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I’ve already decided that we’re not having sex today, no matter how much I want to bend her over my couch and fuck us both senseless. I’m practicing everything I know about self-control as I take her hand and bring her to the couch, where I give her Chardonnay to help her ease into her role. There’s nothing on TV, so I put in a movie. Nothing sad. Nothing overly funny. It is a run-of-the-mill drama that hinges on beautiful scenery more than it does a story.

Because neither of us are paying attention.

Kathleen is waging a war in her mind, like the first and second nights she submitted to me. I understand. Okay, I don’t understand, but I understand this is something she has to go through. Whatever she’s thinking, I hope it ends in both of our favor.

I put my arm around her. I hold her close to me. I almost take off her collar so she’ll feel more comfortable. After thirty seconds or so, however, she relaxes, placing her hand against my chest and drawing her legs up onto the couch.

This is a position she would have chosen with the collar on or not. It’s not necessarily submissive, but in our current state of mind, it is. She’s deciding to trust me. She’s lowering her guard. She’s making me feel like a king without realizing it.

Maybe not a king. More like a protective knight.

Kathleen is a fragile woman. She won’t let you think it easily, but I can tell. I can see it within her. By now, I like to think I know her well enough to know this about her. No matter how much she postures, talks smack, or glares at me, I know that deep inside she’s as fragile as any other human being. She wants to trust. She wants to fall in love.

She wants to submit.

Katie, the whole point of the final part of your training is to help you see what you’re capable of. What you can feel when you finally let yourself go. And I mean go.

It’s not enough to put on a collar two hours a week and not feel guilty about me tying you up, spanking you, and fucking you as hard as I can. You need to completely let go and put your life in my hands.

In turn, I will be testing my limits as a Domme who swears to take care of her sub.

You’re a woman worthy of taking care of, my sweet.

“How are you feeling?” I ask toward the end of the movie, my hand sneaking up her shirt and stroking the small of her back. I intend to be soothing, not sexual, but I feel her body tense, becoming alert to my intimate touch. “We should probably go to bed soon.”

It’s not even ten, but I’m tired. I don’t doubt that Kathleen is too, what with running around town all day while dealing with her mental battles. Nothing sounds better than holding her in my arms in bed, drifting off to sleep with the scent of her shampoo in my nose.

Well, that and sex, but like I said, that’s not happening tonight. I want her completely relaxed before tackling that in this context.

Kathleen lifts her head, hand against my chest. “I’m fine. Suppose we could go to bed…”

Her voice is heavy. No matter how many reassurances I give her tonight, she needs me to audibly say it.

“No sex.” I stroke her hair, so fine and soft between my fingers. “Let’s get ready for bed and go to sleep. Tomorrow, we’ll talk more about what’s going to happen through Saturday.”

Kathleen doesn’t know it, but we have a date to round out these BDSM festivities.

“All right.”

If she had asked to have sex anyway, that may have swayed me to make love to her. Except she didn’t ask that, and I didn’t think she would.

I clean up in the living room as she gets ready for bed in my bathroom. The faucet runs. She brushes her teeth and washes her face. She’s adorable in her shirt and shorts, the ponytail swishing back and forth as she dries her face with a small towel.

My hand brushes against her ass as I approach the sink. She stiffens. “Why don’t you go turn down the bed while I freshen up in here?”

She glances at me in the mirror. A flash of “Why don’t you go jump off a cliff?” is in there, but I ignore it. Be feisty, Kathleen. That only makes it more fun.

By the time I finish in the bathroom, Katie has completely turned down the bed and is about to get in her side by the window. Before she put her knee on the mattress, however, I say, “Take off the shorts. And the underwear.”

She stops, glaring at me, saying nothing. In time, she slips off, putting her thumbs in the elastic of her cotton shorts and shoving them toward the carpet. The underwear goes with them until she’s completely bare from the waist down.

I’m also in a T-shirt and boxers, my usual fare for sleep when I’m not going naked. I turn off my light and climb into bed, inviting her to join me.

She probably wonders why I asked her to get naked down below. She doesn’t ask, however. Yet I give her a short spiel about wanting to feel her skin against mine as we sleep.

I mean… there’s a lot of truth to that. I am also someone with a lot of kinky plans.

Chapter 59