“Dominant and submissive.”
Her whole body froze. Please don’t run. Please don’t run.
“Oh.” Her eyes wide. “Oh.”
I watched the assumption hit, weekend scenes, novelty collars, back to normal on Monday.
Her hand slipped off my chain.
“That’s… a lot. I don’t… know anything about that.” Her gaze dropped to look anywhere but at me.
“I can teach?—”
“No.” She cut across it fast, shaking her head
“No?”
“I mean, I’ve seen… clips, articles, whatever. I know it’s… intense. You should probably find someone who knows what they’re doing with that. Someone experienced. I don’t want to… disappoint you.”
“That’s not what I’m asking for.”
“You literally just used the words dominant and submissive. That’s exactly what you’re asking for.”
“I want something real. Not something we pull out in hotels and hang back in a closet after. I’m not looking for a kink partner.”
She lightly gulped. “What do you want, then?”
“You. All the way. Full-time. My say over certain things. Your trust to give me that say. Rules. Rituals. Structure. Not as a game. As baseline.”
My fingers tightened at her nape. I couldn’t hide my possession. I had tendencies. Hiding who I was would only cause her problems.
“You’re talking about… lifestyle.” Her eyes searched my face.
“I’m talking about real. Crows don’t play dress-up with power. If I take that on with you, it’s because I intend to carry it. Not for a night. For as long as you let me.”
The rest stayed where it belonged, for now. Not said. I wouldn’t scare her with history and facts.
She chewed her lip. “I don’t… know anything about that world. There are contracts and protocols and safe-words and apps and… you’ve clearly thought about this. I’m… not on your level, Vince.”
“You think I want less because you haven’t done it before?”
“I think heirs don’t usually volunteer to onboard virgins into anything. Let alone that.”
“Virgins?”
“You know what I mean. New. Inexperienced. Whatever the polite term is. And you’re… you.” She flapped a hand at me like that covered three decades of sins. “You don’t date. You don’t have time to coax some clueless little idiot through feelings and rules and aftercare checklists.”
“Don’t call yourself an idiot.”
The words came out sharp and she flinched. Barely. But still, unacceptable. My baby, doesn’t flinch from her dom.
My thumb gentled, stroking her cheek. “I’m not looking for a fully trained submissive with a resume. That’s not the job.”
“Can I… think about it?” Her gaze lifted back to mine
I couldn’t blame her. Dynasty had already taken a wrecking bar to her autonomy. I was asking for what was left.
“Of course baby,”
