Dominated (Obsessed II)

42.

Bianca Dawson
Fresh Start

I woke earlier than I expected, the pale morning light already slipping through the gap in the curtains when I opened my eyes. For a few seconds, I stayed beneath the covers, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling and trying to place myself. Then I felt the softness of the hotel sheets beneath me and remembered the night before. I remembered Jude picking me up from the countryside, the way he'd held me when I ran into his arms, the dinner he'd arranged, and the way we'd fallen asleep with the city glowing beyond the windows. The memories came back so quickly that I couldn't stop the smile spreading across my face. After everything, I was here. With him.

I turned toward his side of the bed, expecting to find him there, but the sheets were already empty. I pushed myself upright and looked around the room, noticing the faint light coming from the sitting area. Before I could call his name, the bathroom door opened and Jude stepped out, dressed in a dark T-shirt and sweatpants, his hair slightly damp. He stopped when he saw me awake and smiled, although there was something almost distracted about him that I couldn't quite place.

"Morning," he said, walking toward the bed.

"Morning." I rubbed my eyes and pushed my hair away from my face. "Where have you been?"

"I've been up for a while." He reached for the phone he'd left on the nightstand and slipped it into his pocket. "I was arranging something."

I raised an eyebrow, already suspicious. "Another surprise?"

He laughed quietly and shook his head. "You'll see."

He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at me with that look that always made me feel like I was the only person in the room. "I wanted today to be about you."

My heart warmed. "What did you plan?"

He stood and held out his hand. "You're going to find out."

I spent the next few hours being spoiled in ways I'd almost forgotten were possible. Jude had arranged an entire spa day at the hotel, and the moment I stepped inside the private spa, I understood why he'd been so secretive. The room was warm and quiet, with soft music playing somewhere beneath the sound of running water. Everything smelled faintly of lavender and eucalyptus, and the enormous windows overlooking the gardens allowed the morning sunlight to filter across the pale stone floors.

"You really are the cutest" I said, turning toward him as we stood near the entrance.

He slipped his hands into his pockets and nodded. "You deserve a day where you don't have to think much, just be pampered."

I didn't question it. I didn't want to ruin anything by looking too closely at the little things that didn't fit. Instead, I wrapped my arms around him and kissed his cheek before heading toward the treatment rooms.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed myself to relax. I had a massage, a facial, and spent far too long in the warm pool afterward, letting the heat settle into muscles that had been tense for months. There were no plans to make, no people to manipulate, no accounts to access, and no Richard hovering at the back of my mind. I could simply sit there and breathe.

By the time I returned to the suite, I felt lighter than I had in months, maybe years.

I opened the door quietly and found Jude standing near the windows with his phone pressed to his ear. He looked over as soon as I entered, and I caught the way his posture changed before he turned slightly away from me.