Page 23 of Learning to Trust

Leon laughed and slapped my shoulder. “You are so made to be a Sub. Come on, let's go."

I set the security alarm, locked the door, and followed Leon next door. I felt nervous about seeing Andrew after the way I'd behaved.

***

Leon opened the door and stepped back, waiting while I walked inside Andrew's home. Hearing voices from the kitchen, I swallowed my nerves and headed in that direction.

Andrew was seated, drinking what looked like coffee, while the other men had shot glasses of whiskey, if the half-empty bottle in the center of the table was any indication. When he heard movement from the doorway, he turned, and his eyes widened in surprise.

Andrew pushed to his feet but didn't come toward me; instead, his arms opened wide, and I rushed into them. He folded his arms around me, I rested my head against his chest, and while one hand caressed my back, I mumbled sorry over and over.

“Shh, it’s okay.”

I heard the scraping of chair legs on the floor and turned my head to see Andrew's friends leaving. Leon gave me a reassuring wink.

“I didn’t mean to chase your friends away.”

“They know we need to talk. Drink?”

“No, thank you.”

“Let’s sit in the living room where it’s more comfortable.”

Andrew wrapped one arm around my waist, and when we reached the couch, he sat and pulled me onto his lap. The pain in my ass caused me to groan, and Andrew hugged me close.

“Would you rather sit on the couch?”

“No. I need you to hold me for a while.”

"Tell me, what's going on with you? I thought you enjoyed the club."

"I did, but you were so angry."

Andrew kissed my cheek. “Baby, I wasn’t angry. It’s—how can I explain? It’s how I am as a Dom. It’s like a different persona, but not anger.”

"Leon explained. I thought you were furious that I didn't trust in you enough to give you control and obey your instructions. I read that a Dom expects trust from his Sub at all times. Trust that they will look after you. Trust in his ability to do what is right for your body."

“Baby, listen to me carefully.”

I fixed my eyes on Andrew’s.

"Do I need you to have trust in me? Yes. It's vital for our arrangement, no matter how casual. You're just coming out of a messy breakup where your trust was broken, and your emotions are raw. I have to earn your trust as much as you have to earn mine. This won't work if you run whenever you think something is wrong. It's vital you talk to me because I can't help you understand if you don't."

"I understand and I'm sorry I behaved like a weak child with no backbone. I'm tired, Sir. I want to trust a man who won't betray me when someone else comes along."

“You aren’t weak, and if you didn’t have a backbone, you wouldn’t be about to quit your job and start out on your own. If you can learn to trust again, I promise never to betray you.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“I want to know how you feel about what happened at Twenty-Six.”

“I loved it, Sir, except for letting you down.”

“You didn’t let me down. You had no issue with the spanking?”

I dropped my head and felt the heat of embarrassment flood my face.

“I liked being spanked, Sir, but not so much now.”