Sweet Submission: Jenny and Max Complete Series Plus Bonus Short Story (13 page)

Evan straightened his hair, then took my hand and pulled me into an embrace. After he kissed my forehead, he turned towards the door. “Let’s go.”

My feet shuffled rapidly underneath me as I followed Evan to the conference room. He walked so fast, I was nearly running to keep up. On the plus side, I was starting to get used to wearing heels.

We met with three other men from a hedge fund company. Though I didn’t understand much of what they were saying, I took diligent notes. Evan impressed me in the meeting. They were trying to hammer out the details of a deal, and Evan negotiated with them competently. After they left, five more businessmen arrived for another meeting. My hands flew across the tablet screen, typing every word.

After that meeting, Josh whisk us across town for yet another meeting. This was how the morning went. Meeting after meeting on wildly different topics. I watched in awe as Evan calmly took control of every situation.

By lunchtime, I had several different files filled with meticulous notes. I was tired from rushing around, but Evan seemed cool as a cucumber.

“Sushi?” Evan asked me.

“That sounds good,” I said. “Where should we go?”

Evan laughed. “My office. Come on.”

The light from his office window was beautiful at this time of day. With the sun high in the sky, the view was crystal clear. From this height, I felt like I was on top of the city. I sat at the dining table next to the window, while Evan put in a call. He spoke a mixture of English and Japanese.

“Jiro is the best sushi chef in the city,” Evan said when he hung up the phone. “They’ll bring our lunch shortly. What would you like to drink?” He opened his small fridge, allowing me to see the contents.

“Sparkling water,” I said.

Evan grabbed two sparkling waters and sat down across from me.

“How are you finding the business world so far?” Evan asked.

“It’s very busy,” I answered. “You have a lot on your plate.”

“I like to be hands on,” Evan said. “I have a hard time trusting other people to do what I know I can do myself.”

I sipped the fizzy water, wishing I could escape his gaze.

“You have something on your mind,” Evan said. “What is it?”

I shook my head and mumbled, “Nothing.”

Evan grabbed my hand. “Lucy, I require you to be completely honest with me. Tell me what you’re thinking about.”

I exhaled softly, dropping my gaze to the table. “When we kissed earlier, I enjoyed it very much.” My face burned with embarrassment.

“I did too,” Evan said, stroking my palm with his fingertips.

“Except that, maybe I enjoyed it too much,” I said. “I made a vow, long ago, to save myself for marriage. It’s very important to me, and I hope you understand.”

“Understand? Of course I understand,” Evan said. “Your purity is as important to me as it is to you. I have no intention of touching you before we’re married.”

I smiled with relief. One of the reasons I’d avoided relationships was because I worried that most men would only be after one thing.

“Married?” I said, coyly. “You say that like it’s a given.”

“Isn’t it?” Evan said. “We both feel what’s between us, Lucy. We’re destined to be together.”

My face spread into a wide smile. This was the kind of love I’d always dreamed of; all consuming and totally right. But I still had a nagging doubt.

“And after we’re married,” I said, timidly. “You’ll be in charge, and I’ll have to obey you.”

“That’s right,” Evan said, gently. “In our modern times, Biblical principles get a bad rap. But you’ll soon see that living the life God designed for us is the only way to true peace.”

I saw the truth in his words. Evan was smart and strong, and I could rest easy putting my faith and trust in him. But I couldn’t deny my own strong spirit.

“I might not always agree with you,” I said.

“I don’t expect you to,” Evan said. “And we can discuss anything. But in the end, my word is the law.”

I took in a shallow breath. “And what happens to someone who breaks the law?”

Evan leaned in closer, making me look into his eyes. “Corporal punishment.”

I gasped. He couldn’t be serious. “Like what?”

“Spankings, corner time, humiliation,” Evan said, casually.

“Really?” I said, my modern femininity offended.

“Yes, really,” Evan said. “But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. I believe in domestic discipline, but I also believe in courtship and romance. The later is what I’d like to focus on now.”

I could hear my feminist friends from college urging me to run for the hills. Though I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the thought of a spanking, I couldn’t pull away from Evan. His charm was intoxicating. I loved every small mannerism, the way he tugged at the cuffs of his jacket, the small creases around his eyes that only materialized when he smiled, and the way he looked at me, like I was the only woman in the entire world.

The sushi was delivered, and Evan and I were quiet as we began to eat. Though I’d had sushi many times before, this was so incredibly delicious I felt like I was having it for the first time. I realized that Evan could show me so much of the world. I could be happy following his lead.

“It’s Friday,” Evan said, picking up a piece of tuna with his chopsticks. “Won’t you fly away with me this weekend?”

“Of course I will,” I said.

*

“I didn’t know there was an airport out here,” I said as we left the city behind in the black town car.

“It’s a private airport,” Evan said. He was dressed casually in dark jeans and a gray V-neck T-shirt. His hair wasn’t perfectly put into place like he wore it in the office. It was soft and slightly tousled. No matter what this man wore, he was devastatingly handsome.

We drove out into what looked like a large field. In the middle was a single plane.

“Who’s private airport?” I asked as we walked up the runway. Evan gave me a coy smile.

When we entered the plane, I realized once again how different Evan’s world was from the one I’d known. The plane wasn’t very large, but there were a few large, leather seats. I sat down and stretched my legs out in front of me. As we settled in, a stewardess came in and asked if we wanted anything to drink. Since it was early in the morning, I ordered coffee.

“You should try the cappuccino,” Evan said. “Katherine is a master with the espresso machine.”

“Okay, I’ll try that,” I said. I hadn’t dreamed that they had an espresso machine on board.

