A good hotel room isn't only about the view, the cleanliness of the sheets, the fluffiness of the towels. A good hotel room has a bed with a headboard that has some kind of rungs; it has a large ice bucket and wineglasses; it has soundproof walls. And it has a plain, straight-backed wooden chair. Preferably with silk scarves at the ready.
They came in from shopping, their arms filled with parcels. Setting the bags down on the bed, they stripped off their coats and shoes. Noses red from the cold, they kissed softly. He looked into her glittering eyes, wondering if this was the right moment to use his last dare. He knew that he trusted her⦠but did he trust himself? Taking a deep breath, he smiled at her. Her answering smile lit up her face and shone radiantly from her eyes. "I dare you," he said quietly.
Her brow wrinkled slightly in concern, sensing his hesitation. But he knew that if he did not do this, he would regret it. She laid her hand against his cheek, her fingers warm on his still-cold skin. She pressed her lips to his briefly, then rested her head on his shoulder, waiting patiently. He continued to take slow, deep breaths, summoning the courage. Finally he spoke, and she lifted her head to watch his face. "I dare you," he said, "to take control⦠do whatever you want with me⦠I am yours."
Her eyes widened. She looked at him seriously, seeming to weigh his words. "You want me to dominate you⦠make you submit to me?"
He nodded.
"Say it."
"I submit to you."
She smiled. They both knew that this was one of her darkest fantasies. "Take your clothes off," she said abruptly, turning her back on him and hanging her coat in the closet and closing the closet door. She walked to her suitcase and rummaged inside it. When she turned, he was standing next to the bed, fully naked. "Very good," she said approvingly. Grabbing the desk chair, she dragged it out into the middle of the large room. She gestured to it, and he sat.