carried me, cradling me against him like a baby and headed up the stairs.
“I thought we were spending the night down here,” I said softly.
He smiled down at me. “No. I just wanted something comfortable for you for when we had aftercare.”
My heart swelled. So thoughtful. Wrapping my hands around his thick neck, I snuggled into his chest.
Once we reached a room on the second floor, he placed me on my feet and kissed my hair. “When you step over the threshold, all of your thoughts are mine. All decisions are mine. When you want to speak, you will ask permission and I will grant it if I see fit. You will not question me. You will not look at me unless directed. Do you understand, pet?”
“Yes, Sir.” My heart gave a start at the firm tone of the deep voice I had grown to love and crave.
“Remember your safeword.” He pushed open the door. “Enter,” he purred in my ear.
I could almost hear him saying, Enter at your own risk.
Stepping into the room, the plush charcoal of the carpet squished between my toes. No thoughts. No decisions. They were all Parker’s. For how long, I wasn’t sure, but I found myself not even wanting to ask.
“You told me a while ago that you wanted to experiment with the Master/slave relationship. Since we are both new at this, we will take this slow. Understand?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Kneel in the middle of the room and allow your eyes to dance over your surroundings. Take it all in. This will be your home for as long as needed. Couple of days. Maybe more. Jones and Colin will let us stay here even if we just need to get away.”
I walked to the middle of the room and knelt, my knees pushing into the pillow top carpet. It was so soft, it felt like I was kneeling on a cloud. Much better than the concrete in the basement.
“Colin told you that we have a surprise for you. Are you excited?” he asked, brushing his fingers along my nape.
“Yes. Very.” I had no idea what his surprise could be but even though we had shit to deal with, being with each other in the most intimate way possible, helped us cope. With Devin. With our new relationship. With life.
“Once we are done here, I’ll reveal myself to Troy and Patrick. I don’t want you lying to your best friend anymore. I understand that it hurts you.”
Chewing my bottom lip, I nodded.
“Speak, Keely.”
“He’s going to be so mad at me,” I whispered, my stomach clenching.
Parker sighed. “I’ll be there. It’s my fault. I did this to you.” He knelt in front of me and grabbed my hands. “I’m so sorry.”
“I know.” I snapped my mouth shut, not wanting to get punished for speaking out of line.
He pinched my chin and tilted my head. “When we’re in a conversation, you can speak freely.” He kissed my mouth. “I’m impressed that you caught yourself though.”
I smiled softly. “Troy is the only one that has never hurt me. He saved me and look at how I repay him.”
“It’s not your fault,” Parker repeated, his voice firm.
“I could have fought you on it. I could have demanded that you let me tell Troy everything,” I insisted.
“And do you think that would have helped? Keely, if you don’t know by now, I am fucking stubborn.”
I scoffed. “No. Not at all.”
His eyes sparkled with mischief. “Careful.”
My cheeks heated. “So Greyson clearly knows that you’re alive?”
Parker nodded slowly. “Yeah. They all do.”
“I’m surprised that you were able to keep this a secret all this time. If Devin doesn’t know by now that you’re alive, he’s fucking dumb.” Of course I would never say that to his face. I may have had my feisty moments with him but he honestly scared the shit out of me. Memories of that day, that horrible afternoon in the back of Devin’s limo, forced their way into my mind. Evil incarnate was not a term I would use lightly but it described my ex-husband to a tee.
“Keely.”
My eyes popped to Parker’s. “Sorry.”
His brows furrowed. Releasing me, he rose to his full height. “Stand up and go draw a bath. I want to feel your skin against mine as I wash you.”
Doing as I was told, I headed into the on-suite bathroom and turned on the light. The black walls and dark grey marble flooring and appliances were enough to take your breath away. It was rich yet homey, this