“Are you ok?” he whispers into my chest.
“Mmm,” I reply with my eyes still closed, but to be honest I just don’t know. I have a serious throb between my legs and for once it’s not from arousal. Rough sex for hours on end will do that to a girl.
I begin to get up. I need to go to the bathroom.
“Stay here with me presh. You are not leaving my side today.” He smiles as he kisses me gently again.
“Josh, I need to go to the bathroom. I will be right back.” I kiss him gently as I rise from the bed. His eyes scan down my body and he frowns.
“What?” I ask as I look down at myself.
He reaches up and runs his fingers over the four bruises on my right hipbone.
I frown. “What are those bruises from?”
His face drops at the realisation. “My fingers.”
I turn and look at myself in the mirror as I put my hair behind my shoulders, and I smirk. “I have the same four bruises on my left shoulder too.”
His eyes widen in horror.
“That was some hold you had on me from behind when I was on my knees. No wonder I’m sore.”
He looks down at the bed. “I’m sorry. I lost my head.”
My eyes hold his. “What was that? Round three?”
He swallows and nods, daring me with his eyes to say something.
“That wasn’t sex, Joshua.”
“What was it?” he whispers.
“That was a claiming. You were showing me who my body belongs to.”
He raises an eyebrow in silent disapproval. “And was the message understood?” he says coldly.
A frisson of unease runs through me and I nod. “Loud and clear Mr Stanton … loud and clear.”
“So did you give your notice?” Joshua asks as he drinks his protein shake while sitting on the bench as I cook.
“Aha.” I pour the vegetables into the wok off the chopping board.
“One week?” he asks.
“No, I told you I have to give two.”
“We are leaving in a week,” he snaps.
I roll my eyes. “Listen.” I point the wooden spoon at him. “I am moving to the other side of the world and I have things to tie up. I can’t just leave in seven days.”
“Like what?”
I raise my eyebrows. “Like my mother, like my apartment, like the two best friends I am leaving behind.”
He swigs his drink angrily.
“I was thinking we might move to Willowvale when we get home,” he replies.