She scoots to the side of the bed and prepares to get up when I demand, “Don’t.”
It’s obvious she’s waging a war in her head as she sits on the side of the bed, her eyes stuck on the window and her body tense.
“I know it’s not exactly what you wanted, but we do this my way for now. Okay?”
Fuck if I know what I’m going to do if she says no. I don’t know how much longer I can hold off. I need the extra time to worm my way in, but if she’s not willing to give it, I may go insane.
She stays silent. Through the darkness and into the light of her room, I watch as her chest rises and falls with her heavy breathing. Her back is straight with her feet planted on the floor. The split in her nightie is open enough that I can see her flat stomach and the tops of her thighs. The wisp of material covering her pussy is so small, it’s barely noticeable. She bites her bottom lip, mimicking what I’m dying to do.
I wait with bated breath as she comes to her decision. I release a relieved sigh when she finally relaxes and whispers quietly, “Okay.”
Although she agreed, she still keeps her eyes on the window.
“Do you have the scarf?” I ask.
She doesn’t answer verbally. Instead she nods, knowing I can see her.
“I want you to use it to cover your eyes. Tie it good for me.” I keep my voice low.
She hesitates, thinking through if she should do as I ask, I’m sure, before she gives another nod.
“Good girl. After you do that, I want you to lie back against the pillows and wait for me.”
“But how will you get in?” she asks with uncertainty.
“Don’t worry about that. But you have to promise not to remove the scarf.”
Time stands still as I wait for her acceptance. I wonder if I’ve pushed too far and asked too much of her. I can understand her reluctance. I’m a stranger, and I’m asking her to trust me with not only entering her home, but also with her body. She has no reason to, but obviously there’s something about me that makes her want to. Even the fear that I’m sure she’s feeling of knowing I’m so close and can do irreparable damage to her won’t keep her from saying yes.
“I promise.” She says it so quietly, I barely hear it.
A bout of pleasure rushes into my chest and goes straight to my cock. It pulses in my jeans, and I feel a drop of precum leak from the tip.
“Go ahead, Beautiful,” I coax in a strained voice.
I stand in the shadows and wait with anticipation as Poppy grabs the silk scarf from beside her and presses the material against her eyes. After she ties it in place, she slowly scoots back until she’s lying with her head on the pillows.
“Stay there and wait for me.”
Even to my own ears, my tone sounds rough.
I turn away from the window and am about to hang up, when her frantic voice stops me.
“Wait!”
When I turn back, her body’s as stiff as a board. The hand that’s not clutching the phone is balled into a fist at her side. Even through the window, I can feel the tension radiating off her body.
When she speaks next, I have to press the phone harder to my ear to hear her.
“What in the hell am I doing, Sterling? How do I know you won’t come in here and hurt me?”
The vulnerability I hear in her voice damn near crushes my lungs. I hate hearing this scared and uncertain side of Poppy. As Sterling, she’s only shown me the strong and confident woman. As her boss, yes, she’s been nervous and jittery around me, but there’s also an underlying self-assuredness about her that she can’t hide. Seeing her now, uncertain and completely exposing her weakness, hurts something deep in my chest.
I make sure my voice is strong when I reply. I want her to take my words to heart and know them for the truth they are.
“Poppy, I would rather cut off all my limbs, then soak in a bath of acid than hurt you. You have no reason to trust me, but I swear on everything I am that I would never hurt you, because if I do, I would be hurting myself.”
She takes a shaky breath that I not only hear over the phone, but also see. It’s hard to stay on this side of the window when I see her struggling with her decision. I want to go to her and show her that I would never hurt her. I hope she gives me the chance.