She lifted her head and her wet cheeks brushed his chin. “I love you, Cole. I want to live with you and for you and by your side and at your feet. And not having kids doesn’t bother me.”
“You may change your mind one day.”
“And purple aliens may invade Earth, but I’m not going to let the possibility of something that might happen in the future take away my happiness in the present.”
“You humble me. How you accept so much of me. Everyone else has always tried to change me.” He ran his knuckles across her cheekbone. “You’re amazing. Has anyone ever told you?”
“No, Sir.”
He nearly growled at the Sir. “Bloody hell, Sasha.”
She couldn’t reply because he pulled her into his arms and settled his mouth over hers in a kiss that had her entire body begging for more. His mouth was hungry and urgent and she parted her lips to taste him. He trailed his fingers down her spine. She brought her hands to his waist. She wanted to feel him.
He pulled back. “Wait.”
“Why?” She could have groaned in frustration.
“Trust me.”
“Always.”
“Before I take you again, I want to show you something I found on my way back from my speaking engagement.”
She tried to think of what he could want to show her that would take precedence over where she thought the kiss was leading.
“You wrinkle your nose when you’re trying to understand something. Did you know that?”
“I do?”
“Yes.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “It makes me smile.”
She brought her hands up to his chest and started unbuttoning his shirt. “I’m glad it makes you smile. Now will you show me the thing you found so we can get back to the kissing part?”
“So impatient, little one.”
He was being an awful tease. “You’re in my apartment. We’re alone. And my bedroom is right down the hall. Give me one reason not to be impatient.”
“You underestimate me. I’ll give you five: One, because I said so. Two, I love you. Three, I want you. Four, I want everyone to know you’re mine. And five,” He slipped his hand into his pocket and withdrew a slender box. “I want you in my collar. And not a training one this time.”
She stared at the box as tears filled her eyes. “Oh, my God.”
“Sasha?”
It was too much. Him coming to her apartment and saying he loved her and then offering her his collar. It was all her best days wrapped up together in one. Emotion welled up in her throat and she buried her face in her hands right as a sob escaped her throat.
“Don’t weep, little one.”
“I just, it’s only . . .” She looked up. “I never imagined.”
“And I can’t imagine anything else. Will you wear it?”
She bit her bottom lip. She wanted so badly to say yes, but knew better than to let excitement overrule her common sense. “If I agree to wear it, will I be your submissive or your slave?”
“As long as you’re mine, I’m flexible as to how we work.” His fingertip traced her collarbone. “Which would you prefer?”
His response was everything she wanted it to be. “I enjoyed being your submissive, but it was being your slave that made me complete.”
He tilted his head. “I’m hesitant to collar you as a slave right now, but I think we could start out in a structured, daily Dominant/submissive role and work toward Master/slave.”
“I’d like that.” She put her arms around his neck. “Will I live here or at your place?”
“I want you at my place as often as possible, but there’s no reason for you not to keep the apartment. I doubt you want a stranger living above your shop.”
Suddenly she didn’t see herself living in the apartment for much longer. She wanted to be with him every night, every morning, for always.
“Yes, Sir, I’ll wear your collar with pride. Please.”
He opened the box and took out a necklace that left her breathless. The collar was made of interlocking links of white gold, black ceramic, and diamonds. “I knew the moment I saw it. It carries a unique sensuality that reminds me of you.”
“I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.”
There were no words spoken as she caught his eye and slid gracefully to the ground. Only when she felt the floor beneath her knees did she drop her gaze.
He ran his fingers through her hair and whispered, “I have.”
The collar carried the warmth of his skin as he put it around her neck. Her eyes closed against the swelling rush of emotion gathering within her. His fingers lingered around her collarbone.
“I vow to always be worthy of you,” he said as the collar clicked into place. “Stand up for me, Sasha.”
She rose on shaky legs, feeling the heaviness of his collar around her neck while at the same time feeling weightless and light. “I hope I always please you.”
He took her hand and pulled her close. “Never doubt for a minute how much you please me.” He smiled as he looked in her eyes. “Your eyes sparkle and no longer look lost and uncertain. Your smile is sincere and makes me smile in response. And the way you carry yourself shows an inner strength that is sexy as fucking hell. There isn’t a part of you that doesn’t please me.”
She could truly get used to this—but somehow, she didn’t think she ever would.
“Except,” he said and her breath caught. There was something that didn’t please him?
“Your clothes,” he continued. “You’re wearing them and they’d please me more on the floor.”
She laughed, remembering how he told her to expect to be off balance with him. And as she slipped her shirt over her head, she knew there was no other way she’d want it.
Epilogue
Abby
One week later
I pulled up to Cole’s house and found the new couple holding hands while looking over the expansive front yard. I couldn’t help but smile. If Cole thought he’d turned a few heads in the group by agreeing to train Sasha in twenty-four/seven service, he didn’t want to hear the phone calls Nathaniel had fielded when he collared her.
Fortunately, Nathaniel knew exactly how to put people in their place without them even knowing he’d done it. “I’m not sure what they think I’m going to say or do,” he said after one such call. “I mean, I collared you not over a week after we officially met. And we hadn’t even slept together.”
