Page 59 of The Toy Maker

TWENTY-ONE

“Green.”The only word I could make out before my heartbeat drowned out everything else.

He has green eyes. A shade of dark pine focused on my stunned expression.

I shifted under the sheets, trying to act casual, but my nerves were impossible to hide. His attention, solely focused on me, sent waves of adrenaline through my body. The smirk curling his lips told me what I already knew: he wasn’t buying the act.

“Is that what your dream was about?” he asked. He was enjoying this far too much.

But there was no point in lying anymore. “Yes.”

Jason slipped out of bed and glanced over my body, his eyes sliding over my exposed skin. I swallowed down the urge to lunge and demand he fuck me against the wall as hard as possible.

Finally, he took a seat at his desk. Piles of half-finished projects sat on top of it and threatened to topple over at any moment.

Waiting for acknowledgment drove me up the same wall I dreamed of him pinning me against.

The ceiling fan groaned with every slow spin, filling the silence.

Before I could come to my senses, he spoke, “Breakfast?”

My mind blanked. “What?”

“Do you want breakfast?” Jason’s back faced me as he fiddled with a toy.

“Sure.” I hesitated. “That’d be nice.”What time is it?

Jason ordered the food and made small talk about the weather while we waited. Once breakfast arrived via delivery man, he cleared off a nearby table for the food. I watched him lay everything out before he invited me over.

I sat down but continued to watch him from the corner of my eye. His soft smile and uncombed bedhead were enough to make any girl melt. I struggled to avoid asking why he hadn’t mentioned my submission since it happened. Was he not in the mood? Did I have morning breath?

Maybe he wasn’t interested anymore but was too polite to say so.

Oh God.I pushed the unsettling idea to the side, and we each grabbed the food that looked most desirable to us. I picked an omelet accompanied by a bagel while Jason opted for eggs sunny side up.

I ate in suspicion of his motives. I shouldn’t have expected any action before I took a shower. Keeping my head down and avoiding his eyes, I silently crafted an escape plan.

When we finished, he cleared the table and sat back down in front of me.

“So,” he started, “if you’re serious about being mine for two months, then I want to discuss it with you first.”

My eyes caught on the shallow dimple near his smile. It was distracting, but I nodded, unsure of what else to do.

“When you’re with me, I’m in charge.” Jason met my gaze, and a weird sense of déjà vu hit me. “But that doesn’t mean you won’t have a say in what happens to you.”

I furrowed my eyebrows. That seemed counterintuitive.

He noticed and leaned forward slightly, his voice softening as he explained, “I want you to feel comfortable and for this to be a pleasant experience for you. So, if you’ll submit to me, I’ll do everything in my power to keep it that way.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out.

“If you have any concerns or limits, then I expect you to tell me about them,” Jason added. “Is there anything you want to talk about?”

I didn’t know how to respond. Everything about him put me on edge, but there was something strangely reassuring about the way he spoke, like he genuinely cared. I shook off my disbelief and forced myself to say something, “I don’t want anyone to know about this.”

Jason’s understanding smile sent shivers down my spine. “Anything else?” he asked.

I shook my head and forced myself to stop fidgeting with the hem of my shirt.