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Gabby was correct. It seemed like he’d drafted this contract specifically for me. Realizing that, I reached for a pen and scribbled my name on the contract, right next to where he had already done so on Friday.

Then, I planned how I would return it to him.

Which wasn’t that difficult. I had Bennett’s calendar synced to the calendar app on my phone but even if I didn’t, I knew his schedule like the back of my hand. He jumpstarted every week by showing up at six-thirty in the morning, well over an hour earlier than anyone else, even myself, started their workday.

* * *

The clock sitting on his desk read 6:27. I shook the tension out of my arms and focused on my breathing. More research over the weekend had explained the proper position a submissive should greet her Dominant in. The contract hadn’t specified Bennett wanted me to do this, but he had mentioned his preference for having his subs naked and their knees far apart when they were kneeling. I was in the mindset that if I was going to accomplish something, I was going to do it correctly.

Oddly, the kneeling and breathing helped me. Practicing it over the weekend, I learned that getting on my knees, breathing slowly and calmly focused my attention on why I was doing this. The purpose. The goal. And, the person.

I shifted again. I’d shown up ten minutes early in case Bennett did as well, but now I’d been in this position for seven, no, eight minutes, and the carpet in our offices wasn’t exactly soft with plush padding.

The echo of the elevator arriving to our floor shot through the air like a grenade and I straightened my back.

Ten seconds until he walked in and saw me.

Nine seconds until I puked.

Hold it in and focus.

I readjusted the file folder on the floor in front of me, rolled my shoulders back, placed my hands on my knees, palms up, and bowed my head.

Muffled noises came from outside his office, a light in my office clicked on and then went dark again before the door to his office clicked.

The soft whoosh of his door opening stole my breath.

The snip of it closing forced it right back out.

I bit my bottom lip to quell my nerves.

Bennett didn’t speak but it was him. His presence was undeniable, his scent wafted into the air. It was the silence that almost undid me.Focus.

His footsteps grew closer, the thud of his shoes on the carpet timed to the thumping of my heart until he was in front of me. Shined, black shoes stopped on the other side of the file folder.

He bent, long and strong fingers appearing in my vision as he picked up the file folder and stood. God, I wanted to look at him. Wanted to see his expression. Yet as I continued my breathing, held my position, I didn’t need to.

Approval rolled off him in palpable tendrils so warm it felt like we’d been tossed into a sauna.

“Thought about you all weekend long,” he finally said and a pressure released on my chest like a valve. “Wondered what you thought of this when I didn’t say anything Friday. I got concerned that maybe I’d walk in here today and find your office cleaned out and your resignation letter on my desk.”

That was why he’d stopped at my office first? An ache pinched my chest and I opened my mouth to apologize, but he continued speaking before I could.

“But I have to tell you, in all the thoughts I had, I have never, not once in my life, seen anything as glorious as this.”

He held out a hand and I placed my hand in his. A zing of electricity shot straight to my chest and I gasped while he pulled me to my feet.

“What are you doing here?” Bennett asked when I was standing. His thumb pressed against my chin and he tilted my head up. “Care to explain to me why you’re on your knees in my office? It’s quite the risk.”

New Year, new goals, new life... “You told me you wouldn’t touch me again, mention our night together, or my one night fall into submission until I was on my knees, begging and pleading for you again.”

“Is that what you’re doing?”

I pointed at the file he was still holding in his hand. “Have you looked at it?”

“I want to hear your own words, sub.”

His dark brown eyes went jet black. Nerves rattled me, bouncing around like jumping beans. One word and he’d shaken me.