Blinking up at him, she frowned at the command, her eyes darting back and forth again. “Why?”
“Because I told you to, and you’re Daddy’s good girl.”
Her pupils, which had already eaten up most of the pale blue of her irises, widened even further. “I am?”
“You are. Now, turn around so I can get this damn dress off you and see what’s mine.”
“I shouldn’t like that,” she muttered, but she did as he’d instructed and turned her back to him, one elegant hand reaching back to swoop her hair off her neck.
“But you do.” Reaching for the zipper on her dress, he tugged, slowly pulling it down to expose more and more of that creamy, beautiful skin. He made sure to let his fingertips graze her spine as he did so, and was rewarded with a delightful little shiver. “You like being told what a good girl you are.” Dipping his head, he brushed a kiss over her shoulder, and fuck him if she didn’t actually whimper in response. “You like giving yourself over, letting someone else be in charge. Don’t you, princess?”
“Right now? Yes.” No coyness, no pretense. Just a simple, straightforward answer that seemed to wrap around his cock and tug.
“Good girl. I appreciate honesty.”
“So you said.”
“Mmm.” With the zipper down, he let his fingers travel, exploring every inch of her back as he nudged the silky material from her, baring her inch by tortuous inch. “Some things bear repeating.”
It took a moment to work the dress over the generous swell of her hips, but when all the emerald shimmied to the ground, leaving her bare but for the white satiny bra and matching panties, he nearly fell to his knees and wept at the sight of her.
Perfect. And all his, at least for tonight.
Another delicate shiver racked her frame and he again pressed a kiss to her shoulder, this one meant to soothe rather than arouse.
“What color are you, princess?”
“Color?”
Jesus, she really was new. Which meant he had no damn business touching her, but he was too far gone now to change his mind. “Color. Like a traffic light. Green to go, yellow to slow down, red to stop entirely.”
“Doesn’t yellow mean speed up and see if you can beat the red?”
The thought of her racing against the light, another car bearing down on her from the opposite direction, had the edges of his vision going red as he slid his hand around her throat. “Your safety is not a joke to me, little girl.” He let the steel infuse his voice, let himself be the man he couldn’t help but become when someone he cared about was in danger, despite knowing she was only his for the night. “If you aren’t going to take my questions seriously, you are going to be one sorry little girl. Understood?”
Beneath his palm, her throat moved, and for a moment he considered tightening his grip. Cutting off that precious flow of oxygen until she understood exactly how fucking serious he was.
It took more restraint than it should have to wrestle those particular demons back. But he left his hand there, firmly enough for her to understand that he could deprive her if he wanted to and there was nothing she could do to stop him if she wasn’t willing to use the safewords he was giving her.
She couldn’t stop you at all if you really wanted to hurt her. Such a delicate little thing, all at your mercy.
No. That wasn’t who he was. Not here.
Shaking off those unsettling thoughts, he pulled her more firmly back against him, her soft flesh pressing up against his aching cock. “I asked you a question, princess. Do you understand that you will take your personal safety seriously while we play, or Daddy will punish you?”
“Just while we play?”
If she’d been his, the answer would be wildly different. As his woman, his babygirl, she’d have rules to follow. Rules and routines and demands on her time and body she’d submit to or face his discipline.
But considering it was unlikely they’d ever even see each other again after tonight, he’d have to settle for her submission in this one arena only. “Just while we play,” he confirmed, though it made his chest ache with want to say it.
Silence stretched between them again, heavy and expectant as he waited for her to surrender.
To submit.
And then, finally, her soft, “Yes, Daddy.”
That clawing beast inside his chest immediately calmed at her words, though it was still there, prowling inside him, waiting for another chance to pounce. “Good girl. Now, what color are you?”
