giant elephant in the room for no reason.
Laying out the facts. I’ve got feelings for you.
You’ve got feelings for me. I’m a Dominant.
You’re submissive. In the coming days, we’re going to explore what this means for us.
That’s all. Are you with me, Baby girl?”
When she squirms, I loosen my grip, uncertain whether she wants to flee my embrace and hide in the bathroom or what. But I need to let her go. I realize she hasn’t answered my most pressing question—how many men has she slept with—but I’ll let it go for now.
She surprises me by turning in my arms and burrowing into my chest. Her hands smooth around to my back, and she hugs me close. “Okay.”
Thank fuck.
I flatten my palms on her and hold her even tighter, enjoying the feel of her body against mine.
I have a fucking hard-on I can’t hide; nor do I care to.
She needs to know that I’m fucking attracted to her in every way.
We’re not going to pretend otherwise for days or even weeks. It would be futile.
After threading a hand in her soft hair, I eventually tug her head back so she’s forced to look me in the eyes again. I smile at her, hoping to reassure her everything will be okay. “You need to eat, Baby girl. I bet you haven’t had a single bite in over a day.”
She nods.
“What’s your favorite comfort food?”
She shrugs. “Mac and cheese, I guess.”
I grin. “I can make that happen. Is it okay if it’s not from a box? Can I make it from scratch?”
Her eyes widen. “You can make mac and cheese from scratch?”
“Of course. I’ve been living alone for most of my life. Do I look like I’ve missed any meals?” I tease.
She giggles, and it’s the best sound in the world.
Setting her back a few inches, I take her hand as I rise. “Come.”
She seems lighter but quiet. I hope our mostly one-sided chat will help her know where things stand and lessen her anxiety.
“You’re so bossy,” she mumbles as we head for the great room.
I squeeze her hand. “Oh, sweetheart, you haven’t seen bossy yet. This is just my normal self.”
“Yikes.”
When we reach the kitchen, I release her hand, grab her hips, and lift her to sit on the counter next to the sink.
“Mace!”
I chuckle. “It’s so easy to startle you.”
It’s cute how she tugs on the T-shirt to make sure it’s fully under her bottom. She fidgets for a moment before crossing her arms.
Pressing against her knees, I circle her wrists and bring her hands down.
“Mace…” she murmurs.
I love her mild embarrassment. It’s adorable.
“I need clothes.”
“I’ve bought you clothes. A delivery already came while you were sleeping.”
“Can I put them on?”
“Nope. I like you like this. Slightly off kilter.”
She rolls her eyes.
I lift both brows. “What did I say about rolling your eyes, naughty girl?”
She sits taller. “You didn’t specify. You just said not to.”
“So sassy… Are you always going to be this sassy with me?”
“I don’t know. Are you always going to be this bossy with me?”
“Definitely. Eventually, I’m going to be ten times bossier. I’m taking it easy on you today.” I kiss her forehead and head for the fridge. If I don’t move away from her, things are going to get too intense.
My girl is mourning a huge loss. It’s not simple. If she’d found her father dead from a heart attack or a stroke, it might have been easier to swallow. But she found him dying from poisoning. Murdered. I’m surprised she didn’t have nightmares while she was napping.
She slept so long that I was able to get a lot of shit done around here, including stocking my fridge with foods that fit my plans for her.
I gained a lot of information from reading her father’s letter.
It made my life easier and gave me some reassurance that there’s a solid chance this woman is never leaving my side.
She doesn’t fully grasp that yet, but she will.
Autumn needs nourishment, so I grab her an apple juice. She can drink it while I cook. As I return to her, I pull the straw off the side and poke it into the hole on the top.
She graces me with another giggle, a sound I want to hear for the rest of my life. “Why do you have juice boxes?” she asks, taking it from me.
I shrug as if it’s no big deal. “I also had a grocery order delivered while you were resting. Who doesn’t like apple juice?”
I know my girl is submissive. She’s made that clear.
But is she Little? I’ll find out what her kink preferences are when I search her reading material.
It’s possible she doesn’t know everything she could about the various types of submission she might enjoy.
Maybe she’s only been reading books set in clubs.
While I put water on to boil, I keep a close eye on her.
