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“We should dry this hair of mine,” I said, reaching for the brush as he did. He tugged off the towel as I grabbed the blow dryer. Having him brush through my hair felt decadent, and it was definitely something I could get used to. As was this view back inside the bedroom.
The floor-to-ceiling windows had a full view of the beach and sea. The sun had fallen below the horizon, but the rays were still shimmering on the water, rippling on the azure surface. The final scene before the light lowered below the horizon. A silk brush down my arm made me shiver, and I looked up at Rocco, holding a black scarf in his hands. I eyed it, curious. “What’s that for?”
“Your eyes,” he said, then padded over to a drawer and removed four black silk wraps. “These will tie you down to the bed. I want to wrap you up like my present.” His words wereplayful and light, but this was new territory. My wrists and legs would be bound, and I wouldn’t be able to see. I’d be entirely at his mercy. I’d seen bondage used in movies and online. It had me curious as I had been before when he dominated me.
Rocco brought out cords with hooks that could attach to the cloud bed, but he stopped before putting anything in place. He’d only do it with my consent.
I slid the soft satin over my skin and tingled. “What will you do?”
“Whatever I want for as long as I want.” His low, authoritative tone sent a thrill down my spine.
My head turned to look at him, and his expression was dark, carnal. It was a part of Rocco he rarely showed, and the tension in his body charged the air between us. He used the term ‘present.’ “You think of me as a gift, Rocco?”
“I think of you as mine. Binding you is a fantasy I’ve had about you for a while. But it’s up to you. We try it. If you say a safe word, I’ll stop immediately. We go back to our new routine: we fuck. Eat. Fuck again until we fall asleep.”
I grinned and rubbed the fabric between my fingertips. The eye sockets had extra padding. “So complex, this calendar of yours.”
“Honeymoon calendar.”
Rocco wasn’t hiding anything, but what surprised me was my next thought:He won’t hurt me.
I stepped back and gasped. My free hand touched my chest, where my heart seized and then hammered. I felt Rocco’s hand on my back.
“What’s wrong?” His voice rose in alarm and concern.
“Nothing, I mean.” I flicked my eyes up to his. “I never thought I’d trust a man, but I trust you. You told me the truth even though it could have ruined things between us.”
“Lies ruin more.”
His gaze filled with sympathy, and that encouraged me to go on.
I nodded affirmingly. “I…I was born in violence and lived without control. There were times when I never thought I’d never make it past it. Sometimes I wished I didn’t.”
He took my hand.
“I’ve had therapy and healed some of my old wounds, but…sometimes I still struggle.”
He let go and rubbed my back. “Your nightmares,” he whispered, and I nodded. “I wish I could take them away, Bella.”
I exhaled long. “I know…I thought I’d never get close to anyone, even my husband. But I feel differently with you.” My words weren’t as straightforward because my mind was trying to process this change, but for me, it was huge.
“Can I hold you?” Rocco asked in a gentle tone, even though I could feel his visceral pull to take hold of me. His self-control brought on a feeling of calm.
I nodded, and he took my hand, sat on the edge of the bed, and took my waist to straddle his lap. He held me, letting my head rest against his warm body and heart. I felt safe.
“No one will ever hurt you again. I promise,” he whispered soothingly and kissed the top of my head. When I relaxed in his arms, Rocco suggested, “Let’s go have dinner.”
I lifted my head. “No. I want you to bind me.”
I felt the pulse of his hard cock against my stomach. It excited him, but I knew he was still reluctant.
My hand clasped his and I met his eyes. “I need this too. I’ve lived in fear of men most of my life, that they’d control or hurt me, like my father. My brother and Luca were the only male friends I ever had or I let myself get close to. I don’t want to live in that fear with you or keep having it myself. I want to know if I let go….”
“That I’ll be there to catch you.”
I bobbed my head. “Yes. That’s what I need to feel. I need to trust you.” Love could only come from true trust and I needed to know if I could be so vulnerable with my body to be able to surrender my heart.
Our gazes connected and fused. A smile appeared on Rocco’s lips, and my pulse sped. He was so gorgeous. “All right. We’ll try. If you need to stop, we stop…Can you give me a safe word?”