The way his fingers lingered across the small of my back as we lie naked together was the most intimate gesture ever. We shared this bed three times throughout the night. The sheets have slid off the bed more than once as I reminisce about the tender moments of last night.

Every time his body moved in such a slow and tortuous motion I felt my body come undone over and over again. It didn't even occur to me how high his sex drive was for we seem to enjoy laying together more so than the physical connection.

I clasp onto the sheets rolling over the wrinkled paradise to face that of his face relaxed as he sleeps peacefully. How I admired his face which seemed to relax more once he was fully submersed inside of me. Every time he was at ease by sleeping it made me appreciate his presence. The dirty blond locks falling over his face which seemed to capture one of those picture perfect moments.

He rolls over on his back with his chest facing the ceiling and stretches his arms upwards. Once his eyes flutter open I smile. "Good morning sleepyhead," I move the locks from his face.

"Good morning to you too. I see you're up early. Did you sleep at all or did you watch me sleep like a psychopath?" He asks chuckling deviously to himself.

"I'll have you know that you're not that much of a catch to be staring at!" I glare at him chuckling but I can't help but laugh myself because he genuinely is never the one to jest. It suited him well and part of me hoped that I would be seeing that side of him more. The more professional side to Mr. Hale had been intense, straightforward, and intimidating at times with you never knowing what someone like him had been capable of. Everyone spoke highly of Mr. Hale which is why I never wanted to be on his bad side although the temptations of the club is what eventually sculpted his demeanor it would be a mess if anything potentially harmful were to make him lash out.

Not animal-like.

More so like a defense mechanism.

That's probably why he left the first time.

My heart stung from the bitter truth of this realization, but I fake a smile to keep things light-hearted. I didn't want to ruin this perfect mood.

"Swimming?"

"You swim?"

"My parents wanted me to be a professional athlete or a CEO. Those were my only choices."

I could tell that he grew up with high expectations, but his mother seemed so genuine. To raise a child basically orphaned to speak a certain way, to carry themselves a certain way. It must've been difficult. "I am pretty sure your parents would have been happy any way you turned out. As long as you weren't a murderer, rapist, or a hair dresser."

Mr. Hale tilts his head to the side. "Hair dresser?"

"I'm joking."

We both smile together before raising our lifeless bodies out of bed.

Any of the hotels I have been to the pool had been outside, but being with Mr. Hale has shown me the more luxurious side of certain places because the pool had been located inside of this hotel. That may not come as a shock to most people, but I hadn't seen a pool indoors before. "Do you like staying in luxurious hotels?" I ask curiously placing my towel down on the white elongated chairs overlooking the pool.

There was even a gym next to the pool which at first I thought that would have been creepy considering anyone who had particularly liked gazing at women pervertedly could be jogging on a treadmill. "You consider this luxurious, Miss Donovan?" He asks perplexed about my assumption. It makes me shrug as I take a step towards the entrance of the pool.

Even the water seemed to be of a decent temperature. I would say around 75 degrees or above. "I am scared to ask you what kind of places you have stayed in in fear of being jealous," I comment.

"I don't just stay in any place. Most of my business takes course of over a week or so and I hate flying back and forth. So if anything I want something comfortable. If I wanted to eat, drink, go to the gym, get a massage, or even.... swim. Most luxurious hotels do not have some of these. I consider this place lackluster to where I usually book my places." He emphasizes.

I regret even commenting because now I feel like my trying to find an extravagant place would have been futile. Even so it's not about where you sleep, but where you experience peace or happiness. I quickly snap out of my depressive mood. "I am jealous." I state submerging my body into the cool water which calms the muscles in my arms.

"There is no need to feel jealous about the places I have been to. It should motivate you to want to see the places. The club was built on competition, power, and money. Everyone wanted to visit the most places, and have the most expensive places in the most expensive countries. I've even been to Dubai and it's like an upgraded New York City. The feeling that's left in your heart is not fulfillment though. It's greed. That's what lead to the downfall of both Mr. Hurst and Mr. Codwell."

