First thing I noticed… she was shy. At least when it came to her body and appearance. Her subtle movements to try to conceal her nudity first thing in the morning from my waking eyes weren’t lost on me. She wasn’t made up like the perfect Barbie doll, and her natural beauty clearly made her uncomfortable. The minute she exited the bathroom after a ridiculously long shower and whatever else she did behind the closed door, I instantly noticed a renewed confidence about her. Almost as if she had her war paint on and was now prepared for battle.
I also remembered her always being very sociable and chatty. The woman knew how to work a room at a party like a true southern socialite. But this morning, she remained very quiet. She spoke few words to me and seemed to just watch my every move. No doubt she was studying me as I was her.
As we sat down in the formal dining room, sitting across from each other at the extremely long table, we both stared each other down while we waited for Mrs. H to come in with our breakfast.
“Did you sleep well?” I began, feeling as if she was waiting for me to say the first word.
“No,” she stated simply, still locking her eyes with me. “I don’t see how I could, considering we were sharing a bed together—naked per your orders.”
“I could have tied you up or had you sleep at my feet. I could have even had a cage brought in and had you sleep inside as my little pet,” I countered with an evil grin. “So, consider yourself lucky and be grateful for the ability to sleep in the bed with my only expectation being that you remain naked.”
She didn’t say another word but simply scowled in my direction.
Clearly, this would be a battle of wills. I could see the sizzle beneath the blue in her eyes. This woman would be a challenge, but something about the idea made my cock twitch.
Mrs. H entered and gave both of us a warm smile. “What can I get you two for breakfast?”
“I will have scrambled eggs, toast, and a bowl of fruit,” I said. “And black coffee, please.”
Mrs. H nodded and then looked at Bellamy. “And for you?”
“She’ll have the same as me,” I ordered for her.
Bellamy shot daggers from her eyes at me as her mouth opened to order for herself. “I’ll just have coffee and some fruit,” she snapped, giving me the nastiest look she could muster.
“She’ll have exactly what I’m having,” I restated, narrowing my eyes and locking my jaw as I did so. I didn’t like to be challenged, especially in front of someone else.
Mrs. H looked at me and shook her head. “Emmett, can we save the dominance for the Trials, please?”
“She will have exactly what I ordered. Final.”
Bellamy shifted in her seat, and I could tell the glare I gave her made her uncomfortable. Which was a good thing. It meant she had some common sense and knew she pushed me with her stubborn act.
“I’ll have what he’s having,” Bellamy finally said in a softer voice, but she stiffened her spine and lifted her chin as if that was giving her some sort of secret power.
Mrs. H smirked and shook her head. “You two better get this shit figured out. I’m not going to be part of your games every mealtime.” She turned to me and pointed. “And don’t you think for one second you can boss me around.”
I gave her a toothy smile and nodded. “I would never think such a thing. Thank you, Mrs. H.”
When she left to get our breakfast, I took a deep breath and allowed the heaviness in the air to weigh down upon Bellamy. Maybe she expected me to chastise her or even yell, because her body tensed. My look said it all; I knew I had the ability to break down the strongest person in the boardroom with the intensity I could exude. And by how uneasy Bellamy appeared, my silence was only making the tension at the table worsen.
“I didn’t want eggs or toast,” she finally said.
“I didn’t ask.”
“I don’t need you to order for me.”
I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms against my chest. “Take your panties off,” I commanded in a firm but calm voice.
Her eyes widened; her mouth opened, closed, and then opened again. “Excuse me?”
“I said for you to take off your panties.”
Her eyes darted to the door Mrs. H had just exited and then back at me. “Why in the world would I do that?”
“Bellamy,” I said with warning laced thickly in the syllables of her name. “I will tell you one more time. Remove your panties, now. If you fail to do as I ask, I will get up, march over there, and remove them myself. But if I have to get out of this chair and do so, there will be consequences.”