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"So what time do you get up in the morning?" I asked immediately. "I get up pretty early because, well, Coop demands it. But I don't open the store until around ten. I can bring over coffee."
There was a humorless snort at that. "If you end up bringing me coffee, anytime after seven is fine by me."
"Can I bring Coop? He likes exploring - and destroying - new places."
"Yeah, you can bring Coop if you come. Actually, if your and Peyton's schedules don't link up sometimes and you don't want to leave him alone, I'm pretty much always at home."
I smiled into his neck, pressing a kiss into his pulse point.
We were going to be sharing custody of Coop, I just knew it.
And, well, I was more than okay with that.
"Sounds like a plan," I agreed as the moment seemed to be done, so I carefully unfolded from him, and slid off his lap.
"Wait," he said, hands grabbing me from behind. One of his fingers traced down a spot on my back that felt over-heated, sensitive, a spot I knew had lash marks. He pulled me back slightly, and the next thing I felt was his lips pressing near the marks.
That, well, it did all sorts of fluttery things to my belly.
When I pulled away again, I snatched my pants and panties, dragging them up carefully. There were marks on the backs of my legs, but they just gave me a slight rug burn sensation as the material moved over them. My butt? Well, that definitely was sore. Sitting was going to be interesting.
"Yeah, that's not gonna happen," Eli said, taking my bra out of my hand.
"I'm at work. I have to wear a bra."
"At a sex store? That you own? I'm pretty sure you can get away with a little nipple action, sweetheart," he said, putting the bra on the table. "Here, let me help with that," he demanded as I started bunching up my shirt to put on. "Arms up."
My arms went up, and he oh-so-carefully pulled the material down them, my head, and then over my torso, holding it outward so it didn't scrape my back.
And, okay, fine.
I totally leaned back into him slightly.
What can I say, his anger might have been molten, but his sweet was like a liquid salve, soothing it all over.
"You should probably get back to work. Someone might need to mull over the cock ring selection like it is a life or death choice again."
I chuckled at that, knowing he was right. I had to get back to work. But also a little annoyed that real life had to get in the way of what was between us.
"Alright. So text me your address when you have a minute," I agreed as we started walking through to the store.
"Will do," he agreed, but the tone in which he said it made me think I was going to have to text him first and demand it.
"Black?" I asked. "For your coffee when I see you tomorrow," I called to him as he unlocked the door.
"Yeah, I take it black. For if I see you tomorrow."
"When," I corrected.
He turned back to me, eyes just completely wrecked.
"If."
With that, he was gone.
And I had the strange sensation of being gutted.
He genuinely did think that badly about himself.
And that was a damn sin for someone who had shown me kindness, humor, intellect, loyalty, and generosity.
Sure, I had seen a bit of the dark side; I could understand how that level of rage was dangerous in the wrong situation. But he had been able to control it, to harness it. If maybe he joined a boxing gym or something like that, he could control it even better.
He wasn't the monster he seemed to view himself as.
And he did.
He had the same resigned unhappiness of Bruce Banner who knew there was no controlling The Hulk.
I took a deep breath, moving back through the door behind the counter, and slipping into the bathroom. I jacked up my shirt, looking over my shoulder at my reflection.
And I had to honestly say, it looked a lot worse than it felt. My skin was pale and thin and sensitive. I got burns if I used anything but ultra-sensitive soap. So it didn't surprise me that the marks were vivid red, raised, and almost bloody-looking at the ends. I knew me. I healed fast. Once I got home, took a cool, soothing shower, and maybe had my sister rub some aloe on it, the swelling would go down, as would some of the redness.
By tomorrow morning, it would look like we just had a light, gentle flogging session.
Then he would see that he was overreacting.
There was no if about it.TENEliWhat the fuck was wrong with me?
I hadn't done enough bad shit in my life, I had to go and mark up the one little bit of good I had going for me? I had to drag her down into my darkness with me?
