“Good, cause you’re the only one out on the floor tonight.”
Aw, man. That meant I’d be fetching and carrying double time. “What happened to Ross? Isn’t he supposed to be starting right now too?”
“The whale asked for only females to wait on his party tonight.” He always called the big spenders – whales. I think it was because he secretly wanted to run one of those giant casinos in Vegas.
“So what about Marcie or Kendra? Why can’t they help out?”
“Would you quit your bitching and get out there before the party starts to arrive?”
“Fine,” I sighed, tugging off my rain boots to shove them into my locker next to my purse. At least I wouldn’t have to share the tip with anyone but the busboys. With an eighteen percent gratuity automatically charged, I might actually do okay. That put me in a much more chipper mood as I stepped into the kitchen to find out what was on the menu for the night. It was times like this when a good memory came in handy, as the seven course tasting menu was a lot to remember.
I went out onto the floor to make sure the final preparations were done, noticing that there were only five place settings at the big round table. So much fuss for only five people? God, the rich were stupid with their money. Everything looked ready, down to the stunning floral centerpiece and the intricately folded napkins, and the silverware gleamed without a single hard water spot. Nothing to do but take a breath and wait for showtime – until Jose Luis waved me over to talk about a change in the wine list. Great, as if I didn’t have enough to remember, now I had to deal with memorizing another set of useless facts about the substitute vintage.
I was still running the lines about the meal to myself when I approached the table, my gaze lighting on a box that hadn’t been there before. Looking around, I tried to see if anyone had an explanation, but I was alone in the dining room. Leaning closer, I noticed it had my name on it. Not just my first name, but the whole thing, Lily Gray, in elegant cursive. What the hell?
“Hey, Jose Luis?” I called out, expecting him to materialize out of thin air like he always did when there was a customer complaint, but he was nowhere to be found. “Hello?” Who’d put the box on the table? Maybe it was Jose Luis’ way of telling me I was doing a good job? Then again, the prissy, glorified waiter never seemed to toot anybody’s horn but his own, and I doubted he’d take the chance of spoiling the dinner arrangement to say good job to anyone.
Figuring I’d better get it out of there before the customers started to arrive, I picked up the small, flat box, curiosity getting the better of me when it felt as light as air. Was there even anything inside? There still was no sign of the dinner party, so I set the box on one of the empty corner booths and took a quick peek inside.
On a bed of black tissue paper sat a red satin blindfold, a folded piece of paper lying on top of it. With trembling fingers, I picked up the paper, swiftly scanning the note, which read – Sit at the table, put this on and wait for me. I sucked in a breath, my eyes darting up to look around the room, but I was still the only one in there. Was Aidan here? Or was this some kind of a joke? If I sat down at the table and waited there like a weirdo with a blindfold on, I could lose my job. But what if it was really him? What if he was waiting for me to obey him this last time?
The possibility had me moving across the dining room, fingers lightly stroking the satiny fabric in my hand. “Aidan?” I called out softly, but it was absolutely silent, not even the usual din from the kitchen reaching my ears. I had the feeling I was being watched, even though I couldn’t see a single soul, and I knew Aidan wouldn’t put in an appearance until he was good and ready. He wanted to control me, and God help me, I wanted it too.
The scrape of the chair against the hardwood floor seemed loud as I pulled it away from the table. I was taking a huge risk, but it seemed well worth it if it meant I could see (or not see) Aidan again. Obediently, I sat at the table in my clean waiter’s apron, and pulled the mask down over my eyes.
Music started up through the PA system, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad one. Either it meant that Aidan approved and was proceeding with the next step of his plan, or Jose Luis was anticipating the first guest’s arrival at any moment. My breath came faster as I strained to hear the sound of footfalls through the classical music filtering into the room.
“Hands clasped behind your back.” The order came low and intimate by my ear and all the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. Holy fucking Jesus, it was him! I didn’t even think twice about what my work must be thinking about this, my hands moved to find each other behind my back without hesitation.
