AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I grabbed the towel before he could get it and held it up for him to step into. I wrapped it completely around him, locking his arms around his sides like a burrito and gave him a quick kiss. “Yes, rules. But only those we agree to…and only if you want them. You don’t owe me anything, and you never have to do anything you’re not comfortable with.” I lowered the towel so he could slip his arms out and then tied it in place under his armpits. “Let’s get dressed and we can talk about it…or we can talk about it in the morning. There’s no rush.”
The change in Jesse was instant. He went from lazily sated to anxious and afraid. “Okay.” He started walking out of the bathroom, slowly shuffling away from me.
“Jesse, sweetheart.” I picked up the boxer briefs he’d brought in earlier and held them from my finger. “Would you like to put these on?”
His eyes narrowed like it was a trick question. “Do you want me to?”
Goddammit. I was already fucking this up. I blew out a deep breath and nodded. “I think you’ll be more comfortable in these for right now. May I help you?”
He nodded and took a step toward me as I kneeled down and held open the waistband in front of him. Jesse slowly raised one foot up and slipped it through the leg hole, then did the same for the other. Without completely exposing him, I shimmied the boxers up his thighs and gently over his cock so he was fully covered. “Better?”
He shrugged, still unsure about the change in our status. “Yes, thank you.”
This wasn’t at all how I wanted the rest of the night to play out. “Okay, are you ready to go back to sleep?”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep until I understand what you want.”
I pulled him against my chest and held him. He was beginning to shiver from the chill in the air. “Okay, in your room or on the sofa?”
He bit his lip, thinking about it for a moment. “In my bed should be okay.”
“Why don’t you go get settled while I run upstairs and get dressed.”
Jesse opened his mouth like he was going to object, but seemed to think better of it and just scurried off to his room.
I didn’t like the sudden change in his demeanor.
He was obviously afraid of me now that I had mentioned rules, and fear was the last thing I ever wanted to invoke in him. I hoped to stir up a lot of emotions in Jesse over time, but never fear. I took the stairs two at a time and quickly slipped on a pair of sweats and a T-shirt.
Jesse and I both needed to have a level head for this conversation, not be distracted by whatever lust or attraction he might be feeling.
I had to remind myself of that too.
When I walked into Jesse’s room, he was sitting up in bed with Luna over his thighs in her usual protective position. Well, I tried to convince myself that she was being protective of him, but I thought she was just needy and liked to keep her litter mates close to her…and Jesse was her litter mate.
“I brought you water, but I can make you some tea or cocoa if you’d like.” I held out a bottle of water to Jesse.
“Water’s fine.” He took it and smiled bashfully, less afraid of me now. “Thank you.”
“Is it okay if I sit here?” I smoothed down a corner of the comforter at the edge of the bed.
His eyes locked with mine. “Yeah. I’d invite you to sit up here, but Luna didn’t leave much space.”
“She never does.” I sat down and rested my hand on his crossed ankles. “So, are you ready to tell me what you were so upset about earlier?”
He furrowed a brow in confusion. “My dream? I told you.”
“Not your dream. After the shower. You went from what seemed to be happy to upset and…maybe even scared of me.” I gave his leg a gentle shake to let him know I wasn’t mad. “Can you tell me why?”
“I wasn’t scared.” He was looking down at his laced fingers but then met my gaze. “I guess I was a little…worried, I don’t know why.”
“Fair enough.” I thought about how to push him for answers without breaking our fragile bond. “Was it because I mentioned rules? That word seemed to trigger you.”
He was quiet for a while but then agreed with me. “Yeah, I think it was. I was just surprised, I guess. You’re always so good to me, taking care of me and everything. But when there are rules, that means there’s punishment and disappointment. And then you said…”
He looked away, focusing on the closet door and avoiding eye contact with me. “What did I say?”
He closed his eyes tight for a moment then sighed. “Well, you said I didn’t owe you anything and I didn’t have to do anything…” His eyes were glassy when he glanced at me. “Like you didn’t want me anymore.”
