Page 19 of Submit

“How do you feel?” he asked.

“Fine. Great, if you really want to know.” She smiled, dazzling him. Too beautiful.

“I’ll keep you here with me for a while, let you come down before I take you home.”

“Home? Do I have to go?”

Her voice was a soft, husky sound, her brown eyes enormous. Hell, he’d keep her there forever, if he could.

But of course, he wouldn’t do that.

He never let any woman stay at his home.

Want her here…

He cleared his throat. “Don’t worry,” he told her. “You can stay with me for a while.”

“Okay.” The answer seemed to satisfy her. She closed her eyes, her dark lashes lying like a sooty fringe against her flushed cheeks.

She curled onto her side and he sat on the bed, keeping some distance from her soft body. His cock was still hard as stone. Distracting. But he forced himself to sit still next to her, to stroke her back while she dozed, making sure she had enough human contact to help her come down from the lofty heights where her mind, her body, had been flying.

He was still rock hard two hours later when he helped her get dressed, put her in his car and drove her home.

She was silent in the car as they sped through the dark city, past the dim streetlights, the slowly moving streetcars. He was grateful for her quiet sleepiness, grateful he didn’t have to make conversation. His head was too twisted up. There was barely enough room in there for his own thoughts—thoughts he couldn’t untangle enough to make sense of.

And what was this deep churning in his gut? Telling him—demanding of him—that he see her again as soon as possible?

This was not the kind of thing he was used to feeling. Not the kind of thing he did other than for training purposes. Certainly not with this strange yearning.

He glanced over at her, needing to reassure himself that she was okay. Her eyes were half closed, her head resting on the back of the seat. He turned back to the road and downshifted as they climbed the steep Church Street hill, trying to ignore the intense drive to protect her.

He was doing his job—that was all. That was all he ever did, and he did it damn well. He didn’t need to make excuses to himself tonight about why he wasn’t doing more. Letting her stay with him. Holding her all night.

Fuck.

When they arrived at her building, he helped her from the car and up the stairs, her warm little body pressed against him all the way up. The scent of her, the feel of her, was making his stomach tighten up again. He tried to mentally shake it off, whatever the hell it was.

He got her inside the apartment, quickly took in the comfortable furnishings, the beautifully worn antiques. He took her coat from her shoulders, sat her down on the overstuffed velvet sofa. Her long hair was mussed, her eyes still glazed, her lips a perfect candy pink, wanting to be kissed. But all he dared was a quick brush of his mouth across her forehead.

“You’ll be fine,” he told her. He didn’t want to stay longer than he had to—just long enough to make sure she was okay. He was too undone. He didn’t trust himself.

She smiled sleepily. “Yes, I’m fine. Wonderful. A little tired.”

“I’m going to let you get some rest, then. You can call or text me if you’re feeling bad in any way, and then I’ll see you next week. Make yourself ready for me. I’ll email you instructions tomorrow.”

Her smile widened. “Yes, Sir.”

He laughed. “No need for that. That’s not what you and I are about, not what you need right now. I’m Adam to you, beautiful girl.”

“Yes, Adam.” She blinked, barely able to keep her eyes open. “Tomorrow.”

He stared at her, searching her face for any sign of panic or disorientation. “Skye, I mean it—you’re to call me if you experience any sub-drop. Damn it, we didn’t go over this, and frankly that’s inexcusable on my part. If you feel panicky or depressed, or strange in any way, you’re to call me. Understood?”

“Yes. Understood, Adam.” She smiled at him.

“Okay. Good.”

He leaned in and brushed his lips across her forehead once more, then before he could stop himself, over her smooth, warm cheek. She made a small sound of pleasure, just an easy exhalation of soft breath from between her lips.

---