actually, yes. she might have grown up knowing her family watched every penny, but she'd never had any doubt they loved one another.

"were they happy at all? ever?"

he shrugged. "mom was happy when she was shopping. i think my father was happy when he was showing off his pretty, young wife so everyone could see what great taste in women he had. they 'oohed' and 'aahed' that he could afford her. to this day, she's very expensive looking."

"none of that is happiness," she pointed out.

"i'm well aware of that." he took her hand in his.

"so they weren't affectionate?"

"the 'affection' my parents shared was outlined in their prenuptial agreement. if my father wanted more, it usually cost him at least a new louis vuitton bag."

"so basically, he bought her?"

jason paused, then nodded. "i suppose, but she wanted it that way. he didn't object."

that explained why he spent ridiculous amounts of money on her and why he didn't believe in love. why he'd been trying to buy his way into filling her womb with his children. he only understood what he'd seen.

"that's not the way marriage should be," she murmured.

"forgive me if i don't believe you." he sent her a brittle smile. "now, what do you need at the mall?"

biting her lip, gia vacillated. tell him? don't tell him? if she spilled, he'd insist they go to her father's party. the family would learn her secret...and there would be trouble. besides, if she introduced jason to everyone and they didn't stay married, she'd shock her parents and break their hearts. her mom and dad were fairly hip about lots of things, but they were still catholic. they didn't believe in divorce.

on the other hand, no one had ever shown jason real love. maybe he needed her far more than she knew. or maybe she was inventing reasons to stay with him because she wanted to so badly.

she needed time to think.

"just a little something for my dad," she hedged. "it won't take long."

he said nothing, just led her through the mall. gia had the vague sense that he was disappointed. or maybe that was just her guilt talking...

it didn't take too long before gia found a nice pair of wool-lined leather gloves and a striking plaid scarf for her father. she protested their expense and moved on. since pinching pennies in neiman's was counterintuitive, the second she sought the restroom, jason went back and purchased the gift for her father. marco angelotti was his father-in-law, even if the man didn't know it. besides, jason had an ulterior motive.

bag in hand, he waited for gia at the end of the hallway outside the restrooms. she came out with fresh lipstick and a smile.

"i was thinking, if we start heading toward my parents' house, there's a sporting goods store dad likes to browse that-" she peered at the bag in his hand. "what did you buy?"

"the items you think your father will enjoy. and don't say a word. he's important to you, so he's important to me. end of conversation."

she pursed her lips together. "it's not. there's no way i can afford those, so he'll know they didn't come from me."

"take the price tags off and say you got a great deal." he shrugged. "of course, you could always tell him the gift is from his daughter and son-in-law."

"i'm not sure that's a good idea. the first thing they'll want to know is if you love their little girl. if you can't say yes and mean it, they won't be welcoming."

if they had a drop of practical blood in their veins, they'd realize he could provide for her and any children they had in great style. they might not be thrilled that he'd joined the family, but he'd bet they'd be smart enough not to object.

"leave that to me. i can be very convincing." he took her by the elbow.

gia tensed, and jason had no doubt she was flustered. time to take his pretty wife in hand and start persuading her that love was just another four-letter word. she mattered to him. they could enjoy one another and build a solid foundation on which to raise children. and he'd spend every moment they had left together proving it.

"come with me." jason led her toward a section filled with clothing that looked well-made and stylish with a hint of sexy.

"where are we going?"

"indulge me for..." he glanced at his watch. "an hour or two. you don't have to be at the pediatrician's office for a while."

she frowned, still agitated about her dad's gift. "all right."

he grinned and led her to a rack of sexy black skirts that would hug her ass in the best possible way.

"can i help you?" a very manicured fifty-something saleswoman asked them.

"no. we're just browsing," gia answered.

"yes," he contradicted. "my wife wants to try this skirt on." he spotted a shimmery blouse in a champagne shade that would look fabulous against her skin. "and that. i'd like to see some casual clothes, too. classic, but not stuffy. something age appropriate."

"of course."

"she also needs lingerie and shoes." he rattled off her sizes.

gia gaped at him. "jason!"

he patted her hand. "don't worry. we have time."

because he wasn't going to hear a damn word about money. his subtle warning glare should tell her that.

"will your wife need a purse or two? any jewelry or cosmetics?" the woman asked.

"yes. if you'll bring the purses with the outfits to the dressing room so she can see how everything looks together, i'd appreciate that. also, we're going to need this block of dressing rooms to ourselves. my wife is very private, and i respect her modesty."

"of course." the woman bowed her pale head deferentially. "i'll call some other associates and we'll be happy to bring you everything you requested."

"excellent." he grabbed gia's hand. "we'll wait for you inside."

the moment the woman hustled away, no doubt adding up her potential commission, jason led his shocked bride to the fitting rooms against the far wall.

as soon as they walked into the partitioned area and saw that they were alone, she stopped and gaped at him. "are you crazy? i don't need all that. i certainly can't affor-"

"stop. right. there." he glowered. "i asked you to indulge me and you agreed."

