Page 30 of Dark Rules

I’d barely known the man a month, but already, he meant more to me than I’d thought possible. I’d thought I could just have sex with him, play around, have some experiences, and move on. That was how the films played at it, as if sex didn’t form a bond between people. And maybe it didn’t for some. If it had been someone else, besides Dylan, it might have been different. There was something about him that drew me in, and it wasn’t just the sex.

We both still had secrets, depths to plumb and explore, but I felt as if I knew more about him than any other human on earth did. Perhaps his parents knew different things about him, but I knew the things about him that he wouldn’t share even with them. Like how he’d liked to be the one in control, how he’d liked to whip me with just the right touch; until he’d worked me into a world I couldn’t resist. I knew how he needed that, needed to watch as he gave someone else that kind of pleasure mixed with pain.

Dylan wasn’t evil, even if he did like to whip women and chain them to a wall. It wasn’t about force or how much he could make me scream in pain; it was about how good he made me feel. And he used pain, denial of orgasms, and pushing me over my limits to give me what I’d needed, what we’d both needed.

I drove to a Chinese restaurant, picked up some carry out food, and then drove to his place. I took the elevator up, and he was already there, in a pair of black lounge pants, a black V-neck t-shirt, with a bottle of red wine open on the table. There were even candles on the table, a deep blood red with black swirls streaked through them. I walked up to him and held my face up to him for a kiss.

“Hi there, handsome,” I whispered against his lips and laughed when he bent his head to kiss me, and his arms came around me to pull me close.

“I’ve missed you, pet,” he said out loud, and my heart skipped a beat.

“Did you?” I lifted an eyebrow and moved away to find some plates and silverware in the kitchen just behind the dining area. I came back to find him at the table, boxes open and ready to be emptied.

“Yes, I did, very much.” He’d sounded a little distracted now, and I’d wanted to ask what had caused it, but I didn’t. “You’re here now, though.”

“I am.” I sat and put spoons in each box, and we’d served ourselves out of the boxes. I went quiet, my mind a whirl all over again.

He’d missed me. Did that mean he wanted to carry on? Take it a step further? Surely he wouldn’t want another contract. I’d closed my eyes briefly. For some reason that caused my heart to skip a beat, but not in a good way. It was dread that made it skip, not happiness.

“What did you do today?” he asked after a bite of food. He’d looked as if he really wanted to know, and it hit me how he was the only person who’d asked me that regularly.

“Oh, I … well, I did some shopping.” I went to my purse and pulled out the three fancy boxes I’d purchased at the jewelry store. “I got some things for you.”

“Ah, did you now?” he asked with a gleam of happiness in his eye. I’d wondered then how often he got presents. Did he get them at all?

I slid the boxes over to him, and he looked at me quizzically. “What’s this?”

“Just some things. You don’t have to wear them, but … well, I wanted to get something for you. Maybe I went overboard.” I’d spent a small fortune, but I wouldn’t admit it. Besides, it didn’t hurt my bank account at all.

I’d barely touched the money I’d received as part of my income from the hotels while I was growing up. I’d put a small dent in it lately, what with my new home, the car, and two new phones, but it was a barely noticeable dent. I’d more than make it back up by the end of the month anyway. More money would go into my account, and that would be that.

He’d looked at the boxes, looked at me with a slightly bemused frown, then opened the smallest box, the cufflinks. His eyes went wide, but then he smiled. “I love them.”

“I’m glad.” I had tensed up while he opened the present but relaxed now, my hands clasped together, my food forgotten.

The next box was the ring, and I saw something in his eyes and knew he was reliving the memory of that first time he’d bound me up.

“Perfect,” he said and took the ring out of the box to put it on his finger. It fit his ring finger perfectly, and I’d wondered why he’d chosen to put it on that one. He’d looked down at his hand, and a flash of sadness flitted over his features before it was gone. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” I held my breath as he reached for the last box.

He stared at the crown for a long moment. So long that I thought maybe it had been a step too far. Did it say too much? More than I’d meant to say. I frowned and shifted around in my seat. He looked up at me, but his gaze went back to the wide box.

“This is how you see me, Stephanie?” he asked the question softly, without an accusation or hope, no emotion at all.

“Well, yes, Dylan, when we’re, um, acting out a fantasy, when you lead me into new worlds, I see you as my king, my leader, the one who commands and must be obeyed.” My voice was soft, submissive, and my eyes were down on my hands. I flicked at the new gel polish on my nails, but that was one of the down sides of the sturdy polish. You couldn’t fiddle with it when you were nervous.

I finally looked up and saw he’d placed the necklace around his neck, and he was watching me. “Thank you, Stephanie.”

“I’m glad you like it.” I could feel a blush on my cheeks. I was pleased he’d accepted the gifts and put them on.

“Nobody’s ever given me jewelry before.” He paused and looked at his watch. “Well, that’s not true, I guess. My dad gave me this watch when I’d finished with my university degree.”

“It’s a nice watch.” And it was, a timeless piece of art that would last generations, but it wasn’t a ring or a necklace. Why didn’t he have any? “Didn’t you ever want to buy jewelry for yourself?”

He looked at me as if he’d felt a little bashful. “No, it never really occurred to me.”

“I see.” I thought it was one of the saddest things I’d ever heard. It told me a lot about him, though. He’d focused on business, on acquiring more property, and not luxuries for himself. He had nice clothes, of course, and he was always well presented, but even that was done to maintain an image of power.