“Really?” she asks with an outward breath.
It takes everything in me not to huff an incredulous laugh. Does she have no idea the effect she has on men? Perhaps it’s better that way because the moment I heard her speak in the Red Room, I wanted to make her mine.
“I will make a proposal, which you can accept or reject without repercussions.”
Her throat tightens in a swallow, her breath quickens, and I ache to see what she isn’t wearing beneath that raincoat.
“I will pay your rent and tuition for the term regardless of your reply.”
“Why?” she asks.
“I haven’t finished,” I say with a raised eyebrow. “However, in exchange for a monthly allowance, you will be my submissive.”
Her chest rises and falls, and she places a hand over her throat, looking like she wants to contain her response.
“What does that mean?” she asks.
I suppress a smile. Clever girl. I thought she would either accept or reject my proposal, but I’m impressed to see that she’s at least intrigued.
“I want to fuck you in my play room, then have you available to me for sexual favors,” I say, paraphrasing what she demanded the last time we met. “And you will submit to training to expand your boundaries.”
“That’s all?”
Now, it’s my turn to widen my eyes. Does she not realize what I’m demanding? Apparently not, from the way her eyes shine with hope.
I suppress a sigh. I’m not my father, but an entirely different sort of monster. However, I will endeavor not to break this little toy… at least not beyond repair.
“If you agree to being my sub, then you will follow my instructions without question.”
She gives me an eager nod.
“Take off your raincoat.” I step back to get a better view of the delectable body I’ve only ever seen on camera.
Phoenix tucks the wine bottle beneath one arm, holding it in place. Her fingers tremble as they unfasten the bow in the sash of her raincoat, and then she unties the knot. The garment falls open, revealing delicate collarbones I want to trace with my tongue.
I raise my gaze to her eyes, resisting the urge to devour her in a single glance. A woman like Phoenix needs to be savored, just as one would never uncork a vintage wine without thought and gulp it straight from the bottle.
Her skin is paler than it appeared on camera, smooth alabaster with pink undertones that darken to a deep blush down her neck and chest. I love that her complexion betrays her emotion because no matter how she holds her expression, I can always tell her current state.
The lingerie she wears is a deep burgundy lace that borders on black and looks ravishing on her pale skin. The delicate fabric stretches over the swell of her breasts, and my fingers twitch to pinch those thick nipples until she pleads for mercy.
I’ve seen Phoenix in varying states of undress but all that flesh on display turns a part of me feral. I want to run my tongue down from the dip between her collarbones, over the valley of her breasts, and down her flat stomach. I want to tear off her knickers with my fucking teeth and devour her pussy.
“You traveled across town wearing a raincoat over your underwear?” I growl.
“Yes,” she whispers.
“Why?”
“Fewer layers for you to unwrap.”
I glare down at her until she squirms. The demon inside me revels at her discomfort.
“That was very naughty, Phoenix,” I say. “With one gust of wind, anyone could see that you were half naked under that coat. What if you tripped in those stilettos and the front of your coat gaped open to show your bra, or the person helping you up caught a glimpse of those skimpy knickers?”
Her breath quickens. She bows her head and tucks her elbows into her middle, trying to make herself smaller. She squeezes her thighs together, looking like she’s trying to create some friction.
“I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”