Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 130081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Plus a part of him was afraid that if he even blinked his eyes, she might disappear. After years of being without her, having Sonya in his life again—even if she wasn’t “his” Sonya—was the best feeling in the world. It was like he’d been holding his breath for the past five years and finally he could breathe again.
“Do you trust me?” he asked, waving away the menu, which immediately disappeared when his fingers passed through its light display.
Sonya looked up at him shyly and he knew the answer. She didn’t completely trust him—not yet—but she was learning to. Last night—their first night together—had been a huge stepping stone on that journey.
Davrik had known she would expect him to touch her sexually when he got her ready for bed. But he also knew she wasn’t ready for that—she might not be ready for a long, long time. He didn’t know what kind of trauma she’d endured and until he did—until she felt safe enough to tell him—he wasn’t going to rush things.
So he had taken things slowly. Sonya had told him that she’d already had a shower earlier that day, so he didn’t insist on bathing her. Instead, he simply helped her out of her dress and put her quickly into a lovely but modest nightgown which he had chosen from among her clothes.
Choosing his baby girl’s outfits both for bed and everyday wear, had always been one of Davrik’s joys. Sonya had always claimed that he had a fashion sense better than any designer and she trusted him to dress her every day. She was always getting compliments from colleagues at work about her good taste in clothing.
With his own Sonya, Davrik had often chosen daring or revealing clothing for her to sleep in because she loved showing her body off to him and he loved taking the clothes off her, kissing and tasting her thoroughly, and making love to her slowly afterwards. However, the choice of a modest nightgown that covered this new Sonya from her neck to her toes had been deliberate on his part.
She wasn’t ready to show him herself yet—wasn’t ready to let him take her or taste her. And that was all right—she was worth waiting for. After all, he’d been waiting five long years to see her again—he could take some time to make her comfortable now, Davrik thought.
So he had chosen a modest nightgown and slipped it on her quickly. And though he had spent the night in her bed, he hadn’t yet touched her sexually. In fact, the two of them had slept back-to-back. In that way she could maintain a close proximity to him, which kept the damn bracelet from burning her, without feeling like she had to service him or have any kind of sexual contact with a male she barely knew.
It also gave his Bonding Scent time to work on her. Davrik well remembered that his own Sonya had been hesitant with him at first until his scent had broken down her defenses. She’d been especially uncertain about their extreme height and size difference.
“I feel like a little kid around you!” she’d complained on one of their first dates.
“Is that so bad?” Davrik had swept her into his arms and swung her around, surprising a laugh out of her.
“Put me down! I’m a grown-ass woman!” she’d protested, still laughing. “I have a job…a life…responsibilities…”
“Haven’t you ever wanted to put those aside for a little while?” he’d asked her. “And just let someone else take care of you? Someone who knows you, who cares about you and wants your happiness more than his own?”
She’d looked up at him quizzically.
“Do I know someone like that?”
“You do now.” Davrik had leaned in to kiss her possessively and after a moment she had given a little moan and kissed him back.
It had been the start of their D/s relationship—though neither of them had known it at the time. A relationship where Davrik took care of his mate in every aspect of her life. Not in a controlling way, but with gentle dominance and occasional punishment like spankings which—to be honest—turned then both on. From the moment he’d met Sonya, he had just wanted to take care of her. To love her and protect her and make her feel good in any and every way he could.
He felt the same way for this Sonya, so when she tentatively nodded to indicate she was willing to trust him with her choice for Last Meal, his heart soared.
Calling over a waiter, he dictated a complicated list of demands, telling exactly what ingredients to use and exactly how to prepare them. Then, when he was certain the waiter had gotten everything exactly right, he sent him away and sat back with a smile.
“Whew…you certainly seem to know how to order,” Sonya remarked, giving him a look of surprised respect.