Chapter 13
13
PENNY
If living my best life means being snuggled up in Collins’s arms while his warmth surrounds me at all angles, then I want to stay in this bubble that we’ve created forever.
He’s easily the best thing that has ever happened to me. It should be no surprise that I want to relish in his protective embrace and his expert touch.
I pull up the comforter that has slid down during sleep and sandwich myself inside, luxuriating over the simple pleasure that clean linens can bring.
Rolling over, I feel the little rush of liquid seeping from between my legs and panic at the thought of it being pee.
Oh, please no, please.
Looking down, I see the crimson stain.
No!
This is way worse.
“Penny, what’s wrong?” Collins asks, not understanding yet what I’ve done.
“I’m sorry.”
Well, that wakes him up fully.
His body is upright, as his hands search my body. I roll into a ball over the stain, shielding myself from the embarrassment that I’ll never live down, all while crossing my legs so no more leaks out.
If only this was a dream…
But life is rarely kind like that.
All this time I’ve been counting down days of our contract, hoping that I can somehow slow down time, but being careless with another important type of calendar.
Peeling me off the mattress in ball formation, Collins spots the spot .
“I will pay for dry cleaning or new sheets—whatever you want,” I mumble.
“Penelope, are you hurt?”
I peek up at him between my lashes, while I stay curled up on his lap. “Emotionally damaged? Yeah.”
Collins looks at me with such kindness that I can’t help but look away. “Sweet girl, did you start your period?”
“Yes.” My one-word affirmation can barely be heard even by my own ears.
“Look at me.”
“No.”
Gently prying my chin to face him, he coaxes me to give in to his wishes. “Look at me, Princess.”
Finally I do. Tears sting my eyes. “I am mortified.”
“I’m not sure what assholes you’ve surrounded yourself with in the past, but make no mistake… I am not some boy that gets all bent out of shape over something as natural as a woman bleeding during her cycle. So, Princess, my concern is not for some damn sheets but for how your body is coping with this time when you could be in physical pain.”
I wipe at the tears in my eyes that have morphed into ones of gratitude for a man I never saw as ever being mine. But I can’t stand the thought of him being anyone else’s. “I don’t deserve you.”
Bending down, he kisses me on the forehead, and it holds just as much intimacy in that one sweet gesture as a mouth kiss would during some of our passionate moments. “You deserve the world, Penelope Hoffman. And this world is a better place with you in it.”
I shake my head. “I’ve done nothing to contribute to society, Collins. I don’t have a college degree. I don’t put forth any volunteer efforts. I’m not running any charities. I’ve literally done nothing but find some way to force people to take care of me. It’s pathetic.”
“No, sweet girl. One day you will see what you do for others. And it isn’t as insignificant as you think. What you provide is plain magic.”
Collins scoops me up, just like he always has, and walks with me into the bathroom. There isn’t a squeamish bone in his body as I probably bleed onto his arm, as I’ve already done his leg.
I still can’t believe I let this happen.
That’s the thing with injectable birth control—some women get sporadic periods, albeit lesser in intensity. If I was responsible enough to manage taking the pill, at least then I would know exactly when I would start my period.
Regardless, I’ve never met someone of the opposite sex that didn’t shy away from all things pads and tampons—ever. He is definitely breaking down some stereotypes that memes are made from.
He sets me gently onto the side of the bathtub and busies himself getting it ready for me. I watch with awe as he adds some essential oils to the water before helping me settle in.
Collins steps out of the room and returns with hot tea, a glass of water, some crackers, and a container of ibuprofen.
“You think of everything.”
“You make me want to be the best version of myself, Penny. And caring for you is the easy part. You make it easy.”
“I’m really sorry about the bed. I’ll wash the sheets.”
“Stop worrying about something so insignificant.”
I take a few sips from the mug that Collins hands me. “Hmmm…chocolate-covered strawberry tea. Delicious.”
“Glad you like. Are you in a lot of pain?”
I shake my head. “Not a ton, but the cramping seems to be picking up. I usually get pre-period cramps to warn me that it will be arriving soon. But this time I didn’t get much foreshadowing. I should have been watching the calendar. I am one of those unfortunate ones who still get a period on the injectable birth control. I’m forever unlucky.”
Collins shakes out a couple of pills and hands them to me. “Here. Make sure you eat some crackers with them and drink a lot of water. Staying on top of the pain will be best.”
I relax into his version of pampering, allowing him to take care of my basic needs.
Sitting on the edge of the tub, Collins massages my neck and shoulders.
“You keep rolling out the red carpet for me, and I’ll never want to leave.”
It doesn’t take long for the massages to move lower, over my heavy and sore breasts that get so sensitive around this time. Collins adjusts his pressure based on the tightening and loosening of my body, using my reaction as feedback on what I like and don’t like.
