Page 45 of Crave Me
Chapter Sixteen
Chloe
I stood in front of my full-length mirror in my small bedroom and ran my hands down the length of my skintight bright red dress. A garter belt beneath and stockings were the only other things I wore until I put on matching red shoes with spikes for heels. No under garments, per Simon’s rules.
His exact words last night when we spoke and he told me he was taking me to Luminous, putting me back on a St. Andrew’s cross, had actually been, “I don’t want anything hindering me from touching you, wherever and whenever I want.”
The dress, while modest in the front with a neckline cutting straight across my collarbone, left my back completely exposed. It dipped down to just above my ass and one wrong move could expose the sides of my breasts, my butt, or my pussy to anyone.
I slid into the heels which gave me an extra five inches in height and reached for the black coat I’d draped on my bed.
Simon would be here soon.
With another quick glance at myself in my mirror, I fluffed my hair, gathering what had gotten stuck in the coat so it fell down my back. I’d gone light on my makeup, especially the mascara, so if what he did caused me pain, it wouldn’t be evident by streaks down my cheek.
To say I was nervous was an understatement. As we talked over the week, he decided going back to Luminous sooner rather than later was best for me. He wanted to get me back on the cross and give me a completely different experience. Hopefully it would end in pleasure and orgasms and not pain and tears.
To say I was excited was also an understatement. I’d been to Luminous a handful of times before the night a few weeks ago, but while I’d spent time in the main social area, I hadn’t seen what all the rooms had to offer. Tonight, I was hoping to explore all of it, from the group rooms, some I hadn’t yet entered, to hopefully, one of the private ones.
After his declaration on Sunday when he’d said he wanted to see me and hadn’t been able to stop thinking of me, he’d handed me a kernel of hope. I wanted to plant it and watch it grow, to show him we would be perfect for each other, despite his reservations.
But after he left, we’d barely spoken throughout the week. Short conversations, nightly check-ins with hints at flirting and teasing, but mostly it seemed like he was keeping his pulse on me, ensuring I was okay like a Dom would do, and not as some guy who wanted to be with a woman.
With a fortifying breath, which did little to quell my nerves, I grabbed my small clutch bag, an overnight bag because he’d told me I was staying at his place, and left my apartment, locking it behind me.
I was stepping out of the elevator at the main floor just as Simon walked into the lobby. The doors to the elevator dinged closed behind me, but I was frozen in my spot on the wood floor. God, he took my breath away. Every time I was around him, he seemed to become more attractive. Lickable. Kissable. Huggable and lovable and a slew of other—ables I couldn’t express with more than a whimper.
Dressed in a black suit, white dress shirt, black tie, his pants were a slim cut and his shiny black dress shoes ended in a severe point at the toe. He could have just stepped out of a model shoot from a men’s fashion magazine, not showered after a high school hockey practice.
Simon, on the other hand, had no problems sauntering toward me like he owned not only the apartment building, but me, as well. He wasn’t too far off the mark.
“You are stunning,” he said, reaching me and taking my hand in his. “You ready for tonight?”
I stared at him. So much stunning beauty smiling down on me, it was hard to think straight.
“Chloe?”
I didn’t answer.
His head tilted, eyes narrowed with concern. “You okay?”
“Yeah, um. I’m okay. Just, you look good.”
He laughed softly, lifted his other hand and slid it to the side of my neck. His hand always landed there, a gesture of possession as much as I knew he was checking my fluttering pulse. “Trust me, no one will be looking at me tonight. They’ll all be staring at you. Ready?”
“Yes,” I answered. “I’m ready.”
He pulled me toward him and gently kissed my cheek. “No need to be nervous, Chloe. I’ll take care of you.”
I nodded against him. The brush of his unshaven stubble across my skin made me shiver.
“Let’s do this, then.”
He chuckled softly, but wrapped his hand around my elbow and held me to his side. I waved good night to the security guard and when we were outside, Simon helped me up into his Tahoe. Once we were enclosed in his SUV, he pulled out onto the street and headed east on Michigan Avenue. Every block he drove us closer to Luminous made my pulse and nerves pump harder in my veins.
“There’s no reason to be scared,” he said. “I can feel you thinking from here.”
I glanced at him and then out my side of the window where business and apartment buildings flew by. It was dark, the sun having set hours ago. The streetlights curved over the sidewalk and light from windows sparkled in the crisp, clean night air.
