I can’t give her that power, Dominant or no. “But—”
She covers my mouth with her hand. It’s a gentle touch, but it shuts me up all the same. Malone glares. “Let me put this another way. What would Hades or Meg—or you—do to a submissive that attempts to refuse aftercare they obviously need?”
I really, really don’t want to answer that, but it’s clear that she requires a response. Finally, I wrap my hand around her wrist and nudge her away from my mouth. I lick my lips. “I’d—we’d—tell them that aftercare is a vital part of the process, for both Dominant and submissive, and their instincts aren’t functioning at one hundred percent after a scene.”
She stares at me for a long moment. “Do you think you’re exempt from that?”
“I—”
But she talks right over me. “Are you so superhuman that you don’t need aftercare, Aurora? You’re too experienced to believe that lie.” She pauses, the breathless moment before the sword falls. “Are you that frightened of me?”
“I’m not scared of you.” I speak too quickly, giving myself away.
“Mmm.” Malone settles back into the chair and pulls me with her, tucking my head against her shoulder. I want to fight the closeness, but fighting it is as much as admitting that she’s right about me being scared of her. A neat little trap, which no doubt she’s fully aware of.
We sit like that for a long time. Long enough for the sweat to cool on my body and the shakes from adrenaline letdown to come and go. Long enough for sleepiness to set in. I fight it. It’s enough that I’ve submitted to this care; I’m not going to nap on top of her, too. No matter how tempting the idea, how good it feels to be curled in her lap. Malone is all sharp edges, but somehow she feels just right with her arms wrapped around me.
She finally sighs and releases me. “I have some things to do. Find something to eat. We’ll continue this later.”
I refuse to categorize the weight in my chest as I climb off her on shaking legs and head for the door. I can’t look back. It feels like she’s shattered my very foundations, but the reprieve will be enough to build them back up again. It has to be.
I bypass the kitchen to head to the room that’s mine for the next two weeks. A quick shower gets my head back on straight. The apartment is echoing and empty as I pad to the kitchen and make myself a light snack. Malone’s fridge is stocked up to the brim, which fascinates me despite myself. She seems like the type of person to cut down on any unnecessary tasks, which would include meal-making. Easier to delegate that task to someone else. Maybe she has someone come in and cook for her, though she seems territorial enough that that’s a reach.
After I eat, I do another careful search of the apartment. There’s nothing more to find, and Malone’s locked her bedroom door. I might be able to pick the lock, but I have a feeling she’d know if I was there, so I hold off. Getting impatient right now would be a mistake.
Still…
I’m bored.
In the Underworld, my days and nights are filled to the brim with tasks and scenes and various duties that come with being Meg’s second-in-command. The only time I’m not running from one thing to the next or checking things off my list is when I’m sleeping. I don’t know how to be idle.
Not to mention my body is still riled up from what Malone and I did earlier. I’m not going to be able to calm down until I work off some of this energy.
With that in mind, I dig through my closet of new clothes and find a drawer full of workout clothing. I raise my brows a bit as I eye the selections. Malone is a woman of particular taste, all right. After some consideration, I pull on a pair of shorts that fit me like a second skin and a bra with more straps than strictly necessary, both in black. There are even running shoes in exactly my size. The whole thing would be eerie if I didn’t recognize that this is just how Malone works; preparing for any eventuality.
I don’t want to admire that about her. I sure as hell don’t want to be able to draw lines between her preparedness and her success as a leader. She’s gorgeous and savvy and ruthless and evil, and the latter is the most important thing for me to remember.
I head for the elevator and, after some consideration, push the button Sara did the other night. That must be the security floor, or staff floor, and someone there will be able to point me in the direction of the gym. Malone didn’t tell me I was confined to the apartment, so I don’t see why I can’t explore the tiniest bit.