26. Reed
Chapter twenty-six
Reed
Sleeping beside Thalia is a reward all on its own. We fit together perfectly, and for some reason, my slumber is much deeper than if I’m alone in bed. As the morning sun peeks through her curtains, I blink my eyes open as I nuzzle deeper into her neck.
Thalia is still asleep; her form rising and falling gently with her breaths. For a moment, I just stare at her—the swell of her hips, the softness that relaxes her delicate features, and the part of her plump lips as she lightly snores. I brush her hair behind her ear, kissing her cheek tenderly.
“I respect you,” I whisper as the air around us shifts and my hard cock grinds into her backside. “But I can’t go down without a fight.”
I roll her onto her stomach, already positioning myself between her legs as I spread her pretty thighs for me. She stirs, but she isn’t fast enough as I push inside her, burning myself to the hilt.
Her eyes snap open and a gasp tears from her throat. I don’t give her time to adjust—I fuck her hard, hips snapping forward, the wet slap of skin filling the room. My hand fists in her hair, yanking her head back so she’s forced to look at me.
“Stay still,” I growl.
Thalia’s arm shoots toward the nightstand where the remote sits.
Her fingers stretch, brushing the edge of the table, but I’m faster.
I grab her wrist and slam it down beside her head, pinning it there.
At the same time, my other hand wraps around her throat, squeezing just enough to make her breath hitch.
“You’re not getting it,” I taunt, voice low and steady. I drive into her deeper, the head of my cock hitting the same spot over and over. Every thrust knocks her body up the bed. Her free hand claws at my wrist on her throat, but I only tighten my grip and keep pounding.
I lean down, teeth scraping her jaw. “You put this collar on me. Now you’re going to take every inch while I decide when you cum.”
I release her throat just long enough to slap her cheek lightly, then grab it again, thumb pressing against her pulse. My cock drags out almost completely before slamming back in, stretching her open each time.
Thalia’s legs shake beneath me. She tries again to reach for the remote, body twisting, but my weight keeps her pinned.
I pull her hair harder, forcing her head to the side so I can bite the side of her neck while I fuck her into the mattress.
The wet sounds grow louder as her pussy clenches around me and I see fucking stars.
I don’t slow down. I fuck her like I own her—rough, relentless, using her body for my own pleasure while she struggles beneath me for the one thing that could stop me.
Every time her fingers get close to the nightstand, I yank her back, slam into her harder, and tighten my hold on her throat until all she can do is take it.
Pretty tears slide down her cheeks, and she cries out my name.
Her pussy spasms around me, making my teeth grind as my orgasm begins to tingle at the base of my spine.
One of my hands leaves her, shooting out to grab the remote to the collar.
I force it into her palm, guiding her fingers to the buttons.
“Punish me, Little Devil,” I order in her ear.
She presses the button, making the collar ignite. This isn’t some brief zap or even a tingle. No, the setting must be high, because a current flies across my pulse, making my lips part on an involuntary sound as my muscles twitch and contract.
“I’m—coming!” Thalia screams as her walls pulse around my shaft.
My orgasm slams into me with full force as the last dregs of the shock tingle through my system.
I’m blinded by the intensity as I press a hand to the center of her back and bury myself deep with a guttural groan.
Heat floods between us, dripping out of her stuffed pussy and making a mess all over the bed.
I can feel every drop and do the one thing that’s on my mind.
I pull back, letting myself slide out of her until I run a finger up her swollen cunt, collecting our release and shoving it back into her.
I watch the whole time, her sounds spilling from her as I keep everything inside.
I’m enraptured by how well she takes it all, not fussing or trying to push me away.
She’s a good girl.
And I want to reward that.
I lean forward, kissing her sweaty temple tenderly. “Such a good fucking girl. I love how pretty I make you look when I’m stuffed inside of you.”
She turns her head towards me—an absolute vision. Her cheeks are flushed and she looks utterly wanton as she pants. Her cheeks are soaked with her tears of pleasure as she stares up at me through her lashes.
“Kiss me,” she commands.
I press forward, slamming my lips to hers as we groan into each other. Our movements are slow as our pulses calm and everything settles around us. When we pull away, I rest my forehead against hers, soaking her in.
“You’ve been very bad this morning,” she muses.
I chuckle breathlessly. “I have…”
She hums. “Which means your punishment isn’t over.”
