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His ability to read Charlee and the knowledge that she was all right eased my mind. “Yes, Dr. Nelson. I’d really appreciate that.”

“No, problem. Sometimes the papers go wandering so we print two copies just in case,” he said as we left the exam room.

Dr. Nelson rattled off the typical regimen: rest, ice, elevation and pain medication. I thanked him again. Charlee was standing in the waiting room seeming eager to leave. She met me at the exit door, her body language much more relaxed.

“No break! Just a sprain, Pierce. Thank goodness! Isn’t the splint pretty? It’s purple. The doctor gave me a sloth sticker. Isn’t he cute? He’s holding flowers! I don’t know how I’ll be able to paint with the splint but…” She frowned.

“That’s good.” I didn’t acknowledge her sudden pause. Charlee could read me well enough to know I wasn’t in the best mood. “I’m glad it’s not too serious. Let’s get you home and in bed.”

“Why do you look upset?” She tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

“Medical places bring up some intense memories for me, just a bit of anxiety.” I held out my hand. She intertwined her fingers in mine. Charlee nuzzled my shoulder as we walked out of the building. She wasn’t usually so affectionate. I hoped my presence helped ease her worries. The air around us seemed much lighter now that she was taken care of.

“Do you want to talk about the reason medical places make you anxious? I’m a good listener when I want to be,” she offered an ear.

Confiding in Charlee was a safe bet. She was such a sweetheart. I doubted she would blab anything I told her, not that my story was a secret. But it left my heart unprotected. As if my chest was wide open allowing it to be plucked out and crushed. Despite the fear of my sweet friend potentially causing heartache, not explaining wouldn’t do any good for either of us. Even with my hesitations, I acknowledged I wanted to embark into a relationship with her. If she’d have me.

“Yeah, Charlee. I appreciate your offer. You’re a good listener most of the time,” I said good-naturedly.

She chuckled at my observation even with the heavy topic hanging over us.

“Right now? Or tomorrow when we get treats at the bakery? If you still want to go,” she offered an out. “You don’t have to take me anywhere unless you want to.”

“Yes, sweetheart. We will go tomorrow. I promised you confectionery delights and I’ll follow through.”

“You always do, don’t you?” she teased as if trying to lighten the mood.

“Yes to the conversation and to the trip. Dr. Nelson gave me your instructions. I expect you to follow the doctor’s orders.”

“Yes, Pierce,” she answered automatically. “I’ll do what I was told. Mostly.”

“Mostly? It sounds like you need someone to keep an eye on you.” I cleared my throat again, trying to clear the lump growing there. I had a feeling she wasn’t going to follow any of the regimens presented to her. I suddenly felt obligated to ensure she did.

“I don’t need anyone to mind me,” she sassed. “I have two eyes, thank you very much.”

“While that is a true statement, darling, you don’t sound very convincing.”

“In case you haven’t noticed? I do actually have two eyeballs. They are gray and blue with little flecks of gold in the right lighting.”

“Naughty little thing,” I said growling. Damn it . I had zero right to be speaking to her in such a way. Her eyes widened.

“I’m not a little anything,” Charlee retorted.

Since I’d spent a lot of time around submissives of all sorts including brats, I had a very strong inkling. But I had nothing to back up my wondering. Hopefully, tomorrow I'd get the confirmation I’d be seeking. Tonight though, Charlee seemed to be engaging me in battle. She seldom won. Didn’t stop her from trying.

“You’re tossing a bratty ‘tude in my direction. I’m happy to adjust it for you. Not tonight, but after you’ve gotten some rest.”

Charlee cocked her head, looking at me as if she’d never seen me before. “Physically?”

Bingo . So, my reaction was heavy on her mind. I let her stew for a moment longer. “Does it need to be physical?”

“No. Pfft. Of course not. That’s not even in the script.”

At least those were the words that came out of her mouth. Her body language screamed the opposite. I allowed the sass, hoping tomorrow would be the turning point for the two of us. “Becoming your shadow for the next few weeks while your wrist heals is my current plan.”

“I veto that plan,” she negated it immediately.

I expected her to balk but had hoped she would at least hear me out first. “We’ll talk more after I fill you up with goodies.”

“Is that what you call your–” Charlee looked down at my crotch before suddenly tugging her hand out of mine.

We flirted often but she’d never gotten inappropriate. I read into what she didn’t say. “My what? Go ahead, sweetheart. Ask me.”

