Page 11 of Chosen Road

“Hi, beautiful,” he answered on the first ring, his voice gritty with sleep.

“Mm, just listening to you might be enough to do it,” I teased.

“That’s the idea. There should be a gift in your nightstand.”

I leaned over and slid the drawer open. “Gus? You got me a present?” I breathed in wonder.

He chuckled darkly. “You, me, who’s to say? Open it,” he demanded in what I called his bedroom voice.

Everywhere else in our life, he was a doting marshmallow of a man, except in our bedroom. I was shocked the first time he showed me that side of himself. Even more shocking was how I responded to it, body and soul.

“Don’t talk to me like that when you can’t do anything about it,” I snapped.

“I would never,” he replied gently. “Open the box.”

Tears stung my eyes, and I sniffed as I unwrapped the box.

“Don’t cry, beautiful. I’m going to take care of you,” he promised.

“Okay, Gus.” I sniffed. I didn’t want to be nauseous on my wedding day. I wanted to dance and eat and take pictures and have fun with Ruby who hadn’t seemed like herself the last few days.

The box was pink with a spray of painted orchids on the side. I opened it to find a remote sitting on top of what looked like a silicone butterfly necklace. “What is it? Is it a necklace? Why does it have two straps? It looks like it’s been opened. Did you buy this second-hand?”

I loved second-hand stores, one of the only things I’d taken from my mother that I liked.

Gus laughed. “I assure you I did not buy it second-hand. I opened it to get it ready for you, and the straps go around your thighs.”

“My thighs…” I whispered, turning the object around in my hand.

“Look at the diagram, beautiful, and put it on. Tell me when you have it in place.”

He used his bedroom voice, the one I did not think to deny knowing it foretold good things coming my way. I was catching on fast to what this ‘necklace’ was for.

“Is it loud?” I whispered.

“Would I get it if it was loud?” He asked.

“No. You wouldn’t. Hang on for a second and I’ll put it on, but it’s not going to do the job, Gus.” My emotions rose to the surface again. “It’s you, I want.”

“And you’ll have me. This is just to start your morning right. I want you loose and relaxed and settled, and this is the only thing we have that works. Unless you want to tell your yiayia I need to come over and finger fuck you quick?”

I guffawed and he chuckled. “She could blindfold me. I can make you come blind.”

“Okay,” I breathed. “I’ve got it on. It feels weird.”

Gus

I released the breath I was holding. I knew this would work if I could get her to relax. This was not going to be a hot session of phone sex; Amber would not go for that. In so many ways, she was still shy with me, shy with her own body’s responses, although she was much more open than she used to be. I looked forward to exploring her boundaries, and then blowing right past them.

But that was not for this morning. I pushed myself up against the headboard. I’d slept like shit without her, and the jumble of blankets tossed all over the bed attested to my restless night.

“Get comfortable, beautiful, and hold the remote in your right hand. Are you comfortable?”

“Yes.”

She sounded uncomfortable. She probably felt exposed.

“You cuddled under the blankets? Keeping warm?”

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