Page 22 of Cherishing Little Charlee

He took my chin in between his pointer finger and thumb, tilting it slightly.

“Pay attention.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I’m in your bed because I want to be in your bed. I offered to take care of you because I want to. You are not some hapless woman who needs a big strong man to swoop in and save her. I’m not rescuing you from the mediocrity of your life. I am here because I want to be. Say it back to me.”

Oh! I hated what he was doing. It was almost as bad as writing affirmations that forced me to believe in myself. Because, truthfully, they always uplifted me into a better mood. It was almost as if he’d been paying attention all along.

“I’m not some damsel in distress who needs you to save her. You are here in my bed and in my life because you choose to be. You’ve given me rules and consequences for the next few weeks to slowly ease me into a dynamic that you’d like us to continue with. Maybe even forever. I’m not a project of any sort.”

“Good girl,” he praised. “I’m so glad you were listening. Good thing or I’d have made you dictate those lines into your laptop and print them out. Say it again.”

“It again.”

“Naughty thing.” Pierce cracked his hand off my mound hard enough to make me jerk under his palm. He did it several more times.

“Sir! Ouch! Please–stop!”

“You have your safe word and your colors. Unless I hear them, I’m going to continue until it sinks into your pretty but stubborn skull that I’m serious. Do not make me repeat myself,” he said in a huskier tone than his usual speaking voice. Pierce shifted, pressing his index finger in between my bottom cheeks. “Does your Sir need to get creative?”

“Nah-nah-no!” I squeaked.

“Go on, starlet.”

“You’re here because you want to be! In my bed, in my life, in my world!” I lay panting as he kept me effectively pinned in place with the promise of inserting his finger into my most private hole. Tickling the rim of it definitely got my attention. What he didn’t know was, I liked objects there but probably not for punishment. Though I had nothing to compare it to. I’d never in a million years think that we’d be in my bed with his finger threatening my pucker. I had vastly underestimated his Dominant side.

“Keep going, Charlene.”

“You want to help me rest! And heal my wrist! And do all the things I need to for the production. You’re not doing it out of pity or some stupid obligation. You’re doing it because you care about me.”

He dropped his finger from its precarious position, using the hand sanitizer on my nightstand before setting his hands on either side of my body.

“Very good, starlet. Now, are you going to stop your mouth from spouting out disparaging remarks or do I need to teach it a lesson with my cock?”

“Respectfully, Sir? Saying not to look at me in a pitiful fashion is not a ding at my self-worth.”

Pierce glanced up at my ceiling, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed, likely gathering patience that he was quickly running out of.

“Your brain is overthinking and I’d like to make it stop. No, your comments were not overly harsh but they weren’t great. I can’t predict the future, so I can’t promise you a ring or my last name today. But it doesn’t mean I’m not open to talking more about it. You mean a lot to me. More than you know.”

“You mean a lot to me too, Pierce.”

“I’ve been scared, babygirl. So fucking scared. Do you know how hard it is to admit that out loud? Especially to the woman whom I’m trying to win over?”

I held out my non-injured hand to him and he kissed each of my knuckles before lacing his fingers with mine. He held my hand to his face, nuzzling it against his cheek. His vulnerability made me want to sob. It wasn’t that he was aloof or trying to avoid the topic.No. Pierce made it sound like he’d been crushing on me maybe even as long as I had been on him. He had been afraid to dive into a relationship for some of the reasons he explained, and others we had yet to talk about. His openness made my heart clench. And my pussy.

“No one is perfect, Sir.” I found my voice but it cracked with emotion. “Certainly not me. But think about how boring it would be if everyone was perfect. There wouldn’t be any room to grow. I don’t think being scared shows weakness. You’re facing the things you’ve refused to talk about. That’s incredibly brave and it makes you one of the strongest people I know.”

Pierce kissed me softly, pressing his lips to mine.

“I care about you, Charlee. We have been friends for a long time. I said it once and I’ll say it again. I’m not going anywhere. Let’s enjoy learning what turns each other on. What makes us laugh, hell what makes us cry. Besides, after the first time I punish you, you might run for the hills.” He winked.

“I might. But I’m pretty sure you’ll chase me.” I sat up, meeting the broad expanse of his chest. Taking an extra moment to run my hands along his body, I sighed softly. “You will chase me, right?”

He nipped my chin. “I will. I’ll chase you all over this damn Ranch. Now, do you want to take a shower and think about what we are going to do for dinner tonight or should I finish what we started?”

“I’ll stop overthinking if you give me orgasms, Sir.”

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