"Then I will be. If you'll let me."
"Yes." The word comes out barely above a whisper. "Please."
He leans in slowly, giving me plenty of time to pull away.
I don't.
Our lips meet, and the world disappears.
The kiss is soft and gentle at first. But then his hand slides into my hair, tilting my head to deepen it, and heat floods through me.
This isn't like any kiss I've had before. This is a claiming kiss, it’s full of possessive heat. It feels like he’s marking me as his.
When we finally break apart, we're both breathing hard.
"Wow," I manage.
"Yeah." His voice is rough. "Wow."
"So... does this mean we're trying the dynamic? Like, officially?"
"If you want to. But Chloe, I need you to understand something first."
"What?"
"This isn't just about the dynamic for me. I like you. Really, like you. I like the person you are when you're making coffee, when you're taking care of that kitten, when you're being vulnerable with me." He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "I want to date you. Get to know you. Build something real. The Daddy Dom stuff is part of that, but it's not all of it."
My heart swells. "I want that too."
"Good. Then here's what I'm thinking. We take this one step at a time. We date and talk. We explore the dynamic as we go. And we check in constantly to make sure we're both getting what we need."
"That sounds perfect."
"And you promise to use your safe words if something doesn't feel right?"
"I promise."
"Good girl." He kisses my forehead.
"You keep calling me that," I whisper.
"Calling you what?" Tyler's voice is low, intimate.
"Good girl."
"Do you want me to stop?"
I shake my head. "No."
His smile is slow and devastating. "Then I won't. Now let's get you home. It's late, and you have to open the shop early tomorrow."
"How do you know my schedule?"
"Because I pay attention, sweetheart. I told you that. I know what time the coffee shop opens and I’m assuming you get there, what an hour early?"
“About that.”
We walk back to my apartment hand in hand, and when we reach my door, Tyler doesn't push to come inside.
