“Yes, the kinky hokey-pokey.” I cuddled back into him, glad it felt natural to have him hold me like that. “So there’s nothing for Eli to worry about. Well, nothing unless he offers me another glass of that high octane slushy. No more of those.”
Preston laughed. “How about you stop by the office later this week and just happen to run into him? That might go a long way in making him feel a little less like an asshole.”
I leaned back and gave Preston a teasing smile. “So I’m the one who’s dragged out of the closet, but he needs comforting, sounds fishy.”
Grinning because he realized how insane it was, he nodded. “I’ll comfort you all you want, but a sad Eli is difficult to deal with, and you don’t want to torture me, do you? I wasn’t the one who got you drunk.”
“Well, from what I heard, you were the one who encouraged them to take me out.” I nodded slowly. “So maybe this is all your fault.”
He laughed. “Oh no, we’re still blaming Eli for this. It will be good ammo for years.”
Shaking my head, I curled back against him. “Okay, we’ll blame Eli.”
“But you’ll stop by?” Preston cleared his throat. “We’ve got a shoot tomorrow, and at the rate he’s going, sexy is the last thing I would use to describe Eli.”
Barking out a laugh, I leaned back and smacked his arm teasingly. “So that’s your plan, huh? You just want your drama queen back for the photo shoot.”
Preston tried to look innocent, but he didn’t do it very well. “Of course not.”
Grinning, he leaned down and kissed my lips tenderly. “Would I do something like that to my boyfriend? I just want to see him stop moping.”
“Suuure.” I dragged the word out, still smiling. “You just want me to come see your friend and make him happy again. That’s it.”
Part of me wanted to tease him that I could be bribed into it, but the sexually charged words wouldn’t come out. Instead of letting myself get frustrated, I tried to remind myself how far I’d come. Even weeks ago, I’d never have imagined Preston holding me this way or him knowing everything he did about me.
He kissed me again, a light peck that hinted at more to come. “Of course, I’m completely innocent and sweet.”
That made me laugh. “Yes, that’s exactly how I’d describe you.”
As he held me in his arms, I felt like an entirely different person than I had a year ago. I just wasn’t sure if it was different enough that I’d be able to tell him what I wanted. There was a huge difference between being able to kiss him without blushing and stammering and being able to tell him I wanted to be spanked and to submit.
Preston hugged me tighter and one hand ran through my hair and down my neck. “How about we eat before the food gets cold?”
“Sounds perfect.” I closed my eyes for just a moment and soaked up his touch and the warm smell that I always associated with him.
A finger trailed over my ear and down my neck, making me shiver. “And then we’ll see where the evening takes us.”
I nodded slowly against his shoulder and he chuckled. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
I couldn’t decide if it was an order or just his way of telling me he wanted to make sure we were on the same page, but it made my cock start to harden anyway. That didn’t make it easier to answer the order, though. “I…”
I swallowed and tried again, still tucked against his body. “I’m hoping I don’t chicken out.”
He chuckled but hugged me tightly. “Would you feel better if I pushed you if you seem to bechickening out?”
My heart stopped for a moment. “And I’d get…a safeword?”
Fuck.
“Yes. You can pick out something specific or we can just use the stoplight colors.” His even tone said he thought the conversation was perfectly ordinary even though his hold on me said he knew how hard it would be for me.
I needed a safeword.
Just the idea made me lightheaded. I’d been waiting so long for someone to see through my awkward, shy exterior. Now that it was finally happening, it felt like the world was shifting, and all I could do was hold on.
“Stoplight words.” I’d said it.
Incredible.
