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I hummed. I didn’t want to edge him, not right now, but I needed time to sort out my own thoughts.

“And I take it you’re still interested in hearing more.”

“Maybe more interested.”

The fact made me preen. Pride swelled in my chest before I cleared my throat, trying to hide it away. It wouldn’t do us any good to have him back in teasing mode because he thought he had an in.

“So,” I continued. “I know you want your time with Cece, and probably with the other subs at Plumas.”

“Duh.”

“I already told you I don’t care about that.” With anyone else, I wouldn’t even be mentioning it, but repeating it to Jaime seemed paramount. “You’re free to go to as many group play events as you want and to spend as much of your free time with Cece as you want.”

“Kind of hard not to spend time with someone I live with,” he mused.

“Is that something you see changing?”

It was abrupt, and definitely too soon to delve into that topic. It wouldn’t be something that would happen overnight, and I was aware bringing it up might be the straw that had the pup bolting out the door—figuratively, but maybe literally, too. Yet it made sense. I’d been putting a lot of thought into it. I wasn’t new. I wasn’t under the illusion of a one true love or the idea that relationships lasted till death do you part. But I was under the certainty that I wanted this to be different. I didn’t want to repeat all the patterns that had become a norm in every other arrangement I’d set up before him. Sure, the fact that this was a queer relationship already made it different.

I needed more differences, more reassurances that I wasn’t just falling into more of the same.

“Um.” Jaime squeaked. Was it the first time he let out that high-pitched sound in front of me? “I don’t know?”

“Think about it,” I commanded.

Adding that extra layer of depth to my voice to reflect I meant business was second nature. I didn’t feel like justifying it, either.

“Okay?” Jaime gulped. “I’m not going to abandon Cece to fend for themselves.”

“Do you think I’d want you to?” I raised a hand before he could respond. “I’m not asking about the logistics of it.”

“Right.” Jaime nodded slowly. He stuffed his mouth with a few more loaded tortilla chips. I doubted that he realized, but he tended to eat like a chipmunk, stuffing his cheeks full of food before he started swallowing it all. It was endearing. “I’d be okay with it. Potentially.”

It was more than I thought he’d admit.

“What about everything else?”

“What’s everything?”

I breathed in, centering myself. He’d asked me for specific questions. My eyes darted around the establishment before I parsed through my next question.

“How much of a fight are you going to put up if I turn this into yes or no questions?”

Jaime scowled right away. I wanted to grab him by the chin until his lips were puckered and that expression disappeared. I supposed there would be time to work on his reflexes down the line.

“Depends on the questions.”

“Is that consent?”

A pause.

I breathed out. Jaime nodded at the same time as he grabbed another nacho. This one was better proportioned.

“For now.”

For now was all I would ever dare ask of him.

I didn’t reassure him of it. I had no problem in letting him squirm and wonder why it was that the idea of relinquishing total control didn’t make him run for the hills.