Page 30 of Royal Deception

His lips twitch, something like satisfaction in his smirk.

“Good,” he murmurs.

Rory doesn’t make a move, though. He stays rooted in place, watching me closely as though assessing my response, measuring my willingness. The weight of his gaze sends a shiver down my spine.

“There’s something you need to understand about me,” he says, his voice quiet but firm. “I’m a strict master, Clary. I expect complete obedience. Brattiness doesn’t please me. Once we start this arrangement, you surrender complete control.”

A tremor races down my spine at his words, the idea sparking something primal and exciting to life inside me. The idea of just shutting down like that, giving someone else the reins for once–it’s downright intoxicating.

No more endless second-guessing. No more wondering whether I’m doing a good enough job. Just following orders.

His eyes darken as if he can see the effect his words have on me. “This isn’t just about pleasure. It’s about trust. I will take care of you, but you will listen. You will obey.”

I swallow, my heart racing, hyper-aware of how close he is right now. “I understand.”

He studies me for a long moment, then nods. “I’m going to start slow tonight. No need to take off any of your clothes. I want to see how easily I can get you to obey my commands.”

I tense slightly, uncertain of what that means, but as he steps forward and touches my wrist with a brush of his fingers, it has an immediate effect. I feel something akin to calm washing over me.

“Just breathe,” he murmurs. I exhale slowly, his fingers sliding up and over my forearm. His touch is light but deliberate.Grounding. Focusing on the sensation instead of the rapid thoughts whirling around my head has me melting under him, desire mixing with a kind of peace.

“Good girl,” he says, and the praise is like a spark catching in my chest.

His hands move to my shoulders, applying the faintest pressure. “Drop them.”

I realize I’ve been holding myself stiff, my shoulders locked tight with tension. At his instruction, I let them relax, sinking slightly under his touch.

“Close your eyes.”

I obey without hesitation.

“Don’t think. Just listen to me.”

I focus on the cadence of his voice, the deep timbre smoothing over me like velvet. His fingers ghost down my arms again, a light pressure, a guiding touch.

“Feel,” he instructs. “Nothing else. No worries, no distractions. Just this.”

I inhale, then exhale. My body loosens further, my mind quieting. For the first time in what feels like forever, I’m not overthinking. I feel as though I’m floating in the ether, no worries, no stress. Just Rory.

“That’s it,” Rory praises, his voice a low murmur. “Good girl.”

A sigh slips from my lips. The words soak into me, warm and weighty. I never knew how much I craved this—a firm hand, a steady voice guiding me, leading me into something deeper.

“From now on, when you are with me like this, you don’t have to think,” Rory tells me. “I will do that for you.”

A shiver rolls through me but my heart remains steady, already locked into Rory’s commands.

“Yes, sir,” I whisper.

His fingers curl under my chin, tilting my face up slightly. “That’s my girl.”

As Rory leaves, his presence lingers in the air, leaving me with a strange stillness. I sit on the edge of my bed, mind racing.

Was this a mistake? Can I handle this arrangement between us?

I thought I could deal with the situation. Slipping into the role of submissive seemed far too easy before. But now, doubt starts creeping in. Not to mention the baby, which really puts a wrench in the whole thing.

I lie back, staring at the ceiling. Maybe I’m just overthinking. But at the same time, it feels like I’m standing close to the edge of something, uncertain whether I should keep going.