Semua Bab Whispers of Submission : Bab 71 - Bab 80

Cassie woke up slowly and stretched her body like a cat basking in the sun. The sheets beside her were cool, the indentation of Reggie’s body already fading. For a moment she lay there, blinking at the high ceiling of his bedroom, the memory of last night settling over her like warm honey. She smiled into the pillow that still smelled of him, then reached out instinctively. Empty.She sat up, pushing hair from her face. The room was flooded with soft morning light filtering through half-closed blinds. Reggie’s sweatpants and hoodie lay folded neatly on the ottoman. It looked like he'd been up for a while. Her own robe was draped over the back of a chair. She slipped out of bed, the hardwood cool under her bare feet, and tied the silk belt snugly around her waist. The faint scent of coffee and something buttery drifted up from downstairs.Cassie padded to her own room first, brushing her teeth, splashing water on her face before twisting her hair into a messy knot. She swapped the robe

He found her in the movie room, three hours later. She had finished watching the first movie and was halfway through the second. “Thought you’d abandoned me for the rest of the day,” she had her feet tucked beneath her legs. “Never,” he said, setting the tablet on the table and settling beside her on the couch. “Actually, I came to bribe you.” “With what?” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, that devastating half-smile tugging at his mouth. “You were supposed to go shopping today. I ruined it. Let me fix it. There’s a town an hour north, they brought new designs this morning . I’ll take you shopping plus lunch, whatever you want. My treat.” Cassie arched a brow. “I can pay for my own clothes, Reggie.” “I know you can.” He reached over and tugged the sleeve of the hoodie she wore. “But I want to. Because you deserve new clothes for fall and because you held me together last night when I was falling apart, and I don’t have words big enough for that. Let me do this one small th

The SUV’s headlights carved twin tunnels through the dark as they left Asher’s house behind. Maple leaves skittered across the windshield like tiny red warnings. Cassie hugged the garment bags to her chest, the buttery leather of the new coat still warm. The silence inside the car was thick enough to choke. Reggie’s knuckles were pale against the black steering wheel. The muscle in his jaw ticked every time a streetlamp flashed across his face. He hadn’t said a word since they’d pulled away. Cassie tried for light. “I can't believe the short ribs were actually edible. Asher might survive adulthood after all.” Nothing. Not even a flicker of a smile. She sighed and turned to the window. Fine. If he wanted to stew, she’d let him. She traced a finger through the condensation on the glass, drawing tiny hearts she immediately erased. Five miles bled into ten. Finally he spoke, voice low and clipped. “So, a teaching job? When were you planning on telling me?” Cassie’s stomach dipped.

Cassie practically sprinted from the private elevator the second the doors slid open on the thirty-second floor. Her cheeks were on fire, her thighs still trembling from the two, no, three orgasms Reggie had wrung from her in the space of forty-five scandalously late minutes. The marble hallway blurred as she speed-walked, clutching her laptop bag like a shield.“Morning!” she squeaked to the security guard, who lifted a brow but wisely said nothing.She made it to her desk, collapsed into her chair with a breathless laugh that sounded half-hysterical. Her reflection in the dark monitor looked exactly like a woman who had been thoroughly, gloriously ruined before nine a.m: Hair escaping its knot, lips swollen, pupils blown wide. She touched her mouth and felt the phantom press of Reggie’s teeth.Get it together, Cass.She powered through emails, rewrote two quarterly summaries, and somehow managed to look competent while her pulse still thrummed between her legs like a second heartbea

They stepped out of the restaurant into the cool night, but the air did nothing to temper the furnace blazing between them. Cassie’s entire body felt like one exposed nerve, every brush of the silk dress against her skin a reminder of what Reggie had done and what he hadn’t let her do. Her thighs still trembled from the slow, deliberate torture under the table, and the memory of his fingers sliding away just as she teetered on the edge made her want to scream or bite him or both. Reggie’s palm settled low on her back as they walked to the valet, thumb tracing slow, maddening circles that felt like ownership. She shivered, not from cold. “Thank you for dinner,” she managed, voice husky, sliding into the warm leather of the SUV. “Anytime,” he murmured, the word curling around her like smoke before he shut the door with a soft, final click. He circled the hood, jacket open, tie loosened just enough to reveal the strong column of his throat. When he climbed in and started the engine,