To Say I Love You by Anna Martin Page B

sessions that had been going on through the evening. After collecting two bottles of water, I walked over to Will and silently passed him his. I sat on the floor at his feet, my ass thrumming nicely, and laid my head on his knee. I was only just paying attention to the conversation he was having with another Dom. After a few moments, he started to stroke my hair absentmindedly.
    We didn’t stay long at the club, just long enough to talk to a few people and thank the organizers. My buzzing high wouldn’t last, and it didn’t take long for me to start feeling tired. Thankfully, Will could recognize when I was done being sociable, and ushered us out to a cab just before midnight.
    The hotel lobby was eerily quiet, with not even anyone sitting behind the desk. Our shoes squeaked and echoed as we crossed to the elevators. My muscles were starting to really ache. I rolled my shoulders a few times, trying to stretch out the discomfort.
    “Do you want a bath?” Will offered as I kicked my shoes off just inside the door. Some habits died hard. “There’s a whirlpool in this one.”
    “No, thank you,” I said, smiling at him. “I’m good.”
    “A shower?”
    I shook my head. He pouted. “What?”
    “You just won’t let me take care of you, will you?”
    “Oh.” I considered that. “How about we put some music on, take all our clothes off, and lay in bed together for a while?”
    “Sounds perfect.”
    Will put his iPod on Play, and it was like being back in the bed at the club, sort of, although I was definitely more relaxed in this space that was just ours. After a session, we often spent time together like this, being quiet and aware of each other.
    Because of the bruises that were surely forming under the surface of my skin, Will didn’t hold me too tightly. He stuck his arm out over the pillows and wrapped it around my shoulders while we both lay on our backs and drifted.
    “Are you hungry?” he asked after a while.
    I took stock of my body and nodded. “Yeah.”
    He kissed my temple and rolled to the side of the bed. It was almost one in the morning, not that that would stop him ordering room service.
    “Hi, yeah, can I get two burgers and fries? And two Cokes. Sorry it’s late.”
    I was smiling when he rattled off the room number and hung up, then rolled back to me.
    “What?” he asked, touching the corner of my mouth.
    “Nothing. I love you.”
    He smiled too. “Do you still want to marry me?”
    “Still yes.”
    “Good. Someone asked me tonight if it was weird, loving you and being your Dom at the same time.”
    “That old chestnut,” I said with a sigh, then kissed his finger, which hadn’t moved.
    “I don’t mind talking about it.”
    “You don’t mind talking, period.”
    “Less of that,” he said affectionately. “I’ll just store up your spankings for another time.”
    I ignored him. “Do you think it’ll be weird? Having your husband submit to you?”
    “No…,” he said slowly. “We’ve always had pretty defined lines in our relationship. When you became my boyfriend, we had to work out what that meant, and I don’t think you being my husband would be any different.”
    “It is different, though,” I protested. “I’m going to make this lifelong commitment to my lover, and yet the commitment to my Master is, by its definition, not permanent.”
    “Are you asking for a permanent collar?” he asked, his eyes a little wide.
    “I don’t know.”
    “Okay,” he said, clearly going into “responsible Dominant” mode. I liked this version of him—it was very no-nonsense and solutions-orientated. Adorable, in other words. “There’s nothing to stop us bringing together the romantic and kinky sides of our relationship. As far as I’m concerned, you’re collared, though. You’re mine. We negotiate, but I don’t see your submission changing anytime soon… unless you’re thinking something different.”
    “No, I’m not thinking anything different.” I combed his