“You know, bratty subs don’t get to keep their clothes.” My voice is soft but sharp, the kind that lingers in the air like a whispered threat.
Sophie stiffens, clearly aroused, but not ready to give in without a fight.
I crouch down, my face level with hers, and reach out to tilt her chin up, forcing her to look directly at me.
“True submission is everything to me, little dove.”
It’s a command and a promise at once, and for the first time, I see her bravado falter completely.
She’s not completely submitting, but she’s not pushing back, either.
“Good girl,” I murmur, letting the words linger, and I see her shiver, the praise igniting a glow in her eyes. The brat is still there, simmering beneath her skin, but now it’s watered down with a willingness that makes me admire her so fucking much.
Without thinking, I let my fingers sweep through her hair, tugging gently, just enough to draw a small gasp from her lips. Her breath catches again, and this time she doesn’t fight it. Her gaze stays locked with mine, vulnerable yet fiercely stubborn, as though daring me to see every part of her and still take her as she is.
“Keep your eyes on me, Sophie,” I command softly, and to my satisfaction, she obeys without hesitation. Her gaze doesn’t waver, and for a moment, I lose myself in the way she’s looking at me—half defiant, half surrendered, wholly mine.
I feel Julian’s eyes on us, a reminder that he’s still there, but even he’s faded into the background. Right now, all I see is Sophie kneeling in front of me. I’m tempted to tell herhow exquisite she looks, but then with a heavy weight in my abdomen, I remember my temporary role in all of this.
“You’re mine tonight,” I murmur, my voice a rough whisper. My words cause her cheeks to flush. She nods, biting her lower lip, and I notice the slightest smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth, as if to remind me that she’s still not entirely tamed.
I’ll have to work on that.
When she hesitates, I step behind her and lower my mouth near her ear, voice dropping. “If you’re good, maybe I’ll let your husband watch while I edge you for hours. But if you keep testing me… we’ll see how well that mouth of yours can beg.”
Sophie shudders visibly, and even Julian shifts in his seat.
“Yes, my lord,” she finally says, her words laced with mischief but also an unmistakable acceptance.
I tilt my head, letting my thumb brush her lower lip and admiring the way she opens her mouth just slightly, instinctively, as though ready to take any command I might give.
“Such a smart mouth,” I mutter, my tone wry. “Now, lose the clothes. I want nothing between us.”
This time, she obeys without a word, though the glimmer in her eyes promises this won’t be the last time she tests me.
“Tonight is only a taste,” I murmur as a reminder, brushing my thumb against her lower lip again and tugging it down slightly. “But next time… we’ll see how far I can take you.”
Her pupils dilate, and I look over to see Julian’s grip on the armrest tighten.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE DEFIANCE
Sophie
My chest rises and falls as I pull the zipper on the side of my dress down slowly. Julian is behind me, so I can’t see him. Despite that, I can feel his eyes boring into the back of my body, and as I look up at Kai, a shiver works through me at the way he’s drinking me in.
Whenever I sleep with men outside of my marriage, there’s always a wide range of preferences. No two men are going to approach fucking me the same, they have different tactics and techniques, different ways of doing things. I’ve been wined and dined while Julian sat nearby. I’ve also been pressed against a wall and fucked in a matter of minutes. Usually it’s somewhere in the middle, and usually, it’s Julian giving the commands.
I like that my husband is in charge. It makes me feel safe.
But right now?
I can’t look away from Kai as a dark piece of hair falls over his forehead, as he stands there with a heavy, commanding presence.
I’ve been with soft Dom’s before—men who dabble in BDSM. And like Julian told Kai, we’ve experimented with different kinky things. We’re not wholly vanilla, but we’re also not as intense as Kai seems to be.
I wasn’t sure what to expect tonight, but this?
