Claim Me

Chapter Three: Ivy

I didn't sleep much last night, not because of stress or work. But because of him. Damian Blackwell had not only become my boss, but he had also completely crawled into my mind. Every word he said, every look he gave me, just echoes under my skin.

When I finally gave up the fight of sleep, I got dressed and made myself a cup of coffee. By eight, I was once again back in the office working on legal briefs. My inbox dinged, and I quickly switched to my email and opened the most recent.

Subject: Instructions

From: Dorian Blackwell

Time: 8:03 AM

Message: Lexi will give you the file, and I want you to review it. Come to my office at ten with just a summary from memory.

I stared at the screen. I couldn't tell if the last part was just a suggestion or not, but I didn't want to wait to find out. Lexi barely looked at me when she walked into the room, but her face showed a hint of amusement, like she was in on a joke that she didn't want to explain to me. "This file is time sensitive." She said, "Client, a tech CEO with domestic violence charges that could sink. The press has been circling." I nodded at her in response as I opened the file and flipped through it, taking quick mental notes of everything.

At 9:59, I was already standing outside of Damian's office. I stepped in to find him sitting at his desk. He looked up slowly, his eyes grazing over me. "You followed the directions?" He asked. "You gave them," I responded with a slow sigh. Damian leaned back in his chair. "Summarize." I spoke sharply and clearly, "Arrest timelines, PR risks, bail hearing, and subtle contradictions between the clients statements and the bruising patterns." He smiled, "Impressive." I stared him down, but didn't respond. "Though, I don't plan to keep you around for your usefulness." He said, his smile growing into a cold grin. "Then why?" I asked. His expression darkened, a flicker of some slight amount of amusement. A moment later, he stood. "I think you want to be controlled, but only by someone who has earned it."

Damian came around the desk and slowly walked behind me. "You're clever." He murmured quietly in my ear. "Strategic, but you never let go. You keep holding on so tight that you forgot even how to let go...To surrender." My pulse quickened. "I don't surrender," I replied coldly. "No, but you will." He said as he softly brushed one of his fingers against the back of my neck, just below the knot that held my hair up. I felt goosebumps go up my spine, but I stayed still. "You wore your hair up today." He said softly, then he moved his hand away and I heard him take a step back. "Dismissed." He said sharply. I turned and left without saying anything.

That night I opened my laptop, I meant to review motions, but instead I typed his name. Damian Blackwell: b**m rumors. There wasn't much, some blogs with allegations that didn't stick. But something told me that I already knew the truth, that he wanted me to step into something darker, and the scariest part, I wanted to say yes.

I was still staring at the screen when my phone pinged. [private number] come back to the office. Twenty minutes. Wear black.

I let out a hard sigh and shut the screen of my laptop down and stared at the message on my phone for a couple more minutes, my fingers frozen over the keyboard. I got dressed in silence, a black blouse, and a black skirt. Staring at myself in the mirror, I pulled my hair back and tied it into a ponytail.

When I arrived back at the office, the lights were dimmed, and the office was empty and quiet, the type of quiet that held dozens of secrets. I walked into the elevator, my heels hitting the floor being the only sound. When the elevator doors opened, I slowly walked out and over to the front of Damian's office. The door was open, so I slowly walked in to find Damian leaning against the edge of his desk. His sleeves were rolled up, and his tie was lying loosely on his oak desk. He was holding a whiskey glass, but he didn't move.

"You came." He said as he brought the cup he was holding up to his lips and took a sip. "Yeah, you told me to," I responded. He studied me, like he was measuring both my body and my will. "Do you know why I asked you to come here?" He asked. I shook my head and looked away. "Not sure, perhaps just to annoy me," I said. He stepped toward me, slow and deliberate. "I told you, you have forgotten how to let go and to surrender." He said, I paused, then turned my head back to look at him, and I found a soft smile playing at his lips. "I want to show you how." He added. "Here?" I asked. He smirked then. "No, not here." He moved to the corner of the room and opened a drawer. He pulled out a slim black envelope and walked back over to me, holding it out. "Read it, if you agree, then we move forward, if not, then we forget this ever happened and you return to just being my paralegal." I took the folder and slowly pulled the paper out. It was a contract, short and clean.

Terms of Power Exchange

Duration: One Year

Limitations: Absolute consent required. Safe word required. Emotional and Physical boundaries negotiated.

Confidentiality: Non-disclosure enforced.

No feelings, no lies, no exits without notice.

My hands trembled as I read, This wasn't flirtation, or some workplace fantasy, it was complete and utter submission.

When I looked up he was watching me, still, silent and unreadable. "Why me?" I asked, voice trembling slightly. "I'm not asking for your trust." He said, then paused for a moment before adding, "I'm simply asking for your honesty, do you want this?" He asked. I swallowed hard, then looked back down at the contract. "I don't know," I said. He stepped closer, and my pulse jumped. "I will give you until midnight tomorrow. After that, the offer disappears." He said. I nodded in response. He didn't touch me, not even a single finger but he stared at me like his presence alone could make me weak.

As I turned to leave, he spoke soft and dark. "Sleep well Ivy, you'll need it." But I didn't sleep at all, my mind was on the contract all night. And somewhere between fear and longing, I realized that I had already partly said yes.