Chapter 15 DINNER AT 8
When Julian said “Dinner is at eight,” I should’ve known he didn’t mean in the dining room downstairs.
Because of course not. Julian Thorne doesn’t do normal.
So that’s how I ended up sitting across from him in some high-end restaurant where even the air seemed expensive. The kind of place where waiters walked like ghosts, the walls shimmered gold, and people whispered like their voices cost extra.
Julian was calm as ever; tailored suit, tie in a perfect Windsor knot, every inch of him screaming control. Meanwhile, I was the mess who didn’t belong, adjusting my shirt collar like it was strangling me.
“This place feels… loud,” I muttered, even though the entire room was quieter than a church.
Julian looked up from his menu, his gaze pinning me still. “You mean intimidating,” he said. “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.”
“I didn’t say I wanted to,” I shot back.
He didn’t respond. Just gave me that small, knowing smirk that somehow made me feel like I’d already lost a battle I didn’t even know we were having.
The waiter came, all polite smiles and rehearsed charm. Julian ordered for both of us before I could even open my mouth.
“Hey—” I frowned. “You could’ve asked what I wanted.”
“I know what you’ll like,” he said simply, not looking up.
My jaw tightened. “You think you know.”
He folded his hands on the table, watching me like I was a case study. “Eli, when I say I’ll take care of dinner, it means you don’t have to worry about it. You just have to sit there and look… pleasant.”
“Pleasant?” I repeated, my tone rising. “You make me sound like a decorative plant.”
“Given how red you’re getting, perhaps more like a temperamental one,” he murmured.
The waiter returned with wine, and Julian nodded for him to pour. “No alcohol for him,” he said before I could object.
That was it.
“Okay, what is this?” I hissed once the waiter left. “You invite me to dinner just to boss me around in public? You’re not my father, Julian.”
He raised a brow. “No, I’m your husband. Which, legally speaking, gives me slightly more rights than a father’s.”
“Oh my god.” I leaned back, laughing bitterly. “You actually believe that, don’t you? That being married means I suddenly signed away my brain?”
His gaze sharpened, the faintest hint of warning flickering behind his calm. “You signed an agreement to stand by me,” he said quietly. “To keep up appearances. To be my partner in public.”
“Partner?” I scoffed. “You mean prop.”
“Eli.” His voice dipped, low and controlled. “Don’t do that here.”
“Do what?” I asked, knowing exactly what he meant but refusing to stop. “Embarrass you? Make your precious image crack a little?”
His jaw flexed. “You’re not listening.”
“Oh, I’m listening,” I snapped, leaning forward. “I just don’t take orders like some obedient—”
“Enough.”
I froze mid-sentence.
Julian’s expression didn’t change, but there was seriousness in his tone now. “You will not raise your voice to me in public again. You will not test me when I’ve asked for simple cooperation.”
Something in my chest twisted into anger, humiliation. “And what if I do?” I muttered.
He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. “Then I’ll remind you why it’s better not to.”
There was nothing overtly threatening in the way he said it. No raised hand. No cruel tone. Just calm, unshakable certainty; like he already knew I’d eventually bend, whether I liked it or not.
The silence stretched between us. The clinking of silverware from nearby tables felt too loud.
When the food arrived, I barely tasted it. My appetite had disappeared somewhere between his warning and the weight of his gaze.
Julian, of course, ate like nothing had happened. “You should eat,” he said eventually, not looking up from his plate. “You’ll need your strength.”
“For what?” I asked dryly.
His lips curved faintly. “To learn.”
My throat went dry.
He finally looked up again, eyes catching mine… dark, steady, deliberate. “You want to fight me, Eli? Fine. But remember, every time you push, I’ll push back harder. That’s how I work. So I'd advise you against fighting me; it's no use. You belong to me and you should only focus on being good at belonging to me.”
I wanted to roll my eyes, to say something snarky, to reclaim even an ounce of control. So I slammed my fist onto the table, making the silverware clatter. "Fuck you, Julian! I won't be your plaything forever!"
The restaurant patrons began to stare, but I didn't care. Let them look. I was done pretending to be something I wasn't.
Julian's face remained impassive, but I could see the muscle tic in his jaw, a sign of the anger brewing beneath the surface. He rose from his seat, his movements fluid and deliberate.
"We're leaving," he said, his voice low and deadly.
I followed him out of the restaurant in a daze, my mind reeling from the explosion of emotions. By the time we reached the limousine, I was trembling with frustration and exhaustion.
As soon as we were inside, Julian turned to face me, his eyes blazing with a fierce intensity. "You have no idea what you've just done, do you, Eli?" he growled.
I met his gaze head-on, my chin lifted in defiance. "I know exactly what I did. I stood up for myself, and I won't back down just because you want to control me."
Julian's smirk was chilling. "We'll see about that." He reached out and grasped my wrist, yanking me toward the door as the limo pulled away from the curb.
By the time we arrived home, turmoil was brewing inside me.
As soon as the door shut behind us, Julian spun me around, his grip on my arm bruising.
"You'd do well to remember your place, Eli," he snarled, his face inches from mine. "You're not in control here."
With a sudden twist, he pulled my arm behind my back, forcing me to arch and cry out in pain. "Lesson number one: you obey me."
He dragged me toward the bedroom, my clothes ripping as he manhandled me. I struggled and kicked, but his strength was overwhelming. Before I knew it, I was thrown face-first onto the bed, my hands cuffed above my head.
Julian's footsteps echoed in the room as he retrieved something from the closet. I heard the rustle of fabric, followed by a soft gasp as he held up a delicate, lacy ensemble.
"Time to dress up for your master," he purred, his fingers tracing the curves of the lingerie. "Strip for me, Eli."
I glared at him over my shoulder, my face burning with humiliation and rage. But as I hesitated, a flicker of doubt crept into my mind. What choice did I have?
With a defiant huff, I began to strip, my clothes falling away to reveal the pale expanse of my skin. Each article of clothing I shed only served to remind me of my powerlessness.
As I slipped on the provocative undergradments, I felt a strange tingling sensation, as if my body was betraying me even as my mind rebelled. Julian's eyes roamed over my naked form, his gaze searing like a brand.
"Very good, my pet," he murmured, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "Now, get on all fours. You need spanking."
I scrambled to obey, my knees shaking as I assumed the position. Julian's palm connected with my ass in a stinging slap, making me yelp. The next hit landed even harder, sending a jolt of pain through my body. He changed from palm to belt.
"You will learn to follow my commands without question, Eli," he growled, his hand rising and falling in a relentless rhythm. "And you will address me as 'Master' from now on."
I bit back a sob, my tears mixing with the sweat on my skin as Julian's belt continued its merciless assault. By the time he finished, my ass was a throbbing, red mess, and my entire body ached with a mix of pain and humiliation.
As he released the cuffs, I collapsed onto the bed, my chest heaving with ragged breaths. Julian's boots' steps echoed closer, and I flinched, bracing myself for more punishment.
But instead, I felt his presence looming over me, his warm breath ghosting across my ear. "You're learning, Eli," he whispered, his tone soft and almost tender. "But we're far from done."
With a gentle hand, he stroked my hair, his fingers tangling in the damp strands. "Rest now, my submissive doll. Tomorrow, we begi
n the real lesson in obedience.” And he kissed my forehead like he hadn't just made me wear lingerie and spanked my bare ass.