Chapter Five

EMMA

Emma gripped the steering wheel tightly as she navigated the familiar roads to her parents’ house. The afternoon sun cast a warm glow on the lined asphalt, mirroring the heat that coursed through her veins. Dante had texted her earlier that he was going to take his own car to dinner and that he would see her there. No mention of the dungeon or last night. Had she really gotten away with it? Had she fooled him? She felt like Cinderella, only she hadn’t left a shoe for him to track her down with. Would Dante even try to find his Queen Mab? Or was she just one Halloween fling that would soon be replaced by another?

She hated that idea. After last night, Emma knew that she couldn’t keep away from Dante. But could she risk him refusing to be with her because she was Joey’s little sister? Did she want him to know it was her, or was it better to keep their connection a secret for now? Surely once they had sex, he would realize that it didn’t matter who she was related to. No, for the moment she would still be Queen Mab for him. And once she got up the courage, she would go back down to Club Inferno and find him again to ask for another lesson.

Maybe, he would even make her beg for it.

Emma’s body tingled with desire, remembering the way Dante’s fingers had grazed her skin, leaving trails of fire in their wake. As she drove, with each mile marker passed, her arousal grew. The thought of continuing her education with Dante, masked and incognito, sent shivers down her spine. She imagined his strong hands guiding her, teaching her the tantalizing language of submission, pushing her boundaries while exploring every inch of her body.

Her pulse quickened, and heat pooled between her thighs. The temptation to pull over and find quick relief with her own fingers was overwhelming. But she knew that what she truly craved was Dante’s touch, his command, and his undeniable presence.

Besides, her parents were waiting for her. It could keep until she was back home at Couture. But with each passing streetlight, her fantasies became more vivid, ensnaring her senses and deepening her longing for Dante. Emma imagined the sound of his raspy voice as he whispered in her ear, commanding her to obey him.

Get a grip, she told herself. The thought of facing her family with these feelings coursing through her was embarrassing. She needed a cold shower or something.

As Emma pulled into her parents’ driveway, her fingers curling around the steering wheel with anticipation and nerves. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the dinner ahead. Dante would be arriving soon, and she couldn’t let her fantasies run wild. Not in front of her parents and not until she was safe behind her Queen Mab mask.

Emma stepped out of her car, trying to compose herself before entering her parents’ house. The thoughts of Dante still plagued her mind, making it difficult to focus on anything else. She tried blanking her mind and thinking about Couture’s scheduling issues for next week. Anything to clear her thoughts of Dante’s head between her legs.

“You made it,” her mother said, giving her a quick hug when she opened the door. “You’re just in time. I need to finish up a few things in the kitchen, so why don’t you go relax for a bit? Your father’s in the living room. Go say hi.”

“Sure,” Emma said, and hung up her coat on the rack. She walked down the hallway and leaned against the doorframe to the living room. “Hi, Dad,” she said.

Her father was engrossed in a football game on TV. He grunted and waved a hand to her.

Emma could go help her mother in the kitchen, but she knew from experience that her mother would just shoo her away. She went upstairs to where her old room was still kept ready for her, just in case she ever decided to move back home. Not like that would happen. She wandered around her room, smiling at the glass figurines that her mother had dusted and then running her fingers over her beloved books that she couldn’t fit into her small apartment at Couture. Yet even with all the distractions and familiarity with being at home, she couldn’t help but still feel an undercurrent of arousal and nerves.

How would she even look Dante in the eye after the things she let him do to her?

Emma went into the adjoining bathroom to splash cold water on her face. As she locked the door behind her, she glanced down at the floor and remembered the secret hiding place she had created years ago. Lifting the loose tile, she found an ornate box. It was still there. Well, of course it was. Sitting on the floor, she took it out and blew off the dust. When was the last time she had seen this? It had to be when she was home for college. She had been too afraid to take it to her dorm. So the box had remained here, forgotten until now. Inside, placed in the velvet lining of the box, was her first vibrator, hidden like a treasure.

Smiling, she tested it, giggling when it buzzed to life. Just what she needed. It wouldn’t even take long. Emma turned on the faucet in the sink, letting the water run to mask any noise she might make. Then she quickly undressed, her clothes falling to the floor in a heap. She folded a towel into a tight roll and then stepped into the empty bathtub. The porcelain was cold and she had second thoughts about it, but she was already naked, so she tucked the towel behind her head and tried to get comfortable. As she spread her legs, though, she could already feel the wetness between her thighs, a testament to the power Dante held over her imagination.