"i thought you wanted me to look at something interesting."

he shrugged. "consider me spoiling you the most fascinating subject ever."

with a roll of her eyes, she sighed. "i appreciate what you're trying to do, but you don't need to buy me anything."

jason studied her with a frown. she would spend every day and night until their anniversary with him for a healthy divorce settlement, but wouldn't accept his gifts during their marriage? "i didn't need a new porsche last month, but it made me happy. not everything is about necessity."

"have you ever heard the words 'frugal' or 'economical?'"

"i have. they only apply when i wish them to. don't worry about money, gia. i have nine zeroes in my bank total. i can handle a day of shopping."

"i won't wear any of this when i go back to work."

her argument was somewhere between tiring and insulting. "so i should not wish to buy things for my wife for the express purpose of seeing her look good or smiling?"

"that's not what i'm saying."

"then explain. if i had to guess, you think that if i spend money on your clothing, i'll demand something from you in return."

"it feels a lot like you're trying to buy me, the way your father did your mother."

so she wanted his money without strings? that made sense to the cynic in him, but every other part of him protested that gia wasn't mercenary.

jason snorted. either he was getting soft or his wife had played him well.

"not at all. let me put it to you this way: would your mother ever object to your father if he wanted to do something nice for her?"

gia paused, obviously trying to think of some way-any way-she could say yes to that and mean it. finally, she gave a little huff. "no."

"because if your father told your mother they could afford something, she would just accept that as fact."

her long sigh told jason he'd hit a bull's-eye. "yes."

"can you give me the same courtesy?"

"my father would never buy her all the things you're suggesting," she argued.

"he likes to make her happy, right?"

"yes."

"then if he had the means, i guarantee he would buy her everything in the store she wanted. hell, you make it sound like he'd give her the world."

"he loves her."

"he values her above all others." and now they were playing a game of semantics. "just like i value you. i fail to see the difference."

the sales associate saved him whatever argument gia had on the tip of her tongue by coming in with an armful of bright but warm clothes for the coming winter. she set them in the first dressing room then disappeared and returned moments later with two fellow employees, who each carried in shoes and bags and a stack of lacy panties, sheer bras, and even a pair of stockings or two.

"i'll be back in a few minutes to check on you. if you need me sooner, there's a call button on the wall."

"give us half an hour, please." he smiled politely, but it wasn't a request.

the woman didn't hesitate. "of course."

as she left, jason looked around in satisfaction. he'd been inside dressing rooms equipped with what his father used to refer to as the "man chair," but he'd never seen one outfitted with something between a chaise and a bed. it looked ready for sex. draped in fuchsia, emerald, bright blue, and gold, he lounged back on the soft surface and watched his wife stomp toward the first dressing room.

"problem?" he asked.

"you just take over everything. you bossed that woman around. you always tell me what to do. you even buy me things when i've asked you not to."

"the sales clerk is here to assist us. she doesn't seem unhappy with the tasks i've given her. and i fully expect that, by the time we've left, i'll have made any extra effort worth her while."

"not everything is about money."

his pretty wife sounded naive. "most everything is. it's ugly but true. as for you..." he rose from the bed and prowled toward her. "it's a husband's right to provide for his wife, and maybe indulge her every now and then. if it will make you feel better, i won't ask you for a blow job in exchange for anything i buy. all i want is your company. why are you angry?"

when he cupped her shoulder, she shrugged it off and turned away with a sigh. "i'm not angry. i just feel everything spinning out of control. no matter how i try to stop it-"

"that's the problem. you're trying to control not only this situation, but everything in your life. baby, no one can." he turned her back to face him, something inside him hurting when he saw the tears gathering there. "when we met at dominion, you agreed to my dominance because you said you were ready to give me control. it took you months to truly let go, but every time you relinquished a bit of your tight grip and began to trust me, i was so thrilled and proud of you. during our separation this past year, you seem to have forgotten everything we once worked on."

"because there was no one else to take on all this responsibility. i had to be strong."

that stung. "no one?"

she flushed and looked away. "after all these months, submitting still feels kind of foreign and irresponsible. maybe i'm not wired for that any more."

gia still believed she couldn't let loose and see to her own needs because she'd been so busy caring for everyone else's for months. she was mistaken. and he'd still love to paddle her for refusing to let him shoulder any of her burden. arguing certainly wouldn't get him anywhere. he simply had to show her.

jason pressed a kiss to her forehead, her lips, then stepped back. "strip."

"what?" she looked at him as if he'd lost his mind.

"did you have difficulty hearing my command?"

"no, i'm just-"

"overthinking everything. i've given you a simple command." she wouldn't remember how much surrender fulfilled her until he gave her the experience again. once she did, it would bring them closer. "i expect you to obey. deep down, you want to."