Page 108

“Not so much, but my grandfather was a smart investor. That, combined with a substantial life insurance policy, meant my sister and I inherited a decent chunk of change. My sister’s ex-husband gambled hers away,” he told me, his face momentarily turning into a scowl. “As for me, I bought my first apartment building when I was twenty-one. After six months, it paid for itself, and I found I had a knack for scoping out profitable real estate. I bought a second building later that year. The rest, as they say, is history.”

“You’re either extremely fortunate or brilliant,” I remarked after he finished his tale. I was awestruck by how easily he was able to obtain his fortune.

“I’d like to think both,” he surmised with clever eyes, his mouth tilting up in a sexy lopsided grin. “Real estate is like a game of chess. You need to be able to read your opponent and know how to achieve checkmate. I’m good at winning, Krystina. And I always get what I want.”

“Apparently, you do,” I agreed, choosing to ignore his double meaning. I didn’t want to acknowledge how quickly I’d surrendered in this complex game of strategy.

“You’ve finished your dinner.”

“I have,” I agreed, eyeing him curiously.

“At the risk of sounding cliché, I’m ready for dessert. You can use the master bathroom to freshen up before I jump on you—as you so aptly put it earlier. But, when you’ve finished, I expect you to come out of the bathroom naked.”

My stomach constricted nervously. I should have seen this coming. His body language had changed a few moments before, and his statement about winning had been a subtle clue as to where his mind was headed. So caught up in the story about his grandparents, I had forgotten about how he expected me to sport my birthday suit at the dinner table.

A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes before evolving into something deeper. Darker. I knew in an instant that Alexander would not hold back tonight.

He was going to test my limits.

“Okay…” I said, my voice coming out shaky. “Do you want me to come back out here? To the dining room?”

Naked.

“No, you can stay in the bedroom. Do you remember the submissive position I told you about?”

“Yes.”

“That’s how I want to find you, Krystina. On your knees.”

Collecting my courage, I swallowed the lump in my throat and stood from the table.

“I’ll go get ready. Give me a few minutes, okay?”

“Take all the time you need, angel.”

I made my way to the bedroom and into the bathroom. The walk seemed torturously long, as my feet felt like they had lead weights attached to them.

When I entered the dark master bath, the only thing I could see at first was the marble countertop gleaming under the moonlight flooding in through the skylights.

I flipped on the light switch. It was no shock to see how impeccable the space was. There was not a thing out of place—no toothpaste smudges in the sink and not a speck of dust on the mirror. With its massive walk-in shower and whirlpool tub large enough to fit a small army, it was like I had walked into a modern-day Roman bath. I half expected a servant to come scurrying from some hidden corner and offer me grapes and a robe.

If only I could be afforded the luxury of a robe right now…

I unfastened the button of my pants and began to undress. I gathered my clothes at a painstakingly slow pace, trying to buy more time. Once folded, I laid the pile carefully on the counter, then turned to face the large oval vanity mirror.

I took in my reflection. Like all girls do, I began to critique the imperfections of my body. When my gaze eventually traveled up to my face, I froze. I looked terrified.

Naked and kneeling. That’s how he wants me.

I struggled to erase the fear in my eyes as I smoothed out my unruly hair back into a ponytail. I was afraid for so many reasons. It wasn’t sex that scared me. After all, it wasn’t like this would be our first time together. I’d already conquered that challenge. I was petrified of putting myself on display for Alexander.

What if I did it wrong? What if he pushed me too far?

I worried I’d have to use my safeword. The fear of disappointing him consumed me.

Digging around in one of the vanity drawers, I located a tube of toothpaste. Using my finger, I brushed my teeth as best as I could. I took extra care to wipe out the sink, leaving it just as spotless as I had found it.

Then I looked in the mirror again. I didn’t look quite as terrified as I had a few moments earlier. I couldn’t stall any longer.