Page 4 of UnTrained: Volume Two
"How does that feel?" he asks.
"Good," I whisper, surprised by the steadiness in my voice. "Safe."
He makes a sound of approval, and I can almost hear the smile in his voice when he speaks again. "I'm going to guide you now. Just follow my lead."
His hands begin to move me, turning me slowly in a small circle. It's nothing complicated—just a simple movement, him directing my body with gentle pressure—butthe sensation of surrendering to his guidance fills me with a quiet joy that catches me off guard. His hands are strong but gentle, never gripping too hard, always giving me space to resist if I choose.
But I don't want to resist. I want to follow.
"Keep your eyes closed," Aiden murmurs as he continues to guide me in slow circles. "Focus on the feeling of letting go. Of trusting someone else to lead."
I exhale slowly, letting my body relax into his guidance. The tension that's lived in my shoulders for months begins to melt away with each turn.
This is nothing like the facility. There, movement was forced, bodies manipulated without care or consent. This is a dance, a conversation between his hands and my body.
"I'm going to walk you forward now," he says, his voice close to my ear. "Five steps."
I nod, letting him guide me across the carpet. One step. Two. Three. I have no idea where we're going, but it doesn't matter. For this moment, I don't have to decide. I don't have to think. I just have to follow.
"Stop," he commands softly. His hands leave my body,and the absence of his touch feels like a sudden chill. I sway slightly, unmoored without his guidance.
"Open your eyes," he says.
4
Iblink against the light. We've moved across the living room to stand by the large window that overlooks the street below. The afternoon sun filters through the blinds, casting striped shadows across the hardwood floor.
Aiden stands in front of me now, his blue eyes studying my face with an intensity that makes my breath catch. There's something different in his gaze—a heat that wasn't there before.
"How do you feel?" he asks.
I consider the question, searching for the right words. "Light," I say finally. "Like I don't have to carry everything alone."
His lips curve into a small smile. "That's what submission should feel like. A release. A sharing of burdens."
I nod, unable to look away from his face. He's beautiful in a way I didn't fully appreciate in the clinical setting of the facility—all sharp angles and controlled power.
"I'm going to touch your face now," he says, his voice low. "Is that okay?"
My heart flutters against my ribs."Yes," I whisper, the word barely audible even to my own ears.
His hand reaches out, slowly and deliberately, giving me time to change my mind. When his fingers make contact with my cheek, they're warm and slightly rough.
His thumb traces the line of my jaw with exquisite care, as if I'm something precious that might break under too much pressure.
I lean into his touch before I can stop myself, starved for gentle contact after months of clinical handling or brutal force. My eyelids flutter closed again, savoring the sensation.
"Look at me," he commands softly.
I open my eyes to find his gaze fixed on mine, blue and intense. There's something in those depths that makes my breath catch—desire, yes, but something else too. Something that looks like protectiveness.
"I want to try something," Aiden says. "But I need your permission first."
I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry. "What is it?"
"I want to kiss you." His voice is steady, but I can see the tension in his jaw, the careful control he's maintaining. "Not because it's part of your training or recovery, but because I want to. Because I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since you left the facility. But I need to know if that's something you're ready for. If it’s not, I’ll still be here for you."
His words leave me breathless. This isn't what I expected when I called him—this raw honesty, this admission of desire. I search his face for any sign of manipulation, but all I see is vulnerability beneath his controlled exterior.
