I smile despite myself and nestle closer, letting sleep reclaim me. Whatever demons Dane's wrestling with, they can wait until morning. Right now, I'm too damn comfortable to care, and too tired from being fucked so thoroughly.
21
LILA
Islide into the corner booth at Café Lullaby, our regular spot with the faded blue cushions and just enough ambient noise to keep conversations private. Tessa sits across from me, her perfectly manicured fingers wrapped around a lavender latte.
"So," she says, leaning forward with gleaming eyes. "Details. Now."
I feel my cheeks flush despite myself. "God, where do I even start?"
"At the beginning. Or maybe the middle. Actually—" Tessa grins. "Skip to the good parts."
"Mmm, it turns out I didn't need to afraid of getting a little rough." I take a deep breath. "It was... intense. Like, mind-blowing intense."
"Told you! Dane strikes me like the kind of guy who knows what he's doing." Tessa looks way too pleased with herself. "So what was different?"
I stare into my coffee, stirring it unnecessarily. "At first, he was gentle, and I could tell he was holding back. Then I toldhim we could try. He was rough. Not in a scary way, but... controlling? And I thought that would freak me out, but it actually felt amazing."
"And his equipment?" Tessa raises an eyebrow. "You mentioned something about that when you texted."
"Jesus, Tess." I lower my voice to a whisper. "The man is... proportional. Like, 'take-your-time-and-use-lots-of-lube' proportional. I'm still feeling it today."
Tessa bursts out laughing, causing a nearby student to glance over. "Girl, those are the best kind. Worth the effort."
"Have you... I mean, have you done that before? The rough stuff?" I ask.
Tessa's smile turns knowing. "Remember Bradley from last summer? Finance guy with the boat? He was into that whole dominant thing—ropes, commands, the works." She shrugs. "It was fun while it lasted."
"And you liked it?" I lean closer.
"Parts of it. The intensity is addictive."
I wrap my hands around my mug. "After Mr. Colton, I've been so careful about... power dynamics. I never thought I'd want someone to take control like that."
"There's a difference," Tessa says, suddenly serious. "Abusing the power over someone as opposed to taking control because the other person allows it. What you're describing with Dane sounds like mutual trust."
I nod slowly, processing. "That's exactly it. I felt... safe, even when he was being rough. Like I could stop everything with a word."
"That's how it's supposed to be." Tessa reaches across to squeeze my hand. "So... are you seeing him again?"
"Tonight. After my shift. He said he'll pick me up. Like he can't wait to see me."
"Damn! Hot, hung, AND he cooks? Keep this one." Tessa laughs, then lowers her voice. "Just be careful, okay? Not about the sex—that sounds fantastic—but with your heart. You've got that look."
"What look?" I protest.
"The one that says you're already halfway to falling for this guy. It's too soon, babe."
I open my mouth to argue, then close it again. Because honestly? She's right.
I hesitate, my coffee halfway to my lips, as I remember Dane's casual offer to "educate" Mr. Colton. The way he'd said it, so matter-of-fact.
"What?" Tessa asks, catching my expression. "There's something else, isn't there?"
"No, just..." I set my cup down. "Just processing everything."
I almost tell her. The words hover at the tip of my tongue: 'He offered to hurt Mr. Colton for me. Like, seriously hurt him. And for a split second, I wanted him to.' But I swallow them back.
