Chapter 34
Mason’s pink curls are the first thing I see when I open my eyes, and I smile to myself at the bright reminder of how much better my life is now with him in it, how different it was just a couple of months ago when I couldn’t imagine waking up with the same person every morning, let alone another man.
His head is resting on my chest with one arm wrapped around my waist and a leg bent over mine. It fills me with a sense of peace that he clings to me like this, even in sleep. That he feels so safe with me even after everything we’ve been through.
I can’t believe I almost killed him.
Well, he still insists I never would have, but for a while there I was definitely considering it. Now I never want him to leave.
I’m able to reach my phone on the nightstand, and when I check the time, it’s almost noon.
Which means the package I’ve been impatiently waiting for should have arrived already.
Maybe I should let Mason sleep, but I’m far too eager to give him his latest gift, and I think he’ll forgive me once he knows what it is.
I run my hands through his soft hair, petting him a few times as I kiss his forehead. “Good morning, Pet.”
He tightens his grip around my waist, muttering, “Five more minutes,” without even opening his eyes.
“You have to at least let me get up if you want your present.”
That has him immediately pushing me away even though his eyes are still half closed. “Go ahead. I’ll be here waiting for you to spoil me.”
I let out a laugh and lean in to place another kiss on his forehead. “Come on, Pete. I’ll take you out, and then I’ll bring your gift back up in a few, Mason.”
I brush my teeth and throw on a sweatshirt so I’m not too cold when I take the dog out.
The package is waiting on my front porch, and I quickly open it to confirm everything is there before setting it on the counter and taking Pete outside.
He heads directly for the couch when we’re back inside, and I smirk at how lazy he is.
I don’t have a gift bag or anything, so I carry the sleek black box up the stairs, glad that the packaging is discreet and won’t give it away. Mason is sitting up in bed now, leaning against a pile of pillows he has positioned against the headboard.
When he sees the gift, his eyes go wide, and a big smile stretches across his face. “We love a plain black package. Did you get me a sex toy?”
I smirk, joining him on the bed. “No. It’s much better than that.”
He scoffs in disbelief. “Well, that’s a pretty high bar to set.”
“I’m confident,” I assure him with a wink. I turn on the bed to face him fully, putting the box down between us, and take his hand in mine. He shifts so he’s facing me too, his smile more cautious now as I continue. “But that doesn’t mean you have to accept it.”
“Obviously, I will,” he insists, but I hold up my other hand to stop him.
“No, don’t assume or answer right away. I want us to talk about something, and then I’ll give it to you, but there’s no obligation for you to accept. Understand?”
“Yes, I understand,” he agrees more seriously. “What do you want to talk about?”
I take a deep breath and try to sound more confident than I feel. “Mason, I love having you here every day. I love waking up with you in my arms, and I love knowing that you’ll be waiting for me when I get home.”
His smile relaxes, and he stares at me adoringly. “I love being here.”
The confirmation settles some of my nerves, encouraging me to continue.
“The time with you here has been the absolute wildest of my life, but I never want you to leave. I love having you as my pet. I love being your master. But I’ve also loved getting to know you, Mason.
You’re funny, sweet, and I can honestly say I’ve never met anyone whose mind works quite like yours.
Every moment we spend together feels like a gift I didn’t even know to ask for.
You’ve helped me figure out so much about myself, and I’m happier than I’ve ever been.
Getting to witness you paint, create incredible art from nothing, and then help other people appreciate it online has also been such a joy.
I’m so proud of everything you built for yourself, and I’m so glad I get to be a part of it now, helping with your sales. ”
His eyes look a bit glassy now, as though he’s holding back tears, so I try to get to the point. “Mason, I love you. I’m in love with you, and I need you to know that before I get to the next part.”
A sob bursts from his throat as a tear escapes, running down his cheek.
I get up on my knees so I can lean in, grab his jaw to hold him steady, and lick the tear away.
