Page 18 of Leverage & Obedience

The crease softens. His thumb traces my cheekbone, and I lean into his palm before I think about it.

I open my mouth before my brain can stop me. “That was my first time.”

He goes very still. “I wondered.”

“You did?”

“You hesitated when I touched you there.” His thumb hasn’t stopped on my cheek. “I wasn’t sure until you said yellow. But I was being cautious either way.”

He knew.

“You used your safeword,” he says. “That was brave.”

“It didn’t feel brave.”

I don’t add that, for one moment, I thought I ruined everything.

He is quiet for a moment, and I almost think the conversation is over, when he asks, “Why me?”

Uh…my brain scrambles for a deflection or joke. Anything. The truth comes out instead.

“Because I trusted you enough.”

He tips my chin up and kisses me softly. “Thank you.”

We stay wrapped up together for a long time, and for once I’m not telling myself this is just aftercare or him being a good dom. I don’t know what this is, but it’s not nothing, and that’s all that matters right now.

Eventually he stirs. “Let me help you get dressed.”

I dress slowly, my body heavy. Yeah, I’m going to sleep well tonight. He fastens the tie of my wrap dress because my fingers are clumsy, and I giggle when I see he did the bow better than I would have.

“Protein bar.” He pulls one from his desk drawer. Peanut butter chocolate. I lean to peek over his arm into the drawer. “Do you have other flavors?”

“Do you want a different flavor?”

“Nope, this is my favorite kind.”

“Water.” He hands me that, too.

I take them both. “Thank you.”

“Eat before you drive. And text me when you get home.”

“Bren…” I stop because I don’t know what I want to say. Something true, probably, which is dangerous.

He waits.

“Thank you,” I say. The safe thing.

He smiles. “Good girl. Drive safe.”

Chapter 6

The text arrives at 1:14 on Saturday afternoon.

Bren:My car will be at the curb at seven. Wear something nice that I’ll want to take off you.

He didn’t ask if I had plans. Part of me wants to text back something snippy about how I might be busy. The rest of me knows that’s bullshit. He didn’t ask because he already knew the answer. I’d crawl on concrete to get his cock inside me. Plus, all I was going to do was eat Thai food on my couch in my pajamas and call it a Saturday night.