I said nothing, standing there, staring at the handsome man before me, wondering if this was all real. I knew that I wanted him. I wanted him in ways that I didn't understand. But how willing was he actually? How far would he allow me to go? What if I hurt him or did something he didn't like?

"Please don't get quiet on me now," Leo whispered, bringing my eyes off of his corded arms and wide chest. "I know that you might not be comfortable with all of this yet, but we can't get through this if you don't tell me what's going on in that beautiful mind." Did he sound embarrassed? My ringing ears couldn't be sure.

"I don't understand why you want to be tied up," I admitted.

A corner of his mouth lifted into a half hearted smile. "Because I love you and I will do anything to make you feel safe with me. And when you kiss me, when you touch me, I can't focus. Sometimes my actions scare you away. If my arms are tied up, they can't wander and you can feel safe to do whatever you please."

"What if I hurt you?" I whispered, finally allowing myself to inch back towards the bed.

"Ember, we are going to move as slow as you want. You aren't going to suddenly lose control and turn bloodthirsty." At his words my mind flashed to the man on top of me, violent and rough. He had certainly seemed bloodthirsty to me. My hand curled as if I were trying to grab onto the dagger I no longer carried with me. 

"Besides, pain is different like this," Leo continued, my attention snapping back to him. "I've pulled your hair before. Think about how you feel when I give you little bites. You certainly seem like you enjoy them."

I took a small breath, bringing all of my attention back to my husband. He was right. I had liked it. "What if I go too far?"

"You can't," Leo laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I am willing to take whatever you feel able to offer."

I took a moment then, not thinking about any other man or what has been done to me. Not thinking about my duties as a wife or what was expected of me outside of this bedroom. My gaze dripped over him, moving from his muscular thighs to his thick arms, trailing over his powerful chest, up to his carved jaw and those eyes that shone like the finest of gems. I thought about my hands on him, on that bare skin, watching his chest rise and fall for me, listening to him let out sharp breaths.

An ache filled my core.

"Yes, I would like to try."

Any remaining tension bled out of him, allowing him to melt into the bedding. "Now all you have to decide is if you want my shirt to stay on or come off. I feel like you aren't the type to tear clothes off," he teased.

"Off," I blurted without thinking, only imagining touching him, watching those muscles clench.

Leo obliged and I felt my mouth go dry as his arms tugged his shirt off, leaving his chest completely exposed. But I couldn't gawk for too long because he extended the rope towards me. "I'm going to walk you through this knot. It'll be super easy and sturdy, I promise."

And I believed him. I had to keep my gaze training on his hands, though occasionally my eyes wandered over the plains of his chest, studied him all sprawled out on my bed, his arms pointed towards one of the four posters. The rope was soft between my fingers and Leo never complained while I followed his instructions, looping it over his wrists, between his hands and connecting them to the bed post. 

To test my skills, he tugged twice and was given no slack. "Perfect."

Now I was faced with a new dilemma. My husband was splayed out for me, patiently waiting, but all I could do was stare, suddenly so unsure of what to do. Everything I knew about completing the marriage stemmed from the man doing whatever he pleased. Now I held the power and I had no idea what to do with it.

"I don't know where to start," I confessed.

"Well, I would recommend sitting on the bed beside me," Leo murmured. "And if you're really stuck, a kiss is always a good place to start."

I did as he said, and in another moment I might have asked him how he acquired some of his scars or how he attained so much strength. But we weren't here to talk, and even if Leo was willing to take it slow, something in me was tired of being repressed and ignored.

Perched on the bed beside him, I kissed his lips.

It started easy and comfortable. My hands stayed away from anything bare and exposed, my mouth so soft and so timid that it was almost feeble. But Leo never complained once, never offered any suggestions, just smiled when I drew back to suck in a breath or shifted his body to be closer to me. 

