i don’t know

he’s my colleague

there’s technically no rule against dating someone in my position

but it’s… frowned upon

Do you care about that?

not really

but i don’t want to mess up my job either

or what if i’m reading this wrong?

You’re not.

but what if i am?

what if i break up with evan and then nothing happens with cal?

what if he doesn’t want me like that?

Would that change your decision to leave Evan?

no

Then it doesn’t matter.

You don’t leave one person because you think you have someone else waiting.

You leave because it’s the right thing for you.

yeah

you’re right

but also

what if it’s too soon?

Then it’s too soon.

And that’s okay.

You don’t have to rush into anything.

but i like him

I know.

But let me ask you something.

When’s the last time you were on your own?

…

i don’t know

That’s a problem, isn’t it?

maybe

You’ve spent so much time trying to be what other people want.

Maybe you should take some time to figure out who you are on your own.

but what if i waste time?

You think learning to love yourself is a waste of time?

…

no

Good girl.

You don’t need to jump from one relationship into another.

You should fall in love with yourself first.

And then when you do find the right person—you’ll recognize love when it’s real.

i guess that makes sense

Of course it does.

okay

can we do a sexy bedtime story now?

That’s my girl.

I’VE PASSED THE POINT OF NO RETURN AND I’M FINE WITH THAT.

CAL

I set my phone down, running a hand over my jaw. The stubble rasps against my palm, rough and familiar.

Fuck.

That was...

That took every ounce of willpower I had.

Telling her to wait. To take her time. To not jump from Evan to me. Even though every selfish, possessive part of me wanted to tell her, Fuck that. Come to me now.

She is mine.

She just doesn't fully realize it yet. And that's the reality I have to accept.

I don't want to manipulate her. I don't want her to come to me out of confusion or vulnerability.

I want her to come to me because she wants me.

Because she knows it's right.

Because she knows we're inevitable.

And if that means I have to wait a little longer, then fine.

I'll fucking wait. I never thought I'd want to be with another woman anyway. So what's a little longer for the one who was clearly always meant to be mine?

I drag a hand down my face, exhaling slowly. The cool air of my apartment raises goosebumps on my arms. I know it's my nervous tick. It's probably why I could never rock a beard. With the amount of times I run my hand over my jaw, I'd probably rub it off.

My body is still wired. The sheets beneath me feel too rough against my skin, my nerves hypersensitive. Because even though I spent the last hour being the rational, level-headed guy she needs right now...

After our conversation?

I was stroking my cock to the sound of her moans, the memory of her voice echoing in my ears.

I was whispering filthy things to her, telling her a bedtime story that she came to in under five minutes, her gasps filling me through the phone.

She's getting so fucking bold.

So playful.

So uninhibited.

The first time she asked for a "bedtime story," she was hesitant, unsure, her voice barely audible through the phone.

Now?

Now she asks for them like they're her fucking oxygen. Her voice eager, almost demanding.

And the one I gave her tonight?

It was a new favorite.

I took her back to that dark forest.

Had her running through the trees, breathless, body tingling with anticipation. I described the fallen leaves crunching beneath her feet, the cool night air against her heated skin, the moonlight casting dappled shadows through the branches.

She knew what was coming.

That she wouldn't escape.

That I was going to catch her and take her.

She wanted to be overpowered, thrown onto her hands and knees in the dirt, claimed entirely. I told her how the forest floor would feel against her palms, how the scent of earth and pine would fill her nostrils as she was pressed down.

I had her begging.

Repeating the words I told her, her voice breathy and high.

"Say it," I ordered her.

"I'm completely yours,” she whimpered.

Fuck.

I had to bite my lip so hard it bled. The metallic taste filled my mouth.

And when I told her she was ready for my cock, dripping and waiting, needing to be filled?

She said it back.

"I'm completely yours,” she whispered. "Ready for your cock."

That was the moment I nearly lost it.

I adjust myself, shifting in my seat, but my cock is already hard again. The fabric of my boxers drags against the sensitive skin.

Because she's going off so fucking fast now.

So easy.

Tonight, she finished before I even could. And, tomorrow she's getting a little present.

A special upgrade to her premium version of the app.

Sure, the normal premium comes with the ability to video call and a vibrator that integrates into the AI.

But mine?

Mine is better.

Because the vibrator I sent her?

It integrates with me.

With my phone.

With the remote I programmed.

Which means soon, very soon, I'll be able to make Izzy slip that thing inside of herself...

And I'll be the one in control.

I'll decide when the vibrations start and stop. When they intensify.

I get to edge her, tease her, make her fucking writhe and beg for me. I imagine her soft curves tensing, her full thighs trembling, her back arching off the mattress as she surrenders to the sensations I create.

I stroke myself faster, the sound of her name barely held back.

Tomorrow, I’ll have her trembling beneath me, gasping as I push harder, deeper, until she can’t take it—until she’s falling apart just the way I want.

I’ll watch her unravel, knowing I’m the one pulling the strings. Her cheeks flushed, her eyes gone unfocused, her mouth falling open as she breaks for me.