Betting on Fate (14 page)

“I’ll keep that in mind for the future.” Garrett laughed, not even the least bit out of breath and apparently even less worried that what he’d done was illegal.

Except I didn’t use my safe word
. She gave herself a mental shake. That safe word was an agreement between her and Will—
not
his twin and future sister-in-law. “Let me out!”

Garrett turned to look at her. “Your Dom requires your presence.”

The words sent a spike of hope through her, but she did her best to kill it. If Will was planning to apologize,
kidnapping
her wasn’t a good way to go about it. “He’s not my Dom anymore.”

“Take that up with him.”

She slumped back into the seat and crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh, I plan to.”

Chapter Eighteen

Will paced the second floor of Serve, checking his watch yet again. What was taking Garrett so long? He should have been there fifteen minutes ago, or at the very least called to update Will on the situation. Instead, Will was left wondering what the hell was going on.

It was enough to make him worry he’d made a terrible mistake. Perhaps he should have gone with a more traditional route of asking forgiveness. But there had been little about his and Penelope’s relationship that was traditional, and it didn’t feel right. He needed her to know how important she was to him, and how much he was willing to try in order to make things work with her.

A Hallmark card simply wouldn’t cut it.

A shriek sounded as the elevator doors opened, and he turned in time to see Garrett exit with Penelope over one shoulder, Ridley trotting behind him with a grin on her face.

He glared. “What did you do?”

“She wasn’t inclined to see you.” Garrett slipped her off his shoulder, taking care that she didn’t fall when her feet hit the floor.

She shoved him away and spun to face Will. “What in God’s name is wrong with you?”

“I—”

“Did you suddenly forget how to use a phone?” She made a show of raking him from head to toe with her gaze. “Your legs seem to be in good working order, so it’s not injury keeping you from coming to me yourself.”

“Pen—”

But she wasn’t through. “I am not a dog that you can kick and then summon back to your side.
You
left
me
.
You
chose to change your mind about continuing after the seven days were up.
You
were the one who couldn’t be concerned with lowly emotions like the rest of us.”

Enough
. “Penelope.” He infused enough dominance into his voice to make her pause. Not for long, either, if her deep inhale was any indication. He had to talk fast or she’d get going again. “You’re right.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re right. Everything you’ve said is correct. I’ve been an unforgivable ass.” He took a breath. “But I love you, so I have to ask for your forgiveness. I
need
your forgiveness.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Five days ago you didn’t love me.”

“Yes, I did. But I was being the coward you accused me of, and lied about it.” He went down on one knee and then the other. “So I’m prepared to pay penance.”

“Penance?”

“Do what you need to do in order to balance the scales between us.” Her eyes went wide as understanding dawned. Did she understand how difficult it was for him to be here, on his knees for her, in front of everyone? She must. If anyone could understand, it was this woman. “I’d do that and more for a chance to start fresh with you.”

She finally seemed to register where they were. She looked around the room, her eyes going even wider. “You’re going to submit. To me.”

“Yes.”

“What about your precious control?”

He looked up into her dark eyes, trying to see something—anything—to indicate her state of mind. For the first time, though, her thoughts were closed to him. “If I have to chose between control and you, I choose you.”

She was silent so long, his knees started to ache from kneeling on the hard floor. Finally, she said, “What are your hard limits?”

He hesitated. As tempting as it was to say she could do anything she wanted to him—as much as he found he
needed
that—she had to understand that he was taking this with the utmost seriousness. Which meant hard limits. “Anal and group play.”

“Anything else?” When he shook his head, she nodded. “And your safe word?”

“Falcon.”

“Fine. Follow me.”

Confused, it took him a few extra seconds to climb to his feet and trail after her. She strode to the private rooms, picking the same one that they had used less than a week ago with Nolan. The memory burned him like acid, but he didn’t hesitate to follow her inside and wait while she shut the door and turned to consider him. His confusion must have still been plain on his face, because she frowned. “This is between us, Will. I’m not going to humiliate you in front of everyone.” She circled him. “If you’re submitting during this scene—”

“Not just this scene.”

She stopped short. “What?”

“I’m not fool enough to think that a single scene can make things right between us. I’m giving you the same amount of time you gave me—seven days.”

…

If Penelope had any doubts about Will’s seriousness—and the kidnapping would have banished most of them—the time limit he put on this was enough to convince her. The man was a control freak of the highest order and he breathed dominance right along with his oxygen. For him to offer to submit to her for seven full days?

Yes, he was deadly serious.

It made her want to cry and jump for joy, all at the same time. This was a gift, and she wasn’t going to lessen it by saying it was something she’d never wanted. Instead she said, “Strip.”

He obeyed, unbuttoning his shirt and shrugging it off with a detached efficiency that made things low in her stomach pulse. His pants followed, and then there was only him in all his glorious nakedness. She wanted to go to her knees and take him in her mouth until he lost his patience and threw her on the bed to have his wicked way with her.

