The Training

“I’ve missed her.”

“I know you have,” I said. “Just because it’s a weekend doesn’t mean we do nothing but stay in the playroom.”

“Though that would be fun,” she teased.

“Agreed, but I don’t want to push you.” I ran a hand down her back. “Still sore?”

“Just a little.” She shrugged. “Nothing I can’t deal with.”

“Let me know—”

“Nathaniel,” she interrupted. “I’m a big girl and I know my body. I already said I’d tell you. I’ll tell you.”

“Sorry. Just making sure.”

“You’ve already made sure.”

“Let’s change the subject,” I said. “I’ve made a grocery list for the housekeeper. It’s in the kitchen. I need you to look it over and see if you want her to pick up anything else.”

“You don’t do your own grocery shopping?”

“No,” I said, trying to remember the last time I went grocery shopping.

“Never?”

“Not anymore,” I said. “I don’t need to. Why?”

“It’s just weird. Having someone do all that.”

“You’ll get used to it,” I told her. “Besides, between my company and weekend time with you, I don’t have time to run up and down grocery aisles looking for bread and milk.”

“You say that like it’s beneath you,” she said. “You know most people do it and don’t think twice about it.”

“Are we going to argue about grocery shopping?” I asked. “Really?”

She stilled in my arms, weighing her words or actions, perhaps. “No,” she finally said. “I don’t want to argue with you.”

“Good. I don’t want to argue with you, either.” I kissed her again. “Want to go for a walk?”

“Yes,” she said, getting up and stretching. “Fresh air would be great.”

She waited for me that night in our bed, with the sheet pulled up to her neck, a sly smile on her face.

“Hiding?” I asked, crawling in beside her.

“No. Just a little surprise.”

Her shoulders were bare, so I decided it probably wasn’t new lingerie. I couldn’t imagine what else it could be. “For me?” I asked.

She nodded. “You need to unwrap it,” she said, thrusting her chest out.

“Oh, really?” I moved close to her and traced the line of her collarbone. “Well, it just so happens, I love unwrapping my surprises.” I dropped my lips to brush along the same path as my finger.

“Mmm,” she hummed. “Lower.”

“I’ll get there,” I said, swirling my tongue in the hollow of her throat. “Eventually.”

I wanted to ask if she was still sore, but knew it would probably make her angry. If she wanted me . . .

Well, I wasn’t going to argue.

I delicately lifted the sheet. “Whatever could be hiding under here?” I asked, taking a little peek underneath. “Holy fuck, Abby,” I said, momentarily stunned.

“You like them?”

Them were nipple rings, or something very similar, decorating each of her nipples. Unlike a normal ring, these were red and circled her nipple. She hadn’t had them on earlier, and she’d been at the house all afternoon and evening.

“Nathaniel?” she asked.

“Oh, yeah,” I said, tracing one. “I like them. I like them. A. Lot.”

“I thought I’d see how they were.”

“What brought this on?” I asked, my eyes still firmly locked on her chest.

“Christine’s pierced, or at least she used to be. Did you know that?” She sucked in a breath as I lowered my head to gently tongue her exposed nipple.

“No,” I said. She’d had a bra on the last time I’d seen her in the playroom, and the time before that had been years ago.

“She said it was very sexually stimulating, but suggested these first.”

“Smart woman, Christine,” I said, switching over to her other breast. “I knew introducing you was a good move.”

“Plus, I didn’t want to do something permanent like piercing if you were totally against the idea.”

My cock grew uncomfortably hard. “Piercing?”

She nodded. “Just one nipple, maybe? I don’t know.”

Fuck.

“You were thinking about getting a piercing?” I asked.

“Yes. Do you hate the idea?”

I sighed and brought myself back up so I could look in her eyes. “I think you have a beautiful body, Abby. I’ll admit, the idea of piercing is, honestly, quite a turn-on, but I don’t want you to rush into anything.” I traced a nipple again. “Let’s start with these.”

The sly smile came back. “I have dangles, too.”

“Dangles?” I croaked.

“Mmm.” She rolled over so she straddled me. “Maybe I’ll surprise you with those tomorrow.”

Chapter Twenty

—NATHANIEL—

Something had been off all week. I couldn’t put my finger on it, and Abby and I never got into an out-and- out fight, but something was off.

In all honesty, it was a busy week. Then again, they all were. I still attended one counseling session a week, Abby and I had dinner with my family on Tuesdays, and the week prior, she had enrolled us for couples’ yoga on Monday and Wednesdays.

Friday morning Sara sent me a reservation reminder for my upcoming business trip to China.

Fuck.

I’d forgotten to mention the trip to Abby. I hoped she wouldn’t have any trouble taking off time from the library. Surely a week wouldn’t be a problem. We could leave early on a Saturday and return the next Sunday night. Maybe we could both take the following Monday and Tuesday off to relax. I’d pamper her with a spa day. She still talked about the one she’d had with Elaina and Felicia prior to the wedding.

A few hours later, I met Abby for lunch at our favorite Italian deli. She’d arrived first and sat at an outside table. I gave her a quick kiss before taking my seat.

“How’s your day?” I asked. I thoroughly enjoyed having lunch with Abby, how it broke up stressful days.

She smiled and took a sip of water. “Good,” she said. “Yours?”

“Same.”

After we ordered our lunch, we made small talk, mostly concerning Jackson and Felicia’s return home and our lunch plans with them the next day.

“I keep meaning to tell you,” I said, changing the subject. “I have a trip planned in two weeks and I was hoping you could go with me.”

“Two weeks isn’t good for me.”

“No way I can change your mind?” I wiggled my eyebrows. “I’ve heard I can be very persuasive when I need to be.”

“I have a conference in two weeks,” she said, hiding a laugh and acting completely unaffected by my wiggly eyebrows.