Disclaimer - All recognisable characters belong to their original owners. I do not make a profit from writing this; I simply do it for my own amusement. No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter Four: The Contract

On Saturday morning, Rose received an email from Emmett. Attached was a contract.

It made her sit back and take a minute. The contract that she had signed with Royce had been used as evidence in court. Initially for the defense and then for the prosecution. She could still see the mortification on her mother's face when Rose confirmed that it was her signature at the bottom.

Her anxiety was unwarranted; millions of individuals who were part of the BDSM lifestyle signed contracts. It was standard practice, but it didn't stop the anxiety she felt.

Debating whether to call her friends, Rose found herself staring at her phone. She shouldn't really bother them—it was the weekend, aka playtime.

So, Rose went back to the age-old solution for this kind of problem; make a pro versus con list. It took her twenty minutes, and at the end, she had one con… and it was kind of a big one.

CON

- Can't play with Emmett.

Chewing her lip, Rose tapped the pen against her mouth. She didn't want to be this way— scared. She wanted to go back to how she was a year ago; bold and brave.

Re-opening the contract, Rose stared at it. She'd read it already, knew that it was just a basic contract, nothing malicious there. Her therapist had once told her that sometimes, people overthink things; they stay in their heads for too long and get worked over something they have no business getting worked up over.

Rose moved the cursor to the 'sign' button. Seconds later, her signature appeared on the contract. She attached it to a new email and began typing.

Dear Sir,

Please find attached the signed contract. I am so pleased you were able to get this to me as soon as you did. I look forward to our time together next week.

Rose

Her fingers hovered over the send button for three seconds before she pressed it, blowing out a breath when she had. It was as if a weight had been lifted from her. She felt as if she could breathe easier. Her heart was no longer pounding a hole against her chest, and her mind felt… calm. Every negative thought had left her body. The corners of her mouth pulled up in a smile, and feeling lighter than she had in a long time, Rose closed her laptop and flopped against her bed.

Rose's phone buzzed on the nightstand not long after sending the email, and she reached across, picking up the device.

I'm glad you signed the contract, Rose. How's this Friday sound?

His words made her beam.

Friday sounds… She was going to type perfect or wonderful. But they seemed too strong. Friday's good for me.

Seven seconds later (it wasn't like she was timing it or anything), she got another text.

Great. Bring an overnight bag for the weekend and casual clothes.

Casual clothes? Her brow furrowed. That was strange attire for a weekend together. A weekend together—that thought had her tingling all over. But the clothing bothered her.

Then, her phone rang, and Emmett's name flashed across the screen. She accepted the call.

"Confused?" his deep voice asked.

"Are you a mind reader now?" she playfully asked. She picked at some lint on the comforter on her bed, feeling very much like a teenager on the phone to her first boyfriend. The urge to giggle at the absurdity of it threatened to bubble up, but she cleared it with a cough.

His deep chuckle resonated down the phone, and the tingling got more intense. Rose shivered as a tingle raced over her skin. Goosebumps flying across her arms as she straightened her back and felt her cheeks flush at the noise.

"Certainly not. But I figured you might have some questions." She heard rustling and could only imagine where he was. She hoped he was on his bed, half reclined like she was. Or on his couch, his body lax against the cushions. "Ask away."

The latter part of his sentence was timed perfectly. It stopped her thoughts from drifting into fatal territory—somewhere they hadn't gone for a long time.

"Why casual clothes?" With an air of nervousness, she eagerly awaited his answer.

"Why not?"

Her face pulled down at his answer, and as if he was there, next to her, watching her every move, he chuckled again.

"Are you pouting, Rosie?"

Rosie. It was a nickname she hated. She wasn't one hundred per cent sure why but it irritated her to no end. Her name was Rosalie. If you wanted to shorten it, Rose was just fine. But coming out of Emmett's mouth? It made her want to drop to her knees and do anything he asked of her.

"Maybe."

Emmett chuckled again. "You shouldn't lie to your Dom." His voice was low. It was the first acknowledgment of their relationship. The damn tingles were back again, an electric current jolting up her spine. Feeling breathless and daring, Rose had to wonder if they ever stopped?

A little more huskily than she liked, she admitted, "I'm pouting."

Emmett gave a small groan. "I can just imagine what you look like."

The timbre of his voice made Rose sit up a little straighter. Her breathing got heavier, and her eyes felt hooded.

"What are you wearing?"

She swallowed. "My pajamas."

"Describe them to me."

Even though Rose knew what she was wearing, she looked down, wanting to make sure she got it exactly right. "A white t-shirt. It has a peach on it."

"And? Are you wearing bottoms?"

"Yes. They're light pink with peaches on them."

"Peaches?"

"Yep.

"Do you like peaches?"

"Mhm."

There was a slight pause. "How short are the shorts?"

"They… they stop mid-thigh."

"Are they thin?"

"Yes."

"Will you wear them for me next weekend? I want to see you in them, Rosie."

At that moment, he could have asked her for anything, and she would have given him whatever he wanted.

She breathed out, her chest rising with the motion, her sensitive nipples brushing the cotton on her top. "Yes. I'll wear them for you."

"Good." It was like a purr, caressing her ear. It slithered over her skin, heating her, a pink flush forming across her chest.

Rose could hear his breathing down the phone. Emmett sounded slightly breathless. That made her smile.

"We're heading into dangerous territory," Emmett declared. "And this isn't something I'm prepared to rush." He blew out a breath. "What other questions do you have for me?"

What are you wearing? Where are you? Can you come over?

Rose cleared her throat. "Um… wh-what are we going to do? Next week? At your house?" She wasn't thinking entirely straight, and images of a bare-chested Emmett and rope floated through her mind. Heat prickled at her skin, and she had to focus hard on what he was saying.

"We're going to hang out and get to know each other."

Rose wasn't sure how she felt about that answer. On the one hand, she was pleased that he didn't want to rush this. That he wanted to ease her in, but on the other… she wanted him naked. She wanted to be bound and bared for him, her naked skin free for him to peruse.

"Is that alright?"

Still caught up in her fantasy of a solid hard body over hers, sweat dripping down her body, all Rose could do was nod.

"Rosie?"

A blush stained her cheeks when she realised he couldn't see her nodding. "Sorry, I nodded."

Emmett's chuckle made her shiver. "That's alright." He was silent for a couple of seconds. "I have to go now, but just a quick question before I do, how do you feel about dogs?"

"I don't mind them."

It was like she could feel his grin. "Excellent."

Public thank you to Jgaff and Pearly Fox. They are amazing humans and fantastic writers.