Page 16 of Marking Micah

That made the tears come again, and she bowed her head. “I sort of remember that,” she said very quietly.

“It’s true,” he told her, reaching a hand out to take a lock of her long brown hair and rubbing it between his fingers.

She couldn’t read his expression, but that small gesture made her go warm inside. Then she heard him draw in a deep breath and blow it out as he pulled his hand back.

“So, what else?” he asked. “What did you feel after that? I know the physical recovery was hard, but you got through it like a champ.”

“You know that because you were there. You and Chara, every day. But what I mostly knew was that fucking Brett had bailed on me. He came to the hospital only once, and it was almost a week after my surgeries—my head, my ankle, my forearm. He brought flowers, like that was supposed to mean anything. He stuttered out some lame apology, then he took off, and I never heard from him again.”

“Honestly, it’s probably a good thing I wasn’t there that day. Chara was, and I’m not sure you know this, but she grabbed him in the hallway and gave him a piece of her mind. But I’d already made sure he was banned from the club and the Dallas kink scene. He didn’t deserve to get his paws on another woman. Ever. Irresponsible bastard.”

She nodded, remembering the comfort of her friends having her back so thoroughly. She held on more tightly to his hand, needing it to anchor her.

“I was so pissed and sad, and those feelings of abandonment are so hard to let go of. I know we talked about the being mad part at the barn, but that sense of betrayal has created this fear of… almost everything.” Her voice lowered to a whisper as she admitted things to him she’d never told anyone but her therapist before. “Like,everything, Arrow. I feel scared to drive, although I make myself do it. Some days I’m afraid to go grocery shopping by myself. To take a bath alone in my apartment. It’s weird because none of that is related to what happened. You and Chara are the only things that make me feel safe. And my therapist, Wendy, of course. She’s been amazing. But even though my boss has been so great, going to work doesn’t always feel entirely safe, though I love my job. But is that weird of me? I feel like it is, despite the fact Wendy says it’s normal.”

“It is, I promise. Look, you know I was pretty fucked up when I came home from Afghanistan after my injury?”

“Of course. That makes sense. Your life as you knew it, your career, was over.”

“Yeah, that was definitely part of it. I was facing having to recreate my entire life. But aside from all that, the whole damn world was frightening for a long time. I had nightmares. I still do, sometimes. Sudden noises startled the fuck out of me. July Fourth was fucking torture for years. And yeah, driving freaked me out for a good two years after I got home. Maybe because it’s something we don’t have control over, other drivers. So I understand it.”

She shook her head. “I had no idea.”

“It’s not exactly something any of us wants to tell other people about, but tonight I have to, at least this part. I need you to know I really do understand.”

“Thanks for sharing that with me.”

He squeezed her hand hard enough that she had to look up at him, into his intense, dark-brown gaze. There was so much emotion there. For her, she knew, but also maybe for himself, for what he’d been through.

She gave him a weak smile. “So, we’re trauma bonding?”

“Yeah, we are,” he said with a laugh. “But this was good. It gives me a better idea of what I’m working with.”

“So, you’re going to beat the trauma out of me tonight?” she asked, only half joking.

“Maybe, but not tonight. Tonight I’m going to just play it by ear, see how you respond to everything, familiarize myself with your response in a closer way than simply by observing. No really hard play. Tonight, we’re gonna get to know each other in a new way. You ready for that?”

“I think so? No, I am. You know I am. I’m just feeling a little nervous about what’s going to happen.”

“You’re gonna have to learn to start calling me ‘Sir’ for real,” he said, a grin turning up the corners of his lush mouth. “Amongother things. But I don’t want to spoil the mystery. Now I’ll order us some lunch, then you go relax and rest a bit before tonight.”

“Oh, I’m not tired at all. I don’t need to rest.”

“I wasn’t asking, Micah,” he said, a sternness in his tone she’d never heard before.

It went through her like an electric shock—just the tone of command: a little dark, a lot overwhelming. What would his voice and his touch do to her tonight in the dungeon?

She guessed she was about to find out. And suddenly, the idea of him touching her, playing her, didn’t seem so strange. In fact, it was all she could think about right now, and their five years of friendship wasn’t even coming into play, other than how safe and familiar he felt to her.

Things were about to getveryinteresting.

CHAPTER 5

As the security guard at the Dungeon entrance waved them through the doors and they stepped into the main play space, Arrow sensed Micah’s nerves ramping up. She was practically trembling beside him. He’d expected it and had planned for ways to help her navigate through the evening.

He’d had her sit down with him and revisit the basics of their negotiations before they’d left their room, and despite her obvious anxiety, he felt she was ready for some kink play. Not that he’d trust any other man to do this with her, ready or not. Hell, he couldn’t stand the idea of another man touching her. Not anymore. Not after what they’d been through together.

Not after he’d realized how he felt about her, that day in the hospital three years ago.

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