Page 44 of His Toy

“Tantalize him by withholding you,” Zaid said, thinking aloud.

“Exactly. We could—”

“This could destroy my design,” Zaid interrupted. “If he so much as touches you, I’ll—”

I could interrupt him too. “But wasn’t that always part of the plan? For me to be at his mercy? Even if it’s only for a few hours.”

Zaid looked away, staring off. He knew I was right.

“You’d be risking your life, Heather.”

“I already am.” Those dark brown eyes could have killed a person with how he stared at me, daring me to say more. But I went on. “We have a common goal, remember?”

He waited a moment, taking in my proposal. Then he shook his head.

“Fine,” he muttered. “You can come.”

The way he looked off into space, I knew I had pissed him off. I hadn’t meant to. I saw an opportunity. I didn’t think about the effects of my words on others—I said what was honestly on my mind. I valued that kind of honesty. Even if it got me into some terrible situations, like going to a party with the infamous crime lord, Eric. Like being taken under control by Zaid.

There was something I had been thinking about since we had left the Opulence. Another proposal of sorts. It would work well with our plans for the party, so I needed to say something now.

“There’s one thing we should talk about before we move forward.” The finality in my voice made Zaid straighten. “At least before the party.”

“Go on,” he said.

“I want to do this the right way.” He waited, staring at me patiently, so I continued. “I want to be your slave.”

His lips parted, and he licked his lips. That anguish, that frustration, was gone from his body, relaxed, at the idea of me as his slave.

“That’s not necessary for our agreement,” he said.

“I know.”

“Do you understand what you’re offering?”

“I don’t want to be just your accomplice anymore. I want to be your slave too. I want you to value my opinion, but I want you to be in control.” His gaze was fixed on me. I didn’t know how to convince him that I understood everything. “I think in order to be convincing to Eric, we need to do this right. I need to be yours.” I tilted my head. “And maybe it’ll make you trust me more, if I’m yours. Completely.”

Zaid studied me for a minute, hardly moving. It made me nervous.

“You would be under my command at all times,” he finally said.

“I know.”

“You’d have to willingly do whatever I desired, whatever I commanded.” He paused, his eyes heavy on me. “Without question. Without hesitation. You want that, Heather? Everything that comes with it?”

I know it was a total change in mood—to go from talking about destroying your enemy, to offering myself as a slave—but I guess I wanted to make him feel something else. This past with Eric pained him. I wanted to make him forget that, even if only for a few minutes.

Next to the table, I got into the high protocol position, Open. On my knees, my ass back on my haunches, hands linked behind me, my mouth open wide, never losing eye contact with Zaid.

“I want it, sir,” I said. “I want to learn how to please you. To obey you. To surrender everything. Not just like this. But every day. In every single way.”

His gaze bore down on me.

“In every way?” he asked.

“Yes, sir.”

He was still for a minute, studying me. Then he gestured for me to follow him. We went to the fireplace room. He sat on the couch near the window and rested his arms around the back of the seat. His button-up shirt. The tie. He was at ease. Confident. In total control.