“I figured as much,” I say before nipping at her bottom lip. “I’m yours to control, Little Devil.”
She smiles wickedly. “Then let’s not waste any time.”
I’m at her feet in the kitchen, my thighs tucked under me as Thalia moves around the stove. She’s humming a light tune, ignoring my presence altogether as she cooks breakfast. She holds the leash attached to my collar in her free hand, dragging me around as she works.
It should be humiliating and degrading. It is, but I’m so fucking turned on by it that I can’t even think past the fact that she’s ignoring me on purpose. Because if she doesn’t pretend not to notice me, then she would be giving me the attention I want from her.
I reach out for her leg again, running my fingers up her bare, pale skin. She halts for a moment before returning to cooking.
“If you’re going to touch me, you know what you need to do for attention.” She sings.
I press down lower, bringing my lips to the tops of her feet as I trail kisses upward. Every touch feels like fucking heaven, and when I finally sense her eyes on me, satisfaction erupts in my chest.
Her hand comes down on my head, and she begins to pet me with slow strokes. “Good boy.”
My body shivers at her praise as my cock pulses. I look down at myself for a second, taking in the new ink that stretches along my thighs and the initials at the base of my member.
Maybe I am crazy, because seeing her mark on me makes pride swell in my chest. I’m hers. And she’s showing me that.
She finishes breakfast before grabbing a plate and a bowl from one of the cabinets. She drags me behind her as she takes a seat at the oak dining room table. She points at her feet, commanding me to stay.
It’s almost comical to see us from the outside. I’m twice the size of her, yet here I am, at her beck and call like a dog. She looks utterly pleased with herself, too as she sets my bowl of eggs and bacon down in front of me.
“No hands,” she says as she takes a bite of her food.
I roll my lips in so she can’t see my amusement as I lower my head and take the first bite.
The yolk of the egg drips messily, coating my mouth as I eat.
I can feel Thalia’s eyes on me, and that’s exactly what I want, so I keep going until I’ve cleaned my whole bowl.
I sit back with a sigh, and she smiles as she grabs a napkin and begins to dab at the corners of my lips.
“Attaboy,” she coos as her thumb brushes over my cheek.
I turn into her touch, letting my eyes flutter closed as I kiss her palm. She returns to eating, and I wait like the obedient fucker I am, pining after her attention desperately.
When she’s done, she sits back, crosses her legs, and uses her toe to tilt my chin up to her. “Wash the dishes, and I might let you off easy this time.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I swallow as I rise and gather her plate and my bowl. I lean forward, stopping an inch from her cheek. “Permission to kiss you?”
She offers her face to me, and I brush my lips along her jaw before kissing her cheek affectionately. She can’t hide her smile as I retreat to the sink and clean up our breakfast. I place the dishes on the drying rack before turning to face her.
She tilts her head as she rakes her eyes over me as if she’s deep in thought over what to do. “I need to put some cream on your tattoos.”
“Oh, really?” I ask as I scratch the back of my neck. “I’ve never had any before…”
She rises before bouncing over to me and taking my hand in hers. She drags me out to the living room before pointing at the sofa. I sink down and she retreats upstairs for something only to return seconds later with a tube of cream in her hands.
She sinks down beside me, uncapping it as she squeezes a generous glob onto her finger. Her face softens as she begins to rub the cool substance over my tattoos with gentle passes.
I settle back into the dark sofa, looking behind me at something magnificent.
Resting on the couch is a crocheted blanket with small, intricate designs of different colors, as if the yarn used changed halfway through it.
It’s bold while still being delicate and beautiful in its originality.
I’m absolutely stunned by how amazing it is…
“Did you make this?” I ask with wonder.
Thalia tucks her head, hiding her embarrassment. “Yeah, it’s not my best work.”
I blanch. “Not your best work? Are you kidding me? Now I have to see your best, because I don’t think anything could beat this. It’s amazing, Thalia.”
She glances up at me quickly, surprise on her features. “Really? You think so?”
“Absolutely. It’s so…you. I love it.” I reach a hand out to it, feeling the yarn between my fingers. “It’s like butter! I need my own.”
Something akin to pride and joy sparks across her face. “I can make you one. I have a whole basket of different-colored yarns.”
“You would do that for me?”