“You may change your mind one day.”
“And purple aliens may invade Earth, but I’m not going to let the possibility of something that might happen in the future take away my happiness in the present.”
“You humble me. How you accept so much of me. Everyone else has always tried to change me.” He ran his knuckles across her cheekbone. “You’re amazing. Has anyone ever told you?”
“No, Sir.”
He nearly growled at the Sir. “Bloody hell, Sasha.”
She couldn’t reply because he pulled her into his arms and settled his mouth over hers in a kiss that had her entire body begging for more. His mouth was hungry and urgent and she parted her lips to taste him. He trailed his fingers down her spine. She brought her hands to his waist. She wanted to feel him.
He pulled back. “Wait.”
“Why?” She could have groaned in frustration.
“Trust me.”
“Always.”
“Before I take you again, I want to show you something I found on my way back from my speaking engagement.”
She tried to think of what he could want to show her that would take precedence over where she thought the kiss was leading.
“You wrinkle your nose when you’re trying to understand something. Did you know that?”
“I do?”
“Yes.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “It makes me smile.”
She brought her hands up to his chest and started unbuttoning his shirt. “I’m glad it makes you smile. Now will you show me the thing you found so we can get back to the kissing part?”
“So impatient, little one.”
He was being an awful tease. “You’re in my apartment. We’re alone. And my bedroom is right down the hall. Give me one reason not to be impatient.”
“You underestimate me. I’ll give you five: One, because I said so. Two, I love you. Three, I want you. Four, I want everyone to know you’re mine. And five,” He slipped his hand into his pocket and withdrew a slender box. “I want you in my collar. And not a training one this time.”
She stared at the box as tears filled her eyes. “Oh, my God.”
“Sasha?”
It was too much. Him coming to her apartment and saying he loved her and then offering her his collar. It was all her best days wrapped up together in one. Emotion welled up in her throat and she buried her face in her hands right as a sob escaped her throat.
“Don’t weep, little one.”
“I just, it’s only . . .” She looked up. “I never imagined.”
“And I can’t imagine anything else. Will you wear it?”
She bit her bottom lip. She wanted so badly to say yes, but knew better than to let excitement overrule her common sense. “If I agree to wear it, will I be your submissive or your slave?”
“As long as you’re mine, I’m flexible as to how we work.” His fingertip traced her collarbone. “Which would you prefer?”
His response was everything she wanted it to be. “I enjoyed being your submissive, but it was being your slave that made me complete.”
He tilted his head. “I’m hesitant to collar you as a slave right now, but I think we could start out in a structured, daily Dominant/submissive role and work toward Master/slave.”
“I’d like that.” She put her arms around his neck. “Will I live here or at your place?”
“I want you at my place as often as possible, but there’s no reason for you not to keep the apartment. I doubt you want a stranger living above your shop.”
Suddenly she didn’t see herself living in the apartment for much longer. She wanted to be with him every night, every morning, for always.
“Yes, Sir, I’ll wear your collar with pride. Please.”
He opened the box and took out a necklace that left her breathless. The collar was made of interlocking links of white gold, black ceramic, and diamonds. “I knew the moment I saw it. It carries a unique sensuality that reminds me of you.”
“I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.”
There were no words spoken as she caught his eye and slid gracefully to the ground. Only when she felt the floor beneath her knees did she drop her gaze.
He ran his fingers through her hair and whispered, “I have.”
The collar carried the warmth of his skin as he put it around her neck. Her eyes closed against the swelling rush of emotion gathering within her. His fingers lingered around her collarbone.
“I vow to always be worthy of you,” he said as the collar clicked into place. “Stand up for me, Sasha.”
She rose on shaky legs, feeling the heaviness of his collar around her neck while at the same time feeling weightless and light. “I hope I always please you.”
He took her hand and pulled her close. “Never doubt for a minute how much you please me.” He smiled as he looked in her eyes. “Your eyes sparkle and no longer look lost and uncertain. Your smile is sincere and makes me smile in response. And the way you carry yourself shows an inner strength that is sexy as fucking hell. There isn’t a part of you that doesn’t please me.”
She could truly get used to this—but somehow, she didn’t think she ever would.
“Except,” he said and her breath caught. There was something that didn’t please him?
“Your clothes,” he continued. “You’re wearing them and they’d please me more on the floor.”
She laughed, remembering how he told her to expect to be off balance with him. And as she slipped her shirt over her head, she knew there was no other way she’d want it.
Epilogue
Abby
One week later
I pulled up to Cole’s house and found the new couple holding hands while looking over the expansive front yard. I couldn’t help but smile. If Cole thought he’d turned a few heads in the group by agreeing to train Sasha in twenty-four/seven service, he didn’t want to hear the phone calls Nathaniel had fielded when he collared her.
Fortunately, Nathaniel knew exactly how to put people in their place without them even knowing he’d done it. “I’m not sure what they think I’m going to say or do,” he said after one such call. “I mean, I collared you not over a week after we officially met. And we hadn’t even slept together.”
