Her head jerked around when her passenger side door opened.
“Hi, honey,” Cesar said and grinned. “It looked like you were about ready to take off, so I thought I’d intervene.”
Cesar handed the driver several bills and then pulled her out of the car.
“Hi,” she said and stared up at him. He seemed so much more handsome and bigger than the previous day. His shoulders were twice as broad as hers, and his hands engulfed hers. Instead of it making her feel overwhelmed, she felt safe, which surprised and confused her at the same time.
He smiled down at her. “Hi, yourself. Are you hungry?”
Oh, damn. She was starving, but there was no way she’d eat in front of him. She didn’t want him to think she was a pig like her family did. “I … yes. A little.”
His eyes narrowed on her. “Really?”
“Um, yes.”
“We’ll talk about lying later. Right now, I need to feed you.” He tightened his hand on hers as they walked in the door.
Amber watched an older man walking toward them with a big smile on his face.
“Ahhh, Mr. Hammond. I’m so glad you’re here today.”
“Vincent,” he said and shook the man’s hand. “Where else would I take my girl on our very first date?”
She glanced up at Cesar to see if he was teasing, but the look in his eyes said anything but. She swallowed the emotion that clogged her throat.
Cesar smiled, raised her hand, and kissed the back of her knuckles.
“Then we need a special table,” Vincent said and clapped his hands. A younger man raced over right away, and they spoke in rapid Italian. “This way.”
Cesar wrapped an arm around her waist and followed behind Vincent to a small table in a more private part of the restaurant.
“This is perfect. Thank you,” Cesar said and pulled out a chair for her.
“You’re very welcome. Enjoy your meal.”
Amber smiled at the older man and then looked around the room. She thought the place looked like an old Italian villa, and she loved it on sight. The ambiance and tranquil atmosphere relaxed her instantly. She looked across the table at Cesar to find him staring at her.
“What do you think so far, honey?”
“It’s wonderful.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He handed her a menu. “The lasagna here is especially good.”
She almost groaned. It had been a long time since she’d had pasta of any kind. Her mother didn’t allow it in the house.
“I think I’d like a salad.”
She tried to ignore the hard, stern look in his eyes, but it was next to impossible.
“How about you let me order for you?” he asked.
“I … I’m not very hungry.”
He reached for her hand. “I know we’ve just met, but I have to tell you that I don’t like to be lied to.”
“But…”
“Don’t make it worse, chica. Just tell me why you can’t eat what you want?”
“My mother. She forbids me to eat most food. She’s been trying for years to get me skinny, but nothing I do has helped.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to hear that again. You’re perfect the way you are, and I would hate it if you lost your delicious curves. Most men aren’t attracted to skeletons, honey.”
“But she says men dislike fat women.”
“For one thing, you’re not fat, and for another, I think your mom had a skewed view of what’s attractive.”
Amber hoped he was right, but she’d been put down for so many years, it was going to be hard to believe him.
The waiter stopped at their table. “What can I get you both to drink?”
“Would you like a glass of wine, honey?” Cesar asked her.
“No, I’m not a big drinker. Water is fine for me.”
“Water for both of us, and bring us the special, please.”
“I’ll be back with your drinks and bread,” the waiter said.
Her eyes scanned the restaurant again and noticed several women staring over at their table. Every one of them was beautiful and sophisticated, and they made her feel dumpy. An hour before, she’d thought herself pretty when she looked into the mirror wearing her blue dress, but now she felt ugly.
“What’s wrong?”
She turned back to look at him. “Nothing.”
“Tell me.”
“It’s just … the women here are so perfect, and they’re all staring at you. It makes me wonder why you’re here with me.”
A shiver raced up her spine when his thumb caressed her knuckles.
“I’m here with you because I want to be. I think you’re perfect for me and exactly the type of woman I’ve been looking for.”
“What is it about me that you like?”
“I think you’re very pretty, and I love your body. You’re so damn sweet and caring, and I don’t see that a lot. You’re the type of woman that doesn’t need independence or would feel threatened if I wanted to make all the decisions. Am I right?”
“Yes, I think so. I’ve never wanted a career or anything, and I like making people happy and helping them.”
“I can see that. But would you like it if I made the majority of the decisions? I don’t want to frighten you, but I’d like you to know my intentions from the start.”
“What does that mean?”
“I would have a say in every part of your life from what you wore to where you went and what friends you had.”
She was shocked. Over the years, she’d hoped for someone to take care of her like that but never thought it was possible.
“Is that something you think you could handle, honey?”
“I … yes, I think so. I think it would be nice to have you take care of me like that. But what do you get out of it?”
“I get you.”
“That’s not a lot. Especially compared to what I would get.”
“You’d be surprised. I need to control everything in my life, including the woman I’m with, and I haven’t met many women with the personalities to handle it. I’d expect your obedience, and if I tell you to do something, you’ll do it without question.”
“Give me an example of something.”
“For example, if I say strip, lie on the bed, and spread your legs, I’ll expect you to hustle and do it.”
Her mouth dropped open, and she could feel a fiery blush cover her face. She was startled when the waiter set the glasses and a basket of bread down.
“Your meals will be right out.”
“Thank you,” Cesar said without taking his eyes off of her.
She waited until the man walked away. “You did not just say that, did you?” she whispered.
He smirked. “You heard me right. And when you’re ready, I’d like to be called daddy.”
Her stomach twisted with anxiety. She’d never heard of this before. “Wait … what?”
“I’m not talking about being a father to the woman. The type of relationship I’d want is unusual, and it’s called a DD/lg. Which means the man is the dominant and the one in control. The woman is submissive and needs to have someone control their lives to feel fulfilled. The woman calling me daddy is just a term of endearment. Nothing more.”