Page 126 of Deacon

I sink into the bed as he pulls himself from my body. Dimly, I realize we took another step together tonight. First, he taught me sex could feel good. Then, that it could be safe. Now, he’s shown me it can be so intimate, I feel it in my heart.

My heart… I feel him in my heart.

He rolls me onto my back, smoothing my hair. His mouth presses to mine, then down my neck.

“Good girl. You’re so perfect,” he praises. “Let’s get you in the bath, clean you up, get you in bed. You deserve to rest.”

I whimper, eyes heavy. His weight leaves the bed, and I hear the bath running and smell the flowery soap. Then, I’m in his arms, and he’s letting me sink into the hot water. He gets in with me, pulling me into his lap.

“Are you satisfied?” he murmurs, face raspy on my neck.

“Yes, daddy,” I whisper, eyes closing.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

DEACON

“I want something from you,” I say.

She’s in my arms, cheek against my chest. Steam makes her hair curl and skin dewy. When I speak, her eyes flutter open. They still have the same dreamy expression, but I can tell she’s out of subspace.

“What?” she murmurs.

“I’m taking care of you from here on out,” I say. “You obey me, and I’ll keep you safe.”

Her barely open eyes are thoughtful.

“It doesn’t mean I control you the way you’re used to being controlled,” I say. “Every morning, I choose your clothes, choose what you eat, how to sexually satisfy you.”

Her brows rise.

“We’ll talk every week, go over what you liked and didn’t like,” I continue. “You can always safeword me if you don’t like what I’m doing.”

I don’t know what I expected, but it isn’t for her to stretch up and kiss my mouth. My body tingles. I touch her face as she draws back.

“Yes,” she whispers.

“Yes?”

“You can have me, take care of me.”

I always knew I’d find a way to get her to say those words, but I didn’t anticipate how good it would feel to hear them out loud. I’m the luckiest man in the world. My fingers trail suds over her breasts, her smooth arms, her throat. Just touching her.

She’s precious to me.

I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure she knows it.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

FREYA

I wake slowly. Stretching around the suffocating warmth draped over me. My eyes flutter open, and then they widen as everything floods back: the ropes, the hook, the mirror over the fireplace, below the engravings of the bear.

The agreement we made.

Slowly, I turn over to face him. His thick, tattooed arm is laying across my body. I try to wriggle out, but he grips my waist in his sleep and doesn’t let go. He rumbles in his chest. His eyes are closed, but I can tell by the sound that he’s slowly waking. I nestle deeper into his chest.

There’s something hard pressing into my thigh. I lift the cover and peer down and quickly pull it back up. He’s rock hard.

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