Page 26 of Marking Micah

“How are you doing?”

“I’m… good.”

“But?”

“No, there’s no ‘but’. I’m just… thinking about last night, and I’m a little embarrassed, I guess.”

“There’s no need to be. I brought you here to process your emotions. You never need to be self-conscious about crying in front of me, Micah.”

She bit her lip for a moment. “That’s not… that’s not what I meant.”

“Ah,” he answered, then went quiet for a few moments. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Do you?” she asked, her heart a hammer in her chest.

“I feel like we can just see how it plays out and assess how you feel as we go. Unless you feel like you need to talk more right now, in which case, just let me know. Whatever you need, sunshine.”

She turned over to face him, acutely aware of his arm looped over her waist. Emotionally aware, of course, but under her skin was a small flame, singeing her nerve endings with desire that was like a low hum in her blood. In her stomach. In her breasts.

But his answer was confusing. Last night she’d felt that he wanted her in the same way she wanted him, that he’d experienced the same sort of intensity between them. Was thather mind playing tricks on her, leading her to believe what she yearned for was the truth? Or had he said he wanted her simply to soothe her because she was such a mess? He always kept his Dom façade up, and it could be impenetrable. But she needed to know. If not today, then soon.

She drew in a long breath, and as she exhaled, she told herself she could just sit with things as they were. She didn’t need all the answers right now, did she? She was already dealing with a lot while they were here—she didn’t need to complicate things by overthinking. And a part of her was afraid to know.

Go with the flow.

That’s what her bestie Chara would tell her.

“Okay,” she said finally.

“Okay what?”

“Okay, let’s just play things by ear and see where it takes us.”

He pushed her hair back from her face, and that small gesture had her pulse running hot in her veins. “Okay. Good. But you let me know if it gets too uncomfortable for you. Communication is everything here.”

“I know it is. I get it.”

“Okay,” he repeated, a smile on his gorgeously rugged face. “How about some breakfast?”

“Breakfast sounds good.”

He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and sat up. “Great. I’ll go order—you grab a shower.”

Before she could answer he was up and out of bed, carrying his boots and his jeans as he strode from the room.

She took another deep breath, inhaling the scent of him that was all over her sheets. Without really thinking, she picked up his pillow and held it to her face, then, realizing what she was doing, she tossed it onto the bed before he came back in and saw her. She needed to stop being so silly over him. He was her friend. And currently, her Dom. And even though sexual contacthad been negotiated, even though she found him insanely attractive, and she was fairly certain he really was attracted to her, too, that didn’t mean they were meant for some happily-ever-after. And they didn’t necessarily have to be.

Friends could have sex.

She groaned as she forced herself out of bed, that thought making her pussy thrum with heat.

Oh, yeah. Friends could have sex, and if it didn’t happen soon, she might actually die from wanting. But it was all in his hands. She was in his hands. And heaven help her, that didn’t stop the insistent, scorching need one bit.

“Come on,Micah. Say hello to China, then we’ll begin our next exercise.”

She stepped forward tentatively. “I know she’s gentle for a horse, but she’s still a huge animal, keyword being ‘animal’.”

He reached out and took her hand, gently pulling her forward. “We’re just gonna start by greeting her. Remember how soft her muzzle is? Here, say hello, touch her to let her know how near you are, then give her this piece of apple. That’s usually the way to any horse’s heart.”

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