Page 50 of Corruption
“A month,” Vince declared. “And it’s all settled.”
Vince extended his trembling hand, and Henrick regarded it suspiciously before shaking it.
“Then we should have a dinner, shouldn’t we?” Astrid suggested.
“Good idea. This time, at our house,” Henrick said, purposely turning to me with a smile on his lips that I didn’t like.
“How about you stay for dinner tonight, and we turn the next one into a little party as well?” Vince suggested. “Just for the two kids to get to know each other.”
Vince slapped his hand against my shoulder, hitting my wound and causing me to groan.
“Is he hurt?” Henrick asked, looking pleased.
“He’s fine,” Vince assured him, then looked expectantly at Henrick.
“Very well. We will stay.”
Chapter 22
-Jared-
I was far from thrilled about this dinner, or the one planned for Saturday at Henrick’s house. I feared the moment I crossed Henrick’s threshold, he would send his nephews to trap me in some dark corner and torture me. But it was difficult to dwell on the future when Astrid had been placed right beside me. While Vince and Henrick engaged in conversation, Astrid’s cousins kept a close watch on us, which made me break into a light sweat. Wolves surrounded me on all sides, and Vince, my only ally, was now wavering in his support after shaking hands with Henrick. He seemed overly pleased with everything, while I was the one pledging myself to God or something that I would take this woman as my wife. What had I gotten myself into? I wondered as I opted to drink rather than eat much. At least Astrid remained quiet at my side, not attempting to engage in conversation. I was truly not in the best of moods, so I wouldn’t have been the most pleasant person to talk to at that moment. Astrid seemed content with that and simply savored the food before her.
After taking a small bite, she reached for her napkin but accidentally knocked her knife onto the floor. Everyone turned to look upon hearing the sound.
“Sorry, I just dropped my knife,” she apologized sweetly, diverting everyone’s attention back to the dinner. I pushed my chair slightly to the side to give her space to retrieve her knife. I didn’t bother helping her much. Instead, I nursed my drink while Astrid remained focused on her meal.
However, I felt a strange sensation against my leg. Glancing down, I noticed Astrid returning to her seat, placing her knife down, but her other hand was now on my knee and inching higher. I glanced at her, and she casually reached for her wine glass with her free hand, sporting a smug smile as she took a sip. She moved even higher, and I tried my best to remain completely still. Her touch was unsettling, and I suspected her father wouldn’t fault his precious daughter for being so bold as to touch me so unexpectedly. Panic started to well up within me, and I was unsure how to handle this situation. Her hand brushed against my groin when I finally seized her, trying to act subtly. I turned to her, my eyes flashing a warning not to touch me in such a manner. However, it seemed that she paid no heed to my unspoken request as she continued to smile. I pushed her hand away, shaking my head slightly.
Then Astrid made another move. She leaned over me, pushing me back in my seat to reach for some bread on my right side without asking. As she leaned back, she accidentally knocked over my wine glass, spilling it onto my pants. I groaned, shaking my head and covering my face in recognition of her intentional actions.
“Whoops, my bad!” she apologized, though no one really paid much attention to us. Astrid grabbed her napkin and placed it on my lap, proceeding to dry me off. Was this woman serious? I wondered, as she deliberately teased me in front of her family. She continued to pat and rub me, while I did my best to resist the urge to shove her away. I had to remember that her family was present, but I couldn’t endure it any longer. Her touch did not evoke pleasant sensations. Rather, it made me feel trapped. To escape her, I promptly moved my chair away, excusing myself as I went to clean up. I found the nearest bathroom and didn’t even bother to close the door. I leaned on the sink, letting out a deep breath and feeling utterly drained. This day had been bad from the start, then briefly improved, only to turn into a disaster. That woman was audacious, clearly unafraid of pursuing what she desired. She was undeniably beautiful and pleasing to the eye, yet there was something about her that made the hairs on my neck stand on end and her touch feel cold. Why did it bother me so much when she touched me? If we were going to be married, I suspected it was expected that we would have children, which would require a great deal of touching. So what was it about Astrid that irked me? I couldn’t figure it out, and rather than stressing over it, I turned on the water, allowed a little to run into my hands, and pressed it to my face. When I lifted my head, I caught Astrid in the mirror, leaning against the doorframe and smiling at me. I groaned, turning off the water before wiping my face dry with a towel.
“A little privacy?” I requested.
“Why?” she responded.
“Why?”
“Privacy won’t exist between us,” she stated.
“And who decides that?” I asked, turning around and crossing my arms.
“Well, once you and I are married, we will be entering the family business. Our families will expect more from us.”
“If you’re talking about heirs, yes, I’m fully aware of what all of this entails,” I retorted.
“Should we practice?” Astrid asked.
“Practice?” I responded in disbelief.
Astrid pushed away from the doorframe and approached me. The look in her eyes was predatory, and I didn’t enjoy feeling like the prey. She caught me off guard when she almost lunged forward, slamming her hands down on either side of me before leaning closer and biting my neck hard, making me groan.
“Yes, practice. It will take time to train you to the level I enjoy. I can’t wait to have you tied up and do with you as I please. We should have your cock cage designed, so I should probably check your size,” she whispered huskily as her hands fumbled with the belt on my pants. I quickly grabbed her wrists, pushing her back slightly as realization dawned on me. Astrid smiled up at me with that dark desire in her eyes, and I realized then that Astrid was a dominatrix. She was no submissive woman. She had men bowing before her in the bedroom, and apparently, I had become her new toy.Oh, the irony, I thought.
“If you’re good and let me touch you, I will suck your cock and even let you come.”
My mouth fell agape, and she chuckled at the sight, but I was completely caught off guard. While I hadn’t engaged in the same dark games with others as I had with Alison, I certainly wasn’t a submissive in the bedroom. In fact, I enjoyed having control, but it was clear with Astrid that it was not a switch I was dealing with. She was fully dominant, which, upon reflection, might not be surprising. Men took charge in her life, she didn’t get to rule on her own. I would stand by her side, outwardly leading, but once we were in the bedroom, she wanted full control. She even wanted to imprison my cock and decide when I got to orgasm. My God, I had trapped myself in quite the predicament.
