Chapter 20

Phoenix

Iinhale deeply as Rex and I wait in the living room for Kenz and Anna to come down. I walked into our bedroom about thirty minutes ago to the sound of them giggling. I called out to McKenzie, but she ran to the door of her closet and shut it, telling me I wasn't allowed in. I had half a mind to kick the door open, throw her over my shoulder, and remind her who she was talking to. But I'll take care of that later. I knew at that moment they needed their time together. It's the first time Anna has let loose since we rescued her.

Rex looks at his watch and scowls at me. I shrug. "What are you going to do? This is the circle of life."

He snorts and rolls his eyes. "Boss, I never thought you'd be whipped."

I open my mouth to snap at him, but voices come from above us, drawing our eyes to the stairs. I told Kenz this morning to wear something that made her look fuckable. What she doesn't know is that anything she wears makes her look that way, but I'm intrigued to see what she picked out.

When she comes into view, I immediately regret my words. How the hell am I going to make it through this night without fucking her? She's wearing black strappy heels, the straps wrap around her ankle and stop just below her dark-colored jeans. Her jeans are tight and have rips in strategic places, giving me glimpses of her knee and thigh. She's wearing a red lacy top, which might as well be lingerie.

Her silver hair hangs in waves around her shoulders. I flex my hand, imagining grabbing it as I thrust into her from behind. Her bright red lips lift into a smirk, as if she knows exactly what I'm thinking. I adjust myself, not hiding how she affects me, and her smirk turns into a full-blown grin.

She stops in front of me and arches a perfectly shaped eyebrow at me. "What are you thinking, Nix?"

I've completely forgotten about Anna and Rex as McKenzie demands my full attention. I bring my fingertip up and trace the edge of her top that's low cut and leaves little to the imagination. "I'm thinking about all the different ways I'm going to fuck you later."

Her cheeks turn a pretty shade of red, but she doesn't shy away from me. Her lips tip up into a seductive smile as she takes another step toward me. Unable to keep my hands off her any longer, I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her into me.

"I never would have worn anything like this before you," she admits.

I tilt my head at her. "What's changed?"

She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, but quickly releases it like she remembers she's wearing lipstick. "You make me feel sexy and confident."

I rub my knuckle down the side of her neck and she shivers at my touch. "You are sexy and you should definitely feel confident. You're beautiful. Inside and out."

She looks to the side, a smile playing on her lips. "Doesn't Anna look great?" she asks. I finally pull my gaze away from her and look at Anna. I smile at the healthy glow of her skin. She looks genuinely happy. Anna is standing before Rex with a small smile on her lips as she looks up at him.

I raise an eyebrow as I stare at them. Rex runs his hand through his hair. "Jesus, Anna. You look…" He trails off at a loss for words. "Gorgeous," he finally says. McKenzie turns in my arms and leans against me.

"She is, isn't she," McKenzie says. Anna is wearing a black, strapless jumpsuit with black heels and gold jewelry. She has on a gold choker, gold bracelets, and gold earrings. She does look beautiful and happy.

I glance down at McKenzie, noticing her naked throat. "Kenz, I have a present for you." I've had this for months now, but I've been hesitant about giving it to her, unsure how she would respond. But, now, I no longer care. I'll give her a choice, but I hope she chooses to wear it. Especially when we're away from the house.

Kenz turns back around and tilts her head as she gazes at me. "What is it?"

I pull the long box out of my back pocket. Rex takes the hint and ushers Anna outside, giving us a moment. I hand Kenz the box and she slowly opens it. She doesn't react, just stares at it for a few seconds before bringing her finger up and rubbing along the smoothness of the necklace. It's a sterling silver choker necklace with black accents and a small diamond heart in the front. The clasp is what makes it unique.

She glances up at me with a small smile. "It's beautiful." Will she think that once I tell her its purpose? I lift it out of the box, put my hand in my pocket and take out the small key, unlocking the clasp so I can put it on her. I watch her face the entire time. Her eyes widen and she takes a small step back. "What kind of necklace is it?"

"It's a discreet submissive collar."

Her eyebrows furrow, the lines around her eyes crinkling. "What does that mean?" She glides her finger along the necklace again before looking up at me.

"When you're in a Dom/sub relationship, the submissive can wear a necklace showing she belongs to her Dom." This is the first time I've mentioned this to her since I got her back. The only time we ever played like this before was at auctions. "It's completely your choice if you want to wear this or not."

She looks from the necklace to me, and back at the necklace. "What's the purpose of the necklace?"

"To give some peace of mind." I point to the diamond. "I had this specially made for you. There's a tracking device in the necklace, so if anything were to happen to you again, I would know exactly where you're at." I show her the latch on the back and the key in my hand. "And it can only be taken off by using this key in the lock."

Her mouth forms a small O. She doesn't speak for several moments as she thinks over the explanation I just gave her. "Do I wear it all the time?"

"I would prefer you did, but you can take it off when you go to sleep, take a shower, or even when we're both at home." I think to the day she got in that boat and found herself at Larry's house, but I force the uneasiness about that happening again down. After all those months chained up, I'm not going to treat her like my prisoner. If she decides she doesn't want to wear it all the time, I'll have to be okay with it.

"I…uh…"

"Kenz, you can say no. This is your decision." I want to say more, but I shut my mouth because I don't want to influence her answer one way or another.

"Can we try it out tonight and let me think about it?" She touches the necklace one more time. "That way I can see how it feels?"

"Of course, love." She turns around and lifts her hair up. I place the necklace on her, latch it, and lock it, then place the key in my pocket. She turns as I'm placing the key in my pocket.

"What if you lose the key?" she asks. I take the key back out of my pocket, grab my wallet out of my back pocket, and place the key in a hidden slot. She smiles and takes a step back. "So, how do I look?"

My eyes zero in on the collar around her neck, my cock twitching. The only thing that looks better around her throat is my hand. I lean down and kiss the crook of her shoulder, flicking it slightly with my tongue. She sucks in a breath as I finger the collar around her neck.

"Like you're mine," I say, desire evident in my voice.

She smirks and turns with a swish of her hair. "I am."