“Never mind. Thanks for taking care of me tonight, Pierce. I wouldn’t have been okay alone.”

“I’m glad I was here for you, but circle back.”

“I’m walking in a straight line,” she taunted.

I had half a mind to hurry our trek to the golf cart so I could swat her gorgeous, curvy behind. But I refrained. Unless she kept poking. “You’re not off the hook. Ask your question.”

Charlee licked her tongue along her lip, darting it out and in again. Fuck . That one gesture drove me wild.

“You’re wearing bossy pants. It’s super annoying.” She rolled her eyes.

“Mr. Bossy Pants knows exactly how to deal with the Little Miss Sassy Pants you’re wearing.”

“I told you! I’m not Little anything. It’s a fucking hard limit! Don’t say it again.”

“Whoa. Hey.” I stopped and placed my hands on each of her shoulders. She dropped her chin to her chest. “Look at me, Charlene.”

“I apologize, Pierce. I had no right to yell at you.”

“Come on. Look at me. I’m not that ugly.”

She shrugged and the corners of her mouth turned up. “I want to be home in my warm cozy bed. I’m sorry for acting out of character. I didn’t mean to snap at you and I won’t do it again.”

“Look at me,” I repeated for the third time.

Charlee raised her head and though I couldn’t see every feature in the darkness of the parking lot, she was at least paying attention.

“First of all, we’ve never spoken about any sort of limits.” It was important to remind her because I wouldn’t ever ignore her limits. Push? Sometimes. But only after there was consent on both sides.

“You’re right, Pierce. We haven’t talked about them. Not a lot. I’ve never mentioned mine.”

“Thank you for acknowledging that. Secondly, I take limits very seriously. If you don’t like being called Little? I’ll refrain from doing so. Even in a joking manner.”

“I know you will, and that you wouldn’t cross a line.”

“Good. Out of curiosity, how do you feel about pet names?”

“They’re all fine as long as it’s not little something,” she explained. “I have a feeling this conversation will delve deeper into topics I don’t have the energy to discuss yet.”

“Thank you for being open and honest. Back to our exchange that you so clammed up on leaving me hanging. Tell me what you were going to say without any sass.”

Watching her glance up at the starlit sky, I waited for her to start speaking. When she didn’t, I kneaded her shoulders. I hoped the action would prompt her to continue.

Charlee sighed. “It’s stupid and it’s lost its meaning by now. However, our back and forth tells me that you’re not going to let things slide. Were you insinuating that you want to fill me with your goodies?”

Shaking my head, I couldn’t hide the laugh. She was adorable. “Mmmm. You naughty thing. You’d have to behave yourself in order to get that sort of reward.”

“So, now your dick is a reward for good behavior? Huh?” Charlee tapped her chin with one finger. “I don’t remember discussing that in any sort of detail.”

“Is the promise of sex enough to calm your sass or do you need something else?”

“As if you’d ever–”

“Careful,” I warned. “If you put yourself down in front of me, you’ll be writing affirmations.”

Implied consent was a topic we’d discussed in detail. I took the bait. If she wanted to poke me, she’d find herself in hot water. Charlee clearly needed someone holding her accountable for her lack of self-care. Especially now that she was injured. Intrigued, I watched as she firmly planted herself behind me. Sneaky brat .

Charlee leaned into my back. “As if you’d ever have sex with someone like me. Not quite a put down and technically not in front of you.”

Pivoting in my construction boots, I looped an arm around her waist positioning her firmly in front of my feet. “You’re so lucky that I’m more concerned with getting you home and medicated than anything else. But ‘in front of me’ is a figure of speech.”

“Tomayto. Tomahto.” She exaggerated the second word. “Busted my writing hand. Guess you can’t punish me, Pierce.”

“You have a cell phone. You can dictate each sentence. Don’t test me, Charlene.” I was one of the few people she allowed to call her by her full name. I used it when I really wanted her to pay attention.

“I won’t test you. At least not tonight. Anyhow, I didn’t think you were attracted to me at all. Certainly not enough that you’ve thought about having sex,” she mumbled looking down at her feet.

I took her chin in between my fingers and tilted it upward. “We haven’t talked about it, but it doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about it.” I didn’t want her to think that all I was seeking was a hook-up. “Not just sex. But something more,” I added for her benefit.

“I hear you, but I’m not talking anymore regarding what you just said,” she acknowledged.

