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I kissed him. For once, I didn’t care what I looked like, how I sounded. I kissed Luke, pushing all my emotions into the moment. Knocking him sideways, I continued making out with him until we were breathless.
He was referring to what happened during surgery. After I handled the first brain bleed, another one that had previously gone undetected popped up. If the timing was off, if I’d been granted approval even an hour later, or we mistakenly took him out of surgery, it would have been over for him. I was so thankful for recognizing the signs at the right time.
“I love you, Sir.” Letting out a shuddering breath, I took a moment to compose myself. “It was selfish of me to only be thinking about myself. What I’d do without you. All the things left unspoken.”
“I love you. Please try not to get caught up in your head about me. I’ll always choose you, Lee. Always. No one, no circumstance, nothing will ever get in between us. Nothing. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Good.” He kissed my cheek. “Do you feel better now?”
“Yes. Can we stay like this for a little longer? I know you have to talk to Emma.” I let the rest of my unspoken fears fall away. Luke already reassured me of how important I was, but it remained at the forefront of my mind.
“We both care about Emma, and we’re going to take our time and ease into this dynamic.”
“You’ve said that, but—”
“I used to wrangle broncs; I can handle taming two brats.” Luke squeezed my left ass cheek hard. “Unless you’re doubting my ability?”
“No, Sir.”
“Good. If I have to remind you of how much I love you every day?” He kissed my lips. “I’ll do it.”
“I should have said something a long time ago, but I didn’t want to mess up our friendship.”
“There is absolutely nothing you can do to mess up our friendship.” Luke slapped his palm against my butt harder than I liked. “No more dwelling on past shit. I’m saying it for me as much as for you. Okay?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Good boy.”
Nothing turned me into a pile of goo faster than his words of praise, other than Emma referring to me as Daddy. Lying next to Luke, listening to his heartbeat as he rubbed my head, brought me a level of comfort I didn’t know I was missing.
Emma
Snuggling underneath the blankets, I sat up when Luke strutted into the room. He looked so handsome, stern, but sweet under the rough exterior. Sitting down on the bed next to me, he patted my hand. Butterflies fluttered through my tummy.
“Did you and Elias talk?”
“We did.”
“Do you both feel better?”
“Yes, darling. How are you feeling?”
“Nervous,” I admitted. “I think you’re nervous, too.”
“No, I’m not nervous, but what you brought up this morning concerns me. You said your ex-boyfriend physically put his hands on you—”
“I don’t mean to interrupt you, but I know the difference between abuse and loving physical correction, Sir.”
“Don’t interrupt me, little one, even when you have a good point.” He stroked his hand down my face, cupping my cheek. “Have you ever been spanked, Emma?”
“Yeah, but it’s been a long time.”
Before Shawn, I’d had a few boyfriends who were into the dominant and submissive lifestyle. The dynamic always left me longing for more. Shawn never entertained any of my kinks, and it should have been my first red flag. My parents abandoned me when I was a baby and it left me constantly searching for something to fill in the gaping hole in my heart. I mistakenly believed Shawn when he love-bombed me instead of realizing it was all manipulation and gaslighting. I’d never allow anyone to treat me the way he had.
“We didn’t have rules established when you trespassed into my barn and stole a pair of ice-skates.”
