"Your emotions, your feelings. I'll ask you to share your thoughts, your desires, your past." He surveys my features. "Does that scare you?"
My heart stutters and my stomach knots. What does he mean by that? Does he suspect there's something in my past he needs to know about? Does he think I’m hiding something from him? Surely not. I haven't given him any reason to think so, have I? No, this is him taking his duties as a Dom seriously, that's all. Can he see how much I’m shaking?
I tip up my chin, meet his gaze. "No, it doesn't scare me, Master."
"Don't lie to me," he snaps.
I flinch.
"I... I'm not."
"You realize what I am asking, don't you? When I break you down, it will be not just your physical surrender I desire, but your emotional transparency, as well. I'll expect you to share every part of yourself with me. There will be nowhere and nothing you can hide from me. Do you understand?"
A ripple of apprehension squeezes my ribcage. My stomach churns. Now is the time to back away, to say this entire arrangement is a mistake. Now is the time to leave.
"It's not too late to leave if you’re scared." It's as if he's read my mind. "If you want to walk away from this agreement, now is your chance." His lips curl.
Goddamn him, he's testing me. He's so sure I won't be able to hold up to whatever he has in store for me. He's trying to scare me off. Or maybe, he knows me too well. Perhaps he suspects if he taunts me, I'll rise to the challenge. Either way, I have come too far. I need to see this through. I need to show him I can go toe-to-toe with him.
"Princess?" His voice softens, "Do you understand?"
I nod.
"I need to hear you say it," he prompts.
"Yes, Master," I breathe, "yes, I understand. You can do as you please with me. You want me to give myself to you physically, emotionally, and mentally. You want me to belong to you completely."
"And you agree?"
"I do."
A flush steals over his features. A nerve throbs at his temple. "And you have your safe word which is..."
"Oracle," I murmur.
"And you’ll use it when you want me to stop. And only when you definitely want me to stop. When I have pushed you so far beyond your boundaries you know you can’t bend anymore."
I nod.
He draws in a sharp breath. His shoulders seem to expand. Then, without taking his gaze off of me, he reaches down, grips the lapels of my blouse, and yanks them apart.
19
Seb
The buttons of her blouse pop off, hit the floor, and roll away. The lapels of her blouse gape, exposing the tops of her creamy breasts. I grip the edges and pull them further apart, baring her breasts encased in a black lacy bra. There is a bow nestled in the valley between her breasts. I bend, clamp my teeth around the bow, and rip it off.
She screams, "What… what did you do?"
I spit out the bow, then straighten. "Damned if I know." I shake my head. "You fucking mess with my head, you know that?"
"I… I…" She swallows. "Seb, I—"
"Shut up."
"What?" She gapes at me. "What do you mean?"
"I don’t want to hear anything from you except for moans, groans, or the sound of you screaming my name as you come, although it will be a while before that last bit happens. So, all I need from you right now is your obedience. Can you give me that?"