Leading her to a golf cart, I helped her into the passenger seat. Charlee might believe all I wanted was to get into her pants. That wasn’t really my style. Sure, we were both attracted to each other. Fooling around would be fun. But I’d gone through way too much heartache. If we had sex given our current friendship, I’d fall for her even faster. Charlee watched me round the front of the golf cart and the silence stretched.

“You’re wanting something more with me, Pierce? Like making sure I’m taking care of myself and not stressing my wrist? Being rewarded with orgasms?”

“I think you’d benefit from some accountability, self-care and rewards. Orgasms don’t need to be earned unless you want them to be.”

Her tongue darted out of her mouth, wetting her lips. “Discipline too?”

Glancing at her, though it was harder to see her beautiful features in the dark, I nodded. “Sure, Charlee. I can dish it out. Have you ever had a Dom?”

“Pfft. Have I ever had a Dom? Can’t order one of them online,” she said in a mocking way.

What had gotten into her? It was a very simple question especially if we were dancing around the possibility of a dynamic, maybe a relationship. If I could find a way to trust in love again. It wasn’t that I thought Charlee would break my heart. Sure, she could. But it had been so long since someone had given me their submission. While lost in my thoughts, I navigated the path quickly. It didn’t take us long to reach the apartments. I parked the golf cart in one of the designated spots.

“Are you poking at me because you don’t want to discuss your previous relationships, Charlee?”

“No, Pierce. You’re asking for valuable insight into me, and I’m…” Charlee fretted, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. “I’m overwhelmed. It’s not you. I didn’t expect to hear anything about us tonight. Or ever.”

“We can talk about it more tomorrow. What’s your schedule like this week?”

“Every ounce of energy has been focused on getting ready for our production. Thank goddess we are only two weeks out. If I can’t use both hands… crap.”

“What is it, sweetheart?”

“Dr. Nelson said three weeks with this splint. That won’t work! I won’t be able to do all the things I need to do! No, this is a disaster!”

“Hang on, sweetheart. I’ll substitute my hands for your bum wrist. Look at me because you’re spiraling a bit. We will figure it out. Please don’t panic right now. You need to rest.”

I waited for her to step out of the passenger side before offering my hand. Charlee blinked at me like I was crazy. Laughing I moved to the other side of her hoping the silliness would improve her mood. I’d forgotten which hand had the splint for a minute, because I was seemingly as thrown off as she was.

Experiencing an anxiety attack in the doctor’s office made me realize that I cared deeply for the curvy, dramatic, theater professor. Sassy, flirty, and quirky summed her up nicely. And that was just her personality. Attraction-wise? I wanted to peel her clothes off and kiss every inch of her skin. Her dirty-blonde hair fell to her waist when it wasn’t up in a messy bun. More than once I thought about lifting it off her neck and licking a line to her earlobe. Fuck . I was getting hard from the mental image. Though she’d probably benefit from an incredible release, it wouldn’t get us on the same page faster. Or would it?

“I want to panic, Pierce. It’s like when there is a fire in a video game and all the characters run around pointing at it. They holler and scream without actually extinguishing the dangerous flames.”

“Let me help you, Charlene.”

“Ugh. Stop calling me by my full name. You know that doing so makes me cave to whatever you’re attempting to convince me to do. Or say. Or whatever.”

“Huh? Maybe I’m smarter than I look,” I teased.

She scrunched her nose up, then sashayed her ass into the building. We kept the conversation light as we rode the elevator.

“Thanks again for taking care of me,” Charlee whispered.

“You don’t have to thank me for that. Do you need a hand getting ready for bed? I’ve got two.” I held them up, wiggling my fingers. The gesture made her giggle. If I made her giggle like that even one more time, I’d be the happiest man alive.

“If I let you into my apartment, I’m going to probably toss my brat at you…”

“We are having a friendly conversation. Even if you keep poking at me nothing will happen without your consent. I’d much rather set parameters before responding anyhow.”

“I’ll be good. Oh, actually. Shoot.” She blushed, her cheeks turning a light pink.

“You are good. What’s wrong?” Leaning against the wall outside her apartment door, I made a hurry up motion. Even if I didn’t assist her further, stalling meant she’d be in pain longer than necessary.

“I have a bra on. Um, I can’t… it’s… there’s hooks. Never mind. I’ll call one of my friends.”

“You won’t. You’ll think about it but it’s late. And you don’t have someone close enough to do that for you here anyway. Do you?”

