While it’s a little annoying…
I can’t say I don’t like that someone’s watching out for me.
The day flies by in a rush, with me panicking because there’s nothing to panic about.
Shouldn’t there be…I don’t know,sometitanic fuckup to fuck everything up?
But no. There’s not.
Although I am running a little late when I return to Blair House that evening to catch up with Leo and get changed for the balls. He’s already in our room when I come flying in.
“Sorry I’m running behind, Sir! I—”
He pulls me into his arms for a kiss. “Shh. You’re fine. All done?”
“Yes, Sir. The vice president’s residence is finished, and they’ll wrap up the White House residence in about four hours. There’s nothing left for me to do there. They have it under control. They can’t move some of the furniture in until the painting’s completed.”
I can’t decipher the look on his face as he backs me against the bed and makes me sit. “Are you staying in DC?”
I don’t understand the question. “Sir?”
“Yes or no, baby. Are you, forsure, staying in DC? I need to hear yousayit. Right now.”
Why does this feel…big? He knows I start working in the East Wing tomorrow. “Yes, Sir. I’m staying in DC.”
“With me?”
“With you.”
He kisses me. “I love you, Jordan.”
The entire world…stops. For the first time since I landed in DC, a mental hush fills my skull as I process what he just said. “I-I love you, too, Sir.”
He pulls something from his pocket. “You know Elliot has to be first in my heart and life, because you know how I feel about him. You also know we have secrets to keep. But I need you to know I’m not going anywhere. I love you, and I want you to be my boy. I want to know if you’ll wear this day collar, so you’ll always have this part of me with you as a reminder of how much I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Okay, yeah, this bitch right here starts crying, even as I’m nodding.
He cups my face in his hands and brushes my tears away. “I need you to ask me to wear it. I need to hear you say it, so I know it’s whatyouwant, too.”
“I want to wear it, Sir. I want to be yours for life. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, too.”
Stunned, I watch as he fastens the bracelet around my right wrist. Then he kisses it and holds my hand against his chest. I can feel his heart throbbing under my palm. “Right for sub, left for Sir. Obviously, there might be times you have to take it off for security. But other than that, it’salwayson your wrist, unlessItake it off, or I’ve given you permission to take it off. Understand?”
“Yes, Sir.” This…
This is no goddamned necktie.
This is a day collar.
This is…
This is himwantingme.
He pulls me to my feet and wraps his arms around me. “I’m going to have more rules for you, more protocols. Still nothing that interferes with work.”
“All I want is to belong to you, Sir.”
“This is as serious as a wedding band, to me. It’s just you, and me, and Elliot. It means I’ll ask you, at times, to take care of him for me. To put him ahead of yourself and me. He’s got an important job, and he needs us in his corner.”