She switched on the vibrator and gasped as it buzzed against her sensitive skin. She closed her eyes and let the sensations wash over her. It wasn’t Dante, but it was a start. Emma teasingly traced it around her nipples, feeling them harden with anticipation. Her pulse quickened, mirroring the rhythm of the toy.

Emma’s mind raced with the possibilities of what Dante could do to her if she were to submit to him completely. She envisioned herself bound and helpless, at the mercy of Dante’s skilled hands. She imagined herself kneeling before him, wrists tied behind her back, her gaze fixed on the floor as she awaited his instructions. In her fantasy, Dante’s voice was firm yet enticing, commanding her to present herself to him. And she did so willingly, spreading her legs to reveal her wetness, aching for his touch.

“Look at me,” he would say, his dark eyes locking onto hers, sending shivers down her spine. Emma could feel the heat rise within her as she obeyed, raising her head to meet his intense gaze. Dante’s fingers would trail over her breasts, teasing her nipples until they stood erect, sensitive and desperate for more attention.

“Tell me what you want,” Dante would demand, making her voice her most secret desires.

“Please, sir,” she’d whisper, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment and arousal. “I want you to spank me, to make me feel your power over me.”

A wicked smile would spread across Dante’s face, followed by a swift, hard slap against her ass. Emma gasped as she imagined the pain quickly morphing into pleasure like it had done last night. Her body craved more discipline from his strong hand. Each smack would send shockwaves through her, the sound reverberating in the room, intertwining with her pleading moans.

“Are you ready to be mine?” Dante would ask, his fingers dipping between her thighs to gather her slick arousal. Emma would nod vigorously, unable to form words as anticipation consumed her. He would then grab a handful of her hair, pulling her head back as he leaned in to whisper against her ear, “Then come for me, my beautiful Queen Mab.”

Her body responded to the vibrations, and her breaths grew heavier. Her muscles tightened, heat spreading through her core. Lowering the vibrator, she pressed it against her swollen clit, the sensation making her gasp.

Emma’s body trembled with need as she slowly slid the vibrator inside herself, feeling the fullness and pressure that mimicked what she craved from Dante. She thought of his hands on her body, commanding her to submit to his dominance. She remembered how his touch made her feel alive. And as her own arousal grew, Emma imagined it was Dante’s hand guiding her to climax, whispering into her ear, telling her that he owned her body and her mind.

“Fuck,” she whispered, biting her lip to stifle her moans. She moved the vibrator in and out of her wet, aching pussy, each thrust bringing her closer to the edge. Her free hand roamed over her body, cupping her breasts and pinching her nipples, heightening her pleasure. Her muscles tightened around the vibrator, the pressure and the pleasure building up inside her.

Emma pumped the vibrator faster, her breath coming in short pants. She could feel herself teetering on the brink of climax, desperate for release. Suddenly, an image of Dante’s face filled her mind, his green eyes locking on hers with a fierce intensity, his lips poised for a passionate kiss. She could hear his deep, seductive voice calling her his “Little Queen Mab,” and she could hardly help but let out a gasp as her body began to quiver and shake. Her climax was imminent, and as she let herself go, her body tensed.

“Ah, Dante,” she moaned, her voice barely audible over the sound of running water.

Finally sated, she lay there for a moment, catching her breath and basking in the afterglow of her orgasm. Gradually, her breathing steadied, and she knew it was time to rejoin the world outside her fantasies. She stepped out of the bathtub, carefully cleaning the vibrator before returning it to its secret hiding place. After dressing and fixing herself up in the mirror, Emma felt ready to face dinner with her parents and Dante.

Emma’s pulse was still racing from her intimate moment in the bathroom as she went back downstairs. The sound of voices drifted up to meet her, and for a moment, she wondered if Dante had arrived while she’d been lost in her fantasies about him.

Rounding the corner into the living room, Emma was met with an unexpected sight. Instead of finding Dante, she found her brother, Joey, standing tall in his army uniform, grinning from ear to ear. Her parents beamed beside him, their eyes shining with pride.

“Joey!” Emma gasped, her shock quickly morphing into joy. “When did you get home?”

“Surprise, kiddo.” Joey chuckled, opening his arms to greet her. Emma practically leaped into his embrace, wrapping her arms around him tightly. She had missed him so much. They all had.

“It’s so good to see you,” Emma murmured into his shoulder, trying to act nonchalant despite the whirlwind of emotions coursing through her.

As they pulled apart from their hug, Joey’s gaze flickered over her face, his expression turning teasing. “So, I hear you’ve been working with Dante Ashton.”