Charlee shook her head sadly as she unlocked the door. “Several people would help me if I asked. Nanny J, Sadie, Haven, a few others. But they aren’t my friends. Not really. I haven’t connected much with anyone. I’m closer to Haven now that she lives here, but not at this hour.”

I was pretty sure Haven thought the world of her, and that they were friends, but I didn’t mention it. “Let me help you, sweetheart. I won’t look,” I promised, trying to ease whatever her concerns were.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Charlee arched one perfectly styled brow.

“Tread carefully, brat. We already have a bunch of things to discuss tomorrow. I can add in some discipline. Just know that it won’t necessarily be the reaction you’re seeking.” If I were to guess, my sweet friend could benefit from a long trip over my knee. However, without delving into the topic at hand, I was guessing again. I thought I made it clear that I was dominant in my relationships, but there was more to it than that.

“Please come in, Pierce. I really can’t get this stupid bra off easily. Once the swelling and pain ease up on my wrist, I’ll have more mobility.”

Charlee bit her lip as she stepped over the threshold. I followed her, my mind wondering what those full lips would taste like. What they’d look like wrapped around my cock. Pushing the thoughts away, I admired her curves as she babbled. Charlee pointed out the things that were important to her in the apartment. The decorations were bright, unique. Bold statements while still exuding warmth. I could picture myself lounging around with her, watching movies and cuddling on her couch.

“Does ten a.m. work? I don’t have any pressing projects or a deadline other than what I’ve been working on for the production.” I didn’t add that once I told Colt my priority needed to be Charlee I knew he’d move any and all obstacles to ensure it happened. At least until the spring performance was over and her wrist was healed. She needed me even if she wouldn’t admit it yet.

“Yeah, but I’m worried about a lot of things. It’s not that my wrist is a huge inconvenience. It’s just that it will be harder to accomplish what I need to.”

She turned into her bedroom then paused, spinning around on her heel.

“What’s wrong now, Charlee?”

“I don’t usually invite men into my bedroom. I wasn’t planning on having a guest.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Let me help you with your bra. I’ll close my eyes if you want me to.”

“How can you unhook my bra without looking?”

“Practice,” I said laughing. “Turn around.”

Charlee fretted her bottom lip in between her teeth but did as I said. Reaching under her shirt so I didn’t expose her, I undid the hooks on her silky-smooth bra. I’d love to look at it, admire the way it cupped her gorgeous breasts but there would be plenty of time for that later. Dropping my hand, I worked the strap down her left arm first so I’d have more leverage for the hand with the splint. Switching to her right side, I slid the bra off completely and dropped it onto her bed.

“You did that blind. I’m honestly incredibly surprised.”

“Eh, well, it’s a neat party trick,” I said off-handedly. “I’m good at working with my hands.” She hadn’t moved out of my arms, and the closeness made me want to wrap myself around her.

“I bet you are.” Charlee laughed but for once it didn’t sound like she was poking for more attention.

“Would you like me to hunt down your meds while you get comfortable?”

“That’s okay. I’ll be okay now. I appreciate your help tonight, Pierce.”

She glanced up at me, her gorgeous blue-gray eyes sparkling as the fairy lights dangling around her room lit them up. She looked like a magical imp. A sassy, bratty imp but magical all the same.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Charlee. Your production isn’t going to be delayed. We’ll figure out a plan. Trust me.” Hugging her from behind, I reluctantly stepped away.

“All right. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Try not to get caught in your head. Get some rest, sweetheart.” She led me back through her apartment until we reached the front door. If we were on a date, which we were not, it would be a great time to kiss her. Instead, I stepped out into the hallway.

“Good-night, Pierce.”

“Sweet dreams, Charlee.”

Leaving the apartment, I tried not to get caught up in my thoughts again. When I’d seen her falling off that ladder, my heart had nearly come out of my chest. Charlee had no idea how scared I’d been. All I had been able to think about was moving faster so I could catch her. I’d failed to do so, something that irritated me. Luckily, she’d trusted me enough to handle the scary visit to the doctor without much pushback. I hoped her opinion of me didn’t change when I told her about my anxiety.

It was a dumb thought because lots of people dealt with it. The bigger issue was my hesitations about getting into a romantic entanglement of any sort. While I’d not been actively seeking a relationship, evidently my subconscious knew it was the right time.

My mind also recognized I’d only be truly happy with a submissive partner of my own, and Charlee seemed to fit the bill. If only she’d stop battling me long enough to give us a chance to prove it to her. And to myself.