25. Thalia #2
His release drips from my chin and past my lips as I run my tongue over them to collect it. Salt explodes across my senses as I continue to use him like my own personal canvas. I eventually lift off him, allowing him to get some air while I work my way around his body.
By the time I’m done, he has a solid eight new tattoos, all of which show some mark of ownership I hold over him. I cut the gun before tossing it aside and grabbing Reed’s face.
He’s flushed, his chest heaving with his pants and his eyes glossy with lust as he obeys. He smells like me.
I fucking love it.
“You’ve been such a good boy for me,” I praise.
His eyes flutter. “Kiss me, please.”
I press my lips to his in a sensual, slow kiss. We taste each other on our tongues, sharing everything between us as we rest on the floor of my shed. When I pull away, he tries to chase after me for more, and I stop him.
“Aht, aht,” I tut as I shake my head. “Don’t make me punish you already. You take what I give you, okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He breathes.
I tilt my head as I brush my thumb over his cheek. “I’m going to let you sleep inside tonight, but you have to wear a collar, okay?”
He nods. “Okay.”
I help him up, keeping him steady so he doesn’t topple over. The moment his arms are free of the restraints, he reaches for me. His hands grab my hips fiercely as he drags me back into him. I gasp as he bites my earlobe hard enough to pierce the skin, as he gently fixes my dress for me.
I pull my bottom lip between my teeth as I intertwine our fingers and guide him inside my house.
The space itself is quaint and warm with dried lavender and rosemary hanging from exposed beams above.
Reed takes in the deep forest-green walls, stone fireplace, and my bookshelves overflowing with every genre imaginable.
He chuckles under his breath. “It matches you…”
My blush is warm as I drag him up the stairs.
My bedroom is probably my favorite part of the house.
A wrought iron four-poster bed with sheer fabric draping down, gauzy curtains over my balcony that filter natural light in, and my stacks of books and polished stones all lying around really add to the ambiance.
Reed looks utterly enchanted as he peers around. “Your house is beautiful.”
“Thank you,” I say bashfully. “I designed it myself.”
“You really have an eye for detail,” he finishes, trailing his fingers across one of the carved bedposts.
I laugh softly. “That’s a polite way of saying I have too many hobbies.”
“No,” he says, turning toward me. “It’s a polite way of saying you’ve managed to make a place feel like home.”
The sincerity in his voice catches me off guard.
This will be your home too.
He peeks into my connected bathroom, nodding at the witchy decor with a small smile. He takes my hand in his, intertwining our fingers before pulling me into the tight space between the cabinet and the wall. We bump against each other as he turns me around and unzips my dress with gentle hands.
I lift my hair away from my neck, an all-out fluttering erupting low in my belly as he takes his time pulling the latex down my thighs until I’m naked before him. The cool air nips at my skin, making my nipples harden.
Reed’s hand slides around my waist, only to trail upward until his thumb brushes over the swollen bud. My eyes flutter at his touch, and I find myself leaning more into him until he cups my face.
“Let me take care of you,” he murmurs.
The bridge of my nose begins to sting as I fight my oncoming tears. No one has ever needed or even wanted to take care of me…
Then again, no one ever asked to either. Which has me questioning whether I really deserve this or not.
“What’s wrong?” He whispers.
I look away, tucking my bottom lip between my teeth so it doesn’t wobble pathetically. “This is just…bittersweet for me.”
“How so? Talk to me, Thalia.” He urges gently.
I take his wrist in my hand, appreciating the warmth of skin on mine.
“My mom has said a lot of messed-up stuff to me. It fucks with my head so much that sometimes I feel…” I take a ragged breath, forcing the words out.
“I feel like I don’t deserve anything soft or forgiving. That you’re being too kind to me.”
“No such thing,” he shakes his head. “You deserve the whole fucking world, Thalia. I’m going to show you that, but I need you to trust me when I say I would never hurt you. And I’ll strive to show you that.”
A tear slips down my cheek as warmth spreads. Reed uses his thumb to dry it before offering me a fond smile that holds so much serenity in it that my lips twitch into their own. “First, let me show you how I feel.”
I nod.
