I held her on my lap, my back relaxed back against the headboard. She yawned, her head drooping to my shoulder. “What are we doing?” she whispered, her voice husky with sleep.
“I’m taking care of you,” I told her. “You were such a good girl during our first session, but even if you weren’t, I’d still take care of you. This is called aftercare, little bunny.” That name was going to stick forever now that I’d seen her with that mask on. It just fit.
She looked up at me through tired, exhausted eyes. “Aftercare?”
I brushed my lips with hers before I nodded my head. “You take care of me by giving me what I want from you, and I take care of you. It instills a balance between us. These sessions can become tiring and exhausting, and though you enjoy them, they can still mentally take a toll. That’s why aftercare is so important.”
“Oh,” she whispered, yawning again.
I pulled the throw blanket around her shoulders. “I rented the room for the entire night, so sleep, Inessa. I’ve got you.”
She snuggled further against me. “I know you do,” she whispered. She pressed a kiss to my jaw. “Thank you for saving me.”
I tightened my arms around her in response, her words resonating deeply within me.
Thank you for saving me as well, my little wife. You saved me from a world of darkness.