Page 60 of Rope Me In

He brushes a strand of hair back from my cheek after I’ve finished drinking. “Was it too much?”

I finally manage to find my voice. “No. It was…” I stare into his eyes, trying to convey to him that it was one of the most profound moments of my life. That seems silly given it was nothing I ever would have seen myself doing, but I feel lighter, like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

Kade nods, giving me another sip of water. “Thank you for sharing that with me, Presley. You were so brave andopen.” His thumb brushes over my tear-stained cheek before he pulls his hand back. “Thank you.”

Confusion must show in my eyes because he smiles gently. “We can talk more about it later, but we should get some rest. We have chores in the morning.”

The air around us seems to shift, and while I was expecting it to be awkward after what we’ve just done, it’s not.

When I go to move off Kade’s lap, he stops me. “Where do you think you’re going, Lemon?”

My brow furrows, and a light chuckle leaves his lips. “I thought we were done.”

I don’t miss the way his gaze drops to my mouth before our eyes connect again. “Let’s lie down for a moment. That was a lot on your body and mind. Rest a bit, and then we can head back down.”

My cheeks flush as I stare into his caring gaze. He’s serious about his request, and I can’t help but think this feels like a lot more than just a dare between friends…coworkers?

Gently, Kade helps me off his lap so I can lie down beside him. A part of me wants to argue and retreat to the hands’ quarters, to process what we just did. But if I’m being honest with myself, I’m not ready to leave yet. To leave him.

I lie down on the blanket and try to hide my flush that seems to be a constant around him. Kade takes a sip of water then moves to lie down beside me. I think he’s going to keep distance between us, but then he pulls me into him so my head rests against his chest.

“Relax, Presley,” he says as he tugs the extra blanket he brought over us. “Remember not to think so much.”

I try to do as he says and settle against his warmth. I inhale a few breaths, allowing his steady touch and the sound of his thumping heart to ease both my mind and my still-thrumming body. I breathe a satisfied sigh, and my eyes begin to droop.

As I drift off toward sleep, I swear I feel Kade press a soft kiss to my forehead.

But maybe I imagined it.

Chapter 19

Kade

In my dream, I’mwarm. I’m content. It smells like fresh berries and a summer breeze. I inhale again and something tickles my nose.

My eyes open at the sensation, and I realize I’m not dreaming. A smile plays at the corner of my lips as I take in the scene.

The upper half of Presley’s body is laying over me, acting as my own heated blanket. Her head is resting in the crook of my neck, putting the top of her blonde head near my nose.

That explains the smell of fresh berries and summer. It must be her shampoo.

I check my watch, careful not to disturb her sleeping form. It’s just about five, which means I have to wake her soon, but I let myself indulge in her presence before I do.

The soft yellow light we left on in the barn allows me to see her even though the sun hasn’t risen yet. She’s gripping the fabric of my shirt in her hand like it’s a rescue rope. My gaze drags up the black and gray flower tattoos on her arms, and if she weren’t asleep, I’d give in to the itch to trace the fine lines of them, each and every petal. They’re beautiful, just like her.

A soft sound escapes her slightly parted lips, and I study her face. Unlike when she’s awake, her features are relaxed now, making her look younger and softer. When I see the bit of mascara smudged under her eyes from her tears last night, my chest aches for her.

Whatever our “game” helped her release, it felt important. And I meant what I said—I was grateful she’d shared it with me. But while I learned more about her last night than I knew before, it did nothing to quench my thirst for getting to know everything about her; it only fueled it. I want to know her past, her present, what makes her smile, blush, and curse…what she released last night that made her cry. I want to know it all.

I gently brush a lock of hair from her cheek and twirl a soft strand of it around my finger. Since my doctor’s appointment, I’ve experienced a whirlwind of emotions. I’ve been hurt, and in turn, I’ve hurt a lot of people I love. But there’s been one consistent thing: Every time I’m around this woman, I feel something other than rage and hurt.

And after what we shared last night…

I squeeze my eyes shut and try to be a gentleman while she’s sleeping, not wanting to make the morning wood situation I’ve already got going on worse. Instead, I think of what I experienced beyond the sexual nature of it.

I’ve done spanking sessions like hers before. When I was starting to explore kink, spanking was one of the first things I discovered outside of rope bondage. I enjoyed it right away. The control I feel, helping the person I’m partnered with explore the pain and giving themselves over to it, and the trust. That’s my favorite part of kink, and it’s been too long since I’ve gotten to really explore that aspect of it. Lately, everything has just been a way to get my own release, to be free of the ache in my heart. To numb the pain.

If I’m being honest with myself, last night was the first time I’ve felt this connected to one of my partners, like what she experienced transferred to me. Because despite the fact I have a hangover from the whiskey we drank, I feel…lighter. Like today may be a little easier than yesterday. The idea has my heart aching in my chest for an entirely different reason.

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