Page 44 of Love Lessons

His cock surged. This was what he needed. Whatever this was, this intense feeling clawing into the deepest chambers of his soul… this was it.

You have three minutes to finish up while I get us something to drink. Then I expect to see the table cleared and you ready to eat. Save your work so you don’t lose it.

As soon as he said it, his heart seized up in his chest. How would Lena react? This was another moment, like that first knock on the door, where the other side of the gate could hold heaven or hell.

She gave him another glare and then started closing books and shuffling papers around.

But.

He noticed that she wasn’t being very fast about it. And she kept looking up to check his expression, which he tried to keep stern and impassive.

Inside, though, he was burning up. He wanted to hold and hurt and comfort her, all at once. For being so perfect. So fucking innocent and rebellious and sexy while she straightened the same pile of papers again.

What was he supposed to do if she didn’t have the table cleared in time? What was he supposed to do if she did?

He walked swiftly toward the kitchen, trying to give himself a moment to figure it out. God, had he gotten himself into the deep end. He was pretty sure Lena was asking him for something. This was some form of invitation that he needed to take hold of while she was offering it.

He’d been reading a lot, but kink was such a wide spectrum. Was this slipping into role play? Or maybe some sort of bratty thing? He’d mostly focused on the physical logistics and safety, so now all he had to go on was instinct and some blog that he should have paid a hell of a lot more attention to. Did she want punishment or rewards? And how could he tell?

He reminded himself that his instincts had seemed to work out for Lena so far today. She needed attention. She was submissive. And apparently, she was a rebellious sort of submissive, which really didn’t make any sense.

But his cock and his instincts both seemed to be on board with that, so he’d just have to give it his best shot.

He found two flavored seltzers in her fridge and pulled them out. There were no sodas. She ate even healthier than he did. Another little streak of perfectionism that he wondered if he could break. Just to give her a little bit of indulgence in her life, as long as it was coming from him.

Yeah, he was realizing that his kinks were a lot weirder and a lot deeper than he’d thought.

He turned back to the dining room, still not sure if he was going to have the best night of his life or fuck it all up irrevocably.

Now that was… interesting. Lena was standing beside the table, still so sexy in that shimmery, translucent cami that it should have been illegal. He could see her erection, pressing out against that silky white fabric of her panties. And there was one folder left in front of her on the table.

He almost laughed. She must have been “putting away” those papers for a long time.

This was much too serious for laughter, though. This was Lena asking for what she wanted.

He put down the drinks on the corner of the table. Then, he moved toward her until he was standing much too close, crowding her against the chair. Put it away.

She gave him a defiant look, but her fingers were trembling on the folder. He realized that she was nervous and that put a whole new spin on things.

He wasn’t sure if she was nervous about him, about what they were doing, or about asking for what she wanted. His bet was on the last one, though. She was too confident about kink, and hook-ups in general, to be that nervous about anything that she’d done before.

He stared her down, knowing that this wasn’t the time to back off. Between that tremor and her arousal, this was exactly what she needed.

At glacial speed, Lena moved the folder two feet over to the side. There was another pregnant pause before she set it on top of the pile of books.

Immediately, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his chest and kissing her neck and forehead, anywhere he could reach.

She turned her face up to him, like a flower seeking the sun, and he kissed her dusky, pink lips hungrily. Her relaxation mingled with his own relief. Thank God he had gotten it right.

Good girl, he signed into the tiny space between them. I’m proud of you.

She beamed. God was she tantalizing like this, so needy and happy and pleased with herself. He wanted to bend her over the table right now.

But there was another part of him that wanted to make her wait. Not to mention that he’d told her earlier that they weren’t doing anything until after dinner. He had a sense that holding himself accountable to his own plans should mean something. With the dynamic blossoming between them, his words felt like more than comments or suggestions.

It was like they were promises. Like even the smallest utterance could be the cornerstone of their relationship or the wrecking ball that smashed it all down.

He gave her a little kiss on the forehead and then nudged her into her seat. Time to eat. I can’t wait to taste this delicious dinner you helped make.