My head tips back, resting against the side of the tub and between Collins’s legs that are soaking in the water. He’s still wearing his boxers.
“Is there room for me in the tub?”
It’s a silly question because we’ve spent time in the water together, so I take it as if he wants to ensure my comfort level is okay—which is weird. If anyone should be uncomfortable, it should be him with sharing the same water with me.
I nod, craning my neck to give him a smile. “There’s always room for you.”
If Collins is fine with it, then maybe I should be too.
I revel in the front-row view of Collins undressing, enjoying every ripple and flex of his muscles.
The man is built like a statue made of steel.
“There’s no part of you, Princess, that I am not enchanted by,” Collins says, adjusting himself behind me so I can sit on his lap.
My legs splay open, allowing my knees to be on the outside of his. His fingers play with my inner thighs, walking along the path upward to my core.
“You always make me feel so desired.”
“You are,” he agrees. “And I know that there are ways to ease some of the tension from your cramps.”
His fingers massage northward, getting dangerously close to my pussy.
Will he really want to sink his fingers into me when I’m on my cycle? Surely not.
Even being in the water, it has to be mentally weird.
Some guys can’t even walk past the feminine hygiene aisle at the grocery store without getting squeamish.
Yet here is Collins, possessively sliding two fingers into me—claiming me during a time in my life that I didn’t think he would find desirable.
“That feels so good,” I moan, leaning into him.
“I want to get to know all parts of you, in every season.” He swirls his fingers around, causing me to gasp. “I want to know even the parts that make you slightly uncomfortable. I crave that vulnerability, because it gives me the chance to convince your mind and body to align.” He pulls out his fingers just to push them back inside. “Your pleasure is my pleasure.”
“Hmmm…”
“We may not have everything figured out but just know that I am addicted to you. You are my greatest weakness and my greatest triumph. And I plan to savor our days together. Because I know that no matter how badly it will hurt me to let you go, it will hurt more to force you to stay.”
“But what if I wasn’t being forced? What if I want what we have created in the one hundred days?”
“It would be irresponsible for me not to allow you to fly, Princess. I have lived longer and had a chance to make mistakes and learn from them. You need that space to spread out and live as well.”
I don’t argue with him. Maybe he just needs time to realize that I’m willing to handle the fallout of us being together if it means that we get to choose one another after the embers turn to ash.
Shifting on his lap, I just try to live in the moment of Collins lazily finger fucking me, luring the pleasure I didn’t think I could feel at this moment from my body.
Resting his other hand over my lower abdomen, he massages it in a circular motion, applying just the right amount of pressure.
I moan at the loss of fingers when Collins slips his hand down toward my ass, sinking between my cheeks.
“I’ll have all of you, Penny.”
I know what he’s referring to, and I’m just not sure I’ll ever be able to get more than his one finger up in there. “I’ve never…”
“I’ll make you beg for it one day.”
I highly doubt that, but I also didn’t think having his finger there the other day would do anything either. And, well, I was driven crazy over that feeling of being full.
I allow Collins to continue to massage my most private area, toying and teasing with my backside entrance.
My body turns to mush as he caresses and plays with every erogenous zone, and I give him full access to do with me as he pleases.
When a hum escapes, it takes me a second to register it was from me. I never thought these types of touches would be able to harvest any pleasure from my already overstimulated body, but I was wrong.
Clearly, I don’t know my body as well as he does.
Collins has my mind playing tricks on me, making me enjoy things I didn’t think I’d ever consider. That’s the effect he has on my self-control.
My face twists with some cramps, feeling like the medicine has yet to kick in. Reaching for my mug, I sip my tea and then offer some to Collins.
I need a distraction, something that will help me to forget that my insides are shredding and shedding.
Detaching myself from Collins, I back up and give him space.
I can feel a wicked grin forming on my lips over his curiosity. “Up and out,” I instruct, slipping into my authoritative voice.
It’s all fake. I don’t have a dominant bone in my body in comparison to him. But this is too good of an opportunity to pass up.
I wait until Collins stands, his smirk in full-on display. Phew, he’s enjoying this as much as I am. That’s a relief.
“Now what?” he encourages.
“Butt on the edge of the tub. Legs slightly apart.” I give him a moment to adjust. “More.” I lower my voice. “You can do more.”
Collins looks at me as if I’m someone else. It’s kind of fun to keep him on his toes. “So bossy.”
But at least he does what he’s told.
I can’t help but giggle. “I am, but too bad for you, you signed the contract. Now you are stuck with me.”
“It’s okay. I kind of like it.”
“Kind of? Hmmm…we’ll see how you feel after you’re shooting your hot, thick cum down my throat.”
I watch as Collins’s eyes darken, and he reaches for the back of my head, guiding me forward gently but with clear intent—and it instantly changes the dynamic.
