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The reprieve was short-lived, however. Beth finished her water, placed her palms on top of the table, and stood. “I hate to say it, but we need to get this place cleaned and set up for tomorrow. Then I’m going home for a nice long soak in the bathtub.”
Cleaning up took longer than usual. Some of that had to do with the fact that they were low on everything. Salt and pepper shakers had to be filled. Coffee restocked. Napkins. The list went on and on. It also didn’t help that they were all dead tired.
Grace pulled into her driveway at quarter to five, starving, but having no desire to cook. Instead, she called for pizza. She’d barely made it through her second piece before her eyes started closing and she knew she needed to call it a night.
Stripping out of her clothes, Grace slipped under the covers. She didn’t bother putting on any pajamas. Her Dom didn’t like when she wore clothes to bed. He preferred her naked and easily accessible.
She reached up to touch her collar. The feel of the metal against her fingertips—it symbolized the connection she felt to her Dom and he felt to her. Despite her jumbled thoughts and feelings, she missed him.
Without thinking about it, she grabbed her phone and dialed his number. He picked up on the second ring. “Grace?”
“Hi.” Just hearing his voice soothed her. “I wanted to let you know that I’m all right.”
There was a long pause. “Thank you. I’ve been worried about you.”
“I’m fine. Just tired. The café was slammed today.” Grace knew she was changing the subject, but she wasn’t ready to talk about them yet.
At first, she didn’t think he was going to follow her lead, but finally he seemed to sense she didn’t want to go there. “I should let you get to bed, then.”
For whatever reason, she felt a little feisty and she was too exhausted to fight it. She lowered her voice a little, giving it a seductive tone. “I’m already in bed.”
“Are you wearing anything?” His husky tone did all kinds of wonderful things to her body. He didn’t even have to touch her and already she was getting ready for him.
“No.”
The groan that came through the line had her thinking of other needs besides sleep, like feeling him sucking on her nipples while he held her hands above her head. Or him hovering over her while he filled her with every inch of his cock.
Heaven help her, but her body and heart ached for him and it had only been a day.
“You’d better not be touching yourself, gattina.” Alexander knew exactly where her mind had gone.
“No, Sir.” While it was tempting and she could definitely use the release, she would not defy her Dom. Not in this. Her body was his. If nothing else, she knew that to be true beyond a doubt. And she suspected that despite all the confusion going on in her brain, he owned her heart as well.
Alexander cleared his throat, breaking some of the spell. “I’d like to see you tomorrow.”
“I have to work.” It was a weak excuse.
“After work,” he said, refusing to be deterred. “We can go to dinner.”
There was a part of her that was disappointed. Of course, that was the horny part and not the rational part. He was right. They did need to talk—sort this out—and figure out where to go from here. She couldn’t let him go. That much she knew. “I’d like that.”
“I’ll pick you up at six.”
“Alexander?”
“Yes?”
Grace worried her bottom lip with her teeth. “Thank you for being so understanding.”
There was a lengthy silence on the other end. When he spoke again, she could hear the affection he had for her coming through his words. “Good night, gattina. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good night, Sir.”
She placed her phone on her nightstand and burrowed under the covers. As tired as her body was, Grace had some decisions to make. Alexander said he wasn’t pushing her into anything, and that, while he wanted to get married, he wasn’t expecting her to do it tomorrow.
After throwing off the covers, she went to the closet and dug out the box of Kurt’s things she’d saved. Most of it was from his childhood. She kept meaning to ask his mom and dad if they wanted them, but kept putting it off. There were also pictures, pictures of her and Kurt, along with her wedding ring and her collar.
Grace brought the box over to the bed and opened it. Everything was exactly how she’d left it, her collar and ring sitting on top being the newest additions to the box. She grazed her fingertips over the silver heart and closed her eyes. A peace fell over her and the weight she’d been feeling lifted from her chest.
