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Chapter Fifteen

Rebecca

I hadn’t intended to tell him anything. Bennett was never going to be on my list of confidantes about my past, but like always, what he said about needing to know my background and what could trigger me during a scene made rational sense.

I hadn’t expected to feel a heat ignite off him like he’d been set on fire by my match. I hadn’t meant to hurt him.

“I didn’t mean...” Damn, he flustered me. His change in demeanor heated the air and I rubbed my arms to erase the funny feeling climbing against my skin. “Fine, you know what? Yeah, it started out that way, not with you. I don’t understand your need to control everything.”

“Yet you’re friends with Miranda and Shawn.”

“Well, yeah.” My shoulders fell and I gulped the rest of my water. “Okay, you want the truth?”

He shot me a look I didn’t need to interpret.

“The truth, is that I was scared senseless when I first learned what Miranda and Shawn were into. I walked into their playroom by accident and lost my shit, tried to get Miranda to leave him immediately. Since then, she’s talked about it a lot. I’ve studied them for any signs of abuse.”

“And what’d you find?”

I shoved a hand through my hair and groaned. God, he was so damn pushy. “I like Shawn. I think he treats Miranda like a queen.”

“And?”

If I could have reached him without making a scene, I would have wiped the smirk off his face.

“And she likes it. But I still don’t understand it. And I meant what I said the other day. I don’t ever want to give that kind of control to a man.”

“Yet you agreed to my contract.”

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. My mouth opened and snapped closed several times like a frustrated fish. Even while I’d spent the weekend debating signing the contract, or when I debated whether or not to drop to my knees that morning to beg him, I still wasn’t one hundred percent certain I was confident with what I was doing. I was more assuming it’d become clear why I wanted it as time went on.

“You want to hear why I think you signed it? Why you dropped to your knees this morning and spread your legs and let me lick your pussy?”

“Why?” I croaked.

He leaned forward and rested his arms on the table, getting as close as he possibly could. “Because you want it. Because when I was reddening your ass last week, you fucking enjoyed it even though you don’t understand why you did, and the truth is, the why doesn’t matter. Who gives a shit why you like to be bossed around? Who cares why my hand landing on your beautiful backside makes you soaking wet? You signed that contract because you enjoyed that for an hour or two, you were finally able to let go, to trust in someone, and to not have to worry about anything when you’ve spent your entire life locked up in worry and fear. I gave you that freedom.”

God. It sounded exactly right. I shoved an onion ring into my mouth.

“That’s right Rebecca.” He chuckled evilly. “Eat your dinner. You’re going to need your stamina later when I’m fucking you so hard you’re seeing stars.”

Warmth flushed my cheeks and entirely different heat sparked arousal at my core. I rubbed my thighs together to quell the ache his words created deep inside me.

I tucked into my burger, keeping my eyes on my plate while I ate in order to avoid more conversation with Bennett. Somehow, even when he was asking questions, getting to know me, he was still controlling everything.

I needed to hold on to some form of it before surrendering everything to him.

He allowed my silence until I ate and swallowed my last bite of burger. The waitress stopped by, refilled our water, and after she walked away, Bennett pushed his plate away from him.

“You going to back out on me?”

Good God. He just jumped right in.

“No,” I replied. “I’m not. I told you this morning that I’m scared, but I’m also curious.”

I lifted my gaze and it landed on deliciously full lips lifted into a quirky grin. Amused but interested, and I realized that was often how he looked at me lately. Sure, he was still a bit surly, rough and cocky and arrogant, but when his gaze landed on me, it softened in that same way it did when he was diving hard and deep inside me.

“Good. We done now, then? Because I’ve had plans for you running through my mind once I finally get you into my bed and I’m done waiting. Last chance to back out, Rebecca.”