I’m shaking with the adrenaline that’s just been put through my system, and my gut is churning. I’m not sure what this means. Where do we go from here? I’m waiting for some kind of grand speech, or an explanation of what this means, but Matthew doesn’t do that. Instead, he smiles. A pure smile that I know isn’t one he shows often. It’s a private smile, and this one is just for me. He slides his fingers around the back of my neck and tilts my face so that he can kiss me. “You’re welcome, sub.”
That’s all he says, but he never looks away. We stay that way, side by side, eyes locked, until my exhaustion takes over once more and I can’t keep my eyes open.
Fifteen
I come awake slowly for the second time. The first time was when Matthew rolled over me in the night and we had slow, sleepy sex that resulted in a deep and shuddering orgasm that I’m not going to forget anytime soon. One reminder that he could do that—that my arms chained to the headboard allowed him to do what he liked with me, and I was so wet that I might as well have been a faucet.
This time though, I feel his arm draped across my stomach, and then I hear the long, deep breaths of sleep. I shift, rolling onto my side as much as I can to look at him. I feel like I’m stealing something from Matthew, seeing him so relaxed and unguarded. I let my eyes explore, from his lashes—which are long and unfairly pretty—down to the perfect planes of his chest and stomach. If my arms were free I would take this moment to explore with my fingers and wake him up in a manner that I’m sure he would find enjoyable.
My stomach growls. It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten, since our lunch was interrupted by me freaking out. I glance back up to Matthew’s face and his eyes are open. He has a playful smirk on his face. “Hungry?”
“It would appear so.”
“I’ll make sure there’s breakfast waiting for us.”
I sigh. “Yeah. I suppose I’ll have to go after that. I need to get to work. I told them that I’d be late today, but I still need to go.”
Matthew props himself up on an elbow. “And why, exactly, would I let you go anywhere? You lost the bet.”
“I did not,” I say, my stomach dropping. “Just because I said that last night doesn’t mean I lose. I never admitted I was submissive.”
“As I recall,” he says with a lazy smile, “You said that letting me tell you what to do scared you, but that you wanted it.”
I freeze. Crap. I did say that.
“Which according to our bet makes you mine for the next thirty days.”
He starts kissing my neck, and even though it feels amazing, my anxiety is spiking. “Matthew, I made this bet never thinking that I would lose. I said it, and I admit that you win, but I can’t stay. I don’t have thirty days of vacation and I can’t lose my job.”
“You’re not going to, it’s already taken care of,” he says, reaching up and freeing my arms from the headboard. He doesn’t give them back to me though, clipping my wrists together.
I look at him expectantly. “Would you like to share how? Because I’m freaking out. A lot.”
Matthew sits back against the headboard and pulls me to him, holding me close. “When we made the bet, I called Jones & Burke and hired them as my new PR firm. I also had them draw up a contract specifying that I would have a personal publicist for thirty days. I haven’t activated it yet, but all I have to do is have you sign and call to tell them that I choose you.”
I blink. “You were that sure that you were going to win?”
He laughs and it vibrates through my chest. “No, actually. I was going to do it either way. I knew from the moment I met you that you’d be good at your job. You’re passionate and opinionated and you’re not afraid to tell people they’re wrong or try to get them to see your point of view. So even if this didn’t work out, I wanted you putting out the good word about my company.”
This is the first time in my life that I ever remember being speechless. There are literally no words in my head.
“So,” he says, wrapping me tighter, “you can stay here with me and keep up your end of the bargain, while working with me as my personal representative from Jones & Burke.”
I swallow. “That’s a huge promotion. They’re going to be pissed.”
He chuckles, “The amount of money I’m paying them, they’ll be just fine. But for the next thirty days you’re mine.” Those last words are almost a growl.