by Brooke, T
Carla wasn’t quite sure what Jason meant by the message, it was cryptic and left her confused. She thought about calling him to find out the meaning but quickly stopped herself. What if checkmate meant he was surrendering, that he was going to let her go? She wasn’t sure she could deal with that, not when she’d found the courage to give him another chance.
In an effort to put such dismal thoughts from her mind Carla fetched her laptop and set it on the counter next to the chess set. Turning it on she settled on a stool and googled chess, figuring that she should at least find out the name of the various pieces, and where they went on the board, even if she didn’t have the slightest clue how to play.
Following the instructions on the site she found she set the board up, placing the thirty-two pieces so they matched the image on the laptop. Along the way she discovered their names. In the corners of the board sat the rooks, which looked like castles, while next to them went the horses, or knights as they were known. In the middle of the board’s back row went the King and Queen, who sat facing one another, while outside of them, next to the knights were the bishops. The last pieces that Carla set up, and the most numerous, were the pawns.
With the board set up, and the pieces identified, she continued to learn what she could about chess. She guessed, based on his decision to send her the set, that chess was a game that Jason played, which suggested it would be a good idea for her to learn it, if she could.
The rest of the day Carla spent attempting to learn chess, which didn’t go very well. She was confused by the time she finished reading the instructions on the website which told her how the various pieces moved. When she got bored of her attempts to learn chess she finished up the letters and applications she had been doing before Scarlett woke and learned of her plans, and then kept herself occupied with whatever tasks she could find.
The day seemed to stretch on forever, despite her efforts to distract herself, but finally half seven arrived, and when it did she began getting ready. She’d already had a bath as one of her time passing activities but still felt the need to have a shower and wash her hair again.
Drying herself off Carla pulled on the red lace bra and panties set she had selected. She then slid on a black garter belt before settling onto the edge of the bed so she could pull on a pair of sheer black stockings, which she clipped to the belt.
Her hands shook as she lowered a pale pink dress over her head. It was one of the least revealing outfits that Jason had bought for her and she loved how it clung to her small waist and then fell over her hips, stopping just a few inches above her knees. The dress felt soft as butter against her skin and while it was modest enough to satisfy her it also made her feel sinfully sensual.
She told herself that she was only going to the mansion to talk to Jason, she had no intention of allowing things to go further than conversation, they had too much to discuss, and she honestly didn’t know what was going to happen with their relationship. The outfit made her feel sexy however, and that increased her confidence, which she hoped would help her get through the meeting.
After settling the dress over her hips Carla made her way into the bathroom, where she studied herself in the full length mirror behind the door, wanting to make sure she looked as good as she felt. Satisfied that the outfit presented the image she was after she moved on to her makeup and hair.
She brushed her hair until it shone and hung in soft waves down her back, and then she stood in front of the sink to apply her makeup. She kept it to a minimum, doing her best to accentuate her natural features with her limited makeup skills.
After about ten minutes she was satisfied with her efforts and put the makeup away before making a final check in the full length mirror to be sure she was as perfect as she could make herself.
Returning to the bedroom, she slid her feet into a pair of white three inch heels, grabbed her purse and left the condo. With each step her legs shook; she was relieved that there was an elevator in the building for her to use because she was sure she would have fallen and broken her neck if she’d had to negotiate stairs.
As she drove the canary yellow sports car through the New York streets, Carla found herself feeling more nervous than she had when she went there for her first night with Jason. She hadn’t thought that was possible, but her heart was racing and her hands were slick on the wheel of the car, making her fear it was going to slip through her hands and result in her crashing.
She was relieved when she made it safely to the mansion, though she had to sit in the car for a minute or so while she got herself under control, and dug out a tissue so she could dry her hands.
When she no longer felt as though she was going to make a fool of herself the moment she opened her mouth Carla got out of the car. Thanking the handsome young man who had patiently held the door open while she sorted herself, the same young man who had been there the first time she came to the mansion, Carla handed him her keys.
While the young man slid behind the wheel and drove off to park her car Carla forced her legs, which just then seemed to have the consistency of jelly, to carry her up the steps to the front door.
The door opened before she had a chance to ring the bell and the usually stoic servant greeted her with a warm smile. “Master Jason is waiting for you in the gardens, Ma’am.”
“Thank you.” She managed to force the words through lips that were suddenly parched. Her heart raced as she followed the servant through the house, thumping so loudly she wouldn’t have been surprised to discover he could hear it.
Her eyes widened as she stepped through the veranda doors Jason’s servant held open for her and she saw the trail of white and red rose petals.
“Enjoy your evening, Ma’am.” Edwin closed the doors as he retreated back into the mansion, a smile on his face.
Carla looked behind her for a moment at the doors and then slowly began following the trail of rose petals. The path illuminated for her by a series of torches that revealed little beyond the petals, giving her no clue to where she was going or what she should expect. It was like something from a fairytale.
Her heart thudded loudly in her chest with each step she took as she wondered what she was going to find at the end of the trail.
Finally the rose petals ended, stopping at a large gazebo. Sheer white curtains surrounded the gazebo, rippling in the gentle breeze that blew through the garden. Finding it hard to breathe Carla forced herself to keep going until she reached the curtains, which she parted hesitantly.