And maybe I should have gone slow, maybe I should have waited until Leo encouraged me more. But feeling his mouth on mine, seeing him so eager and willing, it made the ache in my core impossible to ignore. Besides, I could stop this whenever I wanted, could take him as far as I wanted.

My trembling fingers curled around Leo's chin, steering his face away from me, exposing his neck. Every time he had placed his mouth on the side of my throat, I had turned into a mewing mess, but was seldom brave enough to return the favor. 

But even just feeling my lips graze the sensitive skin was enough to conjure a reaction from my husband. A little gasp left his mouth and his entire body shifted, tightening, at the contact. It was all the encouragement that I needed. Each moan, each shudder was a stroke to my confidence, boosting me to the point that I wanted to know exactly what my husband liked. 

The kisses on his neck got the initial reaction, but when I nipped at the skin I heard how much he loved it. And when I dragged my tongue over the area, soothing away any pain, Leo cursed. 

I lost myself for a time. I didn't remember deciding to move on to his chest and stomach, didn't remember feeling so brazen. But when I trailed wet, opened mouth kisses over his pectoral muscles I only listened to the way he whispered my name and how he lifted his hips ever so slightly. Instinct and need drove my lips lower, letting me drag my teeth over the skin of his abdomen, smirking when he withered and shook beneath me. 

Each time I peered up at him my only thoughts revolved around making him shake and shudder again and being thankful that he suggested the rope. I couldn't count the amount of times I saw him fight the binds, swearing as his muscles worked against the rope only to go slack again, completely at my mercy. It made me feel like a vixen. 

I paused when my adventurous mouth hit the waist band of his pants, jerking me out of my sultry day dream. My breath caught in my throat, realizing how close I had come.

"It's alright," Leo whispered as soon as he felt me stop. He lifted his head off the blankets to meet my gaze. His cheeks were bright red and his chest was heaving with every breath, but his eyes were steady, burning but calm. "We can stop right now."

I would be lying if I claimed there wasn't a pinch of fear in me. But the fear was miniscule when compared to the wetness between my legs, to the fire that had been set just below my belly button, pushing me forward.

I didn't know much about sex, hardly anything. But when I saw the rigid outline in his breeches, I knew what to do. I lowered my mouth to the fabric covering him, kissing it ever so softly.

"Holy fuck," Leo groaned. His head fell backwards, pressing firmly into the bed, giving me a clear view of the perfect jawline and the column of his throat.

I had no experience to go off of. I had no friends to whisper dirty advice to me. I only knew what I needed and how my husband was responding. My hands weren't shaking now as I flicked the brass buttons on his pants open one by one. He was more than willing to lift his hips for me, those arms straining against the rope yet again.

And there was Leo, the man I married, now completely bare to me. I should have been afraid, knowing what men were capable of, the strength they possessed. 

But I held the power here. And when I trailed my fingers over him, feeling the silky steel that he was, Leo proved it by moaning. 

"Tell me what to do," I whispered, my own voice breathy but thick with want. 

"Wrap your hand around me," Leo managed through clenched teeth. When I did, I was rewarded with another shudder. "A little tighter, Em. Yes, right there. Now just up and down."

I knew that I was doing what he asked, knew that I was giving him pleasure. But the way he moved, the way he groaned out my name when no other words made sense, the way he bucked and twisted at the lightest touch, it made me feel worshipped, adored. Loved.

"Em, please. Oh God, Em," he panted, his eyes shut tight, his jaw clenched. With glistening skin and rippling muscles, I doubted he could ever look more handsome than that moment. 

And then he burst. His body jerked and tightened. The wooden post creaked as his arms and hands moved, trying to keep up with the rest of him.

"Oh God. Holy shit," he managed through ragged breaths as I climbed off the bed and began untying his wrists. 

"Thank you for that," I murmured, feeling my face flame. "I would have never been able to do all of this if you hadn't suggested this."

Leo laughed, weak and tired. "You are more than welcome to tie me up whenever you want."

~~~Question of the Day~~~

Do you like having a routine everyday?