Taking Care Of Leah by Charlotte Howard Page B

since the moment they’d been introduced, but he hadn’t considered the possibility of actually falling for her.
    “I’ll go and get your bag,” he said, extricating himself from her touch and the bed.
    Despite the threat of a warm summer, there was a distinct chill in the air as Ty hopped and skipped out of the house to his car. A quick glance told him that none of the neighbors were obviously spying on his half-naked frame diving into the boot to retrieve Leah’s bag. The rough surface of the concrete path bit at his feet and a cool breeze caught the leg of his boxers as he jogged back into the house.
    Locking the door behind him, he dumped her bag by the stairs, hung the keys on a hook on the wall before heading for the kitchen and pouring two glasses of water. As he padded back up the stairs, tumblers in hand, he could hear soft snores coming from his bedroom.
    She was curled on her side, hands supporting her head under the pillows, taking sharp breaths through her open mouth. Ty put one glass on each bedside table and crept back under the duvet to feel her warmth.
     

Chapter Fifteen
     
     
     
    Leah studied her wrists. She’d expected to see a mark of some kind from where the ribbon had bitten into her skin, but there was nothing. Not even a thin red line. Sitting up on the bed, she crossed her legs and looked at her ankles, rubbing her fingers over the bony protrusions.
    It had been a weird sensation, to be restrained for her own pleasure. It had been something she’d always been intrigued about, but she’d thought that being handcuffed or tied up was for the benefit of the other person involved. It had been the last time. Ty had obviously been excited, but had used the moment to bring her to orgasm, help her discover new highs, putting her needs before his. Selfless sex was not something she was used to.
    There was a pang of guilt for using the safe word. She’d never considered herself to be innocent, but after last night she was beginning to reevaluate her previous experiences. Suddenly various versions of missionary seemed, for want of a better word, boring.
    Kyle crept into her mind. Ty reminded her of him in some ways—his look, his mannerisms were all very similar. But Kyle had been controlling in ways she never wanted to suffer again. He had tied her down, not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. Restraints hadn’t been needed, though. He had drained her until she’d felt as though she were weighted down and unable to move. She’d thought that after him she would never want to be tied down again, but with Ty… She was ready to break any promise she’d made to herself.
    The clink of a cup landing on the bedside table caught her attention, and she dragged herself back into the room. His eyes sparkled in the morning sunlight that stretched through the window, but his brow furrowed as he frowned with concern.
    “Sorry,” she said, picking up the mug and sipping at the bitter heat. “Miles away. Thanks for the coffee.”
    “Do you have any plans for today?” Ty asked, slipping back under the sheets, lying so that his head rested on her lap.
    “More house-hunting.” She sighed. “It’s only a matter of time before I get evicted to make way for the baby, and I was only supposed to stay there for a couple of months. It’s been a year now.”
    “I’ve already told you…” He kissed her naked thigh, sweeping his hand over her legs and reaching around to grab her backside. “I have somewhere for you to stay.”
    “And I’ve already told you, I can’t afford it and I won’t live there for free.” She leaned back into the bars of the headrest and groaned as his lips strayed to her hip and the curve of her waist. “What time is it?” she mumbled, closing her eyes and enjoying the feel of his lips against her skin before he moved away. The sheets rustled as he rolled over to glance at his phone.
    “Half nine. We have all day.”
    Sliding down the bed, Leah rested her