Page 177 of Shattered Silence Duet

“I added your name to all our accounts. You now own an equal part of everything we have, our money, our business, the properties we own.”

“I—” she cuts herself off as she skims through the pages again before dropping her arms in her lap. She looks at me with confusion written all over her face. “I don’t understand. Why would you do this? Do you think I’m here for your money?”

“Baby, no,” I say, grabbing one of her hands and sandwiching it between mine. “I know you don’t care about money and material objects. That’s not what this is. It’s about you knowing that what we share with you, it’s not just a fling or a relationship of convenience. We want you with us because we love you.

“I may have asked you to be my girlfriend already, but that word doesn’t even feel big enough for what you mean to me. You’re my heart, my life, my everything. I want to keep you close to me, to us, always. I’m not sure if you’ve realized this about me yet, but I like to be in control, in all aspects of my life. These papers,” I say, tapping the pages in her lap. “They are my way of making you a part of our family, our team. They are my way of controlling this situation, because when it comes to you, I feel like I’m completely out of control, and it’s driving me mad.”

“This might not be the best way to convince you to forgive me, telling you how possessive and controlling I am, especially when itcomes to you, but you need to know what you’re agreeing to, if you ever decide to forgive me.”

“What do you mean by controlling?” she asks quietly, watching me stroke her fingers.

“I like to be in charge, I like to be the one to make the decisions. Whether it be making decisions for this family, or for a case… Or for you.”

“You want to control… me?” her wide eyes look up to meet mine.

“Sometimes, yes,” I tell her honestly. “But you would still be able to make decisions for yourself. For me, it’s more about controlling things that are important.”

“What would that even look like? I don’t really understand.”

“Have you ever heard of a dom-sub relationship before?” She shakes her head. “It stands for dominant and submissive. It’s a term used to describe the type of relationship I like to have with women. It’s about trust, more than anything. The kind of trust where you would let go completely, knowing I’ll always be there to catch you. It’s about me understanding what you need and want, sometimes before you even realize it yourself. And in return, you trust me to guide you through that.”

“You’ve had this kind of thing with other women?” she asks, not totally turned off by the idea.

“I’ve tried, but they’ve never fully trusted me to take care of them. It’s not just in the bedroom. It could be me telling you that you need to eat more vegetables because I see that you aren’t eating well. Or telling you, you need to go to bed early because I know you’re tired. You would trust that I’m not doing those things for the sake of control, I’m doing it because I want to take care of you.

“It’s not about power for the sake of power. It’s about care. I’d take on the responsibility of making sure you feel safe, secure, and completely free to be yourself. None of this is about taking away your choices. It’s about giving you a space where you can let go of the weight of the world because you know I’ll carry it for you. Women who truly enjoy this type of relationship love the feeling ofletting go of all the worries and concerns that plague them daily, knowing their dom is there to take care of them.

“But the thing you need to remember is that nothing happens without your consent, ever. If this is something you think you’d want, in the bedroom we’d set boundaries, talk about everything, and if you ever felt uncomfortable or wanted to stop, that’s all that matters. You’d have as much power as I do in this dynamic, more really, because everything I do would be for you.

“For me, this is about creating a bond so strong that it feels unbreakable. It’s about showing you how much you mean to me by putting you first in every way. Protecting you, providing for you, and making sure you always feel loved, valued, and cherished. And yeah, sometimes that might mean a little structure or guidance, but only in ways that make you feel safe and cared for.

“From the very first moment I met you, I had a strong suspicion you were submissive. If you ever trusted me enough to be your… dom, I would make sure you’re always taken care of, in and out of the bedroom, and you would be able to let go of some of the burdens of decisions in that beautiful head of yours, and just… enjoy.”

As I stare into her beautiful green eyes, and notice the red in her cheeks glowing brightly. At the same time, the color creeps up her neck and I wonder where else she’s blushing.She’s turned on by the idea. I stay quiet as I watch her lick her lips and fidget, feeling like I’ve said enough and wanting to know what she’s thinking.

She pulls her hand back from mine, but before I can worry she’s pulling away from me, she throws her blanket off her lap, sending the paper flying as she moves to her knees and demands, “show me.”

Chapter 39

Mina

Dom’s eyes turn heated as he watches me.Did he hear me?I open my mouth to speak again, but he holds up a hand, stopping me.

“You don’t speak for the rest of this session, unless I ask you to, or it’s to tell me to stop or slow down, understand?” I nod my head quickly. Damn, Dom the dom isHOT. Is this how this was going to work, him ordering me around in that husky, dominant voice of his?

“Stand up and face me,” he commands and I jump to my feet as he turns in the window seat towards me. He reaches out and pulls me forward so I’m standing between his knees.

“Remember, you want to stop or slow things down, what do you say?”

“Stop or slow down,” I repeat.

“Good girl,” he says with a grin, and I shiver at his words. “Mmm, yes, you like being praised, don’t you, my good little girl?” I don’t think he wants me to answer so I stay quiet but his eyes quickly narrow on mine as he says, “I asked you a question, Mina, I expect you to answer.”

“Y-yes, sir,” I say, the title coming out automatically, and it feels right on my lips. And by the look on his face, he loves it, too.

“Good girl. Now, take my shirt off.” His request surprises me, but I step closer to him and grip the bottom of his t-shirt, bringing it over his head as he lifts his arms. “Now yours.” I lick my lips nervously as I grab the hem of my sweater and start pulling it up. “Slower,” he commands.

I lift it slowly, and when it’s covering my head, he grabs my waist, making me gasp in surprise. He slides his hands up my sides and just as my sweater is high enough that it covers my eyes but my mouth is free, he grips my arms and commands, “stop.”