I place my hand on the door and shivers of both excitement and trepidation shoot through me. Lorenzo sent me a text message asking—no, instructing—me to meet him in the bedroom. He went out with Dante for a few hours when we got back from our appointment with the lawyers, and despite spending a lovely afternoon with Kat and the kids, I still feel a little wobbly. Reliving my affair with Jake and having Lorenzo learn about it at the same time really shook me. And even though he told me it changed nothing between us, I crave his reassurance. He truly has turned me into a needy sub.
With that thought in mind and a faint smile on my face, I enter the bedroom. He’s sitting on the bed wearing only his suit pants, legs spread wide as he stares at me. I close the door behind me, and my pulse thrums an erratic beat.
“Come here, sunshine,” he orders in his signature low growl that rumbles through my bones. I walk toward him, the wooden floor warm beneath my bare feet. As soon as I reach him, he nods, indicating the space between his thighs. “Kneel.”
I drop to my knees at his feet, licking my lips in anticipation, and a grin tugs at the corners of his mouth. “Turn around.”
I do as he instructs. What wickedly sinful ideas are going through his head right now? He surprises me by running a brush through my hair. I close my eyes and sigh with contentment. Once he’s finished untangling it, he begins to braid my hair into a thick plait. He’s efficient at it too, securing the end with a hair tie when he’s done.
He gently taps my shoulder, indicating I should turn around again, and I shuffle on my knees until I’m facing him once more. “Where did you learn to do that, Sir?” I ask with a pop of one eyebrow.
“Not where you think. Our mom died when Joey was three. I had to braid a lot of hair.”
The image of him braiding little Joey’s hair warms my heart.
Lorenzo’s dark eyes fix on mine. “I have a gift for you.”
Warmth settles in my core, and any lingering doubts I had about this morning melt away.
He cups my jaw in his hand, rubbing the pad of his thumb over my cheekbone. “It’s not just a gift though, tesoro.” His eyes narrow. “It’s something much more. A commitment.”
I blink in confusion. I’m the one on my knees here, so this can’t be a proposal.
My entire body trembles when he pulls a square velvet-covered box from behind his back and snaps it open to reveal a stunning white-gold choker. Tears prick at my eyes. On closer inspection, I see it’s a series of thick links that fit so perfectly together that they look like one piece of metal. Each link has a sunflower or a sun delicately engraved on it, so fine that they can only be seen from up close.
The center link is set with a large canary diamond and the fastening at the back has a small heart-shaped padlock. It’s the most beautiful piece of jewelry I’ve ever seen.
“Is that a …” I swallow the emotion welling in my throat, worried I might cry and spoil the moment.
“It’s a collar, sunshine. I want you to wear it, but I also want you to think about what this means before you say yes. I can wait if you need time.”
A collar means he’s my Dom and I belong to him. What is there to think about? “I know what it means,” I whisper.
“Do you?” He arches an eyebrow at me. “Because once you put it on, you don’t get to take it off so easily.”
I glance at the choker again. So intricate and pretty.
“You can take it off to shower or bathe,” he says, reading my mind, “but once you wear my collar, you belong to me. It’s like a wedding ring. Off or on, you’re still my sub. Twenty-four seven.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I try to calm my galloping heart. “With the same rules we have now?”
“Yes. But we can revisit the rules anytime you want.”
“An equal partnership?”
“Yes.”
“Where I do whatever you tell me without question?”
He smiles widely, and the sight makes my heart, and my pussy, flutter. “Yes.”
I suppress a grin. “If this is a proposal, shouldn’t you be the one on your knees?”
The sound of his laugh fills the room. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him laugh like that before. “For that proposal, you can be sure I’ll be on at least one knee, sunshine.”
Butterflies swirl in my stomach. He tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear, his face growing serious again. “Know that this means more to me than any marriage proposal. I can wait to make you my wife, but I don’t want to wait any longer for this.”
“Well, you kind of have to wait to make me your wife seeing as I’m technically still married.” I regret the words as soon as they leave my mouth. Brad has no place in this conversation. But if the reminder of my ex-husband bothers Lorenzo, he doesn’t show it.
He places his hand on my cheek and rubs his thumb over my bottom lip. I stare up at him, drinking in every single thing about him. I love him so much it makes my heart ache. “Mia Stone, will you wear my collar?”
“Yes Sir, I would love to.”
His chest heaves as though he was holding his breath waiting for my answer—like there was ever any doubt that I would say yes. He takes the choker from the box and fastens it around my neck, clicking the lock into place before sitting back with a satisfied smile on his face.
I run my fingers over the stone on the front. The choker is surprisingly light and comfortable—two things I’m sure he took into consideration when he chose it.
“If it’s not to your liking, I’ll have them make you another.
“I love it. It’s perfect.” My cheeks flush with heat. “But where is the key?”
He indicates the crucifix around his neck, and I notice the small gold key nestled behind it. “Right where it belongs.”
I whisper his name on a breath. How long has he been planning all of this? Can this even be real?
“Take off your clothes.” The air in the room grows thick with supercharged sexual energy.
Bowing my head, I reach behind me and lower the zipper on my dress. I take it off, along with my underwear, all under the heat and scrutiny of Lorenzo’s intense gaze. When I’m done, I resume my former position at his feet. He cups my chin in his strong hand, tilting my face up, and runs the tip of his pointer finger over my collar. “From now on, this is all you wear in my bed unless I give you permission to wear something else. Understand?”
“Yes, Sir.”
His eyes twinkle with delight. “And when I tell you to be ready for me, this is how I want you. Naked, with your hair up in a braid or a ponytail.”
“Of course, Sir.”
“Now how would my little sub like to thank Sir for her collar?” he asks, his tone deep and smooth.
I glance at his hard cock, currently straining at the zipper of his pants, and lick my lips. A wicked chuckle escapes him. “That’s my good girl.” He unzips his fly and frees his thick shaft from his boxers.
I bring my mouth close to the tip, already wet with precum, and breathe in his masculine scent. My pussy clenches as I swirl my tongue over the crown, and a deep groan reverberates through him. He wraps my braid around his fist and uses it to hold my head in place while he slowly feeds me his entire length. “You look so beautiful wearing my collar and sucking my cock.”
“Mmm,” I murmur around him, my tongue darting over his length as I squeeze his thighs.
“Fuck, you do that so well.” He relaxes his grip on my hair, allowing me more control. I take full advantage, sucking him all the way into my mouth. With the crown of his cock lodged in my throat, I inhale deeply through my nose and swallow.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Mia.” His fingers tighten around my braid once more, tugging at it, and the sharp sting in my scalp spurs me on. I swallow again, and his animalistic growl travels straight to the aching spot between my thighs.
I moan around him and the vibrations have him shouting out my name. Before I can swallow again, he pulls his beautiful cock from my mouth. “Tongue out,” he commands, and I do as he tells me, waiting for his release like his needy little sub.
Gripping the base of his shaft in his free hand, he pumps twice before warm ribbons of cum streak over my tongue and drip down my chin. He looks at me through half-closed lids, his chest heaving. I smile triumphantly, loving that I can make him lose control.
“Swallow, sunshine.” I do as he instructs, savoring his taste. He swipes the pad of his thumb over my jaw, his eyes sparking with unrestrained desire. I ache for him, desperate for his touch. My chest heaves as I pant in anticipation, and he flashes me a wicked grin. “Get dressed. Time to go to dinner and show off your pretty collar.”
