Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

Brynn

I’m gripping Mr. Bennett’s elbow so tightly as we step out of his SUV that I’m worried I might bruise him.

He doesn’t seem to mind, though. In fact, he puts his hand over mine and bends close to whisper in my ear. “You’re going to be the sexiest woman in the restaurant, Brynn. Hold your head high. Smile. Pretend you like me.” He chuckles at that last part.

It makes me giggle, which forces me to smile. I do not have to pretend I like Mr. Bennett. I’m so infatuated with him it’s dangerous—-to my heart. I’m going to get hurt in this exchange. I already know it, and I’ve only been with him one day.

My world has flipped upside down in that day. Besides all the pampering and primping, clothes, and shoes, I should be at work at Edge right now. Instead, I’m heading into one of the most elite restaurants in Seattle on the arm of one of the city’s most eligible bachelors .

A man in a tuxedo opens the door for us, nodding toward Mr. Bennett. “Good evening, Mr. Bennett.”

“Thank you, Richard.”

I’m taken aback. Mr. Bennett knows the doorman by name? My esteem for him keeps rising.

The woman at the desk inside the entrance smiles. “Good to see you, Mr. Bennett. Right this way. I have a table ready for you.”

“Thank you, Amelia.”

He knows her name, too? How often does he dine here?

I focus on keeping on my feet as we weave our way through the diners toward a round table for two near the back of the room. I’m aware that many people stop eating to watch us. It’s surreal. I’ve never had anyone glance at me twice in my life. I’m not that interesting…until suddenly, I am. Is it only because I’m on the arm of a man they all covet? Or is it partly because of my fancy hair, makeup, and clothes?

Mr. Bennett holds my chair out for me and slides it in for me while I concentrate on tucking the short skirt under my naked ass. I’m not sure how I’m going to focus on anything while sitting here without panties.

“Shall I bring you a wine list, sir?” Amelia asks. “Or would you like your usual?”

Mr. Bennett takes his seat. “My usual is fine, Amelia. Thank you.”

The hostess nods and leaves us.

Mr. Bennett has seated himself close enough that his knee touches mine.

I lean closer to him and whisper, “How often do you come here?”

“Every few months. ”

I gasp. “You know everyone’s name.”

“I try to know the names of people I associate with. It’s polite.”

“I’ll never remember,” I mutter.

He sets a hand on my thigh and squeezes. “You don’t need to. I’ll fill you in on anything you need to know.”

I bite my lip hard before remembering he reprimanded me for the act several times today. It’s not ladylike. “Sorry, Sir,” I murmur.

He leans over and lifts my chin. “Call me Asher when we’re in public, baby.”

Oh right. Shit.

“I can’t wait to lift that dress over your bottom and spank your skin until it turns hot pink and you squirm hard enough that I have to restrain you to keep you still.”

I shiver. I have no doubt he’s going to follow through on that promise, and my pussy gets wet all over again at the thought of being bent over his knee. It hadn’t occurred to me that he would lift my dress and spank my bare ass, but I’m not surprised.

My face heats.

He leans toward my ear. “My cock gets so hard when you’re embarrassed.” He gives my thigh a squeeze. “Spread your knees a few inches, Brynn. I don’t want you to squeeze them together during dinner.”

I gasp and glance around without moving my head.

“I don’t care what anyone else is looking at, baby, and you shouldn’t either. You obey me, not them. Now, spread your knees.”

I slowly part my thighs, shivering at how easily I obey him. I’m a strong, independent woman. I left my small hometown because I wanted to be strong and independent. I hated the idea of being nothing more than someone’ s wife and several people’s mother with no identity of my own.

Why am I so easily following Mr. Bennett’s orders as if I don’t have a mind of my own?

“People are staring,” I murmur.

“They’re curious.” He nods toward my water. “Take a drink, baby.”

I can’t control my trembling hand as I sip some water and set it back down. I feel like a puppet. It’s unnerving.

“Tell me what’s bothering you, Brynn.”

I swallow and meet his gaze. I need to tell him what I’m thinking because it’s suffocating me. “I moved all the way across the country to be my own person, and here I am, letting someone control my every move. I’m confused and a bit mad at myself.”

Mr. Bennett sets his hand over mine on the table. At least he’s not gripping my bare thigh any longer. That was scrambling my brain cells. “Look at me, Brynn.”

I meet his gaze, sitting taller. I won’t cower.

A waiter appears, holding a bottle of wine for Mr. Bennett to see the label.

“That’s perfect, Geno. If you would uncork it, I’ll handle it from there.”

Geno removes the cork and sets it in a bucket of ice next to the table.

Mr. Bennett turns his gaze back to me. “There’s a lot about BDSM you need to learn. I know you’ve studied it a bit online, but the important thing I want you to understand right now is that submitting to a Dom is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of incredible strength.”

I narrow my gaze, not understanding. Is he pulling my leg?

He nods. “I can only dominate you if you give me permission. You still have your power because with just one word—your safeword—you can bring everything to a stop. I’m at your mercy. You’re inherently submissive, even though you didn’t realize it before yesterday. But being submissive is not a weakness, Brynn. It’s a kink. The only way I can dominate you is if you give me permission. You have to give that power to me. It’s humbling when you do so.”

I reach for the glass of water and take another sip. It’s hard to follow what he’s suggesting. Is it bullshit?

“I’ve pushed you hard today and dominated you constantly. I can only do that if you permit it. If you say stop, it’s done. You’ve let me control you because you like how it makes you feel. But it doesn’t have anything to do with how brilliant you are or what you might do with your life outside of your submission to me or any other Dom.”

