Chapter 1
On the deck of the yacht, in the bright sunlight, Vivienne’s blond hair shimmered and her lovely skin glowed. She was a beauty, both inside and out. Jacob knew she deserved more than he seemed capable of giving her.
“I didn’t tell you when I thought I might be pregnant,” Vivienne said, “because I didn’t know how you’d react.”
Jacob took her hand in his, and she continued, “I want a family, eventually, when I’m prepared.” She bit her lower lip. “But I panicked when I thought we were in the midst of an unplanned pregnancy.” She took a breath. “I thought…I was afraid that it would be the end of our relationship.”
Lifting her hand, Jacob kissed her knuckles. “No, baby, that wouldn’t happen.” He noticed her sigh of relief. “I’m not that kind of guy. I can’t say how I would react to such news, but I would not abandon you.”
“It’s good to know that.” Vivienne adjusted her straw hat, her grace and femininity luring him in. “I just didn’t want to put pressure on you, or have you think that I was.”
“You feared I might assume it was a trap?” Jacob shook his head. “I know you better than that.” He paused, noting that Vivienne didn’t seem to have more to add. “Did the doctor have any idea why your period was late?”
Vivienne laughed softly. “It’s not uncommon with women, even though it scared me. When he called with the blood test results, he asked a few questions about my lifestyle.” She shrugged. “I’m not used to a lot of travel, so that was likely enough to throw off my hormones.”
It dawned on Jacob what she had been through, how stressful it must have been to wonder if she was pregnant. The point was that Vivienne hadn’t told him sooner. She had shouldered the burden alone, which wasn’t right.
Dominating encompassed many things, not just sex play. It was vital for Jacob to protect her, emotionally as well as physically. He had failed to do that, and Vivienne hadn’t felt safe enough to confide in him. His role as protector was one he took seriously.
Jacob renewed his commitment to be strong, to cherish the gift of Vivienne’s submission in all ways. And not to let his own reservations about mixing romance with eroticism affect the relationship. That part wasn’t so easy, but he would need to do better at it.
“In the future, I’d like for you to share any worries with me, sooner, not shield me from…whatever the situation is,” Jacob said, looking into her emerald-green eyes. “You shouldn’t have to deal with such things by yourself. I can’t promise how I’ll react, or that I’m perfect…because I’m certainly not. But I am here, baby.”
Vivienne smiled brightly, warming his soul.
“You mean a lot to me, and I wouldn’t leave you adrift,” Jacob said. “I don’t want to see you distressed, if I can avoid it.” He touched her cheek. “You do believe me, don’t you?”
Vivienne grasped his hand in hers, and kissed his palm. In a soft voice, she said, “I believe you.”
With that settled, Jacob felt better, and he was certain that Vivienne did too. The part about not seeing her distressed was a tall order, one he vowed to uphold. Yet he’d already let her down by accepting her love without reciprocating. He knew it disturbed Vivienne that he couldn’t give in to a romantic side that she was certain he possessed.
Yet Vivienne did mean a lot to him, so much that Jacob was reluctant to release her from the relationship they had. Although he knew it didn’t completely fulfill her, there was no way to let go. Jacob was greedy for her, drawn to her sexuality, and spellbound by her beauty.
As the boat cruised through the harbor, a light breeze wafted across the deck, cooling the air. Jacob put his arm around Vivienne, aware that her presence filled a void inside him. He traced his fingers over her shoulder, and she leaned against him.
It was a pleasant day in the harbor, well suited to circling
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