He steps over to the shower before turning the handles and letting the water kick on. He tests the temperature with the back of his hand before motioning me over. He’s treating me as if I’m fragile, which is laughable considering what he watched me do just a day ago. I’m anything but fragile…
But it feels nice as I wrap my fingers around his and he guides me under the warm stream of water. He follows behind me, closing us in before his hands slide along my waist. My spine shivers at his gentle, intimate touch. My eyes flutter closed as he feathers chaste kisses along my neck.
Then I hear a cap pop, and peek open an eye to see Reed lathering soap onto my black loofah. He lifts it to his nose, inhaling fresh cherries. “I love this scent on you.”
My blush spreads as I tuck my head. “I can wash myself…”
He gives me a patient smile. “I want to take care of you for a change.”
The words settle somewhere deep in my chest.
For a moment, neither of us moves. The water rushes around us, filling the silence while steam curls through the air. Reed’s gaze stays fixed on mine, steady and warm, without a trace of pity.
“Just let me,” he adds softly.
I swallow and give a reluctant nod.
A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. He lifts the loofah and gently drags it across my shoulder. The motion is careful, almost reverent. I should feel awkward. Embarrassed, even. Instead, I find myself relaxing under his touch.
“You’re staring,” I murmur.
“That obvious?” He asks with a hint of amusement.
“A little.”
His chuckle vibrates against my back. “Can you blame me?”
Heat blooms in my cheeks, and it has nothing to do with the water.
Reed continues washing away the grime and exhaustion that seem to have seeped into my skin over the last few days.
Neither of us speaks much. The quiet feels comfortable, the kind that only exists when two people no longer need to fill every second with words.
When he finishes, he sets the loofah aside and slides his arms around my waist again. “There,” he says. “Better?”
I lean back against his chest, surprised by how easily the answer comes. “Yeah.”
His chin rests lightly on top of my head. “Good.”
For the first time in what feels like forever, I let myself simply stand there and enjoy the warmth—of the water, of his embrace, and of the strange sense of safety that comes with knowing I don’t have to carry everything alone.
Reed turns his face into my hair, inhaling deeply like my scent is a drug, and it makes me giggle as he smooshes me closer to him, trapping me in his arms.
“Fuck, is this what it feels like to be addicted to something?” he asks playfully.
I snort. “Depends. Are you about to start pawning your belongings to buy cherry-scented soap?”
“I just might. I’m sure there’s something around here that would go for big money.”
My head tilts back as my laugh reverberates through the bathroom. “This is my house! You can’t pawn my belongings.”
“Oh, wow,” he says in awe, “my symptoms are getting worse in real time. That sound drives me crazy.”
I turn to look at him over my shoulder. “My laugh?”
He smirks. “It’s terminal at this point. If I don’t hear it, at least once a day, I may die.”
“You’re ridiculous,” I giggle with red cheeks.
“No, seriously,” he shakes his head solemnly, “first it was your smell, then your voice, then your laugh, and now…it’s just you.”
My face falls a fraction as the sincerity in his tone throws me off. He isn’t joking anymore.
He brushes a strand of hair behind my ear as he stares at me softly. “And I don’t want to be cured, Thalia.”
My eyes shift between his as clarity washes over me. A feeling I’ve never known grips me so tightly that it’s overwhelming as I lean against him and place a hand on his chest, right where his heart beats and my initials are carved into his skin. “I don’t think I want to be cured either…”
He wraps his arms around me, resting his chin on top of my head. “Then let’s be sick together.”
We finish our shower, the whole time I keep my chin tucked so Reed can’t see the deep blush that’s taken over my face. He dries me off with a towel, taking great care to show how he feels in the process before taking my hand and leading me back out to my bedroom.
We don’t even bother with clothes as I retrieve the collar from my nightstand. I hold it up to him, smirking as his eyes widen at the metal prongs on the inside of it.
“Is that a shock collar?” He asks quietly.
“Mhm,” I nod.
His eyes shift up to me. “And will you be using it on me?”
I let the collar swing from my finger as my expression becomes contemplative. “Depends on whether you disobey me or not.”
This is the game. I want him to disobey—to make a move without my permission just so I can show him what Elysian really is. He won’t regret it for a second.
I see the challenge flicker in his eyes, and I’m instantly turned on by how his features darken. He steps forward, never breaking eye contact as he takes the collar from me and fastens it around his neck.
I pull out the remote, turning them both on before resting it down on the bedside table. The stakes are set, and I’m already anticipating the morning.