“Yeah, I figured as much. That’s why I’m going to tell you.”
Warm, familiar hands cupped her breasts, rolling the nipples to hard, painful points. “Let’s start with the obvious. I really fucking love your tits.”
A laugh burst out of her, even as he drew one of the taut peaks in his mouth and heat pooled low in her belly. “I’ve never doubted that, sir.”
“Like I said. Starting with the obvious. But you know what I love more than your tits?”
“No, sir.”
Something soft and wet pressed against her skin, and he dragged it along her chest, up to her collarbone, then back down. Opening her eyes, she glanced down, and everything in her went soft when she saw what he’d drawn.
“Your heart. You love so hard, baby. And as much as you try not to, you wear this heart on your sleeve and I hope you never stop.” Lowering his head, he pressed a kiss to the center of the heart he’d drawn, right over the one that was threatening to beat right out of her chest.
Emotion robbed her of the ability to speak, so she simply nodded. Apparently satisfied with her response, he moved to the side, running his hand from her wrist to her shoulder, the gentle touch settling her system again with a sigh.
“I love having your arms wrapped around me as we make love.” The marker she now saw in his hand pressed against the inside of her arm, and she watched as he spelled out the wordSTRONGin capital letters. “But more importantly, I love your strength. When I was injured, you became my rock. You gave me the strength to push forward, to believe I could heal enough to walk out on that field again next year. I don’t know if I could have done it without you, baby.”
Guilt was a knife to the gut. How could he consider her strong when she’d walked out on him the second things had gotten hard? She’d run, without a second thought, because she was weak.
Shifting to the opposite side, he repeated the process, caressing her, making her tremble with need and emotion before he set ink to skin. “At the same time, I love how tender you can be when it’s needed. As much as you were my rock, you were also my safe place to land.”
Tears blurred her vision when she turned her head and foundHOMEcarefully printed on her flesh. “Sir,” she whispered, but he cut her off with a kiss.
“No talking unless you’re asked a question, okay baby?”
“Yes, sir,” she agreed with a reluctant sigh.
“Such a good girl. Which brings me to my next point.” Kneeling in front of her, he pressed a trail of kisses from her left knee up to her hip. Need coiled inside of her and she let out a quiet groan when he pulled away instead of continuing the path to where she burned for him.
“These gorgeous legs. I don’t think I’ve ever really told you, but I love them. I love how thick they are, I love how tightly they wrap around me when I’m fucking you. And I love the way you look when you’re kneeling in front of me, giving me all of you, even when you don’t really want to.”
The next word was significantly longer, and she had to strain to see it.
SUBMISSION.
“And I know you hate the way your thighs rub together when you walk. So what if they do? You wanna know what I see when I watch you walk, baby?”
“Yes, sir.”
GRACE.
Nobody—nobody—had ever called her graceful. It was part of her secret shame, that she’d never have the effortless elegance she so craved. Something inside of her shifted and she was suddenly, intimately aware of how clearly he saw her. Pressure built in her chest, turning her breaths to shallow pants as he rose and circled her.
“Do you know what those people watching you see, kitten?” he asked as he took his place behind her, lightly trailing his fingers down her spine.
“No, sir.”
“They see what I see. A beautiful, brave woman. Giving her man the greatest treasure a dominant could ever ask for. Not just her submission, but her trust. You don’t know how incredible you are, Katherine.”
A shiver raced through her when the marker pressed against her spine. “You’re the bravest person I know. Even when you’re scared out of your fucking mind, even when you’re certain you’re going to make a fool of yourself, you still trust me. And I’m sorry I let you down, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you, baby. It won’t happen again.”
The pressure in her chest tightened. “It wasn’t your fault, sir.”
“Maybe. But the fact is, you trusted me, and I let you get hurt. Forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive, sir.”
“Maybe,” he repeated, and her heart broke at the pain in his voice. “Courage,” he announced quietly, tapping a finger at the small of her back. “A spine of damn steel. You even take me on when it’s needed, and I respect the hell out of that.”
