Bind by Sierra Cartwright Page B

recognized she was a novice, and fuck, he had to admit that it appealed to him. He hadn’t had a serious relationship since his father had passed. Until Lara, he hadn’t even been attracted to anyone.
    Recently, he’d gone to a local club with his friends Reece and Sarah. Julien Bonds had flown in to meet them. While Connor had enjoyed being there, he hadn’t scened. Without a relationship, it was sexy, but not significant.
    Watching Reece flog Sarah had made him restless. The two had seemed unaware of anyone else, and the way Reece had interacted with her, even carrying her to a comfort couch for her aftercare, had spoken of an intimacy that was missing in his own life. “No doubt you will have needs,” he agreed finally. “I would do anything in my power to meet them.”
    “That doesn’t sound very Dom-like.”
    He grinned. “Be that as it may, taking care of a sub gives me fulfillment.” When she didn’t say anything, he continued, “To me, D/s relationships are different from others on many levels, and they require tremendous trust. I will work to ensure that I deserve your trust by honoring my word, letting you know what to expect and never taking you further than you’re comfortable with or have agreed to go.”
    After pausing for a moment, he added, “I will be the Dom you need, the Dom you require, the Dom you want. In return, I expect you to accord me your respect and utter loyalty, at home as well as in public. I don’t anticipate that you’d agree with me on all matters, but I would demand that we handle disagreements discreetly. Details of our relationship would remain between us. Always. As part of our prenuptial, you would agree that there would be no tell-all book. No interviews with the press.”
    “If you even think such a thing, Mr. Donovan—”
    “I leave nothing to chance, Ms. Bertrand, not when it comes to my family. I expect you’re the same way and that’s why you approached me.”
    She gave a nod, slow, as if reluctant.
    “That said, I promise you I would be a patient Dom and honorable husband. I even know how to do laundry and load the dishwasher.”
    “All that?”
    “And I give excellent foot rubs.”
    A delicate flush stained her cheeks. That was another thing he hadn’t expected. The contradiction between sophistication and innocence ensnared him.
    For a moment, the tension eased.
    Then, as he waited, it grew again.
    “You were right when you said I had no idea what I was suggesting when I came to you with my proposal.”
    “It’s a lot to take in,” he agreed. “You’re free to leave and think about it. Or perhaps you’d like a taste of what you’d be in for as my wife, my sub?”
    “What are you suggesting?”
    “That you give me the chance to tantalize you. To see if it might be in your personality. After that, if you still want to pursue the possibility of getting married, we’ll set up another meeting outside of work, where we’ll have adequate time to talk about details and get more intimately acquainted.”
    She hesitated.
    He didn’t push. But damn, part of him hoped, really hoped she was interested enough to accept his challenge. And he admitted he wanted to touch her, make her respond to him.
    “I feel like I’ve entered a maze. This is a bit of a mind fuck.”
    He didn’t disagree with her statement.
    “What do you want me to do?”
    He pointed to a spot in front of the couch. “Go stand over there. Take off your suit jacket.”
    Eventually she stood.
    “Lock the door first.”
    She gave a small nod before pivoting and heading toward the door. As she walked, he stared.
    Her hips were rounded, and he noticed the way her buttocks were emphasized by the tight fit of her skirt. Connor considered that maybe his earlier thought had been wrong. Maybe she hadn’t chosen the red suit for power. Or Christ, maybe she had, her power over him. Those heels, those stockings… “Seams up the back?” Damn.
    “Problem?” She turned the big lock. The bolt