Chapter Twenty

“Just remember when you fuck him, though, that you’re mine.” It didn’t matter that they had sex afterward, didn’t matter that they talked about work and her mother with Paul and Sandy and a host of other things; the only sentence that kept replaying in her mind was that one. Just remember when you fuck him, though, that you’re mine. Mitch didn’t say don’t have sex with Brad or in case you do sleep with him. No. He said when. It was a given in his mind and he wasn’t even upset about it. There was no jealousy. No pouting. No manipulation of getting her to promise she wouldn’t do it. Just that she still belonged to him while it happened and afterward. You’re mine. His.

She questioned him about it, challenging him. “Getting a little possessive, aren’t you?”

He just smiled. “Karla, I don’t want to possess you; I want to own you. And I will.”

You’re mine. I want to own you. I will own you. The words kept repeating over and over and over in her mind. She couldn’t even function at work that night, because of how distracting his statements were. I want to own you. You’re mine. I will own you. So lost in the cycle of his claims that even seeing Paul couldn’t shake her out of her distraction.

It wasn’t just that he said it that had her so befuddled, but the fact that she didn’t spat back at him the ridiculousness of his claims. No one owned Karla Harper. No one even dared try.

Except Mitch.

And she… She liked it. Just the thought of him controlling her, giving her everything she always wanted, the freedom to do as she pleased and not be judged, but rather encouraged and protected. He gave her permission to screw around and now…

Now she didn’t want it. She didn’t want to sleep with Brad or anyone else. Oh, she still wanted them to want her, to woo her and try to get between her legs, but the other night at The Lily Pad revealed to her she could have all that and still go home with her man.

Sean became sick of cleaning up after her spills or having to repeat drink orders to her and finally sent her home. Paul stayed away and refused to comment, still licking his wounds from her outburst at her mother’s house. She needed to have a conversation with him sooner or later, but she chose later. There was too much going through her mind about Mitch at the moment. Paul could wait. Or go to hell, whichever came first.

Once she clocked out, she went straight to Mitch’s. She needed to be with him, needed to touch him, smell him, have him. Needed him to have her. Needed more of his…

Control.

That thought almost stopped her cold, the contradiction to everything she held to be true for her. She was the one who took control, made men work for her, serve her needs, desires. But with Mitch…

Mitch’s desires seemed to match hers in a twisted sort of perverted, kinky way. She didn’t think it was even possible to find someone who was turned on by the same things that turned her on, who didn’t care she exposed herself and others drooled over her. It made his cock as hard as it made her pussy wet.

And none of it made any sense to her.

She pulled into Mitch’s apartment complex and stared up at the stairs that led to his third-floor unit. The night was chill, a slight breeze rustling the trees, a bank of clouds crawling across the bright moon. She turned her car off, dropping her hands into her lap as she took a deep breath. His light was on, the windows of his living room unobstructed. He was awake, as if he knew she would be coming over when she got off work. How could he have known when she didn’t even know until the last minute?

She just shook her head as she tossed her keys in her purse and opened her car door.

Before she knocked on Mitch’s door, it opened. He stood there, wearing only a pair of dark blue pajama pants and a smile, two glasses of wine in his hands. “I saw you pull in.” He held one of the glasses out to her. “It’s a cool night. Let’s enjoy our wine on the balcony, shall we?”

She smiled. “Sounds good.”

“Of course,” he began with a grin as he shut the door, “you’re a little overdressed.”

She stared, feeling her eyes widen. “You want me to go out onto your balcony naked?”

He just stood there, staring at her, waiting.

She couldn’t believe what he suggested. She glanced at the sliding doors, for the first time nervous about being seen without clothes. Of course, it was dark out, even with the moon lighting up the landscape. The chances of actually being seen were negligible. Fine. She handed him back the glass of wine, and then pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it in a lump on the floor, followed by her bra. She kicked her shoes off, stripped her feet of her ankle socks, and then unbuttoned her blue jean shorts and slid them, along with her thong, down her legs. She dropped them all on top of her shirt and bra. With her arms outstretched just a little, she asked, “Will this do?”

He handed her back her glass of wine. “Definitely.” He winked and then turned toward the sliding doors.

She wanted to growl, but instead, asked, “And why am I the only one naked?” She started to follow him toward the balcony.

He opened the door, stepping out into the night air, gesturing for her to follow. “Because you’re the one who likes to be naked. Besides, it’s a little chilly out here.”

She stared at his retreating back, still wanting to growl at him. This battle between keeping control and giving it up would rip her apart sooner or later, she just knew it. With a sigh of surrender, she followed him out onto the balcony.

He already sat in a plush wicker chair, holding his glass of wine in one hand, while the other rested on the arm of the chair. He smiled at her as she came out, her steps tentative as she glanced around. She was at least spared the porch light being on, shining a spotlight on her nakedness. She sat in the chair beside him, his eyes never leaving her as she sipped her wine, tucking her feet up under her bare ass. As she glanced over at him, she shook her head. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Which part? Seeing your naked body or seeing how timid you can be at times?”

“Both. And, for the record, I’m not timid. I just usually like to choose the time and place to show off my assets, thank you very much.”

He chuckled. “Assets. Nice.” He sipped his wine again. As he pulled the glass from his lips, he said, “And I like this vulnerable side to you. It’s cute.”

“I hate being vulnerable.”

He nodded slightly. “I know.” His voice was soft, as were his eyes.

She didn’t want him to pity her and told him so.

