Page 63 of Next Level Up
I let my fingers trail down the curve of her spine, tugging her gently back into me, guiding her into my lap. She settles with her wrists behind her, her chest pressing into mine.
“You still trust me?” I ask against her neck.
“Yes.”
I drag the rope between my fingers, I make her feel it. The restraint. The surrender. The fact that no matter how wild she gets with Carter, how soft she gets between the both of us—I’mthe one who brings her stillness. She tucks her head under my chin. “You okay?”
“Better than okay,” she whispers. “I feel… emptied. Full. I don’t know.”
“You don’t have to explain it.”
Her lips find my throat. “But I like that you get it.”
I exhale into her hair. “I always will. I listen.I learn. You tell me what you like, and I’ll giveit to you. Every time.”
The moment is shattered when the door swings open, and Carter pauses in the doorway. His eyes catch the slight rope marks on her wrists first, then flick to me, slow and calculating. “Uh… everything okay?” he asks, setting his glass down, “Was that from…?”
I grit my teeth, always interrupts at the worst possible times, never missing a chance to barge in when he shouldn’t. I glance at her and I know it’s fine. She’s out of that head space now, safe and steady.
I let the annoyance slide. Everything else can wait, that’s all that matters.
I start untying the rope slowly, letting the tension in the room ease. “Yeah,” I say, voice low. “From me.”
Haven leans back into me just slightly, giving Carter a look that’s calm. “Really,” she adds, “I’m more than okay.”
Carter exhales, shaking his head, clearly reassured but still a little wide-eyed. I smirk, finishing the last knot, keeping my focus on her.
“Does that… hurt?”
“No,” Haven says gently. “It feels grounding. Controlled. Safe.”
“I guess I just don’t get it. I mean, I’m not judging, I just… it doesn’t really do anything for me.”
“You haven’t tried it.”
Haven laughs softly, crossing the room to press a kiss to Carter’s cheek. “You like different things, baby. That’s okay.”
Carter wraps an arm around her waist, but he’s still looking at me. “You just keep rope in your hoodie?”
I shrug. “Could’ve been worse. Could’ve been a knife.”
His eyes go wide. Haven chokes on her laugh
I grin. “I’m kidding,”. I’mnot.
Carter frowns. “Youbetterbe.”
Haven smooths her hands over both our shoulders. “We’ll take baby steps with him,” she teases, tilting her head at me. “Open him up slow.”
“Somnophilia wasn’tthatslow,” I remind her, just to watch the way Carter blushes.
He pulls her closer, and I lean back to give them the moment, she turns and catches my hand too.
“Both of you. Bed. Now. No arguing.”
I arch a brow.
She slips on one of my oversized tees, the sleeves hanging past her elbows, and I can’t help the small smirk.
