70. Victor

Chapter seventy

Victor

I open the velvet square box and show it to Olivia. She gasps slightly and reaches out her fingers to touch it. The collar is simple. It looks like any other necklace, and something she can wear during the day. If she does agree to go to the club I told her about last night, we’ll have a different collar for that type of occasion, but I don’t want to overwhelm her, so I don’t bring that up yet.

“How do I put it on?” she asks.

It’s rose gold and matches the bracelet I bought her. I got them at the same time, but I’ve held on to this, unsure if I could bring myself to give it to her. After yesterday, I knew I couldn’t wait another day. I lift the box so I can show her.

“The heart is a lock and I have the key,” I tell her and she grins at me. “What?”

“You have the key to my heart,” she says. “See, we do have movie love.”

I chuckle and nod in agreement. “That we do, baby.” Her cheeks turn a shade of pink. She likes it when I use the simple endearments on her, so I’ll have to do more of that. Pulling the key out of the discreet pocket on my leather bracelet, I put it in the lock, and turn it. “See, the lock holds the chain together. I’ll be the only one with the key, so only I can put it on or take it off.”

“It’s so beautiful.” Olivia runs her finger along the diamonds on the heart, then runs her finger along the edge of her engagement ring. “You’ve bought me a lot of jewelry.” She rolls her lips between her teeth and swallows.

“And I’ll buy you a lot more.” She gives me a hesitant look. “Olivia, what’s going on in that head of yours?”

“It’s just… Well, I’m sure you spent a lot on the engagement ring and the necklace. That’s a lot,” she murmurs.

I cup her jaw with my hand and rub my thumb along her cheek. “You’re worth it and so much more. I have a lot of money and I plan on spending a lot of it on you, so go ahead and accept that.”

Her lips tip up into a shy smile. “It’s not like we hurt for money even before dad died. At least what I can remember, but after mom died…” She shrugs and I know what she’s trying to say without saying it. Donovan took. He didn’t give anything to her unless it benefited him.

I lean forward and kiss her forehead. “Well, I plan on spoiling you. A lot. So, get used to it.” She wraps her arms around my neck and climbs into my lap. We’re in the living room. The TV is playing a home improvement show in the background, but I couldn’t wait to broach the subject of the collar.

Olivia runs her lips along my beard and I rub my hand from her ankle to her thigh and back down again. She’s in sleep shorts and a tank top. Today is Sunday, so the staff is off, leaving just me and her. I consider laying her down and slipping inside her wet heat, but she’s excited to begin working on planting some of the flowers Grant dropped off yesterday.

“Do I get to wear it now?” she asks, laying her head on my shoulder and rubbing her hand along my jaw to the back of my head and back again. It causes goosebumps to spread along my spine and my cock to go from partially stiff to completely stiff. She moves her ass against me and I grip her hips, forcing her to be still.

“Olivia,” I warn. She giggles, but stays still. “I would rather you wait to wear it until our wedding day. Donovan will know what this is the moment he sees it around your neck and since he has made it very clear he’s watching you, I don’t want to take the chance.” She’s quiet for several moments.

“Victor, do you think him knowing we’re married is going to stop him? He’s going to be an angry toddler mad at you for stealing his favorite toy.” Her voice shakes slightly, because she’s afraid he’s going to win. I rub her back, trying to soothe her.

“No, I don’t think us being married will stop him. I do think it will force him to show up and stop lingering in the shadows. I’ve had Leo trying to find him, but right now we’re both pretty certain he’s got his men everywhere watching you. Us getting married will force him out of the shadows.”

“Okay. I trust you.” She leans back to look at me. “So, you giving me the necklace…” She changes the subject back to what we were originally talking about. “Will that be part of the wedding ceremony? Do I give you anything in return? How does that work?” She rattles off question after question. I smirk, loving that she’s asking all these questions.

“Yes, it will be part of the wedding ceremony. But we can call as much attention to it as we want. It can be me just putting the necklace on you. Those who are in the lifestyle will understand what’s going on, but those who aren’t will think it’s just a wedding gift. Unless you want to make an announcement, but there will be people there from your job and people I know that aren’t in the lifestyle.” I pause to see if she has any questions, but she remains quiet.

So, I continue answering the rest of her questions. “You do give me something in return.” She tilts her head, waiting to see what she’s supposed to give me. “You give me you.” Lines form between her eyebrows as she looks at me in confusion. She opens her mouth to say something, but I put my index finger over her lips, quieting her before she can speak.

“You give me your trust and your heart. Allowing me to give you a collar shows that you have complete confidence in me and my capability to protect you for the rest of our lives. I don’t take that lightly. And you wearing the collar is visual proof you belong to me and only me.” She relaxes against me as I explain everything that a collar represents. I’m not even covering everything because it’s one of those things that is experienced and hard to put into words, but she’ll understand. “I believe that answers your questions.”

She gives me that sweet smile again that makes my heart beat erratically. “It does.” Olivia tilts her head and scrunches her nose. “I think I’d like to tell our friends what it means. The only one I’m worried about it bothering is Caroline.”

Olivia saying that they’re our friends makes me smile. I guess they are becoming my friends too. Slowly. I haven’t had the chance to get to know Caroline very well, though. “Why would it bother her?”

Olivia sighs. “Her ex husband was very controlling. He wouldn’t let her do anything without his approval, and he never approved. She didn’t have any friends, and he isolated her so much she lost contact with her mom and sister. It wasn’t until she started dating Bass that she became more free. Of course, what you and I have is nothing like that, but depending on how I tell her, she could see it that way.”

I nod in understanding. “I could see that. Unfortunately, there are men out there that use the Dominant role to control. That’s why it’s important to not rush into this and to have boundaries. It’s also why I encourage you to use your safe word and I’ll never ask if you’re sure or anything like that. I will stop immediately.”

“Maybe I can talk to her alone, just in case she has questions. I also suspect her and Bass will probably not be as involved with the whole Donovan situation as everyone else because of Mia. They’re parents now, so they have to think about that first.” Olivia inhales deeply.

“There are so many reasons I want to kill Donovan, but him taking the ability away from you having children is in the top five.”

Olivia swallows and blinks rapidly. “I’ve mostly come to terms with it, but I struggled pretty badly towards the end of Caroline’s pregnancy and when she had Mia. Then in the waiting room when everyone was asking about wanting kids.” She stops talking, her lip trembles slightly. “But, and I know this is something we’ll have to talk about, I thought it would be nice to adopt.”

I nod slowly. “That would be okay with me.”

“I want to adopt teenagers. Those who have been in the system and think they’re never going to get out. I know it wouldn’t be easy, but the thought of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old kid having this fear that they’re not going to have their dad walk them down the aisle when they get married or have a mother/son dance at their wedding.” She shrugs. “And I know there are kids out there that have lost parents like me and you can form your own family like I have, but I want to give someone else what I didn’t have.” A tear slips down her cheek and I’m so fucking proud of her. My own eyes water with unshed tears.

I lean forward and kiss her hard. “You are one amazing woman, Olivia soon-to-be Valentine,” I say against her mouth. She gives a watery laugh. “I am so proud of you.” I kiss her long and hard, fighting the urge to lay her down and have my way with her. Slowly disentangling from her, I push her off my lap and give her ass a light tap. “Now go get dressed. You have some flowers to plant.”

She squeals and claps her hands before turning and running up to our room. Shaking my head with a smile, I follow after her, my heart full with how much I adore her.