Page 80 of Sweeter Than Fiction

I stand up on my tiptoes to kiss him before saying, “I love you too.”

He smiles the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. “You just made me the happiest son of a bitch in the whole world. Do you know that?”

“Good,” I tell him. “Thank you for standing up for me today.”

“I’ll do it every damn day if I need to, baby. You’re my girl. That’s what I’m here for.”

The elevator doors open moments later, and we step off, hand in hand. Don stops directly in front of my apartment door.

Feeling bold, I say, “Why don’t we stay at your place tonight?”

“You want to stay at my place?” His eyebrows raise.

I whisper, “Maybe we could use those cuffs of yours.”

Okay, who the hell am I?

I’m not sure, but I like her.

“Do you know fucking sexy you are?” He growls. “Do we need to stop by your place and grab some clothes?”

I shake my head back and forth. “I’m not going to need any clothes.”

“Christ, Abby. You’re going to kill me.”

“Come on.” I tug him toward his door. “We can come in the morning to grab my stuff, so we can catch our flight.”

Once inside his apartment, I waste no time in taking him to the bedroom. I look around at the room, so clean and neat yet warm and inviting all at the same time.

“Do you make your bed every day?” I ask him.

“Eh, sometimes. But lately, I’ve been staying over at my smokin’ hot girlfriend’s house, so I haven’t even slept in here.”

Joking, I reply, “She sounds lovely.”

“Oh, she’s the best.” He walks around the bedroom and lights some candles.

Once he’s got some ambiance going, he walks over to give me a few soft kisses. “Tell me what you want, baby.”

“I want you.”

“Oh, you’re going to get that,” he assures me. “But I don’t want to do anything that you aren’t okay with.”

“I’ll tell you if it becomes too much,” I promise him.

“Do you want me to use the cuffs?”

I swallow a bit louder than I mean to. “Yes.”

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“I want to try,” I say.

“Okay, but we are going to take it slow.”

He spends the next few minutes, removing every article of my clothing. He takes his time, taking something off and then kissing the bare skin.

Somehow, after all of the shit that I’ve been through, Don makes me feel seen.

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