Donuts and Handcuffs

As we sat down and I served the slices, a strange expression flickered over her face. “What is it?” I asked. “This is the kind you asked for, right?”

She noted, giving her head a shake. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be weird. I just realized that I’d never had anyone but you as a guest here, and I haven’t had dinner with anyone since I moved here.” Her eyes grew wide as if she had said something she shouldn’t have, and she quickly added, “How was your day?”

I placed a hand on hers on the table. “Thank you for letting me into your space,” I said gently. I hoped that she would realize everything I meant by that. “My day was pretty good. As always, people in the city have no idea how parking signs work. Honestly, you would think they were printed in ancient Sanskrit or something.”

Bailey laughed, then had a tiny sip of wine. “That’s one of the many reasons I don’t bother having a car.”

“It’s really expensive,” I agreed, “And if you don’t need one, why bother?”

She nodded. “I have most of my supplies delivered, and the few times I’ve needed to carry something heavy home, I just grab a taxi. Two cabs a month is a lot cheaper than owning a car.”

“I don’t like driving in the city,” I said, “But I rarely get a chance to go on a road trip. There’s nothing like a long country drive in the summer.”

Bailey’s eyes became dreamy as she stared down at her dinner. “You know, that’s one of the things I’ve seen in movies dozens of times, but I’ve never actually done.”

“Wow, really?” She nodded. “Well then, let’s put that on our list of things to do some time,” I smiled.

She nodded again but didn’t comment further. Maybe she was leery of planning things too far in the future.

“Thanks again for that footage,” I said. “We really hope that the fire wasn’t arson, but everything about it is just so suspicious.”

“It must be tricky having to rely so much on your gut reactions for your work,” she said quietly.

I shrugged, chewing thoughtfully for a second. “It’s probably just a matter of experience. You’ve probably adapted your recipes because you just know how things usually turn out. We keep an eye on things that we know looked a bit sketchy last time, and we learn and adapt as we go. Everyone probably does.”

We finished our meal, then Bailey made chocolate coffee with a drop of Irish cream, and we settled on the couch.

“How is your arm feeling?” I asked.

Her nose crinkled adorably. “It’s mostly okay, as long as I don’t think about it. But I have to think about it to remember not to use it. I guess it’s more annoying and inconvenient than anything else.”

“Does it still hurt?” I asked.

“Not much. I take a painkiller only when I know I’m going to be moving around for the next few hours. Knowing that there are stitches through my skin is completely disgusting, so I’m sort of trying to imagine that my arm is no longer part of my body for the time being.”

I laughed, leaning in to wrapping an arm around her. “You have a very unique way of thinking, sometimes,” I said softly.

She was very still for a moment, as her eyes looked up to me. Then she took a deep breath before snuggling into my shoulder.

“Bailey,” I said gently, “You seem a little timid around me. I want you to know, I have no expectations. I just really like you, and I want to be near you. Is that okay?”

Her huge, pretty eyes looked up at me with an expression of absolute relief. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I don’t know what I’m ready for, yet. And I don’t know how to sort a lot of things out. But being close to you feels so… Grounding?” She smirked. “I hope that sounds like a good thing?”

I laughed, wrapping both arms around her and pulling her toward me. “You can say anything you like about me. They say that physical touch is grounding. And if you’ve been alone for a while, maybe you need some quality snuggling time. I know that I do.”

She grinned, those luscious lips so close to mine. “I like that a huge tough guy admits that he needs cuddles too.”

“Please don’t tell my captain,” I said, trying to appear serious and failing terribly.

Bailey stretched up to kiss me, and the entire world melted away. Her lips gliding gently across mine sent a shockwave of lust through every part of me, but it was so much more than that. I could feel her yearning. Her craving for closeness.

I shifted, lying back so that she was almost on top of me. I wanted her to feel like she had all of the control. Our kisses became deeper, scorching hot as she moved over me. Her fingertips nestled at the back of my neck, swirling gently in little circles across my skin, sending delicate shivers through me.

It felt like time stopped. I had no idea how long we softly moved together, kissing and caressing. Exploring and surrendering.

My hand skimmed along her spine, then gently cupped her firm round ass as I pulled her against me tighter. A tiny moan escaped her lips, and I breathed it in, relieved that she was opening up to me.

Makeouts were usually a stepping stone to