18 - Olive
A soft chime wakes me and when I open my eyes I’m rewarded with a spectacular view of an approaching thunderstorm through our floor-to-ceiling bedroom windows.
Brose stirs in the bed next to me, his voice thick with sleep. “Turn the chime off, Olive.”
For a stickler for rules, he’s very hard to wake in the mornings. But that just adds to his appeal, I think. That he likes his sleep.
I reach over, tap the alarm clock, and the chime stops.
“Thank you,” he mumbles, his face now under the pillow.
Wait. I lie in bed, confused. “Why does this feel so familiar?”
“It’s a dream, Olive,” Brose says, his voice muffled by the pillow that’s still over his head.
“Oh.” I smile. “I’m dreaming.”
He lifts the pillow up just a tiny bit, just enough to peek out at me from one open eye. “Wanna fuck before work?”
“If this is a dream, why do we have to work?”
“Good point.” Then he grabs me, pulling me into his chest.
I let out a soft squeal and relax. Enjoy the warmth of being close to him.
“We have to go over the rules though,” he says.
Which makes me squint. “What rules?”
“You know. All the rules. About me and you. And you and Shep. And me and CORE. And you and CORE. And don’t even get me started on Collin. I mean, that was kind of unexpected.”
“What do you mean?” I try and sit up a little, but he’s holding me tightly, so I don’t get far and decide to just relax.
“You ran right to him, Olive. Why? I mean, you could’ve done anything but that and everyone would’ve been happy. But you went right to him.”
I frown. “Who’s unhappy?”
“Well, everyone.”
“You?”
His hand snakes around my hip, slides up my arm, over my shoulder, and then slips under my chin and across my neck. “Yes. I’m unhappy about it. It’s supposed to be me and you, remember? And you just… forgot about me.”
“I didn’t?—”
But his hand tightens on my throat so quick, it startles me. I try to suck in air, but can’t. Not even through my nose.
Relax , I tell myself. Relax, relax, relax .
When I do, he eases up and suddenly my airway is open again.
None of this is weird. This is his way of correcting my behavior. What is weird is that it didn’t turn me on. It scared me. Which is a whole other shock and I realize that my body is trembling.
Brose leans into my ear. “What’s wrong, Olive? You don’t like me anymore? Hmm?” He removes his hand from my throat and places two fingertips on my jaw, turning my head so I’m forced to look him in the eyes. “Who do you like better? Shep?” And as soon as he says Shep’s name, he turns into him.
I blink, pulling away.
But Brose just laughs. “Maybe you prefer Collin?” And then Shep’s face is gone and Collin’s takes its place. “Kinda weird though, right?” His hand slips over my breast. “Being in bed with your brother?”
I gasp and my eyes fly open as I sit up. But I’m still in our room. I’m still at the estate in bed with Brose.
I look down at him, find him smiling, and suddenly nothing makes sense. “What’s happening?”
He opens his arms. “Come here. Be with me.”
But I was just with him and… it was very weird.
“Olive?”
“What?”
“Why are you hesitating?”
“Is this a dream?”
He smiles at me. But instead of seeing him the way I usually do, I see something else. I see… a viciousness I’ve never noticed before.
“Olive!”
I jump a little. “What?”
“Should I spank you? You’re being bad.” These words come out very serious. Not at all playful.
I lean down into his arms, pressing my back into his chest, and let him hold me.
He pets my head like I’m a dog. “That’s better,” he croons, his low, whispered words finding their way into my ear, making me shiver. “Now. Let’s go over everything again, shall we? Who are you?”
I’m about to open my mouth and say, “Olive,” but instead I say, “The mission.”
He pushes me face first onto the bed and parts the hair covering my neck so he can lean in and kiss it. “That’s right,” he says. “My mission is you and your mission is me. Say it.”
“My mission is you and your mission is me.”
“Again.” His voice is louder now.
“My mission is you and your mission is me.”
“ Again !” He yells it.
“My mission is you and your mission is me.”
He bites my shoulder, but at the same time he pushes my legs open and slips his fingers between my ass cheeks. “Nice. That was nice. Now you get a reward. I’m in a good mood and you’re finally being a good girl, so you get to pick your prize. Choking or spanking?”
I can’t answer, because I’m confused.
What is happening?
Where am I?
“Is this a dream?”
“Of course it’s a dream, Olive. How else am I here? You left me.”
“That’s not true! You?—”
But before I can finish, he’s slapped my ass so hard, I gasp.
“Spanking it is,” he says.
“No!” I try and get away, scrambling across the bed.
But he grabs my arm and pulls me towards him. Then he flips me over on my back, straddles my hips, pins my shoulders to the bed, and stares down at me with a crazed, psychotic look on his face that I do not recognize.
“You like it. You LIKE it!” He’s snarling these words at me. “Say it. Tell me you like it, Olive. You better tell me you like it because if you don’t?—”
Then, as if a switch was flipped, he’s calm again, staring down at me with affection and love. He even pushes some hair out of my eyes. “God, you’re so beautiful. I love you so much, you know that, right?”
I press my lips together and nod.
“Say it, then. Say it , Olive.”
“I love you.”
He smiles. “Of course you do. We’re partners, remember?”
I nod again. “Yes. How could I forget?” And suddenly, all my fear disappears. He’s not mean, he’s not psychotic, and all of this makes perfect sense. Which makes me feel stupid. So stupid, I laugh. “Oh, my God, what’s wrong with me?”
He pets my face, brushing the back of his hand down it. “There’s nothing wrong with you, Olive. You’re perfect. I should know, I made you this way.”
Again, relief washes through me. “Of course you did. Of course I am.”
Then he’s kissing me, his lips gentle and soft. “Of course you are.” He whispers this into my mouth and everything is right with my world. “You love me.”
“I love you.”
“I am your mission.”
“You are my mission.”
He sighs, sliding off to the side of me. But his fingertips slide down my stomach, right between my legs. “Good girl. Now you get a reward.” He strokes me. Slow, at first, but when I respond by arching my back and breathing heavy, he does more than stroke me, he puts his fingers inside me.
He fucks me like this and when I come, I wake up with my own fingers between my legs.