Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 116597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
“So, it’s legal, then.”
“As a marriage. Or should I say divorce, since I’m taking your money?” I swirled my wine with a teasing grin at that.
“Won’t Uncle Sam take his cut, then?”
I shrugged. “Of course. But that’s fine. There will still be plenty enough for me to jet off to the Exumas.”
And to freeze my eggs, parent a child solo, set my kid up with private childcare and schooling for life, make sure we never have to want for anything…
Carter’s smile climbed as he flipped through the pages. “It says here that early termination results in forfeiture — unless it’s initiated by you.”
“Correct. That means I can walk away at any time, for any reason, and still keep the full payment. But if you’re the one who ends it? You don’t get a refund.”
“That doesn’t seem fair, Doctor Young.”
“I never said I play fair, Rookie.”
He frowned at that. “Hey, I’m not a rookie. This is my fourth season.”
“And your first playing completely in the National League and not in the minors, if I’m not mistaken?”
His jaw clamped shut at that. “If we’re going by the league’s standards, I’m not a rookie. I’ve played more than twenty-five games at the national level.”
“Well, technicalities aside, you are a rookie in the bedroom. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here, would we?”
“Why do I like when you talk down to me like that?”
“Oh, honey,” I said, leaning forward with a salacious grin. “This is nothing. Let’s get through these contracts and you’ll see just how degrading I can be — and just how much you’ll love it.”
I knew without testing the theory that his cock was hard now. I saw it in the way his breath shallowed, in the way his pupils dilated, in the bob of his Adam’s apple. It was confirmation of what I’d suspected after all these years of teasing him.
He liked a little abasement.
He was excited to play.
But we had business to settle, first.
After a few minutes of perusing the fine print of the first contract, Carter seemed satisfied. We signed three copies — one for each of us, and one that would eventually be the legally binding, notarized version.
“And where exactly is our notary?” Carter asked, finally trying his wine. He hummed his approval, and I internally smiled. The man clearly had good taste — in wine and women.
“I have one on standby who works with discretion.”
“And one who doesn’t mind bending the rules, I gather, since I’m pretty sure they’re supposed to witness us signing. And there should be disinterested witnesses, too, no?”
“Leave the how of it all to Mommy, mmkay?” I purred, twirling the pen around my knuckles. “The rich have been signing shady deals in penthouses for centuries. We’re just keeping tradition alive.”
Carter snorted, but he let it go. He moved on to the second contract — slimmer, more intimate in nature. And when he saw the title at the top, his brows shot up.
“Personal Performance Improvement Plan or (P-PIP),” he read aloud, voice skeptical. I had to fight back a laugh as he frowned, and then his eyes floated up to meet mine. “This doesn’t seem legal, despite your clever title here.”
“It’s not,” I said. “Well, not entirely. Parts of it are legally binding — like the NDA, the exclusivity clause, the termination terms, and the financial agreements. But the rest?” I shrugged. “It’s symbolic. It sets the tone.”
“Symbolic,” he echoed.
“It creates structure. Anticipation. Power exchange. You follow it because you agreed to, not because I’ll sue you if you safe word out when you see a nipple clamp.”
He gaped at me.
“Kidding,” I said, leaning back and crossing my legs as I lifted my wine glass to my lips. “Or am I?”
Carter flipped through the pages, his gaze narrowed at me like he was really trying to decide if I’d bring out my nipple clamps.
Jury was still out on that one.
“There’s a safe word?”
“Words, actually. High stick.” I smirked at the irony. “You say those words, everything stops — play ends just like it would on the ice, and we have a clean slate. You say Offside, it’s a sign that I’ve crossed a line, but you’re still okay to keep playing. In that case, I ease up. You say nothing…” I shrugged, tilting my glass to my lips. “And I assume you’re enjoying yourself.”
“Hockey terms,” he said, not as a question but more as a humored assessment.
“Didn’t want to confuse you too much. Figured it was best to speak your language.”
“Do you think they’ll really be necessary?”
“My goal is to teach you how to take charge with the woman of your choosing eventually. But first, you will relinquish control to me. I teach by example. So… it’s possible.” I said with a shrug. “If you want to be not just adequate in bed but incredible? Then we’re going to be exploring a lot more than just how to find the hole.”