"Are you sure you're ready for this?" I asked her as I held the black satin in my hand.

The way Harper's eyes roamed over my naked body said it all. Her voice was deep and throaty. "Fuck yes."

My smile widened. I stepped closer to her and leaned forward. "Turn around," I ordered.

She turned around on the bed so I could wrap the silk blindfold around her head and tie it. My fingers brushed against her neck and I saw the goosebumps rise on her skin.

"Lay back on the bed," I commanded her softly. I waited impatiently as she did what I told her. "Stretch your arms out."

Before Harper, I had never really ordered a woman around in bed before. All that dominating shit happened after her. Why was that? What was it about her that had me thinking and wanting things that I've always denied myself? What was it about her that had the word 'mine' whispering through my mind whenever she was near? What the fuck was it? 

I pushed those thoughts and the confusion I was feeling away for now. For now, I had a very naked and wet princess waiting for me. I gently tied the soft material around her wrist before lifting her arm to tie it around the bedpost. I walked to the other side of the bed and did the same to her other wrist.

I stood at the foot of the bed and ran my gaze over her body. She was fucking breathtaking. As she laid there, spread-eagle in just her black lace panties and bra, I thought about all the different ways I wanted to take her. The different positions.

Unable to wait any longer, I climbed onto the bed and hovered over her body. I reached out and stroked thumb over her bottom lip. "You have no idea how sexy you are right now, princess. The things I want to do to you..."

She pulled at the bonds, her legs scissoring beneath me. "Then do it, Jackson. I need you."

I chuckled darkly at her eagerness. I buried my face against her neck and nuzzled the soft skin there. "First, what shall our safe word be?"

Her breath was coming out in short pants. I could sense her annoyance at my dragging this out, but it was all apart of it. I wanted her to crave my touch. I wanted her to crave it the same way I craved her—to the point that all I could think about was burying myself in her warm body over and over again, for hours and hours.

"How about...strawberries."

"Agreed." I kissed my way from her neck, over her collarbone, then to her breasts. I pulled the lace cups down, exposing her rosy nipples to my hungry gaze. I closed my lips over the sensitive bud, sucking at it greedily. Harper moaned and pulled at the binds on her wrists. I continued my pleasurable torture on her body, kissing my way down her belly until I got to her lace panties. 

I traced the top of the garment with my finger. I watched with utter satisfaction as she whimpered with a need that mirrored my own.

"Jackson," she moaned, already lost to what I did to her.

"Do you want these off, princess?"

"Yes!" she answered immediately. 

I slid her panties down her long, silky legs and tossed them to the floor. "Spread your legs for me."

Her body arched off the bed when I slid a finger deep inside her. "Oh, God..."

"So tight," I groaned and slid another finger inside, her wetness coating them perfectly.

Pent up with lust, she started working her body against my fingers. It was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. "Jackson, please..."

The way she sounded when she begged me was my undoing. I removed my fingers from her warmth and leaned over her once more. I put my mouth to her ear and whispered, "Do you know how wet you are, princess?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she nodded.

"Do you like the way I make you feel?"

"Yes," she moaned. 

I felt that familiar craving again. The craving to taste her. To have her come apart against my mouth as my tongue brought her to orgasm over and over again. I kissed my way down her body again, wanting her more than ever. 

"Tell me, princess, can anyone else make your body feel this way?"

When she shook her head instead of speaking, I nipped the inside of her thigh with my teeth. "I didn't hear you."

"No one. Just you," she panted.

"Good," I replied. I knew how my voice sounded. Deep and raspy, full of a mad possession to have this woman—to make her mine. 

I glanced up at her briefly before I finally put my mouth to her core. I lifted her hips and continued to lick inside her depths just the way I knew she liked it. Her moans and cries of pleasure filled my ears as I continued. Just as I sucked her swollen clit, she exploded. 

I swallowed her release, taking every bit of that delicious sweetness down my throat. When her body started to finally settle, I pulled away and placed my body between her open thighs. I didn't hesitate. No more teasing. Only taking and owning. With a single thrust, I filled her. Her head dropped back against the headboard as she cried out.  