He lets out a surprised laugh, and I move to his lips next, kissing him deeply as I let my words sink in.
After a few long moments of enjoying the kiss, he pushes against my chest, and I pull away.
“I love you, too!” he blurts out, and my chest swells in response to his words.
“Sorry, I needed to say that before I got too distracted kissing you. But of course I love you, Zane. I’ve dreamed about a relationship like this for years, but I never thought I’d actually find it.
And to like you as much as I do on top of all the fantasies you’ve brought to life is just unbelievable.
You’re so much better than any of my book-boyfriends.
I didn’t think that was even possible, but it’s true.
I really feel like we’re meant to be together. ”
A smile lights up my face. I’d hoped he felt the same way I do, but hearing him say the words fills me with a kind of happiness I’ve only ever really experienced with him.
I lean in again, placing another quick kiss on his lips before I force my face into a serious expression. “No more book-boyfriends. You don’t need them when you have me. They can be inspiration for your fantasies, Little Psycho, but I’ll be the one who makes them come true.”
“Yes, please,” he agrees quickly, then he glances down at the box. “Is it time for my present yet?”
“Almost. Patience, Pet.” He sits up a little straighter, nodding as he stares up at me.
Fuck, I love his attention on me like this, the way he’s waiting for whatever I have to say, looking at me like I’m the most important person in the world and all he wants to do is make me happy.
It makes my next question so much easier.
“Will you move in with me? For real this time. I’m not forcing you.
You can say no or that you’re not ready.
But I want you here always, and if you don’t need your own place, I’d like you to officially move in with me. ”
He’s nodding before I even finish asking. “Obviously, yes. I haven’t even wanted to go back there because I didn’t want to look back.”
I let out a huge sigh in relief. That was arguably the more important question, logistically speaking, even though the next one is actually the most important to me. “Great, we can work on getting you out of your lease and get anything you want moved over here.”
“I’d like to help with the bills here, too.”
I shake my head. “You don’t have to—”
“I know you like to take care of me,” he interrupts, “but I’ve been thinking about how you’ll be spending more time at the brewery now, while also still trying to work part-time at the restaurant, and that doesn’t leave us as much time as I’d like us to have together.
You’re basically already working for my art business too, and I’d like to still do the art fairs here—I’d love your help at those if you’re not at the brewery—so I want to pay you. ”
“Mason, I like helping you with that stuff, you don’t have to pay me,” I insist.
“Well, then I want to pay all the bills here. Either way, I want more time with you, so if you’d rather earn a salary or commission for sales from my art for all the work you’re doing so you can pay for everything, that’s another option.
However you want to approach it. But I’d really like you to not have to work at the restaurant anymore. I need more Zane time. Pretty please?”
He looks up at me with big pleading eyes, and I reluctantly give in. It would be stupid not to. “Fine. You can pay me for helping with your business. But I’m still paying our bills. You can use the rest of your money for fun things.”
“Like sex toys?” he suggests, looking pointedly at the black box again.
“It’s still not a sex toy,” I remind him with a laugh.
“Fine, yes. I’m being patient. Such a good boy, really. Maybe I deserve a reward?”
I laugh again and pick up the package. I’d already broken through the tape downstairs, so I only need to slide the holds out of place to open it, but I angle it in a way that he can’t see what’s inside yet.
“I also need you to promise to consider this seriously before you jump to accept it. There is no obligation for you to agree to this, and I will not hold it against you if you’re not ready or if you don’t have interest at all. ”
Mason swallows then nods once.
“When you were in the basement, and I put the collar on you, I had no idea how much I would grow to enjoy seeing it there,” I begin, wanting to explain exactly what this means to me.
“It was a claim on you that I hadn’t earned, and one I definitely didn’t deserve, but I fucking loved seeing it on your neck regardless of those things.
When I started calling you my pet, and you called me your master in turn, it fulfilled a dark, possessive part of me that I didn’t know existed.
