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“I’m okay,” she whispered.
“You are, indeed, sweetheart. I’m going to talk to the officer, but I’m not leaving from the front of your door. I’ll hear if you call me. And if you need anything, youwillcall out for me.”
His eyes told her even more. Mallory nodded. “Yes, sir. Just don’t leave me.” She knew she was pleading but couldn’t care at this point. She’d beg if she needed to.
“Nope. I’m sticking so close to you, you’ll be trying to shake me off before you know it.”
One more light kiss and, this time, a smile that reached his eyes, showing his relief before he turned to follow the officer out. She kept her ears tuned to Monroe. She could hear their voices, just not what they were saying.
Mallory had recently moved from a little town in Eastern Tennessee. She enjoyed being the hometown pharmacist, but when Chas, her one long-term boyfriend, stepped out of their relationship, she needed a change. She didn’t blame him. They had gotten into a rut, so it was almost a relief when he found someone else. It shocked her that he married his new girlfriend in less than two months, though. Mallory decided she could do without men for a while.
The one thing Chas did for her was to bring BDSM into her world because she would never have met Monroe without it. Chas had tried to introduce his version into their sex life. That is when she realized he was a selfish lover. How had she not known that?
They were both new to exploring the lifestyle, but it was a bittersweet reality. The idea excited Mallory, but she’d had little practical introduction except for what Chas had liked. Mallory found she liked a touch of pain, but she hadn't gone further since Chas wasn’t into helping her explore that avenue, but Monroe was happy to teach her. He was a great guide. That would have to wait, though, because she was nowhere near ready to do anything but stick close to Monroe and heal.
Mallory touched the raw marks on her wrists. Unfortunately, the binding that she had loved with Monroe brought up frightening memories from the last few days. And the couple of spankings she’d enjoyed at Monroe’s hand was still agreeable, along with the edging he had done once, but her mind was the enemy now. When she thought of an open hand, she saw the kidnapper’s hand coming towards her face, repeatedly slapping her until she stopped screaming and fighting out of sheer exhaustion. Mallory prayed she would one day get over the fear she now felt.
Monroe would not be into her now that she had these new hang-ups. He had made it abundantly clear that he lived this lifestyle and was looking for something permanent. So had she until the kidnapping. She didn’t know how long the fears would last, but in her limited experience, men didn’t stick around when things got messy.
Mallory was determined not to be a victim, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it for now. Monroe didn’t seem concerned, but he didn’t know all the details yet. He was so protective she could only imagine what he would do when he found out. She called out to him, and the door immediately opened. She watched her knight in shining armor walk back into the room, concern written all over his face.
“What’s the matter, sweetheart?” He checked the room as he waited for her answer.
“I guess I just wanted you close.”
“You have me.”
His smile reached some of the darker recesses of her mind, and she gave him a sad, paltry attempt at a return smile. He reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear, and she flinched. Monroe shook his head and swore to kill her attacker.
“You’re okay, baby. We will need to work on lessening your reaction to touch. My touch, anyway. Yeah?”
She nodded. Sorrow filled her heart. She never wanted to lose this man. He got her and understood what she needed. Now that she was broken, she needed so much more.
“I’m going to hug you again and touch you to reassure me you’re no worse than I think. Have you looked in a mirror yet?”
“No, but since I know the stages of bruising, I imagine I won’t look for another week or ten days.”
“Probably a good idea. I’m going to reach my hand up now.” He slowly palmed her cheek and eased down the side of her face. His touch was as light as a feather. “Damn, baby, this has to hurt. What about the rest of you? Where else were you hurt, beautiful? If I ever get my hands on that fucker, he’s dead.”
Monroe’s bluntness startled Mallory, and for a few seconds, she didn’t know what to say. She shook her head.
“Words Mal. I need to be sure of all your injuries. I’m already going to have a hard time not storming the jail and ripping the fucker’s head off. If I know all your horrors, I’ll mentally deal right now and then be able to focus all my attention on getting you well. Did they do x-rays of your face?”
Mallory shook her head again. Monroe had only begun to teach her about the lifestyle as he practiced it, but he had been clear that verbal responses were almost always required when essential questions were asked. She spoke up. “Yes, on the x-ray, well, a CT scan. No, in fact, except for the interaction you see here and the actual kidnapping, he didn’t touch me at all.”
“I’m going to kiss you again.” It was a statement, not a request. It was this Monroe she needed right now. The extra care was sweet, but she needed the man who took care of business.
Her lips were tender, but she wouldn’t have stopped him from making that contact with her. She needed Monroe to erase some of the horrors, and his touch, closeness, and protective stance helped. His lips tentatively touched hers again, and when she found herself leaning into him, Monroe took it a little deeper. No plunging, pillaging, and for now, that was how she needed his kisses to be: gentle, careful, present but with a light touch.
Thankfully, Monroe seemed to understand that. As he lifted up, he kissed the tip of her nose, and she wiggled it as she smiled, then grimaced. He laughed, easing the tenuously careful balance that seemed to hang in the air since he had arrived. It helped to ease the tension building and relax Mallory’s nagging worry that he was there out of curiosity, or worse, pity.
“Hurt to smile? Sorry, honey. It will heal.”
The officer walked in and informed Mallory that her “boyfriend” had checked out and was clear to visit with her.”
“Stay with her.” Monroe stopped moving the visitor chair closer to her to turn to the officer, pinning him with a hard stare. “You mean you left me alone in here with Mallory, but you weren’t sure I was safe?”
Uh oh, the Dom, in protective mode, had emerged again and this time completely without filters. Mallory had heard of what they were like, and she had seen a few in her time, but watching Monroe right now was scary and impressive. She wasn’t afraid of him, but she noted his actions and reactions to inform her of possible future behaviors. Safety was big with Monroe. Check.