I pulled my hips back, only to push them forward harder—going deeper into her body. There was no holding back now. I buried my face into her neck, taking in her scent that was uniquely Harper as I continued to drive into her tight channel. 

"Yes, Jackson. More...."

I took possession of her mouth as I continued to fuck her. My hand tangled in her hair in an attempt to pull her closer to me if it were possible. She wrapped my legs around my waist and met me thrust for thrust. When her orgasm ripped through her body, she screamed my name against my lips. I continued to fuck her harder—faster. Never stopping. 

When I felt her body milking mine with her release, I felt that familiar, albeit terrifying feeling again. The one I never let myself feel with other women. Only Harper. I knew I shouldn't say the words, but I couldn't stop myself. I couldn't stop myself at all when it came to her, apparently. 

"You do know that you're mine, don't you, princess?" Her response was a deep moan. I didn't stop there. To prove a point, the next four words out of my mouth were timed with four hard thrusts. That way she knew exactly what I was referring to. "You. Are. Fucking. Mine."

Every part of her was mine. Mind, body, and that other thing I was scared to name. 

What scared me more, was her response...

"I'm yours."

Ring-ring-ring

I shot up in the bed and looked around. The dream from that night at the beach in Hawaii was still fresh in my mind. Then there was my rock hard erection. I rubbed the sleepiness out of my face before I reached for my phone. Fuck. I must have fallen asleep after I ate the breakfast Harper had ordered for me. 

I saw Harper's name on the caller-ID and answered immediately. "Princess?"

"Hey, Jackson."

I could tell by her tone that she was upset. Something was wrong. Really wrong. "What is it? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she sighed. "I guess I just needed to hear your voice."

"I know what you mean." I always needed to hear her voice. No matter if I was upset or just lonely, her voice was a siren song—beckoning me back to the light. To her.

"Where are you?" I asked curiously. "How was breakfast with the girls?"

Slight hesitation from Harper. "It was good. I'm still here, actually. I just stepped away. Lanie surprised me by bringing Jamie. Its just the three of us."

My mood instantly lightened. "Jamie's back? How is she? And Cherise?"

"She said Cherise is in remission."

"That's great!" I didn't know Cherise as well as Harper and the others, but she had a way about her and I was attached instantly. I had tried to keep myself from getting to know her, considering what happened to my mum; but in the end, I loved Cherise, too. 

"Yeah, it really is," Harper said softly.

I wanted to press her and find out what was bothering her. I've always been able to sense when she was upset, even over the phone. But I had a feeling that, whatever it was, it was going to devastate me.

Don't ask. Don't ask. Don't ask. Don't ask.

"Princess, what's the real reason you called? What's the matter?" When she didn't answer, I added, "No matter if we are together or not, you know you can tell me anything."

Her voice cracked. "Jackson, I—"

I closed my eyes tight. "Tell me," I pleaded.

"There's something you need to know." She cleared her throat repeatedly. "I—I—I need...space."

I frowned. "...What?"

I already knew she needed space. That was why we were on a fucking break. That wasn't what was bothering her. Whatever it was, she felt like she couldn't tell me.

"I need space, Jackson. Real space." She stumbled through the words as she continued the lie. "Time. I need time. And space." She exhaled a deep breath. "Seeing you and hearing your voice...its hard. I need to figure some stuff out."

I got to my feet and started looking for my wallet and keys. "Where are you? I'm coming to you."

"Jackson, that's the opposite of space."

"Space isn't what you want from me, admit it."

Her silence was deafening. Yeah, she wanted me there. "Jackson, please."

I ran my hand through my hair, pulling at the ends with frustration. "Princess, I know you're lying to me. Horribly so. We promised we would never lie to each other."

"I have to go, Jackson. Please. Just...give me some time and I promise you I will tell you everything."

The line went dead and I stared at the phone. What the fuck just happened? I knew we were still on a break, but this was different. There was something different about what she said this time. It worried me more than I was comfortable with.

A part of me wanted to ignore what she said and go after her. The other part wanted to give her what she needed. I was left feeling confused. Unmoored.

What secret was she hiding?