“You’re not going to interfere with my education, are you?”

He shakes his head. “Never. In fact, I will hover and insist you do well. I’ll ensure you get to class on time, set aside study hours, and enforce rules that will help you be successful.”

I stare at him, trying to picture what my days will look like under this man’s intense control. “I don’t need you to hover. I make excellent grades without any help.”

I smile. “I know you don’t need me, but you crave my brand of control.” He releases my hand and reaches for the bottle of wine. “How do you feel about Chardonnay?”

“I’ve never tried it,” I admit.

“Do you prefer sweet wines?”

I shake my head. “I have no idea. I’ve never had wine before.”

“Ah. My little rule follower. You’re barely twenty- one.” He pours a small amount into my glass. “Try it. See what you think, but I don’t want you drinking alcohol except under my supervision, understood?”

Another shudder. When he makes demands like that one, my pussy clenches. I try to ignore my body’s reaction to him and take a drink of the wine. It’s odd. I’m not sure how I feel about it.

Mr. Bennett smiles. “It’s an acquired taste. Sip it throughout dinner. It might grow on you.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Asher,” he reminds me.

Luckily, no one can hear me every time I slip up and call him Sir. I’m speaking barely above a whisper. It’s going to be weird calling him Asher. I have not done so yet.

Asher taps the menu in front of me. “Can I make some suggestions?”

“Please.”

“The seafood here is amazing. You can’t go wrong with any of the fish plates or the shrimp. Do you like seafood?”

“Yes. Will you choose for me, please?” I hate giving him another reason to dominate me, but I’m too frazzled to order food. I’m worried I’ll look foolish to the waiter, who would probably tell everyone in the kitchen five seconds later, and then that would be the tabloid headline tomorrow morning.

Asher Bennett, the billionaire bachelor, is off the market. He was spotted with a previously unknown woman named Brynn Flores. The woman is pretty enough but can’t string a complete sentence together. Perhaps he’s only dating her because she has a nice frame. How long will it last?

I smile and pretend to have brain cells when the waiter returns, grateful that Mr. Bennett—Asher—orders for me without it seeming like I’m a dolt.

He grabs my hand again. “May I say again how stunning that dress is on you?”

I glance down and roll my eyes. “No wonder people are staring at me. Everyone can see my nipples.” I clench my thighs together without thinking.

He gives me a slow, sexy smile. “You love that they can see your nipples, and let me point out, half the women in this restaurant have on a similarly slinky dress with no bra. It’s in style. Now, if I have to tell you to spread your knees again, I’m going to swat your pussy in addition to your bottom when we get home.”

I gasp. It takes me several seconds to jerk my legs apart. My thighs are shaking. My pussy is soaked. I’m not even wearing panties, so I’m beyond aware of the air in the room as it hits my bare skin.

“Good girl.” He takes a sip of his wine. “On second thought, I think we should make a stop at Edge on the way home.”

I swallow hard. Mr. Bennett has bombarded me with so much today that I’m beginning to feel like I’m swimming in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight and no life preserver. However, I’ve been wondering what the second floor of Edge looks like ever since Stacia tried to explain it to me.

His smile broadens. “Yes, we’re definitely going to Edge first.” He must have made this decision based on my expression. Damn my face for revealing everything. He leans forward. “Don’t panic. I won’t play with you in front of anyone on your first visit to the club. We’ll spend some time watching other people play on the second floor, and then I’ll take you upstairs to my private apartment and spank you there. After that, we’ll go home.”

I’m struggling to breathe normally.

“Brynn…”

I lift my gaze to his.

“Half the people in the restaurant are watching us. I’m going to lean in and kiss you. It’s going to be heated. I want them to know I’m taken.”

I’m glad he gives me a warning, but he doesn’t hesitate before he does exactly that. His fingers come to my chin, and less than a second later, his lips are on mine. Soft and sensual. He takes his time. The man can kiss.

I’m panting when he slowly leans back. He’s smiling. “Wow. That was so hot that even I believe we’re a committed couple.”

I search his gaze. It’s really hard to separate reality from fiction. Everything that happens with Mr. Bennett feels real. I keep forgetting this is all for show. He’s paying me to pretend to be his girlfriend.

The lines are blurred because he doesn’t even need to speak to me when we’re not in public. He could have just shown me to my room in his home and left me there all day until he needed me to make an appearance at dinner. Instead, he spent the entire day turning me into a sex-craved nymphomaniac. Now, I don’t recognize myself.

Why?

Mr. Bennett lifts my chin and kisses me again. It’s briefer, but it still shakes my foundation. “You are a delight, Brynn.”

I’m a hot mess and growing more confused by the minute.

Our food arrives, and I’m grateful for my junior high manners class, where I learned how to eat like a lady and which forks to use. I’m also glad that Mr. Bennett doesn’t dominate me heavily when our food comes, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to chew and swallow. I know I need to eat if we’re going to go to Edge.

I still can’t believe I had no idea there were two floors above the first level. I wondered where Mr. Bennett went when he arrived, but it never occurred to me there were more exclusive sections above me.

“Would you like dessert, baby?” Mr. Bennett asks me after our plates are cleared.

“No. I’m fine. Thank you. That was delicious.” It was probably the best meal I’ve ever eaten, and that’s saying something, considering how nervous I am.

Mr. Bennett pays our bill and stands, offering me his hand.

I rise, shocked that I’m able to keep from wobbling. I need to get out of this restaurant without tripping or making a fool of myself. I’m not going to breathe until we’re back in the car.