Chapter thirty-one
Chapter 31
Silence stretched for a moment, filled only by the clatter of plates from the bar. Then he leaned forward, lowering his voice. "There's... something I've been meaning to ask." She raised a brow, wary. Conversations that started like that never ended well. He looked around the room like he was checking for spies, then back at her. "You said... some of the things we did made you uncomfortable. I know what I did in the office-" he grimaced and then swallowed, "and I wish I could take that back, not be such an arsehole. But before that, you said you didn't use our safe word." He hesitated, frowning. "Why? What was it? I thought you enjoyed... what we did together."
Rune felt her face flame. Her spoon clinked against the bowl as she looked down, guilt twisting low in her stomach. She risked a glance around. Gareth was at the far end of the bar, Lowri busy with a tray of pints.
“Not this again, “she mumbled with pink cheeks.
“I want to know, Rune. I have to know. What did I do…I can’t sleep thinking about it.” he said with tight control punctuating the words.
"I was fine with it," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "Most of it."
Dorian studied her carefully, too carefully.
Then he looked around furtively before asking in a low voice, "Was it..."
"Don't," she warned, but he bulldozed on.
"Was it that butt plug..."
"Dorian."
"Or when I..."
"Stop talking." Her voice cracked, half mortified, half amused. Dorian sounded confused. She imagined he was taking notes in that head of his. He blinked, then the corners of his mouth curved up in a sensual smile. "Right. Not the place."
"Not the right continent," she muttered, sinking into her seat. A beat of silence passed, then they both started laughing... Soft, helpless, the tension dissolving between them like sugar in coffee. Dorian nodded solemnly, then raised a hand for the bill. When it came, he paid without a word and left a tip generous enough to make Gareth's eyebrows climb. A moment later, they stepped out into the cold night air, their breath misting between them. For a while, they just walked with the car trailing behind them. The quiet felt oddly comfortable. Then Dorian broke it by carefully slipping his hand into her smaller one. "So... what was it, then?"
Rune blinked. "What was what?"
"That day in the office," he said carefully. "You said it wasn't good. That you spaced out sometimes. I just need to understand."
Rune groaned, pressing a hand over her face. "Dorian, why are we talking about this on a public street?"
"Because I want to know what I did wrong," he muttered like a toddler.
She sighed, her voice low and strangled. "You didn't do anything wrong. Everything was fine. Everything, Dorian."
He looked unconvinced. "Then what was it?"
"I was hurting," she admitted quietly. "And I just wanted to hurt you back. I wanted to hit where it would actually sting. I know men worry about their performance. Even guys with an ego as big as yours."
The lines on his face seemed less prominent as the tension drained a little. "I couldn't stop thinking about it," he said after a moment. "Wondering what I'd done to hurt you."
"It was okay," she said, shaking her head. "The sex was... phenomenal."
A faint smile tugged at his mouth. "Phenomenal, huh?"
"Yeah."
"Even the..." He hesitated.
Rune cut him a look. "Don't say it."
He ignored her. "Even the anal?"
"Yes," she said quickly, rolling her eyes. "Even that."