A gasp escaped her lips as she saw what awaited her, and her heart leapt into her throat. In the middle of the gazebo was Jason, waiting for her on one knee; he was dressed in a black tuxedo that fit his incredible body perfectly, in his hand was a velvet covered box that he held out toward her.
Carla knew she would remember the look on his gorgeous for the rest of her life. Always before he had been confident, certain of what he was doing, now he seemed nervous, even more nervous than she felt herself.
“I know I’ve been a stubborn, blind fool, and you deserve someone who could give you so much more. I have never felt this way about another woman though, and the thought of not being with you destroys my soul.
“I know I don’t deserve you, but if you will do me the honor of being my wife, I promise to spend the rest of my life making sure that you have everything your heart desires. Carla, will you accept my ring and agree to marry me?” Finishing his little speech he opened the box to reveal a diamond ring.
Carla opened her mouth to respond, but found that no words would come out. While it was true that she hadn’t really known what was going to happen that night, she did know that an offer of marriage was definitely not something she had anticipated.
She didn’t know what to say. His proposal had her thoughts and emotions in a whirl, leaving her with no idea how to react. All she could do was stand there and stare at him, open-mouthed.
“Sweetheart, please say something.” Jason heard his heart pounding in his chest
as he waited for Carla to answer his question, to tell him yes, to tell him no, to respond in some fashion. The silence from her was worse than a refusal, though part of him wondered how anything could be worse than her refusing him.
As he knelt there, waiting, he felt his heart become like lead and sink into his stomach. She was going to reject him, he knew it. How could he blame her though? After what he had done how could he honestly expect her to accept his proposal? She was perfect, and beautiful, and he had been a bastard to her, he didn’t deserve her love.
After what seemed like an eternity, though she was sure it was only a minute or so, Carla nodded, still not capable of verbalizing a response. They had a million and one things to discuss, but the thought of becoming Mrs. Jason Portland pushed all of those things aside. It was more than she’d ever thought possible.
The look of shock in Jason’s eyes when she nodded made Carla smile, and her smile grew wider as, with shaking hands, he slid the huge diamond on her finger. She’d thought him nervous when she first entered the gazebo, but it was clear he was even more nervous just then as he looked at her, his expression indicating his desperate need for her approval.
“If you don’t like the ring we can get another tomorrow, you can choose anything you want.” He looked up at her anxiously, hoping he wasn’t making a mess of things, though he was sure he was. He’d never thought he would find a woman that could make him feel the way Carla did, but now he had he didn’t want to go back to the way he’d been before. He’d been cold, he knew that now, and cold wasn’t good.
If it took him the rest of his life to make up to Carla for how he’d treated her during their nights together, he would use the whole of that time. She was the most important thing to him, more important than any business deal or property, or indeed anything else.
“I love the ring, Sir, and I love you.” Carla finally found her voice. Dropping to her knees she threw her arms around him. Though she loved the vulnerability he was showing her just then, it was a side of him she’d hoped he possessed, she had fallen in love with the strong, decisive persona he had shown her in the beginning.
“Princess, you never have to call me Sir again.” He held her against him, prepared to do whatever it took to become the man she wanted him to be, the man she needed him to be. If he had to he would change everything about himself, to become worthy of her love.
Pulling back from his embrace Carla looked into Jason’s eyes, her hands moving up to either side of his face. “I fell in love with the man who showed me that passion could be found when I truly submitted my heart, body and soul, Sir.” She told him, speaking earnestly. “Please don’t ask me to give up everything you have shown me about myself, not when I waited so long to discover it.”
He couldn’t believe that she was still willing to submit to him after the way he had treated her. It blew his mind. He was prepared to give up everything that had meant the most to him, his desire for control, and submit to her, if that what was it took, but here she was, submitting to him.
Her willingness to give him not only her love, but her will, was more than he could have ever hoped for, and it left him speechless, for the first time in his life. He lowered his lips to hers, kissing her with all the passion he’d held in check, showing her without words what her submission meant to him.
“You’ve given me more than I deserve, princess,” he said when he finally broke their kiss. “I promise, I will never hurt you again, ever.”
If she had any doubts about his sincerity the look in his deep blue eyes melted them away, leaving her certain of her decision, he was what she wanted. Taking his hand she allowed him to pull her to her feet. “Sir, this is our tenth night together.” Pink spots appeared in the center of her cheeks as she spoke, her eyes straying over his perfectly clothed form. “What will you teach me?” she asked, a slight smile playing about the corners of her mouth.
Jason chuckled at the spirit of his future wife, pleased by the thought of all the things they would share, and her willingness to surrender to his teachings. “I will teach you everything there is to know about your body, and the pleasure it can enjoy. In the process I will push you beyond your limits,” he told her, lifting her into his arms.
He laid her gently on the cushioned bed she hadn’t even noticed and then he pulled the curtains closed so they were isolated from the rest of the world. Turning back to her his breath caught in his throat at the sight of the look of innocent curiosity on her face. He knelt beside the bed and reached out to caress her cheek softly with the back of his hand. “And you need never fear because I will be here to catch you, so you’ll never fall.”
Looking up at the Adonis above her Carla thought back on the nights they had shared. In ten nights she had discovered passion, love, fear, heartache and so many emotional and physical changes that it took her breath away. As he joined her on the bed she surrendered herself, body, mind and heart, to the man who had shown her how to be more than she had ever believed herself capable of being.
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