“Good girl,” he approved, and I heard the scrape of the chair next to me as he took his seat.
“Permission to speak?” I said softly, not sure what the rules were anymore.
“We’re not in a scene, Lily,” he replied, gently tugging the mask off, and I risked opening my eyes, not sure if I was allowed to look at him or not. Aidan sat in the chair beside me, looking down at the red satin in his hands. I’d expected him to be in the same old jeans and a button up shirt I always saw him in, kind of scruffy and rough. But he looked positively elegant in a tailored, three-piece suit of soft, dove gray with a crisp white shirt and a red tie. His beard was short and well trimmed, his long, blonde hair smooth and gathered back in a ponytail.
I couldn’t help but stare at him, he was beautiful.
Aidan looked up, his piercing blue eyes taking my breath away. It hurt to look away, but I did it, wanting to make him happy. His blunt fingers reached for my chin, bringing my gaze back up to his face. “No more blindfolds, no more darkness. I can learn to live in the light again if that’s what it takes to be with you.”
“Do you really mean that?” It seemed almost too good to be true. Then again, here he was in a public place, for the second time, all because he missed me.
“If that’s what you want.” Self doubt crinkled his brow as he fought to hold my gaze. “Do you… do you still want me, Lily?”
I wanted to throw my arms around his neck and scream – yes, a thousand times, yes! – but I had to think beyond that instant gratification. It wasn’t that simple, and we both knew it. “It’s not about what I want, it’s about what you’re able to give. I understand that you have the need to control me, and I’m honestly okay with that in certain settings. But what about the rest of it? What if I don’t want you controlling every single aspect of my life? I can’t live my life with someone who won’t respect my needs as well as his own.”
Aidan nodded slowly, looking down at the blindfold in his hands before he tossed it onto the table. “I can respect your needs. I’m not saying it’ll be easy, and I can’t promise I won’t fuck up, but I promise I’ll try. Is that good enough for you to consider taking me back, Lily?”
I closed my eyes, needing a moment away from that tortured gaze before I gave him my answer. When I opened them again, he was staring at me the exact same way – I don’t even think he’d taken a breath. “God, it’s a good thing you’re so sexy, ’cause you don’t seem to catch on very quick. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Aidan stared at me for long seconds, gradually giving way to a long blink, and then crushed me to him in a fierce hug. His hands sank into my hair, pulling the elastic free to let it fall around my shoulders. I smiled into his chest at the action, feeling both owned and incredibly free by the possessive gesture. His mouth met mine in the next instant, desperate to make up for lost time, and I almost forgot where we were as I kissed him back with all those weeks of pent up longing and frustration.
We were both breathing hot and heavy when we finally broke the kiss, and I enjoyed the look of hunger in his eyes as he pulled back to smile at me. That smile said there were all kinds of delights waiting for me once we got somewhere more private, and I was definitely up for it.
“Do you want to get out of here?” I whispered, thinking I’d much rather make a meal of him than the fancy French foods they served there.
He cocked a single brow. “Don’t you want to stay and sample what the chef has prepared?”
“I’d rather eat you up,” I grinned and he met my smile with one of his own.
“All good things come to those who wait, Lily.”
The man was all about control, even self control, apparently. Maybe it was time for me to try and make him lose it? “Next you’re going to tell me that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Well, I can tell you, my heart’s pretty fond right now, and the rest of me can’t wait to get you naked either.”
He chuckled, the sound making my pussy clench in anticipation. I was still learning what his smile meant, but there was no mistaking the intent in that rich laugh. “Food first. Stamina, remember? I wouldn’t want you to pass out in the middle of it,” he smiled.
“That wasn’t why I passed out, as I recall. It was because you fucked me into oblivion.”
“Such a dirty mouth on you tonight. I’m going to enjoy making it dirtier.” His tone was calm though, as he shook out the intricately folded napkin and laid it across the bulge in his lap. I wanted to slip my hand under it and make that cock the tent pole I knew it could be.
