I need her.
“No,” she says simply.
“You need to choose one.”
She takes a bite of her sandwich and watches me. “Why?”
I set my spoon down and brace my hands on the counter. “Because I told you to, Eloise.”
She swallows hard and clears her throat. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“You’re kind of intense tonight. Do I need to be scared?”
“I’ll never hurt you. I’d kill myself first. The safe word is for your protection and for my information. I’m going to push some boundaries tonight, and I need to know that you always feel at ease with me.”
“I do.”
I smile softly at her. “Good. I don’t want that to change. Your safe word is for both of us.”
She chews another bite, taking that in. “I’m not sure what to choose.”
“How about this, then? We’ll use colors. I’ll check in with you to see what color you’re at. You’ll say green or yellow. Green means you’re good to go. No problems. Yellow tells me you don’t need to stop, but you’re nearing your limits. And at any time, if you say red, we stop. No questions asked.”
“Red means I can’t do any more?”
“That’s right, baby. And you willnotbe shy about using it. That’s imperative.”
She nods and finishes her sandwich, then pushes her mostly eaten bowl of soup away from her. “That seems easiest. I like it.”
She stands to take care of the dishes, but I shake my head.
“Leave it. I’ll get to it later. How do you feel right now?”
Eloise licks her lips, watching me. “Curious.”
“You should be.” I circle the island and take her hand in mine, threading our fingers together and kissing the back of her hand as I guide her to the den. When we step inside, she comes to a stop, and I turn to watch her. To let her come to terms with what’s in here in her own time.
“Rome.”
“I’m right here, firefly.”
She steps to me, as if she’s seeking comfort, and I wrap my arm around her, tugging her to my side.
“Talk to me,” I murmur before kissing her temple.
“The ropes,” she whispers, making me grin. She looks up at me, and her pupils have dilated with lust just at the sight of my ropes laid out on the table. “Please tell me we get to play with those.”
“We are going to play, but there are some rules. You’ll do what I say, when I say, without hesitation. I will check in on your colors often to make sure you’re comfortable.”
My firefly nods enthusiastically. “Deal.”
“If you need a break, you tell me.”
She continues to nod.
“You will not come until I give you permission.”