The names of those two vile men seem to make me want to drown myself. "I know they are your work friends or associates, however you want to call them. I just don't understand how well acquainted you all became when you seem so different compared to them."

"Greed," he simply states walking into the water.

"Are you greedy still?"

Mr. Hale smirks slightly at my question then makes sure his pupils are locked onto mine. "I am only ever greedy for one thing." He answers.

"And what... is.. that?" I pronounce my words slow and seductively.

I glance around to notice that we seem to be the only ones in the pool area. "Come give it to me, sir," I invite him motioning my fingers towards my direction.

I'm accompanied by the cold tiles against my skin once he's in close proximity our lips have met once more. It feels like an explosion of desire resonating from somewhere deep. I yearn to have him apart of my soul in a way which seems unimaginable to the naked eye.

"I'll give you everything you want if you can handle it, Miss Donovan," he whispers.

"Try me."

When I imagined Mr. Hale packing I actually didn't. I imagined someone like his secretary or maybe a maid packing for him. I know he feels like it's unnecessary money to spend, but I watch him scramble through his bag to pull out what looks like restraints.

"Hmm.. now this is an interesting turn of events. I didn't know you would be into.. kidnapping?"

Mr. Hale chuckles shaking his head side to side. "I forgot to bring my duct tape," he snaps his finger trying to sound distraught but it only makes me smile. The question is more like a statement coming from my lips. I imagined that he'd like some of those things but not enough to actually act upon it.

"May I?"

He tilts his head slightly almost as if he was appalled that I had wanted to hold them. Mr. Hale hands the mahogany colored leather restraints and at first I thought they would be light in weight. To my surprise they weren't like the restraints that you would see in Spencer's or Hot Topic. I couldn't really be that naive. This man is well aware of what he's likes sexually.

"Would you ever let me use them on you?"

The question I surely knew what the answer would be. Mr. Hale has always been dominant in the bedroom. For him to submit to someone like me would probably be asking him to hand over his dignity card. "Yes, I would—," he crosses his arms over his chest.

"What really!?"

"Are you shocked by my answer?"

"Completely."

Mr. Hale chuckles at my surprised toned as if I was a child who just got word that their parents were actually going to let them do something they wanted. I let the towel draped around my body fall as I walk over to him. "How do I put them on?" I ask fiddling with the restraints.

He takes the restraints from my hand undoing the buckle to loosen them up until they had been completely open. "You place them around my wrists or ankles. Then you place them around something sturdy so I am unable to move almost. It heightens your senses so that you are well aware of every touch or smell. It also makes you more sensitive to things sense you are nervous. You have to place your trust into your partner that you know they are aware of your boundaries. I think that's the deepest part of intimacy."

"Control?"

Mr. Hale nods.

I rub the side of my thumb over the leather material looking down at the restraints. This is definitely something new and unnerving. How much do I love this man? That's what this comes down to.

"We don't have to do this," he reassures me but I shake my head. "Ellie."

"I wanted this."

I start to undo my bikini strings from above my neck slowly. "I'm ready," I breathe. "To surrender my everything to you." The top of my bikini top falls down over my breasts and to my waste. This is intimacy to Mr. Hale and I wanted to show him that despite everything he is the only man I have wanted. My breathing starts to intensify as he steps forward to where we are only inches apart. The leather cuffs are in one of his hands as the material rubs across my bare skinned wrists causing chill bumps to surface all over. I shiver slightly from the cooling touch as he buckles them onto both wrists bounding me together with the disparate object.

Suddenly, a jolt of him pushing me on the bed sends my heart thumping rapidly underneath my chest from the adrenaline. Mr. Hale has used his knees to spread both of my legs apart with his body heat giving off such an intense atmosphere. He's bulging from the swim trunks which makes me smile slightly, but his pupils have gone dark with a desire to them. It's the same desire with a different meaning to them. I wish I could wrap my arms around him but I am bound. It's irritating being vulnerable and unable to move.

