A different kind of love.
One that doesn’t erase the past but doesn’t worshipit, either.
Jess shifts in her sleep. Murmurs something I can’t quite catch.
I pull her closer.
Tomorrow we’ll head north. Into the woods. Into whatever comes next.
With Ben.
But tonight, I’m exactly where I need to be.
34
Jess
I’m standing on the stoop of a brownstone in Queens at eight thirty on a Friday morning trying very hard not to think about the fact that in approximately three hours I’ll be in actual wilderness with actual trees.
Marco’s beside me. Close enough that I can smell that unique mixture of his cologne andhim. When he spanked me over his knee and made me wetter than I’ve even been in my entire life.
Narrator voice: He did notjustspank me. Heclaimedme.
The ritualized control.
The way he made me count each strike.
And honestly?
Iwantedhim to claim me.
Wanted him to make me his.
More than anything.
Because, well, let’s be frank. I’m pretty sure I’m falling in love with him.
And that’s absolutely terrifying because what happens when this ends?
When the nanny contract expires or Ben doesn’t need me anymore or the novelty wears off and he realizes I’m just an unemployed influencer with a phobia and a metric ton of baggage?
When your adult attraction decides to remind you that you’re in way too deep with a man who’s probably ruined every other man for you forever.
Cool.
At least the wilderness will be a distraction, later. Something else to panic about besides the fact that I might be catastrophically in love with my boss.
Except I’m also dreading the wilderness because, you know, trees.
So really it’s a toss-up between emotional devastation and actual nature-based terror.
Fun times.
“You good?” he asks quietly.
“Totally.” I’m nodding too much. Definitely nodding too much. “Just excited for fresh air and nature and all that outdoorsy stuff I definitely love.”
His mouth twitches like he knows I’m full of shit but won’t call me on it.