“Yeah well, that’s what you get for disappearing on me for weeks at a time. I haven’t had any satisfaction since that night under the stairs.”
“No? Not even with mechanical assistance?” he asked mildly, but I could tell he was pleased by my admission.
“No, you trained me all too well. There’s just no substitute for the real thing. I’m not even sure I can get off anymore without you there beside me.”
“You and me both, peaches,” he muttered, taking a deep drink of the water glass before him. “So, what do we have to do get a drink around here?” he called out louder, clapping his hands together. Ross hurried out a half second later, a bottle of wine in one hand and a cloth napkin in the other. He gave me a quick wink as he poured Aidan a small amount, waiting for his approval before he filled both of our glasses.
“So, this whole dinner party was a total sham to get me back?” I asked, after Ross moved away. It must’ve cost him a small fortune to buy out the entire restaurant for the night when all he’d had to do was show up at my apartment with an apology and that smile.
“Not completely. We are going to have dinner.”
“This big table, just for us?”
Aidan looked down and away. “No, not exactly.”
“If you’ll come right this way, your table is ready,” Jose Luis said, giving his best impression of a fancy French accent. I looked up to see my sisters standing by the host station, my father moving slower from the direction of the coat room.
“Why’d you have to go and invite them?” I whined, my fantastic mood instantly ruined. Shit, I was hoping to talk him into just a couple of courses before I could attack him in the car I was sure he had waiting outside. Now I had to deal with my shitty family?
“Because I know family is important to you,” he replied, taking a deep drink of his wine.
“It was once.” I hadn’t spoken to any of them since I’d moved out of their apartment, and that suited me fine.
Aidan caught hold of my chin, gently turning it in his direction. “Hey, I know what it’s like to be mad at your asshole of a father. I also know what it’s like to lose him. Maybe give him another chance,” he shrugged before his smile turned into a smirk. “Or, show them how happy you are, I hear that’s the best revenge of all.”
“I like the way you think,” I smiled back.
“Besides, if your father’s not here, how can I inform him of my intentions?”
My brows stretched to the sky. “You seriously plan on telling my father what you have planned for me tonight? That’s a good way to give him another heart attack.”
“No, not what I have planned for you in my bed tonight, I mean my intentions.”
“Which are?”
Aidan took a deep breath, and then pushed away from the table, going down on one knee. Holy crapballs, was he going to propose? Pure shock rolled through me, starting at the top of my head, taking a nervous detour to my stomach and ending up at my toes, which bunched in my shoes. He was willing to take this trying thing a whole hell of a lot farther than I’d thought!
Before I could recover enough to smile, Darlene let out a shocked gasp from across the room. “Holy shit, is he proposing?”
Aidan’s face automatically shifted, turning away so they couldn’t see much of his scarred face. “I was trying to,” he grumbled, picking up my hand, and I gave him a sympathetic smile.
“Shit, to think I gave him to you,” Cassie sulked, her calculating eyes taking in the expensive cut of the suit, and his powerful build.
“You go, girl. Get that man!” Darlene hooted, more that a little pleased to see Cassie pout.
“Would you shut the fuck up so I can propose then?” Aidan snapped, flashing them a shot of his scowl.
“You’re the one who wanted to invite them,” I shrugged, giving his hand a squeeze.
“Oh my God… did you see that scar?” Cassie hissed, no longer jealous as she recoiled from his show of temper.
Aidan grit his teeth, but managed not to snap at them again, fixing me with a tight smile as he took another deep breath. I had to hand it to him, I would’ve hit her over the head with a wine bottle by now if she’d ruined my proposal.
“Lily, you know I’m not good at this shit, but I’m trying,” he said with a pained smile, shifting uncomfortably on his knee. “When you were gone, I found out I need something more than control in my life. What I need is you. I love you, Lily, and I need you by my side. Will you be mine for always?”
