Page 64 of Bonded By Christmas
He hums. “To a degree.”
“What other kinds of things would make you happy to do?” I ask, my head tilting as I study his dark eyes.
“I just wanna take care of you. Whatever you’re open to letting that be.” It’s hard to tell with his face full of beard, but it seems like he blushes. He’s excellent at blocking things he doesn’t want to spill over to me in the bond, but I really want to know what would make him happiest.
I run my thumbs over his cheeks and smile to hopefully offset some of his discomfort.
“I think you’re saying you like to be the one in control, which is perfect because I don’t.” I laugh, bringing my face close to his. “Having to make all the choices is exhausting. I didn’t grow up in a pack. I’ve never had the luxury of knowing I can trust someone else to make sure things get handled. What I want most out of a relationship is to feel safe and supported.”
My mom did her best, but she’s an omega too. She took suppressants for way longer than was safe because she had no one to keep me during her heats. It was just the two of us for so long, and I love the hell out of my mom, but I’ve often wondered why she never put any effort into meeting a pack while I was still little.
“I don’t want to scare you away by needing too much too fast,” Grim says, drawing me out of my thoughts.
“That’s not going to be a problem,” I assure him. “Do you know what I just realized? I don’t even know your real name. I can’t imagine your family named you Grim. We’re those cliché alphas and omegas who end up bonded before names are even exchanged.” I laugh. “Okay, maybe we’re notthatbad.”
His embarrassment fills the bond, and I’m just about to assure him that he doesn’t need to be uncomfortable about how we bonded, but he speaks before I get the chance.
“My last name is Grimwald. Can we leave it at that?”
A slow smile crosses my face. “Is your first name that bad?”
He gives a clipped nod. “I’ll tell you, as long as you promise not to call me by it.”
“What?” I bounce on my knees, and the warm water laps at my skin. “I’m not sure I can make that kind of promise. What if it’s too good to pass up?”
“Little one,” Grim growls, smacking my ass.
I squeak, my bare chest falling against his. “Now I have to know.”
I’d also really love it if we could make having him call melittle onea more permanent thing.Sweetheartis good too, butlittle onehits every single one of my praise kink buttons, and I don’t even understand why. It’s not like he’s telling me I’m a good girl, but it lands like he did.
“Byron,” he mutters.
“Byron?” I repeat, pushing my lips together in an attempt to keep the laugh from escaping, but it slips out anyway. “Hey, that’s a great name. It could be worse.” It doesn’t fit him at all, but it’s not as bad as I was expecting.
A low, playful-sounding growl escapes Grim’s chest. “I will put your sexy little ass right over my knee if you tell anyone.”
“Well, now you’re just making it sound tempting,” I say teasingly.
In reality, I would never tell anyone because I can’t stand the thought of betraying his trust, but I’d love to know what a spanking from Grim would be like.
Would he hold me down with his forearm over my lower back similar to how it’s wrapped around me now? Would he praise me if I took my punishment well?
What would it be like if I struggled and cried? Everything in me says Grim would be tender but firm. That he would walk me through it with as much patience as he always has, then hold me if I needed to cry it out.
“You would be open to that?” His head tilts, and I realize he’s been feeling me out in the bond.
My teeth dig into my lower lip as I nod. “I would. I think a lot of the things you crave fit well with a lot of the things I’m interested in.”
My face feels hot, and I don’t think it’s due to the steamy water.
One of us has to lay it on the line, though.
With Callum, I have a feeling that he would have no trouble making his desires clear.
While Grim is every bit as dominant as Cal, I think he’s naturally more reserved and patient. They both have strengths and weaknesses, and I can’t wait to see the two of them really working as a team.
“You like it when I feed you by hand and carry you around?” he asks, repeating the examples I mentioned earlier.