I had a few seconds of control getting him into this position, with me on my knees between his strong legs, but there’s no part of me that has that power now.
It’s as if I’m completely under the influence of Collins Stone.
Possessed by his possession…
And I’m not complaining.
“Open that sweet but sassy mouth of yours, Princess. Time to live up to the promise you just proposed.”
I comply.
“I can’t wait for you to fulfill the promises that you so freely offered.”
When Collins leans forward, my natural reaction is to lean back, but the hand on the back of my head holds me still.
“You’re being such a good girl.”
His thumb pets the skin of my cheek, while the other holds firm in my hair.
One touch is soft.
The other touch is possessive—urgent.
“Loosen your lips and just give me a kiss. You can give me one kiss, right?”
I allow my lips to relax and feel the pressure at the back of my head coaxing me forward. With gentleness, I place the tip into my mouth and hum around it.
“Get accustomed to breathing through your nose, sweet girl. You’re about to do a lot of it.”
The tension I’ve been holding in my shoulders relaxes as Collins takes his time and walks me through every step along the way.
“I’m going to feed you another inch.”
My hands use the backs of his knees for support as I sink my butt farther into the water to get into a more natural position.
“Eyes on me.”
I do as I’m told. And it feels fucking powerful to obey him.
“I don’t want you to think of anything other than swallowing my cock.” His hand that was once grazing against my cheek now curls around my throat, and I instantly feel my pulse quicken. “Relax your neck.” He gives it a little squeeze. “More.”
I nod and accept another inch.
“Keep breathing through your nose and press your thumbs into the palms of your hands to have less of a chance of triggering your gag reflex. Understood?”
“Yesh,” I sputter, instantly regretting trying to talk. Spit dribbles from the corner of my lips, traveling down my chin.
Another inch.
My nose starts to flare as I try to maintain the eye contact.
“I’m going to love the feel of my cock deep in your throat. You can take another inch for me—right, Princess?”
Collins waits until I take a few breaths through my nose before he decides to push me forward to go a little deeper. I clumsily adjust.
“Look at you.” His fingers tangle into my hair, gripping a fistful at the root.
I moan and tremble at the tight pain.
“Easy. I won’t do anything your body doesn’t crave.”
Steadying myself, I allow all the saliva pooling in my mouth to escape around Collins’s cock and then rock on my knees.
In and out.
Collins’s hand at my throat massages me, while playing around with the pressure of his hold.
I feel stuck…bound to him.
And I revel in it.
I want to be his good little girl.
And it’s that praise and the way his eyes darken when I push myself beyond what I think I’m capable of that motivates me to keep trying.
To keep swallowing…
And I do to the point where I’m choking and tears are running down my face.
But I keep going.
In and out.
More and more.
With my nose pressing against the skin of his lower abdomen, I keep sucking.
“Look at you, swallowing your first cock. Just like a good girl…”
I feel his eyes on me without being able to make that contact with him. And I feel like a freaking warrior.
The water around me has since cooled, but the heat running through my face and upper body is at scorching levels.
And for a second I forget to breathe and struggle to maintain focus.
My eyes cloud.
I groan around his cock and then return to steady nose inhales and exhales.
“Yes, Princess, choke on me. Give me those beautiful tears. Swallow me down like a good girl.”
And when he removes both hands from me and uses them to rest his body weight on, I know I’m too far gone to stop now.
“Now I need you to slide your mouth and tongue along the length, pulling back and then swallowing in. Can you do that, Princess?”
“Mm-hmm…”
Mimicking the motion with his hips and with the help of one hand on the base of my neck, I get into a rhythm.
Saliva drips down my chin, but I ignore it and am silently thankful for the lubrication. My jaw tenses as I work Collins in and out of my mouth, loving the low growly sounds vibrating from his diaphragm.
“Fuck, I’m close.”
I suck him in and pull myself off of him. Over and over.
But it’s his roar and the feeling of his length going as rigid as steel that prepares me for the eruption of hot and thick cum hitting the back of my throat. Some pools inside my mouth and some shoots completely down into my stomach, as I drain him of every last drop until he has no more to give.
Still thrusting his hips, Collins maintains the rhythm, lifting up off the tiled tub.
I slump forward, feeling the exhaustion from the full-blown workout.
Collins slips out of my mouth.
Reaching his hands for me, he tilts my face to him and squeezes my cheeks inward.
“Swallow,” he commands.
And I do, drinking the last bit of him.
“That’s a good girl. You did so well.”
I offer a lazy smile. Feeling the side effect of coming down from the high, my body is overcome with exhaustion.
My cheeks are the best kind of sore, and I am thankful that I could give Collins this one experience, when he has already given me so many more.
