Page 119 of Plug and Claim

“How do I earn it?”

“By pleasing me.”

“Is that an order?”

“Not at all. You may sit quietly, if you prefer.”

Sit quietly it is, Kira thought, lying down on her side and placing her head back on her arms to stare at the fire. She was perfectly comfortable as she was. Although, she would have been even more comfortable in her wolf form, but that was something she could never let Nathaniel see. He wouldn’t waste time playing with her then—he would kill her on sight if he knew what she really was.

She dismissed the gloomy thought. It would only stress her to think of things that could go wrong. Instead, she adjusted her position to make herself more comfortable.

A wolfish instinct had kicked in, and she found herself staring at Nathaniel’s feet, suddenly overcome with the urge to lick them. Not because she had to, but because she could. It was a sign of respect. She wasn’t sure if he deserved it, but she felt compelled to do it anyway, if only to see his reaction.

He was wearing socks, but he’d half-rolled them down so they only covered the top halves of his feet. She touched the fabric, tracing the blue zig-zag patterns embroidered on them.

“These are far too cheerful for you,” she pointed out.

Nathaniel didn’t answer.

She peeled back one of the socks, and when he didn’t say anything pulled it off his foot.

“What are you doing, pet?”

“Making sure you’re comfortable,” she said lightly, pulling off the other one as well. She could have sworn Nathaniel lifted his foot ever so slightly to assist her.

“Are you quite satisfied?”

“Yes, sir,” she said, pressing a kiss to the top of his foot. “Quite satisfied.”

She heard Nathaniel draw a sharp breath, and wished she was in her wolf form even more now so she could hear his heartbeat. Was it racing, like hers?

“You know I don’t like to repeat myself, Kira. What are you doing?”

She felt a jolt to hear her actual name. He so rarely used it.

“Nothing, sir.”

“It doesn’t feel like nothing.”

“Oh?” she asked innocently. “What does it feel like?”

“Like I’m the luckiest man alive.”

The sincerity of his words swept her away, and it gave her gesture new meaning as she continued licking the tops of his feet, slowly, patiently, her body shivery despite the fire’s warmth.

Smiling to herself, she kissed the top of his foot again, this time with an open mouth, her lower lip dragging along the skin.

Nathaniel’s chest rumbled in approval. “No one’s ever done this for me before.”

“Really? Well…” She ran her tongue around to his ankle, massaging his sole with her fingers. “I suppose you can order your future pets to lick your feet.”

Nathaniel didn’t answer straight away. “There will be no future pets.”

Her chest tightened, trying to decipher his words as she licked the underside of his foot, firmly so it wouldn’t tickle. Did he mean she would be his only pet? Or did it mean he would not take another after she left him to join the Poplarins? And why, oh why did she hope he meant the former?

“Besides,” he continued. “This does not feel like something I could order you to do… No more than I could ask you to feel love, or hate, or respect.”

Her heart fluttered at his words. Nathaniel seemed fully aware of the significance of this seemingly small act, as if he understood that it was not about submission or demeaning herself. It was about… Well, who the fuck knows. It doesn’t matter.