“What? That I like to be in control?” I ask, lowering my voice on the last word.
His chest rises and falls. “Yeah. I—I’ve never had someone do that for me before.”
“I feel lucky that you let me do it.”
“It’s not justlettingyou. I want it. I…” He swallows and looks away. I wait until he brings his eyes back to mine. I lift my chin, and he puts on a brave face. “Maybe need it?”
The hopeful tilt of his voice at the end speaks to his insecurity, but I can tell it’s the truth, not an actual question.
I run my hands through his hair. He’s got hairspray or something in it today and scowls when I mess up the swoop.
“Sorry.”
He nips at my chin. “I’ll allow it. You’re cute for a big, strapping cowboy.”
That sets off insecurity of my own. When I’m the one to look away, his gentle hand directs me back to his gaze. The slight lift of his brow, a question without words.
“You’re so bright and sparkly and dark and intense. Maybe the things I want to do—and not do—are a little too vanilla for you. Like, Wick said something about being with other people, and…” I grimace, letting the words trail off.
Tanner wrinkles his cute nose. “Yeah, no. I don’t…mm. Justno.”
I let out a relieved breath, but I’m not done. “I’m serious. Ineverwant to hurt you.At all.I don’t see that changing.”
“Okay,” Tanner says, his voice steady and positive. Grinning, his hand goes to his neck. “But I don’t mind the occasional bruise or two.”
“Does it hurt when I squeeze you like that?” I ask, tracing my fingers along the light-red marks on his neck.
He shakes his head, his gaze steady and sure. “It was so perfect. And to be clear, I don’t like pain either. At least I don’t right now.” His mouth slowly curves into a smile. “But I don’t mind reminders.”
I wince, hating the idea of marking up his pretty skin, but he seems to like it. “I’m okay with light bruising, I guess, but can we leave heavier bruising to a maybe-later discussion?”
“How about, for now, we say it’s nothing that can’t easily be covered by makeup?”
I think about it and nod. “Yeah, I like that.”
“Also, I might complain, but that thing you do when you don’t let me come right away?” Tanner shivers and starts to squirm in my lap. I shoot him a look, and he stills for me. “Hot as fuck.I come so hard when you do that.”
“I’d like to explore more with orgasm control.”
“In what way?”
“I can see going about it two ways.” I run my fingertips along the bulge in his jeans. “I like the idea of seeing if I can make you come multiple times, maybe even tie you up and just…go to town on you. But then I like the idea of teasing you all day long, only letting you loose at the end of the day.”
Tanner shivers and inhales. “Multiple ones? While tied up?Yes.A thousand times, yes. I can sometimes give myself more than one at a time, so…more of that, please.”
“And what about the other? What about making you wait all day?”
He grimaces. “Ugh. That might kill me.”
I tap my chin. “Well, how about something like now, where we start the day with an orgasm, but…I tease you a little throughout the day and give you another one at the end of the day?”
He nods with a shivery inhale, and I can’t help the toothy smile I give him.
“Why do you look so evil right now?” Tanner asks, rubbing his hands up and down my arms.
“I ordered something from Amazon last night, and when I woke up this morning, it was on my front porch.”
“What did you order from Amazon?” He wraps his arms around my neck.
