Page 23 of Collars & Kittens
Olivia sighs, and her fingers pluck at the blanket on the couch as she says softly, “I thought so, but I don’t feel broken around you.”
There’s no way for me to hide my grin. That was possibly the best compliment anyone has given me. I pull her closer to me and squeeze her. “I’m glad.”
She smiles, some of the light returning to her eyes as she asks, “What about you? Any crazy exes I should know about?”
I hesitate. My marriage didn’t end well, and the reasons behind it were complicated. Still, Olivia trusted me with her past. It’s only fair that I do the same.
“Well, I was married once. We were high school sweethearts but grew apart.” I rub my jaw. “We divorced when I was twenty-seven. She wanted me to be a different kind of partner.”
Olivia tilts her head. “What does that mean?”
I clear my throat, choosing my words carefully. “”She wanted me to be a harsher dom than I am. She wanted me to control her all the time. I tried to make her happy, but it wasn’t my thing. I’m much more of a...teddy bear, as you put it.”
Understanding dawns on Olivia’s face. “Ah, I see. Well, she’s a dumbass. Who wouldn’t want your soft side?” She strokes my stomach with her hand. “You’re nice and squishy.”
That makes me laugh. Her easy acceptance of me not wanting to always be a dom is a refreshing response.
Olivia snickers. “I take it she didn’t want you to buy her stuffed animals?”
I think back to my ex and how she wanted a lot of pain and no softness. “No,” I shake my head. “She definitely did not.”
I’ve never met anyone like Olivia, and now that I’ve had a taste of her, there’s no way I’m giving her up. But there is something she and I need to talk about.
“Last night, I didn’t take you as the type who enjoyed being spanked.”
When her smile turns sultry, my heart rate picks up. She gives a tiny shrug, and her tone is a matter of fact, but her words make me burn. “Sometimes, but not always. I like the softandthe hard.”
How is she so damn perfect? I give her a gentle kiss. “Good to know.”
As I brush my thumb along her jaw and down her neck, my fingers drift lower to the edge of the collar. “Then let’s take this off you. It’s time for soft now.”
She laughs, and it’s so contagious that I’m laughing with her as I unbuckle the pink collar.
I drop it into her hands and kiss her forehead. “I’m glad it didn’t work out with my ex, though. We wouldn’t be here right now if it had.”
Olivia’s cheeks flush beautifully. Our eyes lock, and I know there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than right here with this remarkable woman.
She leans in, lips grazing my jawline. “You really are just a big teddy bear.”
I smile and kiss down her neck. “Maybe, but I can still show my claws if anyone tries to hurt you again.”
“My brave defender.”
She traces a figure-eight on my chest, and I capture her mouth in a slow, tender kiss that makes my heart pound. When we finally break apart, Olivia stifles a yawn.
“Someone’s ready for a nap,” I say gently.
She wrinkles her nose. “Maybe just a short one.”
I sweep her effortlessly into my arms, carrying her into the bedroom. Olivia giggles as I tuck her under the covers and slide in beside her. She immediately curls against me, head on my shoulder, as I wrap her in my embrace. Being with her feels amazing, and I never want it to end. I hold her close, and the last thought before I drift off is that the most remarkable woman has come into my life.
The morning comes too soon. Olivia has an early yoga class, and I have to work in the clinic. She dresses in her clothes from yesterday and sneaks out before Sue gets to work. All I can think about is Olivia, and I’m already making plans to spend the evening with her.
I call her at lunch and we make plans to have dinner tonight at her place. She jokes about how we never end up eating. Her bottom might get a soft spanking for that later.
As I’m daydreaming about all the places I want to take her—I bet she’d love the state fair, the farmer’s market, and the sandcastle competition in the summer—it hits me. I’ve fallen in love with her.
It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way, and it’s both scary and exhilarating. How did this happen so fast? Hell, is it possible for this to happen so fast? Jesus, what the fuck is wrong with me? I shouldn’t be dating her, and now I think I love her?
