“Well, I doubt that was hard to figure out,” I countered. “You’ve seen me at the clubs. You know my friends.”
“I have and I do.” His thumb grazed my thigh. “But I also feel it.”
The man had to have gone to school to learn how to seduce a woman, because, damn he was good at it.
“And I think you do, too.”
I nodded despite my skepticism. The last thing I needed was to inflate this man’s ego even more than it already was.
“Good. Then for the rest of this meal, I want you to trust me, Clarissa.”
I stared back at him, trying to read between the lines. Trust was a tricky thing. I wasn’t sure I knew him well enough to trust him yet.
He smiled as though he could read my mind. “We’re in a public place, pet, so you can rest assured I won’t push you too far.”
Was it wrong that I wanted him to push me? Because I did.
“Can you do that? Trust me for the remainder of this meal? We’ll consider it a trial run, if you will.”
His hand slipped from my thigh and I instantly felt the loss. I didn’t want him to stop touching me. In fact, I needed far more than I suspected he was willing to give.
“Yes,” I said firmly. “I can trust you.”
The gleam in his eyes said I was probably going to regret that decision.
Trent
I WOULD BE LYING IF I said I wasn’t surprised Clarissa had opted to trust me. She seemed far too hesitant to trust me this early on.
Then again, we’d known each other for years and while we hadn’t spent any time together aside from one lunch meeting in the past, I felt as though I knew her. Perhaps she felt the same about me.
If not, she was about to, because I was curious to see how far the eager little submissive was willing to go.
“Remove your panties,” I instructed, not missing a beat.
While she probably thought she was hiding her reactions, I could read this woman loud and clear. I knew what she needed and I damn sure wasn’t going to shy away from giving it to her. I’d spent far too many years thinking about her, coming up with a million different ways to push her boundaries, to get her to open up, to submit on every level.
After all, that was what this woman needed.
Like a good submissive, Clarissa didn’t say anything, but I could see the indecision in her beautiful brown eyes. She was considering it.
Keeping my tone firm, I laid it out for her. “Like I said, pet, we’re in public. You said you could trust me, therefore, I expect you to. Now, remove your panties.” I casually lifted my wineglass toward my mouth. “I won’t say it again.”
“May I go to the restroom?”
“No. I want you to remove them right here.”
When she was about to look around, I reached for her face, gripping her chin gently but firmly.
“Keep your eyes on me, pet.” I lowered my voice. “Trust me to take care of you. I promise to keep you safe.”
That seemed to break through the fog clouding her eyes. She set her glass down on the table and both hands slipped beneath the tablecloth.
I released her chin and locked my eyes with hers. “Don’t look away from me.”
She nodded as she shifted. The move was almost discreet. I wasn’t sure anyone would realize what she was doing if they happened to glance her way.
It took a solid minute, but she finally sat up straight.
“I removed them,” she said, her hands still hidden beneath the table.
I slipped my hand under the tablecloth and placed it on her thigh. “Put them in my hand.”
As she did, a beautiful blush infused her cheeks.
“Thank you, pet.” I slipped the silk into my pocket as the waiter appeared with our salads.
I waited until he’d set everything down before I captured his attention. “Please bring our entrees as soon as they’re ready. After that, I’ll require privacy for the remainder of our meal.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll be right back with your main course and more wine.” He turned and rushed toward the kitchen.
It was the lunch rush on a Monday, so the restaurant was relatively crowded. Being in the far corner offered a small amount of privacy, especially since I’d requested no one be seated at the tables around mine. I was purposely keeping my back to the room in an effort to hide my identity. Having an overzealous fan come over was not part of my plan.
Then again, the bodyguard I had discreetly placed within the restaurant would assure no one got close to me. Granted, I wasn’t worried about myself, but I did have an obligation to this woman. As soon as Troy mentioned they had captured us on video, I knew I had to take the threat seriously. It wouldn’t be long before they would be inundating Clarissa with questions, invading her privacy and her life. I fully intended to keep her safe in the interim.
