Page 64 of Redline Baby

Now I feel sick. Not actually sick.

Nervous. The kind of nervous that lives right under the sternum and keeps sending useless little electrical signals into every limb. Soren says my name.

"Kit." I look at him. "Before you come here, we're going over this once more."

My stomach drops.

"Oh my God. Not again," I say.

His mouth twitches.

"You're allowed to stop this," he starts even so. His eyes stay on mine. "At any point. For any reason. If you say stop, I stop. If you need a break, say pause. If you can't get the words out, tap my leg three times. Understand?"

I nod. His eyebrows lift. Right. Words.

"Yes."

"Good."

My stomach does something catastrophic. He continues like he didn't just nearly kill me with one syllable.

"And if something changes after you've said yes, you tell me."

"I know."

"I know you know. I'm saying it anyway."

Of course he is.

"Okay," I say.

"Pet names."

I blink.

"What about them?"

"I've called you little one before. Good boy. Baby boy."

My face starts heating.

"I should have asked sooner whether those are alright with you."

"They're very alright with me," I say. It’s so cute that he’s checking.

"All of them?"

"Yes."

He watches me carefully for another beat. Then:

"Good."

Jesus Christ.

"Anything you don't want me to call you?"

"Christopher."