Xavier and Cathleen walked into a room where there was a man bent over the bed, and another man seemed to be working his fist into him. Xavier stopped to take in each scene that was open to viewing, but there was nothing on his face to give away whether he was into it or not. He just looked considering and politely interested each time.
"Quite the spectacle," he murmured, his voice devoid of judgment yet edged with an unspoken command for attention.
Cathleen's breath hitched, her heart thudding against her ribcage. "I can't take you to every session in here," Xavier said, turning to her with a look that peered through her defenses. "But I believe you have seen enough. What do you think?"
She swallowed hard, the words sticking like shards in her throat. "It's a lot."
His nod came slowly, deliberate. "My first time here, I was overwhelmed and curious, even though I wasn't new to this lifestyle." His admission hung heavy between them.
"You were already a Dom when you first came to this club?" Cathleen's voice wavered, but she met his eyes, daring to probe deeper.
He reached for her hand, the touch grounding yet claiming. "Let's go home." He said as he led her to their car.
Silence enveloped them in the car, a heavy shroud of unspoken words., broken only by the purr of the engine and the occasional flick of Xavier's wrist as he shifted gears. Cathleen stole glances at him, each one a silent question hanging in the charged air.
"Ask," he commanded, not once taking his eyes off the road.
"How did you get started?" Her curiosity clawed its way out, raw and seeking.
"Did you just watch some porn and decide it was the lifestyle you wanted?" The question tumbled from her lips, almost accusatory.
A laugh escaped him, rare and disarming. "You should laugh a lot; you look handsome when you do," she ventured, watching as lightness danced across his features, only for it to vanish as quickly as it had appeared.
"No, I've never been into porn or stuff like that." His tone was icy, a warning. "I've always been curious about power. Staying in power. And watching someone willingly hand it over to me... it's satisfying."
His words slithered through the air, a caress and a slap all at once. The smooth, low quality of his voice resonated with a truth that settled in her bones, a testament to the complexity of the man beside her. She sat there, absorbing his confession, the darkness of the car wrapping around them like a promise and a threat.
Xavier's grip on the steering wheel was a vice, his knuckles whitening under the pressure. The car hummed along the darkened street, its headlights piercing the night like twin lances.
"Cat," he began, his voice rough as gravel. "I know you might be scared right now. But I need to remind you... I left that life a long time ago, and you just kept pushing me back into it. You wanted this life, and now it's time I ask you." His eyes flickered to her, and for a moment, Cathleen saw the weight of his words in his gaze before he refocused on the road. "I left that life behind. A long time ago, and I want to be sure this is what you want." He repeated.
Cathleen's heartbeat thrummed in her ears, a drumbeat matching the rhythm of the city blurring past. "And yet here we are," she whispered.
"Here we are," he echoed, a steel edge to his tone. He glanced at her again, his eyes delving deep. "You pushed me back into it, Cat. From that first moment on the altar. There was something daring about you, Cat, and I knew there was no way I could have you if I didn't give you all of me."
The memory of their vows, the dangerous promise in his eyes-she remembered it all too well. She had seen the man beneath the surface, the darkness, and the desire. It had drawn her in-an irresistible lure.
"Are you sure you want this me or-" Xavier's question hung suspended between them.
Her interruption was swift, slicing through the tension. "It's scary, yes. But I want this. I want all of you-not half."
His chuckle was low, a sound that sent shivers dancing down her spine. "Honestly speaking, you can never have all of me, Cat. Half of me will always belong to my daughter."
She smiled at that, warmth blossoming even as the chill of the night pressed against the car windows. She remembered old Mr. Knight's words, the wisdom in his voice when he spoke of love and sacrifice.
"Xavier," Cathleen called softly, turning her head to catch his profile, etched by the passing streetlights. "Why are you so scared of losing Bella?"
He flinched, almost imperceptibly. There was a vulnerability there-a crack in his armor. "If I lose her... I'll have no reason to live, Cat. I can't lose my little girl."
She reached out, her fingers brushing against his arm, feeling the tension coil there. Tears threatened to breach his defenses, but he was quick to turn away, hiding his weakness from her view. Yet, she had seen enough.
"You do know it's okay to be afraid and vulnerable, right?" Her voice was gentle, probing the silence that had settled upon them.
He didn't answer. Instead, his jaw tightened, and the muscles in his neck stood out like cords. Xavier Knight-the man who dominated boardrooms and bedrooms alike-refused to acknowledge his deepest fear.
But she knew. Bella was his weakest point, the chink in his armor. And Cathleen realized then that perhaps, in this complex dance they were tangled in, she held more power than she thought.
Xavier's knuckles whitened on the steering wheel, a silent testament to the shift in conversation as he steered them away from vulnerability. The city lights streaked by like fleeting memories, casting shadows that played over Cathleen's determined face.
"Why did you choose to be a lawyer?" His voice was rough, forced casualness failing to mask the strain of changing subjects.
Cathleen's lips pressed into a thin line, her gaze fixed on the passing blur outside. "To protect myself," she stated flatly, a sharp edge to her words. She shifted in her seat, turning to face him. "Business was my game until Finn fucked up, um, fucked Avery..." Her laugh was bitter and hollow. "Let's just say Dora made it clear I wasn't welcome at the helm."
Xavier cracked a smile, a rare glimpse of warmth flickering in his eyes. "And the Eye Of The Ocean? Isn't that business?" He prodded, eyes locked on the road ahead.
Her response caught in her throat, eyes widening. "How did you-"
"Nothing gets past me, Cat." Xavier cut across her stammering, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.
Cathleen swallowed hard, the admission spilling out of her. "It was my grandmother's dream," she murmured, her voice laced with reverence and a touch of melancholy. "She's gone, but her legacy... I want to continue it. To honor her."
"Then what's stopping you?" he asked, the question hanging in the air, heavy, expectant.
Her fingers clenched into fists. "I don't have all her pieces," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.
The car rolled to a stop, the underground parking engulfing them in its dim, cavernous embrace. Xavier killed the engine, plunging them into silence save for their breathing.
"Fuck the missing pieces," he said finally, his voice low and raw. "We'll find them, Cat. We'll complete the damn legacy together."
Cathleen didn't respond. But in the darkness, her eyes glistened-reflecting a fire that matched his own.