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“Yeah.”

They lay together, and she realized that giving up control in bed usually made her chest tight, but this time she just felt a molten softness. She was going to fall asleep.

It wasn’t really fair.

She rolled over and skimmed her hand down his abs. He caught her hand as it hit his pants and laced their fingers together.

Bliss pulled away like a wave, and that uncertainty returned. Just as she’d thought she understood what was going on between them, he’d changed something.

“Talk to me,” Saint said, and his fingers kept tracing shapes on her low stomach. Riley pulled the covers up, and he stopped drawing.

Not being able to see him very well made it easier to answer. To tell the truth.

“I feel like the rules are different with you and no one told me what they were. You do the dishes, you don’t get upset when I annoy you or cry, and you don’t let me return the favour in bed.” Riley held her breath and wished she could claw the words right back out of the air.

Saint was quiet before he propped his head up on his hand. “You don’t annoy me. Crying is natural, and I did the dishes because I wanted to.”

“No one wants to do dishes.”

“Well, I didn’t want you to do them.”

“But what about the other stuff? I just want to get it right…” Her voice trailed off.

“I don’t need you to get it right.”

“Well, I do.” The emotions clawed up her chest, a weird mix of shame and indignation and who knew what else. This hadn’t come up in therapy.

“Do you want rules? We can negotiate.” His voice held a smile.

“Right now?” Her thighs were slick and she was naked and—

Saint shrugged. “Why not?”

“Because it’s the middle of the night and this is new and—”

“You’re panicking,” he pointed out. “Breathe.”

“Oh my god,” she said. “I can’t believe you’re just—”

“Now.” The command rumbled through her and she just… did it. She took a deep breath and then another one as his hand stroked along her side. “Good,” he murmured. He was training her with soft touches and praise…

“Why does that keep working?” she asked and hid her face in the covers, even though he couldn’t really see her anyway.

“Because you’re tired and it can be nice to let someone else do the thinking sometimes.”

Riley was tired. “Doesn’t that just make everything your problem?”

“No,” he said. “I’ve spent a lot of time being in charge. I like it. As far as rules go, if you want something different, you tell me. And I’ll tell you. Otherwise, you can assume you’re doing what I want. Yes?”

She snorted. “I feel like there’s a catch.”

“And that’s why you’re not ‘returning the favour,’ as you so eloquently put it, right now.”

Riley blinked as she stared at the ceiling. “I’m confused.”

He pressed a kiss to her hair and pulled the elastic out. He brushed his fingers through the thick strands, untangling as he went. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had played with her hair.

“I get pleasure from taking care of yours and being responsible for it. I want you to trust me before things go further.”