The weight of his body on top of me is soothing though. It's the right amount of pressure to take my mind off of the pressure of the cuffs tightened around my wrists. His kisses are slow. Too slow. This is intimacy. A slow and torturous kiss causing my eyes to close and be lost to all of his desires. I'm at ease as his hands follow the curvature of my body. It's calming my wild heartbeat to match the rhythm of his. It's satisfying. Eventually the cuffs feel like they are naturally attached to my body.

The mood has changed as it's getting darker outside and the curtains only let the littlest of light through the ends. The only parts illuminating from the sun is parts of our lower abdomen. Every touch he makes is more prominent than usual because my sense of sight is limited. He makes his way down my stomach towards my inner thigh when I feel like I might come undone he stops so that I can catch my breath.

Sex doesn't associate well with love, but how can someone so complicated make everything seem simple and precise. I wonder how he can find some sort of solace with sex but it's more of an emotional thing for me? I have to be emotionally invested into someone to completely aroused by their being. All the soft kisses makes my mind wander elsewhere. My fingers dig into the sheets clasping for some sort of support and a jolt of pleasure surges through me. I find myself digging my fingertips into his locks and coming undone before him as if I melted like butter. Immediately afterwards I am filled with the pressure of him massaging my walls.

My body is weakened as I cannot feel my legs only the sudden jolts left of my orgasm as he thrusts over and over. Our moans in synced and the sheets once again peeling off of the mattress. These cuffs are frustrating as I want to be close but the cool air mixing with the heat intensifies suddenly. The warm sensation filling me up and oozing out slowly signifies that he has came inside of me. Our heads lie against one another trying to catch the breath we are out of. He releases the cuffs from around my wrist rewarding me with a kiss from being compliant and relaxed.

I think I like handcuffs now....

"Would you like to go for a walk over the bridge you saw initially when we drove past it?"

"Of course!" I don't know why I sounded so chippy, but I change the tone of my voice to sound that of a mature adult. "I mean yes.. Yes I would."

Mr. Hale smirks towards my change of voice as if he liked the childlike reaction I had given him at first. "I will change into something a little more comfortable and then we will head out.

The Calgary air in the evening seemed to be a bit more nippy than I expected, but I was confident that my grey t-shirt, black leggings, and jean jacket would be adequate for the weather. After all we were going to be walking so that should keep my body at a good temperature. I thought Calgary was beautiful during the day but as the sun seem to set over the skyscrapers the orange tint foreshadowing the clouds in the sky painted a perfect picture. I remove move my iPhone from my pocket to get a picture of the bridge from the distance. It definitely was aesthetically pleasing to see this sight with my own eyes and not just from Google, Instagram or some scenery wallpaper popping up as I logged into my computer at work.

"Now this is better than any view in New York. I can tell you that by far."

"It is definitely refreshing not to see a bright yellow cab in your face every few feet. Thank you," he breathes placing his hands in each of his jacket pockets.

I smile seeing as he is in the calmest state I've ever seen him in. "No need to thank me. I'm sure you needed this more than me. I am just glad you haven't been here so you were able to visit this place as a first just like me. It makes me happy." I admit.

Mr. Hale turns his to slightly face me. "I really do thank you," he pauses for a moment looking back at the city. "I know this has been a tough couple years for you. I want to apologize of the way I treated you and the detestable behavior going on around you. You do not deserve the apparent emotional abuse that I, and others have caused you."

The sincere apology that Mr. Hale had given me almost seemed worrisome. I felt like he was going to disappear again. The feeling of being ripped away from him twice is something I couldn't bare. I wrap my arms around him as the salty teardrops starting to stream from my eyes. "Please.... don't leave me again." I couldn't help but feel helpless. The amount of love I developed for this man renders me speechless, vulnerable, and yielding. "Xander."

A warm subtle hand placed at the back of my head is welcomed with the feeling of security. Even though my head tells me he's not telling me everything I must trust that what he does is within our best interests. "I'm not leaving.." he says pulling me into an embrace. "I shouldn't have left the first time."

This mini vacation turned out to be exactly what he needed. I am sure of it now. Every obstacle we have faced leading up to this very moment. I know this wasn't the exact moment I should be jumping for joy, but this is who I want to be with. I had only hoped that he wanted to only be with me as well.