Continental Life

Nine

At the finish of the first week at the DDTC, Bella had fallen into a comfortable routine of attending lectures, doing assigned research, and participating in discussions of things to come. Different scenarios had been alluded to, but no details of what those scenarios would entail were made known. It was maddening. Being the typical type A personality that she was, she liked things planned out in advance and to be kept in the loop.

But the best part of her new routine included her alone time with Xander as he watched her from his perch high in the sky. It was something she looked forward to each night, and as she dressed, she continued to wonder about what was up her Lord's sleeves. Knowing how Xander operated and enjoyed pushing her out of her comfort zone, she could only guess things weren't going to get any easier at the Center.

As she slipped her flats on, she recalled the last thing he said to the group before departing. "You don't need a crown to be a Princess. You don't even need a Prince. You just have to believe that you deserve to be treated like one. You have to believe in yourself and exude confidence without conceitedness, and once you do, your Prince will find you."

He had repeated that time and time again during her years with him, though he had never put it quite so eloquently. She had found her Prince Charming. Correction—he had found her. And when she was least expecting it. Heck, she hadn't even been looking.

Lords Pettifor, Hutchens, and Dalberg all encouraged the five students to meet outside of the school for study sessions and to get to know one another more personally. She'd agreed to meet with the others at a small café not far from the suite, though hesitantly. She detested the idea of being deceptive to them, and she'd voiced that sentiment to Xander the night before. How intimately could the others get to know her when she wasn't allowed to speak of the love of her life or her relationship with him? Xander had simply advised her to be as honest as possible without stating who she was actually in a relationship with. That was easier said than done.

As her thoughts drifted to the subject of truthfulness, her family came to mind. Lately, she had been thinking more and more about divulging her involvement with the DDTC and the true nature of her relationship with Xander. He'd been gently pushing the issue for the last several years, but she had managed to avoid revealing the fine details thus far. Undoubtedly, her opinionated parents and siblings were going to react negatively and be judgmental when they learned of their unconventional arrangement. And what was the point of telling them anyway? Things were fine just the way they were.

Once she stepped out of the stately brick building that housed numerous executive suites, she texted Xander her whereabouts and her plans to gather with the others. He was busy with an acquisition negotiation at his office, and as she walked the eight blocks to the coffee shop, she envisioned the heated arguments and discussions taking place in a room full of men and women. She missed the thrill of being his personal assistant and the adrenaline rush that came from the chase of a new merger. She longed for the days when she could sit back and take notes while Xander dominated the room. She craved the smell of masculinity and sweat, and to see the look of fear in everyone's eyes when Xander paced the room like a lion on the prowl. She loved that he demanded nothing less than perfection and only one other thing compared to seeing him in his work environment—submitting to his will.

As she gazed up at the light blue sky, Dalberg's hard, critical eyes flashed in her mind. During his most recent lecture, the questions he'd given the class to ponder on when receiving punishment and things to take into consideration played on a loop in her mind.

Are you in a part-time or a 24/7 Total Power Exchange relationship?

Who's the Top and who's the bottom, or are they shared roles?