Page 80 of Unexpected Heroine

After a tentative nod, she slips off my lap. Her nose scrunches up as she rolls onto her back like I requested. Although she’s hurting from her injuries, she’s too damn stubborn to admit it.

With deliberate slowness, I pull down her shorts and panties in one, smooth motion. Every part of her body clenches. Not only the parts I can see, but also her lungs, as evidenced by the way she holds her breath.

She’s fucking terrified.

Why is she forcing this so soon?

Attempting to push past my apprehension and give her what she begged for, I contemplate how to proceed. If ever there was a time to think through a plan of action and prepare for all potential outcomes, this would be it.

Before we go any further, I should ensure she knows she’s fully in control.

“Lettie, you can stop me at any point. You’re in charge. All of this is at your pace. I’m not your Dom, and you’re not my sub, okay?”

She nods repeatedly, her hands twisting at the hem of her shirt. “Got it.”

“Do you want to keep your shirt on?”

Her face contorts. “Um. Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

“How do you want me?”

Jaw hanging slightly, she crooks her head to the side in confusion.

“Clothes or no clothes? What would you prefer?”

“Oh wow. When you said I was in control, you really meant it, huh?”

“One hundred percent.”

I suspect this tactic is working, judging by the softening of her facial features and her steadying breaths.

“Um . . . I think clothes off. For you.”

Without hesitation, I strip, pile my clothing on the chair in the corner, and rejoin her on the bed. “Mouth? Fingers? Toys? What do you want first?”

“Fingers,” she starts, then quickly clarifies. “On the outside, initially.”

“Good girl. You’re doing great,” I reassure her. “Keep talking to me. It’s okay to take your time to think about what you want. If you change your mind, just tell me.”

“I will.” She licks her lips nervously, but a slow grin slides into place. “Thank you.”

“Your manners are back,” I tease, hoping to tap into some of our familiar banter. “You know what they do to me.”

If she wants to feel normal, I’ll try my best to give her that.

Her smile grows, sparking a filament of joy inside me.

Maybe she was right about this.

Damn. When will I learn to trust her to decide what’s best for herself? I keep making the same mistakes.

“If I’m starting with my fingers, where do you want my body?”

In a bratty huff, she flops her head backward and rolls her eyes. “I can’t make all these decisions.”

I skim her leg with my palms, moving up her outer thigh to her hip and down again. She drapes one arm over my shoulder, pulling me close until my mouth hovers above hers.

I’m trying to focus strictly on bringing her pleasure, but out of nowhere, a nauseating thought slices through my mind. My stomach coils into a ball of twisted barbed wire.

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