Within seconds, I’m picked up and cradled.
Taking his thumb, Collins wipes some of his release from the side of my mouth that I didn’t even realize escaped.
I laugh.
“What’s so funny?” He looks amused.
“It’s like you make my brain go to mush.”
“I feel the same way.”
He then takes his thumb and slides it between my lips for cleaning. I suck on it, enjoying the taste that is only Collins Stone.
Grabbing a washcloth, Collins wets it under some warm water from the faucet. Then he proceeds to clean off my face.
I must look like a mess. I basically feel like one.
But I just don’t care.
Closing my eyes, I allow Collins to take care of my basic needs, laughing as he places the water bottle back up at my lips and orders me to drink.
I am feeling so relaxed that I just comply.
“It’s as if you face fucked all the sass out of me,” I mumble.
“And I’ll do it again if you use that filthy mouth of yours as a weapon against my willpower.”
“Challenge accepted.”
We stay like this, in the moment, laughing and enjoying each other’s silliness.
I never thought Collins would have a non-serious side to him, so when it comes out from hiding, I pay extra attention.
“Collins?”
“Yes, Princess?”
“Do you have, um, feminine products for me? Or should I just go grab something from my place?”
Moving to his linen closet, he pulls down a bin that appears to have everything I need—and even a few things I’ve never tried before like six types of menstrual cups and hypoallergenic wipes. “If there is anything missing, I will get it promptly delivered. Just name it. I also have a heating pad for you in the middle drawer of the nightstand.”
I dig through the pile of supplies, trying to think of anything I may need. “This is great. Thank you.”
Collins gives me some privacy, and I tend to my personal needs and get dressed in a lounge set while he meanders into the bedroom.
When I join him, he’s standing at his window, looking out over the city.
So many contractual days have passed, and it feels like it was a day ago when we signed the papers. It’s hard not to draw a comparison between this experience and my time at Soulful Mind when I thought of it as wasted time.
This experience doesn’t seem wasted.
This seems relevant. Essential.
Opening his arms, he gestures to me to walk into them.
I hum and close my eyes, enjoying the euphoric feeling of contentment, while leaning my weight against the man who I never thought would want me.
He smells my hair, burying his nose in my layers. “You smell divine.”
“Do you have a strawberry-scent fetish?” I tease, wiggling my body against his to find the perfect place.
“Only when your body is the host.”
Turning serious, I lean back to try to find his eyes in the shadowy darkness. “Thank you for taking care of me, Collins.”
Sweeping back some damp hair from my neck, I feel his lips at my ear.
Kissing.
Nibbling.
Collins is making all the pleasure sensations pulsate through me on a current that I never want broken.
“I take great care of my possessions, Princess. And you are the greatest one of all.”
I should see this as a raging red flag.
This should be my reason to run.
I should demand for him not to consider me as an object—his property.
But with Collins, his need for control goes beyond the normal range.
And I am okay with it. I actually really like it.
Because if treating me like a princess on the streets and a slut under the sheets is how he takes that control…
So be it.
If collaring me and demanding me to crawl to him is how he gets his thrills…
So be it.
I’m in way too deep to back down now.
And why mess with a good thing when the universe basically delivered me the best sex of my life via a fancy contract that was signed in front of a real lawyer?
I wouldn’t dare.
I can’t mess with fate and live in peace.
And if staying months at Soulful Mind taught me anything, it was to preserve my peace.
I snuggle into his warmth and feel like I’m being lifted and carried to rest in a warm cloud.
Time passes in a funnel, and it isn’t until a fuzzy comforter is pulled up over me that I realize I must be drifting off.
“You changed the sheets,” I state the obvious. My words slur from drowsiness.
“I did.”
“They smell so good.”
Collins takes his place behind me in his bed, as I grip the blanket up to my neck in fistfuls.
In the safety of his arms, I dream of the future, when the one hundred days lapse but our relationship still continues.
As I shift, I feel Collins’s strong arm slide over my hip, up to my stomach, and then attach itself with a light squeeze of my breast. His other hand settles right into my shorts and against my bare pussy.
It is so possessive.
So intimate.
Not even the string of a tampon will keep this man away.
And I can’t remember a time that I’ve been this comfortable in front of someone.
Collins accepts me for me, mess and all.
And that is a beautiful realization.
When my mind starts to take stock of my surroundings, I hear Collins chuckle. “Hmm?”
“You’re talking in your sleep.”
I am? “What am I saying?”
“That you wish I was born with three cocks so I could please all your holes at once.”
My eyes pop open, but then I realize quickly that he is teasing. “And the man has jokes.”
Collins laughs, shaking my body slightly. “It’s true.”
“What did I really say?”
“That you want to go ice skating. Do you?”
I dart up in bed. “Hell yes, I do!”