Page 6 of Leland

Of course he doesn’t want to be your top. Who would?

“I want to Daddy you, but you’re not ready for that and I can wait until you are.”

“Why? Why would you want to do that?”

“I want to see you reach your goals, I want to help you succeed. I care for you, Rouge. I know you’re not operating at your full potential and that kills the Daddy Dom in me.”

“You care for me?” The hopefulness in my voice immediately irritated me.

Way to be fucking desperate, you’re pathetic.

***

Leland

Rouge was breaking my damn heart. The look of hope that flickered across her face before she shut it down would probably haunt me forever. I couldn’t imagine the monsters she had faced to make her feel like she was worth so little.

Sliding my hand from her cheek to under her chin, I lifted her head and forced her to look at me. “I do care for you, Rouge, very much. I have for a long time. I hope one day you’ll feel the same about me, but there’s no pressure.”

I’d wanted to state my ideas and feelings much more confidently. It was driving me crazy that everything felt so garbled, but as long as Rouge understood my intentions and feelings, I guessed everything else was okay.

“No sex?”

“No, not during our six-week arrangement. I want you to be able to work through things with no distractions.”

She nodded.

My heart pounded rapidly in my chest and I could feel the sweat running down my back. I wanted so badly for her to agree.

“I’ve never had sex willingly,” she blurted suddenly. Judging by the way she slapped her hands over her mouth, she hadn’t meant to say it.

Her statement made bile rise into the back of my throat. Pulling her hands away from her mouth, I lifted them to my lips and kissed them softly.

“Can you tell me more, sugar?” She rolled her eyes at the nickname but didn’t try to pull her hands back.

“You know about the cult.”

I nodded. I did.

“You know about my forced marriage.”

I nodded again.

“T-That’s the only sex I’ve ever had.”

“Oh, Rouge.” I dropped her hands and pulled her into my lap. Surprisingly she didn’t fight me, but kinda melted into my chest.I wondered if this was the first time she’d ever been held like this. She seemed too prickly to imagine it happening before.

“I-I’m not sure why I told you that.”

“I’m so glad you did, though. You can tell me anything you want to about your past, or your future. I’m happy to listen.”

“I want to have sex one day, sweet sex with someone that loves me.”

“That’s a beautiful goal.”

With each bit of encouragement I gave, she relaxed a tiny bit more.

“I think it’s going to be a lot of work.”

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