I quickly became obsessed. With you. With the dynamic we’d fallen into.
With the idea that I could actually hold that claim over you, that you might actually be mine. ”
His eyes are wide now, and he’s frozen in place, hanging on my every word.
I can’t even tell if he’s breathing, but I want him to know all of this, so I keep going.
“I hated taking it off you, but I think part of me knew I hadn’t earned it, even if I missed its presence every single time I’ve looked at you since.
I’d like to think that by now, you really have become mine.
That maybe I have earned that claim of ownership. ”
I turn the box around so he can see the silver jewelry inside. There’s a silver wheat-style chain collar, thick enough to be noticed from a distance, but discreet enough to look like a casual necklace to anyone who doesn’t know the meaning. Beside it is a matching bracelet.
“It’s a day collar,” I explain. “Something you could wear all the time, that still locks, and symbolizes the power you’ve given me, the control and ownership I have over you if you’re interested.”
“And the bracelet?” he asks with a choked-up tone I can’t quite read.
“It would be for me to wear. It has the key to the collar’s lock hidden in the clasp.”
He finally looks up to meet my gaze, and his wide-eyed expression still doesn’t clue me in to what he’s thinking. “Zane, a lot of people see these as a more serious sign of commitment than being married…” He trails off, and I rush to explain in case he thinks I didn’t realize how serious this is.
“I know. I’ve been doing a lot of research, and I understand if you’re not ready. I’m really happy that you want to move in together officially. That will be a huge step already. We could try out a training collar or a play collar if you’d rather—”
“Holy shit, Zane!” he interrupts again, but this time a huge smile breaks out over his face. “You’re actually asking to collar me?” I nod. “Yes. I want it. Absolutely. I hated when you took off the other one, but this one is so much better. Can you put it on now? Wait, let me just—”
He stops mid-sentence to jump out of the bed and run around to my side where he promptly drops down to kneel in front of me.
He’s completely naked since he hadn’t actually gotten dressed for the day yet, but that feels fitting for this moment.
His cock is starting to thicken, but we both ignore it.
This moment is much bigger than our lust for each other.
“Okay, I’m ready! Ask me again, Master.”
I suck in a breath as I take him in, kneeling on the floor naked below me.
He wants this. Just as much as I do, it seems. Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised after everything we’ve been through together, but knowing he wants to wear my claim over him permanently thrills me more than anything else we’ve ever done—and that’s saying a lot.
I stand as well, bringing the box with the jewelry with me, and Mason shifts so that he’s kneeling at my feet.
I pick up the necklace. “Pet, I would like you to wear my collar, permanently, as a symbol of my ownership over you. Agreeing to this means you’re giving me control over you completely.
It is not a responsibility I take lightly, and I want you to understand the severity of this commitment if you agree. ”
He’s staring up at me through his glasses, looking as sexy as I’ve ever seen him. “I want to wear your collar more than anything, Master. Forever.”
I smile as I lean down to place the chain around his neck.
Then grab my bracelet and use the key to secure the lock before putting it around my wrist. Once it’s on, I take a step back to admire the collar.
He lets out a long exhale, and his entire body relaxes.
I have the strongest sense that he’s just literally shed his stress, his burdens, and entrusted them to me.
It’s an honor to have him trust me so completely.
I run my fingers along the chain. Seeing the proof of our relationship, and the claim I have over him around his neck, is so much better this time around, knowing that I’ve earned it.
That he wants it there just as much as I do.
I help him stand and grab both sides of his face to pull him into a desperate, sloppy kiss.
“You’re mine now, Mason,” I tell him when I eventually pull back, to remind myself more than him.
His smile lights up his entire face. “I’ve been yours for a long time, Zane. But I’m so glad you finally caught up. And that you didn’t kill me.”
“I was never going to kill you,” I admit with a chuckle.
“I know,” he agrees, laughing. “That wouldn’t have made for a very good dark romance.”