Page 48 of Shame

Too strong, too beautiful.

How did I let this happen?Regret clogs my throat. The last thing I need to do now is fall apart.

I need to be stronger for her. I need to be a fucking machine of hope.

“Come on in,” I say, unlocking the door.

She follows me inside, and then gestures to the couch. “Maybe you should sit.”

I do as I’m told.

“I thought about not telling you this,” she says slowly. “Because…reasons. But then I realized I don’t have anything to lose here.”

My pulse hammers heavy in my neck. No, I’m the one who has everything to lose. “You can tell me anything.”

“Can I?” Her eyes light up, bright and mean. Except Grace is never cruel. So if she’s feeling sharp, if she’s readying for battle, it’s because I’ve hurt her.

I turn my hands over, palms up, and lean forward, trying to show her in every part of my body language that I want to hear whatever she has to say. “Anything. If I’ve hurt you—”

“If?”

I sigh. “I mean specifically with regards to this important thing.”

“It’s all specific, Luke. It’s all—” She lets out a hollow laugh. “This is a mistake.”

“No. Tell me. Anything. Please.” I move to stand, but she flinches.

I’m so much bigger than her. Stronger, taller, wider, and now she sees all of that as a threat.

I sit again, agony ripping my throat out. What else can I say?

Nothing.

She glares at me. She might think that’s being mean, that’s hurting me, but it doesn’t. I love the heat of her gaze, the hard push against my skin. As long as she’s looking at me, hating me, I know she still loves me. Deep down, I’m hers, and she hates me for taking some of that from her, but she knows I can give it back.

“I don’t know how much you know about kink,” she says coolly. “And now you know that I am…familiar…with that world. Only artistically, only to the research level, but I’ve read a lot. Taken classes at The Wheelhouse.”

“You know more than me,” I admit hoarsely. “A lot more. It wasn’t…I never thought of myself as kinky. I was going along with it.”

Her lips pull tight, and the faint smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “And now?”

“Now what?”

“Now are you starting to realize some of those things are deep down? Is that what you meant when you shared…what you think of me?”

Baby girl. Little slut.

I guess I showed my hand more than I realized. “Sure. Yeah.”

“When you said it’s not like you want me to call you Daddy, that hurt me.” She licks her lips as a dull roar starts to churn in my ears. “The thing is, that’s one fantasy that’s always been consistently hot for me. It’s why I wanted you to take that quiz I found.”

“The quiz is about kink?” Fuck. I clench my fists, trying hard to focus on what she’s saying. But all I can hear is her sweet little voice echoing in my head.Daddy. Fantasy. Daddy. Fantasy.“Shit, Grace, if you have a Daddy fantasy, that’s okay.”

She flinches. “I know it’s okay.”

“Do you?” I rise out of my chair, my heart pounding. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s fine.” It’s more than fine. Fuck. “That’s…interesting, actually. I want to know more about that.”I want to know more about you, my mysterious little wife.

“You didn’t want to know more about me wanting to be spanked, and that’s something a lot of people do. Often people who use words likeDaddyandBaby Girl.”

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