south on bottom, east and west on either side. He set it over her head. “I don’t have a collar, but this will do for the time being.” He twisted the chain, tightening it ever so slightly around her throat. “If it gets to be too much, or you start to panic, tell me . Do you understand?”
She swallowed hard. “Yes, Sir.”
“Good girl.” He kissed her, a quick brushing of the lips. “Now, let’s see about some food.”
Just like that, they were back on familiar territory. He let her climb to her feet and he paused to pull on a pair of pants. She started to reach for her robe, but a sharp look from him had her leaving it on the floor. Naked it was. Sara had always been comfortable in her own skin, but there was definitely something erotic about being naked while he was partially dressed, especially when she could feel his gaze on her every step down the hall and stairs. In the kitchen, she opened the fridge and shivered when a blast of cold air hit the front of her body. “I can make bacon, but I’m not doing it naked.”
A chuckle had her turning to find him dangling an apron from one finger. It was frilly and would barely cover her chest, but she still took it and tied it on with a grin. “Pervert.”
“I like to have my cake and eat it, too.” His gaze coasted down her body, leaving no illusions to what he considered cake. She resisted the urge to fan herself and set about putting breakfast together.
It was a hot mess.
She was so distracted with Z sitting at the island, watching her, that she burnt the bacon to a crisp, broke all the egg yolks, and over-salted the hash browns. If there were anything edible on the two plates she made up, she would be surprised. But she still set it in front of him, partially because she was curious to see what he’d do.
He poked the bacon, and snorted when it crumbled. “Do I make you nervous, sweetheart?”
Was that a joke? Of course he made her nervous. It was like being in a room with a tiger, not sure if he was going to cozy up to her or maul her… Though she’d be okay with both options, it didn’t make for a relaxing morning, either way. He watched her like he wanted an honest answer, so she shrugged. “Only mostly.”
“You weren’t nervous last night.”
Things felt different now that she’d gone and spilled all her issues all over him. And he hadn’t blinked or paused or backed away. It felt like something had shifted inside her, and she wasn’t sure she liked the new arrangement. She smoothed a hand over the ridiculous apron. “No, I wasn’t.”
He snagged her wrist, pulling her to stand between his legs. “I like that I make you a little nervous.”
“Sadist.”
“Nah.” He laughed, a big grin settling on his face. It was like night and day. Before he’d been devastatingly attractive. Now? Now, he was heartbreaking. Because there was something like happiness in those pale green eyes, the same happiness that mirrored what seemed to course through her very veins when she was around him. It didn’t make any sense. Two people couldn’t reach anything beyond lust in such a short time, but…
It didn’t matter. She liked seeing him smile, so she’d work to get that expression on his face as often as she possibly could. Now was as good a time to start as any. Sara framed his face with her hands and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “Thank you.”
“For?”
“For making me talk. I didn’t realize how much I needed it until everything was all out there.” It still didn’t feel completely natural to open up to him—to anyone—about this sort of thing, but he’d heard her out and hadn’t called her a selfish bitch—even though she’d deserved it. It had settled something deep inside her, like a jagged little piece of her soul that had been scraping at her heart ever since Will and Penelope got together had been sanded to smoothness.
Her therapist would have a field day with that.
…
There were a whole hell of a lot of
She swallowed hard. “Yes, Sir.”
“Good girl.” He kissed her, a quick brushing of the lips. “Now, let’s see about some food.”
Just like that, they were back on familiar territory. He let her climb to her feet and he paused to pull on a pair of pants. She started to reach for her robe, but a sharp look from him had her leaving it on the floor. Naked it was. Sara had always been comfortable in her own skin, but there was definitely something erotic about being naked while he was partially dressed, especially when she could feel his gaze on her every step down the hall and stairs. In the kitchen, she opened the fridge and shivered when a blast of cold air hit the front of her body. “I can make bacon, but I’m not doing it naked.”
A chuckle had her turning to find him dangling an apron from one finger. It was frilly and would barely cover her chest, but she still took it and tied it on with a grin. “Pervert.”
“I like to have my cake and eat it, too.” His gaze coasted down her body, leaving no illusions to what he considered cake. She resisted the urge to fan herself and set about putting breakfast together.
It was a hot mess.
She was so distracted with Z sitting at the island, watching her, that she burnt the bacon to a crisp, broke all the egg yolks, and over-salted the hash browns. If there were anything edible on the two plates she made up, she would be surprised. But she still set it in front of him, partially because she was curious to see what he’d do.
He poked the bacon, and snorted when it crumbled. “Do I make you nervous, sweetheart?”
Was that a joke? Of course he made her nervous. It was like being in a room with a tiger, not sure if he was going to cozy up to her or maul her… Though she’d be okay with both options, it didn’t make for a relaxing morning, either way. He watched her like he wanted an honest answer, so she shrugged. “Only mostly.”
“You weren’t nervous last night.”
Things felt different now that she’d gone and spilled all her issues all over him. And he hadn’t blinked or paused or backed away. It felt like something had shifted inside her, and she wasn’t sure she liked the new arrangement. She smoothed a hand over the ridiculous apron. “No, I wasn’t.”
He snagged her wrist, pulling her to stand between his legs. “I like that I make you a little nervous.”
“Sadist.”
“Nah.” He laughed, a big grin settling on his face. It was like night and day. Before he’d been devastatingly attractive. Now? Now, he was heartbreaking. Because there was something like happiness in those pale green eyes, the same happiness that mirrored what seemed to course through her very veins when she was around him. It didn’t make any sense. Two people couldn’t reach anything beyond lust in such a short time, but…
It didn’t matter. She liked seeing him smile, so she’d work to get that expression on his face as often as she possibly could. Now was as good a time to start as any. Sara framed his face with her hands and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “Thank you.”
“For?”
“For making me talk. I didn’t realize how much I needed it until everything was all out there.” It still didn’t feel completely natural to open up to him—to anyone—about this sort of thing, but he’d heard her out and hadn’t called her a selfish bitch—even though she’d deserved it. It had settled something deep inside her, like a jagged little piece of her soul that had been scraping at her heart ever since Will and Penelope got together had been sanded to smoothness.
Her therapist would have a field day with that.
…
There were a whole hell of a lot of
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