She caps the cream, looking away from me with a shrug. “Of course. It’s kind of my love language—” she stops abruptly, her eyes shooting to mine as she panics. “N-not that I love you or anything!”
Fuck, she’s so adorable when she gets flustered.
I lean towards her, resting my chin in my palm as I hum. “Mhm. Keep telling yourself that, pretty girl.”
She presses her hand to my cheek, shoving me away. “Stop looking at me like that!”
“But I love looking at you,” I tease as I take her fingers in mine and kiss her knuckles.
She tucks her head, her eyes screwing shut as her cheeks flame and she groans. “Stop it!”
I take her chin between my free fingers, forcing her to look up at me as I smile. “There’s my girl.”
She melts, her shoulders drooping as she goes pliant against me. Her arms fold over my knee as she rests her head on my thigh and I brush my fingers through her strands. Her eyes flutter closed, and we bask in the silence as we unwind from the scene we’ve slowly been coming out of this morning.
It feels so nice to have her on me—her skin beneath mine, the warmth we share, and just to be in her presence. It’s like being rewarded for something I never knew I needed until her.
She hums with contentment as I massage her scalp with my fingers. I rest my head back against the sofa, my eyes drifting over to the stand beside me. There, in a glass case, is something I’m not expecting. Something that sparks my interest.
“Is that Actias Luna?”
Thalia’s head whips up, her eyes wide and alert. “You know the scientific name for the Luna Moth?”
I huff a laugh, reaching out for the casing and holding it gently in my hands as I observe the magnificent pale, Seafoam green wings.
“Are you kidding me? The summer before college, I couldn’t decide what major I wanted to pursue.
I kept going back and forth between healthcare and entomology.
My mom begged me not to become a bug freak.
” The fond memory washes over me, sadness tugging deep in my gut.
“In the end, I chose healthcare to honor my parents. They died in a car crash a week before my first semester started…”
Thalia’s gasp is light as she reaches a hand out and places it on my knee. “Oh, Reed…I’m so sorry.”
I give her a small smile of reassurance. “I miss them every day, but I don’t regret the path I chose. It helps me feel closer to them sometimes.”
And I found you because of it…
Thalia rests her head back on my thigh, her eyes soft. “They would be so proud of you.”
Hearing the woman I’m falling for say something like that makes my heart twinge.
In my mind’s eye, I can only imagine if she had been able to meet them.
My mom would have loved her, welcoming her into our family home with wide arms open and a plate already fixed at the dinner table.
Dad would have pulled me aside, already a million steps ahead with how to do my proposal.
And I wouldn’t stop him either. I would sit down and listen to every idea he spouted as he waved his hands and talked excitedly about expanding our family.
They were good through and through, and it’s heartbreaking to know they’ll never get to meet Thalia. They would have loved her so deeply…
I brush her hair behind her ear, releasing a shaky breath as I fight past the stinging in the bridge of my nose. “They would have loved you so much.”
Her eyes become glassy and she quickly swipes the first tear away. “Do you visit them often?”
I nod. “I’m overdue for another visit to their graves. I like to bring them flowers for every holiday.”
She peers up at me, so much genuine affection in her eyes. “I would love to meet them.”
The heavy breath escapes past my lips as they wobble. “Please. It would mean so much to me.”
She lifts her hand to my face, using her thumb to wipe away the streaks on my face. She giggles a little under her breath before shaking her head.
“What?”
She rolls her eyes up to the ceiling to stop herself from crying. “Your mom begged you not to become a bug freak, and here we are!”
“What do you mean?”
She gives me a sheepish grin. “Rowan hates my collection…” She rises, pulling me up after her before she takes one look at our very naked bodies. “Oh, clothes first.”
I follow her upstairs, doing a double take when she offers me my old band t-shirt that I lost weeks ago.
“How do you have this?” I ask, turning it over in my hands.
She winces. “When I stole your car, I may have also stolen your shirt and used it as a nightgown…”
“Then,” I lift it over my head, pulling it down with a wink, “let me refresh it for you.”
She tucks her head before offering me some dark pants that look a little too big for me. “I think you and Atlas are the closest in size.”
I tug them up my legs and button them before shrugging. “A little loose but not too bad.”
She slips into some black cotton shorts and a band t-shirt that’s stained before guiding me back down the hallway to a lone door. She places a hand on the handle before shoving it open, and I gasp.