I looked out of the window as the plane took off. The city became smaller and smaller until it looked like nothing more than a map. I thought about all of the people down there, going about their daily lives. Why was I lucky enough to experience something so extraordinary?

After a very comfortable flight, we landed in Montreal in another private airport. A car was already there waiting for us, and it whisked us into the city. We pulled up in front of a very swanky hotel. The driver took care of our bags while Evan and I checked in.

I couldn’t believe the size of the room. It was larger than my entire apartment. Evan laughed as he watched me twirl around with my arms spread out wide. I did a belly flop on the king size bed, and was immediately enveloped in fluffy softness.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to leave this bed,” I said, stretching my arms above my head.

“Let me help you,” Evan said. He crawled onto the bed, took my wrists, and pulled me up. “Come on. I want to show you off.”

The hotel was right on the river. We strolled down the boardwalk, hand in hand. The ripples of clear water were illuminated by the sun’s golden rays. The weather was mild, but with a slight chill, giving me an excuse to hug tight to Evan.

Evan playfully picked me and twirled me around. He set me back down and gave me a kiss. I could tell he was enjoying his anonymity here. Everyone in Chicago knew him. I loved seeing this side of him. As we walked and the more kisses he stole, the more I fell in love with him.

After lunch at a French cafe, Evan took me to the designer stores. He encouraged me to pick out whatever I wanted. I felt uncomfortable spending his money, but he insisted on buying me things. I ended up getting a designer purse, a silk scarf, and incredibly comfortable leather pumps.

“I can’t thank you enough,” I said as we made our way back to the hotel.

“Don’t thank me, Lucy,” Evan said. “What’s mine is yours. God has blessed us with good fortune. He wouldn’t have given it to us if he didn’t want us to enjoy it.”

For the rest of the weekend, Montreal was our luxurious playground. Nothing was off limits. We ate at the fanciest restaurants, took helicopter rides over the city, and Evan insisted on showering me with even more gifts.

At night, Evan kept his word about preserving my chastity. He slept on a cot that he insisted was more comfortable than most beds. I tried it, and had to admit that he was right.

It was the perfect vacation. When we returned to Chicago, I was well rested and ready to take on the week ahead. Monday morning, I was in my office organizing my digital files when someone knocked on the door.

“Come in,” I said, without looking up from my work.

“Cappuccino?”

I recognized the voice. Looking up, I saw it was Charlie. Apparently, he was on coffee duty this morning.

I smiled to him sweetly and took the coffee. I knew I had the opportunity to rub it in his face, but I didn’t feel the need.

“Nice office,” he said.

“Thank you,” I said, politely, sipping my coffee.

“So, how’d you manage this?” Charlie asked. He picked up a vase from my desk and studied it. “Your parents connected?”

I laughed. “My mom’s a teacher, and my dad’s a small town lawyer. So, no.”

“I see,” Charlie said, nodding. He started out the door. “I’ll tell everyone the rumors are true. You are fucking the boss.”

I looked up from my computer in complete shock. Charlie was already gone, leaving me with his cruel words. I bit my lip, trying not to cry. He was jealous, was all, but could he also be right?

I looked around at my absurdly large office. I was a fool for thinking I deserved to be here. The promotion, the crazy salary, all of these gifts; Evan gave them to me because I was his girlfriend. I had to confront what had been bothering me all this time. Was this what I wanted? To be a kept woman? Someone’s little pet? Or did I want to forge an identity on my own?

“Miss Carver,” Jamie said from the doorway. “Mr. Jeffrey needs to see you. Quickly, please. It’s urgent.”

I stood and straightened my skirt, then followed Jamie to the elevator. She pressed a button that I’d noticed before, but didn’t know where it went.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“To the roof,” Jamie said.

The elevator doors opened, and the city came in full view. I stepped out tentatively, wondering how far up we were. Evan stood in the middle of the roof, the sun glinting off of his hair. Jamie stayed in the elevator, and went back down with it, leaving Evan and I alone.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Evan said, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “I can always put things in perspective from this height.”

“It’s amazing,” I said. The panoramic view revealed the entire city, its buildings, its roads, and even the lakes in the distance.

Evan turned to me. “Lucy, I got some news this morning. I may have to leave the country.”

“Where are you going? For how long?” I was suddenly panicked. I didn’t want to go back to a life without him.

“Asia, and for a year,” he said. “But it’s okay. I don’t have to go. I can tell them no.” His eyes softened, and he smiled. “It just means that our timeframe might be shortened.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

Evan looked away, shyly, something I’d never seen him do. “I was going to wait a couple of months to do this.”

Evan dropped to one knee and pulled a small box from his pocket. I was overcome with shock, and couldn’t comprehend what was happening. He opened the box, and a diamond glittered brilliantly in the sunlight. I brought my hands to my mouth and took in a sharp breath.

“Say you’ll marry me, Lucy,” Evan said. “And I’ll never leave you.”

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh,” I blathered like an idiot.

“I know this probably took you by surprise, but the answer should be so obvious,” Evan said. “Let’s start our life together. I don’t want to wait anymore.”

I looked down at Evan’s handsome face. The longer I took to answer, the more his smile faltered. This was more complicated than a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ If I agreed to marry Evan, than I agreed to spend my entire life in submission to him. And I couldn’t say ‘no,’ because I couldn’t bear losing him.

“I-I don’t know,” I said.

“How could you not know?” Evan asked. His face reddened with disappointment. “What are you afraid of?”

“Please, Evan,” I said, tears welling in my eyes. “Could I have some time to think about it?”

Evan exhaled deeply, then stood to his feet. “Yes, you can. But I don’t have much time. I’ll leave in the morning.”