“It’s far from pity, sweetheart. You’ve made some pretty hard choices to erect your crusty exterior, choices made because you thought the world was against you. What you see is the pain I feel for you, anger that others did that to you. I wish I could erase it. I truly want to try.”

“Scars can’t be erased.”

“No, but they do tend to fade over time.”

She didn’t know what to say to that, so she chose to say nothing. Her scars ran deeper than he knew and there was not enough time in her life to make them fade. They were still raw, some still felt as if they were freshly ripped open. She took another sip of her wine.

“I also think they’re a cover up.”

She tilted her head, confusion furrowing her brows. “Excuse me?”

He shrugged. “A cover up. It’s easy to use the pain of the past to excuse the way you are now, when in fact, most of the way you are now is who you want to be. However, I want to help cover those scars, while at the same time allowing you the freedom to explore your desires.”

“And just how do you expect to do that?”

He smiled at her, the moon making his eyes twinkle. “Control.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re just not happy unless you’re bossing me around, are you?”

“No, not really.”

She stared at him. Her lips pressed into a thin line. He didn’t even blink when he said it. He really did want to control her. “And just how do I get this freedom to do what I want if you’re the one telling me what to do? Seems contradictory to me.”

“It’s easy. I want what you want, but I want to keep you safe while you’re doing it.”

“I’ve been pretty safe, so far.”

“You’ve been lucky, so far. You’ve also been reckless. And alone. I want to give you the safety net to still be the person you are, while enjoying the safety and security of a relationship. I want to give you a foundation that will never shift underneath you, while allowing you to build on your fantasies and adventures.”

“Let me guess. More rules.”

He nodded. “More structure.”

“I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’m not really the structure type of gal. I like doing whatever I want, when I want, however the hell I want.”

“Oh, I’ve noticed. But I also think you want someone permanent in your life, someone who can handle your…adventures.” He stressed that last word with a smile. “We’ll start simple and grow from there as we see where we need to go and adjust. If you give yourself over to them…to me…I promise you’ll discover a side to you that you didn’t know existed.”

She turned her gaze out to the parking lot, the moon hitting the cars, reflecting off the metal and the windows. Anyone who pulled up right then would be able to see her, and to be honest, she forgot all about that chance while she talked to Mitch. She glanced down at her posture—open, relaxed, as opposed to closed off and hiding. She exposed herself even more while they conversed without even realizing it. He put her at ease, keeping her off guard, and that scared the hell out of her.

She felt his hand on her fingers as he took the wine glass from her and set it on the table between them. “Go to the railing and stand, facing out.”

“Mitch, this is where you live, aren’t you afraid someone will see me and cause you problems?”

“It’s almost three in the morning. The only ones up at this hour wish they had a naked girl on their balcony. Now… Go stand by the railing.”

She took a deep breath, building her courage. She never cared if people sneaked peeks at her before, so why was she so hesitant now? She forced herself out of her chair and moved to the railing, the wood damp from the night air and dew, the chill breeze kissing her skin. She darted her gaze back and forth over the parking lot, checking for other prying eyes. Then she heard Mitch stand, heard the swish of fabric as he slid his pants down his legs. His hands were cold at first when he touched her waist, one hand gliding up her back into her hair. Then she felt his erection slip between her ass cheeks to poke at her passion. She felt her eyes pop wide, eyebrows lifted. Is he really going to do this right here?

He leaned forward, his lips brushing against her ear. “Do you want it? Do you want to be fucked? Right here? Right now?”

She groaned. She did. Oh god, she did, but what if… “Yes,” she answered with a throaty rasp. She didn’t care if someone saw her. She needed to feel him inside of her, taking her.

“Are you mine?” he asked as he bent her over just enough to give him access to her sex.

“Yes.”

“Am I the one in control?”

“Yes.”

“Do you surrender everything to me?”

“Yes!”

And then he drove his cock into her pussy, a groan escaping her lips as he spread her open. He twisted her hair around his fingers, holding it tight, as his other hand gripped her waist. Hard, he pounded into her, as deep as he could. In. Out. She bent over more, giving him better access, as she thrust her ass back to meet his thrust. His fingers dug into her waist with his need; his other hand gripped her hair tighter, pulling her head back, her tits pushed out, exposed for whoever wanted to see. And she didn’t care. Let them watch. Let them hear. Oh god, that thought alone made her wetter, hotter. She pounded backward faster, needing it with a hunger that was about to consume her.

“Play with your clit. Now.”

And she did, one hand leaving the railing to frantically rub at her swollen nub. It wasn’t long. From zero to horny-as-hell in no time, and she felt her body shudder, her muscles taut as her orgasm washed over her, a groan sounding out into the night. His fingers dug into her even harder, if that was possible, and she felt his cock twitch, felt his passion filling her. He held her in place, pulling her tight against him until he was spent.

She dropped the arm that was between her legs, resting her head on the other arm that held her up, her breathing ragged, deep. She glanced out at the parking lot again, wondering if anyone enjoyed their performance, hoping that they did, while at the same time hoping they hadn’t been caught.

He patted her ass as she felt him slip from between her legs. “Go clean up and then join me back out here. I’ve laid a T-shirt on my bed for you to wear.”

She lifted herself into a standing position, taking a moment to allow her legs to regain their strength. She held herself up until she was ready to move. Smiling at him, she nodded. “Yes, sir,” she said, as she patted his bare chest, and then went inside.

If his control was going to be like that all the time, she could get used to it. Somehow, though, she doubted it would be that easy.