But that wasn’t what tonight was about.

“The St. Andrew’s cross.”

He moved to it, with her a few steps behind, and positioned himself against it, his legs and arms spread. The sight made her mouth go dry. God, she wanted him with a desire that was beyond anything she’d ever felt before. “I’m not going to tie you. If your hands drop, you will be punished.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

She dug through the chest until she came up with a flogger. It would do for now—because Will wasn’t a masochist and he wasn’t a sub. He was there for penance. It was her duty to give it to him so that they could truly start fresh. She had no intention of taking him up on a full seven days, but she could give him tonight.

She began warming him up, keeping her strikes along his shoulders and ass, notching up the intensity until her shoulder and arm ached with the effort. She went until she could barely lift her arm, until his skin had acquired the deep red welts that she craved seeing, and his muscles shook from the effort to hold still. Only then did she drop the flogger and step back. “On the bed—on your back.”

He stumbled a little but he caught himself before actually falling. Will winced as his welted back met the sheets, but this too was a kind of purging. It felt strange to be back in the driver’s seat, especially with him, but natural at the same time. “Don’t move.”

Her slow undressing was made more than worth it by the desire and agony on his face at not being able to command her nearer. And then she was as naked as he was. She found a condom in the chest and took great pleasure in ripping it open and taking her time rolling it on his cock. His jaw tightened, but he didn’t say anything.

She climbed on top of him and wasted no time adjusting his angle and sinking onto him. God, she’d missed this, missed it so much it hurt. Penelope opened her eyes and leaned forward until their faces were kissably close. “Say it again.”

“I love you. Please forgive me.” He growled as she rolled her hips.

“Again.”

“I love you, pet.” His hands fisted the sheets, fighting to obey her despite every instinct demanding he do otherwise. “Please forgive me.”

She kissed him, long and deep. “I forgive you.” Another kiss. “Do you know what I’d like from you for the next seven days?”

“No, Mistress.”

She nibbled his earlobe. “I want you to fuck me whenever you feel like it. I want you to make me come so often, I lose count. I want to go to dinner and sneak off to the bathroom where you take me against the wall so hard, you have to cover my mouth to keep anyone from hearing me scream. I want to wear your marks on my body.” She never stopped moving, never stopped riding his cock as she whispered in his ear.

His hoarse laugh was music to her ears. “That’s not what I intended.”

“It doesn’t matter what you intended. This is about what I want, remember? And I want you to dominate me.” She set her teeth against his neck, hard enough to hurt. “Starting now.”

He had her on her back with her arms over her head between one breath and the next. Will met her gaze, and the wonder in his eyes hit her right in the chest. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.”

He thrust into her. “Say it again.”

“I love you.” He let go of her wrists and she wrapped her arms and legs around him, the words becoming a chant, a promise, a benediction. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

Epilogue

Penelope hurried around Serve’s dance floor and checked her watch for the fifth time in five minutes. Still late. She hadn’t expected her meeting to run long, but she couldn’t walk out when she was so close to closing the deal. She grinned. She had a new contract for her efforts, so hopefully Will would understand. He’d been exceedingly amazing in helping them both find a balance between their professional life and their personal one. It wasn’t without mishaps, but they were figuring things out.

She exited the elevator on the second floor and strode to the room he’d specified. Stopping with her hand on the doorknob, she took a deep breath and did her best to let the good and the bad of the day go. She wanted to run through the door and tell him everything, but there was a time and place for that, and Serve wasn’t it.

He wasn’t alone.

She stopped just inside the door, taking in the room in a glance. Will stood next to the bed, casually running a flogger through his hands. At his feet was a woman in red panties and little else. Penelope raised her brows.

Will briefly touched the sub’s head. “Do not move, Victoria.” Then he crossed to Penelope and guided her out the door.

Conflicting emotions rose in her, chief among them jealousy. But she held her tongue and waited for his explanation. He never did anything without a reason, and she couldn’t see him carelessly hurting her this way—or intentionally for that matter. “Well?”

“Don’t you like her? I know you’ve played with women from time to time, but I wasn’t sure of your preferences.”

It took her a full three seconds to understand. She glanced at the door. “She’s for
me?
”

“Pet, I would be a neglectful Dominant
and
boyfriend if I ignored the fact you’re a switch. When’s the last time you took the dominant side of things?”

He damn well knew it was with him and well over six months ago. She loved submitting to him. She did. But he was right. There was a part of her that missed it horribly. She caught herself staring at the door and jerked her gaze back to him. “You know, most men give flowers.”

“I’m not most men.”

If that wasn’t the God’s honest truth, she didn’t know what was. She smiled. “You got me a sub.”

“I did.” He paused. “I know you didn’t make a habit of sleeping with your subs before…”

“And I’m not about to start now.” Playing was one thing. Sex was completely another. The threesome Will had orchestrated—and he
still
wouldn’t tell her who their third was—had been fun, but that wasn’t something she wanted to share with others. She went onto her tiptoes and kissed him. “You’re the best.”

