Orders were always followed, he was used to that. Not just with her; he’d taken his natura

Orders were always followed, he was used to that. Not just with her; he’d taken his natural ‘persuasion’ for granted, and utilised it with great aplomb in his day to day life. It was a mixture of charm and intimidation, the flirted word mixed with the slightest of threats. It put shop assistant’s in a flutter, and made most men back off. He was predatory, as much a wolf among sheep as a lion among wolves. It didn’t matter the situation, he rose above it with an animalistic Darwinism.

Orders were always followed, but with her it was different. He was used to flustering, but she took it with as much confidence as he gave, and executed each one with the flawless elegance of a gymnast sticking the landing. He would tell her to remove her underwear and she’d saunter clear of them, letting them slide down those immaculate stems without the slightest of effort. She’d step clear, turn, bend and pluck them from the floor like a flower. She’d once smelt them, even, as if a posy, and that had almost made him loose the grip on his control. 

It infuriated him, among other things. It was submission, but on her terms, and when the only rules he’d ever learnt were the ones that he had authored, it put him off kilter. He demanded more, the feint of a fencer, testing to see where she would break, where the hard walls of her resolve lay. But she kept giving, with the reserve and grace she’d always exhibited. She was unphased. He wanted to phase her. 

It was a challenge he was going to overcome. Watching her break was going to be a delicious pleasure, and watching it with confidence, control and a smile was going to make it all the sweeter.