Page 24

-MALCOLM-

IT COMESout of the blue. One second, I’m coming down from the high of my climax, and the next my back’s to the tree I just had North up against, and he’s kissing me like he’s got a personal vendetta against my mouth. I’m so surprised that for a moment I forget how to breathe and just stare at his face.

He lets out a sigh and works my lips open with his, pushing his tongue inside my mouth. I’m frozen on the spot.

I’ve stripped him naked, fucked him with a dildo, edged him with a vibrating butt plug. I’ve put my dick in his mouth, in his asshole . . . but that was just sex. This, this is something else. And it’s something I don’t want. Something I can’t have. This feels too intimate. An alarm sounds in my head to push him off, back away.

But this is part of our deal, this is what I agreed to—one kiss a day. So I can’t.

I fist my hands at my sides to stop myself from grabbing onto him like a drowning man and try to keep my breathing even. Can he feel how hard my pulse is racing? I don’t want him to know he has the power to make me react like this with something as stupidly pathetic as a fucking kiss. When he pulls away he’s smiling that big dumb puppy dog smile, and his lips are wet and pink.

What do I do now? I feel completely off-kilter, like he’s tipped my world up on its axis. I had a whole day planned out, but now my head feels empty, and I feel loose and weirdly bubbly.

His smile dims, sensing something’s not right. He looks like he’s about to ask me if I’m ok, so I speak quickly before he can.

“Go back to the house,” I say, fishing the keys out of my pocket and holding them out to him.

He frowns, and that puppy dog smile drops completely. “Huh?”

“I said go back.”

“Why?” he says.

I grit my teeth. “Why is it so hard for you to understand the concept of doing what I say without questioning me?” I snap, completely on edge. “I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

He watches me, unsure. He’s looking for some kind of clue for my sudden mood change, but I’ve got my mask up again and he won’t see anything that I don’t want him to. I won’t let him.

“Ok, well, should I just wait there for you?”

I relax a little. “Yeah. Shower off. I want you clean and naked when I get back, wearing your collar.”

That makes him flush red. “Ok.”

I let out a breath. That was close. I don’t want to scare him off again. If I’m going to own him completely I need to take a slightly softer approach than before, otherwise he might get mad again and call it off. The thought of that makes my stomach twist, and I push the feeling away.

He shoots me a small, uncertain smile and heads back the way we came. I watch him until he disappears through the trees, then un-tense. I lean back against the tree and push a hand through my hair. Shit. I’m not sure what just happened, but I can’t let it happen again.

I push off the tree and keep on running, my mind racing along with me.

No, I’m fine. North isn’t the only one who’s been working hard all week. I’m just tired. That’s all it is.

I just need a little bit of a break from him, to make sure my head’s on straight and I don’t make any stupid mistakes. Like actually fall for him.