She sucks the juice empty in seconds. She was thirsty and needed the calories, so I grab a second one and prepare it for her.
When I hand it to her, I cup her face before releasing it.
“Slow down, Baby. I don’t want you to make yourself sick. ”
She bites into her sweet lower lip as she holds my gaze. When she releases it, she says, “Yes, Sir.”
Fuck, she’s the entire package. She responds to my dominance every time. Even with no practical experience in the kink lifestyle, she’s a natural. What I want to hear from her lips instead of Sir is Daddy. I’m not going to dump that on her yet, but soon.
The juice boxes are going down well. That’s a start. Maybe if I introduce a few things to her and watch her reactions, I’ll know more about her. I’d give anything to quickly scroll through her reading list.
Autumn sits with her legs pinned together, and she keeps plucking at the front of her shirt.
I suspect she’s trying to hide her chest. How long does she think she can do that?
It’s a futile effort in the long run. But considering how much information I just dumped on her, the long run might not be so long.
While the pasta boils, I make a roux and add milk and cheese. I’m aware of my girl watching me. After she finished her second juice box, she set it aside and now has her hands folded in her lap, pressing her elbows forward to keep her breasts as invisible as possible.
“I can’t believe you made that,” she says when I’m finished. “It smells so good. How could mac and cheese possibly have that many ingredients?”
Chuckling, I set it on the island before turning to move her to a stool. “I have many talents, Baby girl.”
When I grab her by the waist to lift her, she squeals. “Mace! My feet work just fine.”
As soon as I settle her on a stool at the island, she rushes to get her shirt fully tucked under her again.
After turning the swivel chair to face me, I tip her head back with a finger under her chin. “I can’t wait for you to stop feeling so self-conscious around me. Eventually, I’m going to see and worship every inch of your body. Your modesty is misplaced.”
She takes a deep breath. “Maybe, but until then, I feel awkward, okay?”
I grin. “Okay. But only because it’s cute.”
I spin her back to face the island. “Just so you know, this is the one and only time I’m going to serve you such an imbalanced meal. I’m sure you’re starving, and I know you’re hurting, so I won’t pressure you to eat a salad or vegetables tonight, but you’ve been warned.”
She gives me a side-eye. “I’m a grown adult, you know.”
“Well-aware. You were an adult before I met you, thank fuck.” Crowding her from behind, I reach around her with both hands and ladle a generous helping of steaming, creamy mac and cheese into her bowl.
I set a spoon in her palm but hold her hand for a few moments. “I’m sure you’re starving, but don’t make yourself sick. Eat slowly. It’s not going anywhere, and there’s plenty.”
Her body quivers.
“Autumn…”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Good girl.” I release her and sit on the stool next to her.
We need to eventually have a discussion about our expectations. So far, we’ve seamlessly fallen into an easy pattern. I subtly dominate her, and she respectfully submits in response.
“You’re watching me,” she murmurs in between bites. “It’s unnerving.”
“It’s the least unnerving thing that will happen to you in the coming days, Baby girl.”
She sighs and keeps eating. “This is the most delicious mac and cheese I’ve ever eaten.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.” I rub her back because I need to touch her.
She glances at me. “Aren’t you going to have some?”
“I ate while you were still asleep, Baby.”
“What time is it?” She looks around.
“Seven.”
“Oh wow. The sun was still peeking around the blinds when I woke up. It’s gone now.”
“You’ve just had the longest twenty-four hours of your life. After you eat, we’ll watch some TV so you can relax and then go to bed.”
“Do you have a guest room?”
“Yes.”
She sets her spoon down and turns toward me. Her bowl is empty. “That’s all you’re going to say? Yes?”
I shrug. “You asked if I had a guest room. I was simply answering your question. Was there a follow-up?” I tease.
She rolls her eyes. “It was implied, and you know it.”
“Did you roll your eyes at me again?”
She giggles. “Are you going to spank me?”
“Oh, Baby girl, I’m going to spank you often, with or without cause, I suspect. Is your curiosity so piqued that you’re intentionally misbehaving in order to goad me into swatting your naughty bottom tonight?”
She holds my gaze bravely for several seconds before looking down. “I don’t know,” she whispers.