Chapter 31 Emma #2
I press my cheek against her forehead and chuckle. “No, pet, I don’t think they can tell just by looking at you, but if you walk out of here with your lipstick like that, they’ll know exactly what you were just doing.”
“Oh shoot, do you have a mirror?” she asks, her head popping up.
“I don’t.” I grab her face, gently holding it in my hand. My finger glides along the skin around her lips, wiping away the stain as my gaze focuses on her mouth. “There.”
“Thank you, sir.”
My cock stiffens at her words. This fucking woman.
She knows what that does to me. I shift underneath her, trying to resist the urge to fuck her on my desk.
This is risky. And even though I’ve broken almost all my rules when it comes to her, I’m desperate to keep some in place.
“As much as I’m enjoying our time together, I think we should talk about the rules and boundaries here. ”
She wrinkles her nose. “I thought we were done with those. I get it now, why you had so many rules.”
“Do you?”
“Well, yeah. You were my professor, and it was forbidden. That’s why you wore a mask, right? You didn’t want people to know you were involved with a student.”
“Technically I wore a mask before you were my student. And I was never involved with you as a professor. You only interacted with Daddy Dom when you were my student.”
“But you are Daddy Dom. So technically you were involved with a student. It doesn’t make it less true just because I wasn’t aware who you were.”
She’s not wrong. These were the lies I told myself when I gave into her and broke my rules. And her calling me out isn’t helping quell my hunger for her. “I enjoyed sparring with you in class. Do you know how many times I had to hide how hard you made me with that goddamn lectern when you spoke?”
Her mouth drops open, the blush on her cheeks spreading, and I love that I can admit these things to her now.
“I wondered why you stopped walking through the lecture hall as the semester went on. And that time Daddy Dom asked me to flash my professor. Oh my gosh, it all makes more sense now. How did I not see it sooner?”
“It was incredibly hot watching you submit to me in my fucking classroom, and you didn’t even know it.”
“There’s something I’ve been wondering. I get why you had so many rules since this is complicated. But the rules you gave me? Were those to control me?”
“No, pet. My rules exist to give me control over myself. The rules I gave you were meant to help you.”
“Because you’re a white knight dom. You like to help your subs,” she says as if she’s figuring out all the parts of me I’ve hidden behind the mask. “Your rules did help.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“You know, I never did negotiate rules when we were in the club. You shared your non-negotiables, but I never set mine.”
“I will happily negotiate any rules you want at any time. You hold the power in this dynamic, and I want you to feel safe and empowered,” I say, sliding a comforting hand along her thigh.
“Can we make our own rules together?”
“I’d like that. What shall we start with?”
She chews on her lip. “I’m still working on myself, my past trauma, and how it’s still affecting me.
I need you to be patient with me. It’s not your job to fix me, I understand that.
Even though I’ve come so far, I may have moments where I struggle with touch or have nightmares.
I don’t want you to think…” she trails off, dropping her head.
I slide a finger under her chin, forcing her to look at me. “You are incredible. Strong when others would be weak. I’m so fucking proud of you. I would never think anything less than that,” I assure her, leaning in to kiss her softly.
When I pull back, her eyes are misty and I look at her pleadingly, hoping she’ll see the sincerity in my face.
“Rule two. Consent isn’t negotiable. Saying ‘yes’ isn’t a forever ‘yes.’ You can change your mind at any time without guilt or punishment.
Your safety and emotional health are far too important to me. ”
“So I can use my safe word at any time, and you’ll walk away?”
“If that’s what you need, yes. I will do anything you ask of me.”
She thinks for a second. “I know one of your rules was that I be honest with you, but I want you to be honest with me. I get why you couldn’t be for so long, but now that I know who you are, there’s no reason to keep secrets anymore.”
If she only knew what I was still keeping from her.
I swallow thickly, chewing on the inside of my cheek, trying to figure out what to share.
I can’t tell her everything, but I need to give her something.
“I will tell you what I can. I promise I will tell you everything eventually, but if I keep something from you, I need you to understand that there’s a reason for it.
I may not be allowed to tell you for legal or safety reasons.
And I understand that’s cryptic as fuck, but there are aspects of my life that I cannot share right now. ”
“Like what you do at the club? Are you still seeing other subs?”
My shoulders relax when she doesn’t press further, instead letting her jealousy steer the conversation. “I’m not seeing anyone currently, and the last few clients I’ve taken on have been couples that I’ve only coached. I haven’t had any other subs since I met you. You’re it for me, Emma.”
“What does that mean for us now? Can we be together? Out in the open?”
I pull her against me, wishing I could grant her that and give myself to her fully the way she deserves.
“I’m still a professor, and you’re still a student.
It’s not that simple. But I promise, that when I can, when it’s safe, I will shout it from the rooftops and cherish you openly the way you deserve. But, for now, the rules still apply.”