I was blown away by the tender words and his hope mingled with fear as I held his heart in my hands. But had he really thought this through? “Are you sure about this, Aidan? Marriage is… forever.”
“About six carats sure,” he said, holding up the princess cut engagement ring. It was stunning, and bigger than any engagement ring had a right to be, but somehow it seemed to fit his over the top style of doing things.
“Lily, you’re not gonna do it, are you?” Darlene wanted to know and my father chimed in.
“Lily, we should discuss this.”
“How can you marry someone with such a hideous scar?” Cassie hissed, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was the love in his eyes as he slipped the ring onto my finger.
“What scar?”
~17~
“Do you have the blindfold on? I’m not coming in without it.”
“Yes, I’ve got the stupid thing on. Come on in,” Aidan called back, and I pushed the playroom door open a tiny crack to see if he was telling the truth. Yep, he lay back on the bed, completely naked, except for the simple black blindfold, his golden hair and skin a stark contrast to the black sheets. I couldn’t help but smile as I tiptoed into the room, seeing him waiting for me, his obvious impatience corralled for the moment.
“Are you ready for me? Any last minute itches or anything you need to take care of?” I asked, but he gave a brief shake of the head. His cock was already at half mast. Despite his grumbling words, Aidan was definitely into this. I buckled the cuffs on his wrists, they barely fit on the widest notch, and then tightened them so he could hardly move his powerful arms at all. Next came the ankles, which I gave a bit more slack, and I have to say, it was definitely a turn-on to see him lying there, naked and helpless, completely under my power.
His hands tested the straps, and he decided they were satisfactory. “Okay, you’ve got me tied up, now take the blindfold off.”
“No way, you know the superstition. You’re not supposed to see the bride the day of the wedding and it’s already after midnight.” I picked up the long plume of a peacock feather, one of the newer additions to the playroom, and brushed it across the flat of his nipple.
Aidan sucked in a breath, his cock twitching, but his voice was still full of complaint as he spoke again. “What do you think is going to happen exactly? That I’
ll see you and change my mind?”
“You’d better not,” I frowned, deliberately brushing the feather across the flare of his hip bone, where I knew he was ticklish.
“I’m not the least bit superstitious. Hey, watch it.” His abdomen clenched at the tickling touch, the muscles bunching and contracting. I could watch that all day, it was like living art, but I relented.
“You could try to relax, you know. You’re supposed to be enjoying this.”
“Let me see you and I’ll enjoy this,” he muttered.
“Nope, not tonight.” Tonight I was the one in control. An experiment I was surprised he’d agreed to, but Aidan was trying, as promised. Unfortunately, it looked like his resolve was already starting to crumble.
“I’ve changed my mind. Let’s not do this until tomorrow night. It’ll be that much sweeter for having waited.”
“Are you saying you don’t want to fuck me?” I asked sweetly, dragging the feather across the top of his cock, and it leapt up in reaction. “Little Aidan looks like he disagrees.”
The straps groaned as Aidan pulled against them, his jaw clenched tight. “There’s nothing little about my cock, and if you let me go, I’ll prove it to you.”
“Ah, ah, ah, you’d better stop complaining or I’ll have to gag you.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” The color drained from his face and I had to stifle a laugh. The man could dish it out, but he sure couldn’t take it. I took pity on him though. I wasn’t trying to be mean, just get him to experience something new. I’d never force him to do something he really wasn’t into, just like he’d never push me past my limits either.
“On second thought, I like to hear your dirty talk.” I tossed the feather aside, my hands skimming over the tops of his thickly muscled thighs. “And if there’s any proving to be done, it’ll be me doing it. You’re under my control for tonight, so lie back and enjoy it.” To remind him why he’d agreed to allow me such control, my mouth closed over his cock, sucking him the way I knew he liked it, and I was rewarded with his deep groan of pleasure.
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