“Does that work for you, sweetness?”
“If it doesn’t?”
I bypass her question. “What scares you?”
She avoids looking at me. “You want control in every facet of my life.”
I don’t want to control her life. It’s not about what clothes I want her to wear, what music she should listen to, or who she’s allowed to speak with. I want her to relinquish to me what a man should do for his woman.
Open the car door. Walk on the sidewalk on the street side. Feed her. Do a store run for pads or tampons. Bring her a care package of snacks, a heating pad, and meds for when she’s on her period.
Give her aftercare after doing the dirty deed. Threaten any guy with bodily harm if he disrespects her in any way. Give her a shoulder to cry on. Have her come first and multiple times before I shoot my load. Protect her at all costs. These are the things I want her to give me control over.
Ever is strong, but I want her to know she can lean on me, and I’ll be there to hold her up on those difficult days.
“You didn’t answer my question.” I cross my arms and lean in. Or else, I’ll kiss her in the parking lot, and I’m not a PDA kind of guy. I prefer my life to be private. “What scares you, baby?” I drop my voice to a low growl. “No one gets to hurt you. Not even a spider.” Spiders scare the fuck out of me, but I’ll carry one in my hand and set the little thing outdoors to protect my woman.
I earn a small smile from her before she tips her cute chin at me and glowers. “You didn’t answer mine.”
I grasp the helmet’s lip and tug until she’s forced to look at me and feel the heat from my body as I step into her space. I tower over her, asserting my dominance for giving me attitude. But damn, her attitude gets me rock hard.
“Let me restate my question and you tell me whether you still need me to answer yours.” I put my face near hers so that my eyes are all she’s seeing.
Ever digs my eyes. When she turned and faced me at Crimson, her eyes went to mine, and they widened with surprise, followed by curiosity, then deep interest. Fuck yeah, I’ll use the unique color of my eyes to my advantage.
“What scares you about giving up control to me?” I’ll keep asking until she tells me.
“You’re not speaking about sex anymore.”
Ever is smart. “No, baby.”
She narrows her eyes. “What if I want to take back any control I give you?”
Give and not relinquish. Ever keeps me on my toes, and I like it. A lot.
“You give up something in return. That is my rule, sweetness. You agreed, remember?”
“What did other women ask for? What happened when they said no to being your submissive?”
“What did I say about other women?” I don’t give her a chance to answer. This part is non-negotiable. “You are mine. There is no woman before you. You are and have been the only woman in my life. Do you understand?” I tighten my grip on the lip so that she has no choice but to answer with words.
Ever surprises me again with her attitude. Then again, why am I surprised? Part of her appeal is the side of her that challenges and pushes my limits.
“I’d like to know.” Her hands go to her hips.
I’m not giving in to her. Don’t want that shit taking up her headspace. I understand what it’s like to have that kind of torture living in my head.
Believe me, I’ve pictured Jules pleasuring the guys she cheated on me with. Thought that in every vehicle I passed that fit the description of what Dom had given me, I’d find Jules and the bastard in it. That kind of jealousy and possessiveness fucked with my mind, and no way in hell will I let Ever go through what I did.
“Knowing went out the door when you said you’re my girl.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Fair isn’t me, babe.” Life is unfair. I walked out on my own off C-17s while my fallen comrades were carried out in coffins. Now that’s fucking unfair. They had families who gave a shit. I’m an unwanted bastard. Yeah, life is fucking unfair.
“Would you freely speak about the guys you were with before me?” I challenge.
But my attempt at a tit for tat backfires.