“Come, pet. Let’s go play with your new toy.”

She laughed as he led the way back into the room. The sub, Victoria, was a pretty little redhead, with pale skin that she suspected would redden up with the lightest of contact. Even now, a blush spread across the woman’s chest as she watched Penelope from beneath her lashes.

Running her fingers through the sub’s hair, she said, “Victoria, tell me your safe word.”

“Crimson.”

“Good girl.” She looked at Will, but he seemed content to sit on the couch and watch. The heat in his eyes was something to behold, though—he liked watching this side of her. Good. She liked him watching.

She considered the various options the room held and finally decided on the bed—the better for Will to see what she was about to do. She guided the sub up to the bed and bent the woman over it. “These panties have got to go, sugar.” Penelope slid them down the woman’s legs and threw them at Will. He caught the scrap of fabric with a wolfish grin.

The flogger Will had been playing with when she walked into the room was perfect—lightweight deerskin. She picked through the chest next to the sub, letting the woman see her pick up and discard toy after toy. The flogger would be excellent to start, but she wasn’t stopping there. She ran her fingers over a thick wooden paddle and smiled when the sub inhaled sharply. This was the one.

It felt so incredibly good to swing that flogger and watch the woman’s skin go pink from strikes
she
delivered. She got lost in the sensation, in the minute reactions of the sub’s body. Penelope stopped twice to check on her, but she was well and truly blissed out.

She stopped swinging when the woman’s ass was covered in thin welts and her pussy was so wet, Penelope could see it from where she stood. She walked over and ran her hands over the marks. “You’ve pleased me greatly, Victoria.”

“I… Thank you, Sir.”

She brought her hand down hard, making Victoria gasp. “As a reward for good behavior. I have one last instruction for you. Are you listening?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Good. You’re going to like this one.” She tangled her fingers in the sub’s hair and brought her up. She guided the woman over to the couch next to Will, careful to watch her to make sure she didn’t stumble. The sub looked confused, but expectant. Perfect.

Penelope slid into Will’s lap and kissed him. He responded instantly, opening his mouth for her, and letting her drive the contact.
God, I love this man
. She lifted her head and leaned over to take Victoria’s hand. “Touch yourself. I want to watch you come.”

The sub’s lips parted and her eyes went wide. “Yes, Sir.”

She settled against Will as the woman went to work, her fingers sliding between her legs as she watched Penelope. She saw the exact moment Victoria lost control, her body going tense and tight as a low moan slipped past her lips. It made Penelope’s skin feel too tight, but she wasn’t done yet.

She got up and grabbed one of the blankets stored specifically for aftercare and wrapped it around Victoria, wedging the woman between her and Will. Minutes ticked by as the sub’s shivering subsided. Penelope pressed a kiss to her temple. “I hope we can do this again sometime, Victoria.”

“Me too, Sir.” She ducked her head and climbed to her feet. “Thank you.” Then she turned around and walked from the room.

The door had barely closed when Will had Penelope under him. She went for the front of his pants as he yanked her dress up. Half a breath later, he was inside her. “We’re doing this again, pet.”

“Yes, Sir.” She kissed him, moaning against his lips as he shoved his hands under her hips, pushing his cock deeper into her. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” He rocked against her, the little motions sending sparks dancing behind her eyes. “Fuck, I love you so much it makes me crazy.” He shifted, lifting her so she straddled him. She wasted no time gripping his shoulders and rolling her body up and down his cock. All the pent up desire that had been building from the moment she walked into this room and realized what he had planned for her peaked, sending her hurtling into oblivion, his name on her lips.

She was vaguely aware of him following her over the edge, and then she slumped against his chest. “That was fun.”

“Marry me, pet.”

Penelope lifted her head so fast, she clipped his jaw. “What did you just say?”

He rubbed his jaw, looking slightly uncomfortable. “I had a plan. I was going to wait for the opening night at the Falcon Bar and pull you up to the roof and propose.”

“But that’s tomorrow.”

“I know.” His grin was a bit self-deprecating as he pulled a ring box out of the jacket that had fallen to the floor. “But things never seem to go according to plan where you’re concerned.” He opened the box, revealing a large princess cut diamond in a simple white gold band. It was
perfect
.

She started to reach out to touch it and stopped before her fingers made contact. “You’re proposing.”

“I knew the moment you took me back that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I won’t suggest we combine our businesses or any other such nonsense—the competition is good for us.”

And for their sex life.

He kept going. “I can’t promise I’ll never make mistakes, but I can promise that I’ll never stop loving you and working to be the best husband and Dom I can possibly be. Will you do me the unbelievable honor of being my wife, Penelope?”

There was only one answer. There had only ever been one answer. She nodded and let him slip the ring on her finger—a perfect fit—and then framed his face with her hands. “Yes, Sir.”

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