Page 75 of Forever Not Yours

“Which is exactly what I’m doing now. Juliet, hang up, right now. Go home, watch TV, and pour yourself another glass of wine. Then sit down and put your feet up and drink it, reminding yourself that you’ve now been a single free woman for months, and that you’ve survived. And that there are so many good things to come for you. Celebrate that.”

“It doesn’t feel like a celebration. And the good things? That’s not always easy to believe.”

“I know. Trust me, I know.”

“Will you talk to him?”

“Of course I will. But for now, darling, chill. And, yeah, text me later. I want to see the glass of wine, and then I want to see it empty.”

“You’re driving me to drink.”

“Absolutely, but I am a medical professional. Doctor’s orders.”

“You’re a bone knuckler.”

“Tendons. Ligaments, Jules. Muscle. Broken hearts are my speciality. One big troublesome muscle right there.”

“Don’t care.”

She was smiling. I could always hear it in her voice.

“Good girl,” I said softly. “You’ve got this.”

“Thank you.” She hung up, and I finally let myself back into the warmth.

“She okay?” he asked, casually sitting there, stark naked and stroking his cock. Long, slow, firm movements. Up and down.

“She’s fine. Told her to give herself a break.”

“Good.” Still stroking.

“Bastien?” I crossed my arms.

“I have half an hour-ish, before I need to reattach the pump. I thought we could utilise that time. You know. Do something.”

“Did you now?”

“I did. I thought, perhaps…I mean, you’ll need a shower after anyway…”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Well.” He sat up straighter.

I loved this new and improved Bastien. The one who was finding his feet with, well, everything. His confidence about who he was. His workload. Trying so damn hard to get better at looking after himself. He looked after me too. And I looked after him.

“I’ve loved everything we’ve done so far. I love that you spring things on me. The harness? I keep looking at it and thinking what we can do with that, but the thing I need to say…”

“Yes?”

“I need to be able to function the next day. I need to be able to sit down and, like, walk. But that doesn’t mean, you know? I still want to feel it. Even the next day. Don’t go all soft on me, Jakey, because that’snot what I need.”

I just stared at him, this man. This beautiful, gorgeous man. And then he reached behind his back, and there were…

My gloves.

“I think you should… You know.”

“Words, Bastien.”

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