Emma blushed, suddenly self-conscious. “Yeah,” she admitted, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. “It’s been interesting. He’s coming for dinner tonight.” And she really should give him the heads-up that Joey was here, but she didn’t want to spoil the surprise. However, she selfishly wondered if this would set back her romantic plans about revealing who Queen Mab was.

“Interesting, huh?” Joey smirked, clearly aware of the secret crush she had harbored for Dante for years. “Just remember, he’s a shark and you’re a little goldfish. Don’t get yourself hurt swimming too close.”

“Joey,” she protested, cheeks heating even further. But she couldn’t deny the truth in his words. Dante was a powerful, dominant man, and she was still finding her footing in the world of BDSM. Not that Joey knew anything about that. At least, she hoped he didn’t.

“All right, all right,” Joey relented, ruffling her hair affectionately. “Just looking out for my little sister.”

“Thanks,” Emma mumbled. When would he stop treating her like a little kid? “At least I’m learning how to swim with the sharks.”

“You always were a quick learner.” Joey grinned. “But I still wish you were teaching kindergarten instead of being a glorified nanny.”

She knew he was only joking, but his words still stung a little. She had always wanted to make a difference in the lives of the children she cared for, and being a kindergarten teacher had been her dream since she was a child.

“Yeah, well, I still wish you were working in the United States and not getting shot at, but we can’t always have what we want, can we?”

It was like all the air had gotten sucked out of the room at her words.

She felt a twinge of guilt, but not really. She had meant what she said. Just as Joey had meant what he said.

“The kitten grew claws,” Joey said, but he didn’t sound angry. In fact, he sounded proud of her.

“Emma, are you all right?” her mother asked, concern coloring her voice.

“Uh, yeah, just a little hangry,” Emma replied.

“Of course, honey,” her mother said sympathetically. “Don’t worry, dinner will be ready soon.”

Her father clapped Joey on the shoulder, beaming with pride. “We’re just so proud of both of you,” he said, his voice filled with genuine affection.

“Absolutely,” her mother agreed, her eyes shining with happiness. “Our little Emma, working with one of the top designers in the world, and our Joey, home on leave from the army. We’re truly blessed.”

As they stood there in an awkward silence, Emma shifted her weight from foot to foot and resisted the urge to check her phone to see if Dante had texted.

“You know, I’m proud of you,” Joey said after a moment, looking Emma in the eye. “You’ve grown into your own person, and I’m happy to see that. But there’s still a part of me that’s worried about you.”

“You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I’m a grown-up.” But even as she said the words, she knew that Joey wouldn’t change the way he acted toward her, and maybe that was a good thing.

“Well, at least Dante’s there too. He can make sure you don’t get into too much trouble.”

If Joey only knew.

Emma attempted to steer the conversation toward more lighthearted territory. But just as she was about to ask about his latest deployment or how his new base was treating him, an unmistakable sound filled the air—the distinct hum of a powerful engine.

“Speak of the devil,” Joey said as the sound grew louder. “Looks like Dante’s arrived.”

“I’ll go get the door,” their mother said. “I haven’t seen Dante in such a long time.”

“I can’t wait to see his face,” Joey said, ducking inside the living room.

Yeah, me too.

“Ah, Dante!” her father exclaimed, striding forward to greet him with a firm handshake. “Glad you could make it.”

A moment later, Dante stepped inside, looking every bit the commanding figure Emma had come to know and admire. He was dressed casually in black slacks and a button-down shirt. The slacks were perfectly tailored, hugging his lean frame, and the shirt was a crisp, deep black. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing toned forearms.

“Dante, it’s so wonderful to see you.” Her mother threw her arms around him.

Dante returned the embrace formally but warmly, his eyes sliding past their mother to see Joey, who had just popped back into view.

“What?” Dante said, huffing out a surprised laugh.

“Bro,” Joey said, giving Dante a hug once her mother stepped away.

“When did you get in?” Dante said as they pounded each other on the back. “Why didn’t you let me know?” Dante’s gaze slid to Emma at the question.

“I wanted it to be a surprise,” Joey said.

“I’m surprised,” Dante said.

Emma couldn’t interpret the warning look Dante shot her, but it made her knees a little wobbly and a sweet anticipation stirred within her.

“I hope you’re hungry,” her mom said. “I made enough to feed an army.” She bustled off to the kitchen.

Emma had hoped this would be a dinner where Dante would feel welcome again in her family’s house. But she sensed some tension between him and Joey. Or maybe she was just imagining it.