Page 79 of Dominance

“I could definitely get used to this kind of spread for breakfast.”

“You’ve been gone before I wake up most days lately. What do you typically eat?”

“Coffee and … uh. Nothing?”

“Ah, the man’s man breakfast. Cigarettes and black coffee.” Gloria makes a face, trying to look mean.

“Smoking was never really my thing.”

“Well, that’s good. Just about every guy I knew smoked back home. I wouldn’t want smoking in our house.” Her expression gets thoughtful.

“Hm. You rarely talk about ‘back home.’”

“You rarely talk about…most things,” she quips, raising an eyebrow.

Tonguing the inside of my cheek I grimace at her, twitching my head as I notice something else she said. “Wait…you said ‘our house’? What does that look like exactly?”

“You’ve been there, it’s an apartment. Bachelor pad to the max. Needs work.”

“Not what I meant. Do you have somewhere else in mind for us once we’re…?”

“I mean, we could use some more space, for sure.”

“I guess.”

“Not anything crazy. I’ve always lived in tiny apartments. I simply wouldn’t mind a little?—”

“Space of your own?”

“Precisely.”

“I’m sure Dom would pony up the money for a fancy townhome if you wanted it.”

Gloria side-eyes me, pursing her lips. “I don’t want him having anything to do with where we live.”

Huh.

That’s the best news I’ve heard in a while.

Taking a final bite of a strawberry, I stretch, pushing back. “Well. Should we get this over with?”

“Our walk of shame? I suppose.”

As much as I hate to end our peaceful morning together.

It’s so rare. And that much more special for it.

Throwing on my clothes from the night before, I smooth out the wrinkles, scowling at the spatter of blood on my shirt in the mirror. Reaching up I check the scrape along my hairline.

Not too bad.

Forgot about it in the midst of…

“I’m sorry.” Gloria is staring at me from the bathroom door, looking tense. Concerned.

“It’s just a scratch.” I shrug.

I know that’s not what she meant.

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