Chapter 3

Aftermath.

The next morning, Cassandra woke to the feeling of warm, strong arms wrapped around her waist. She blinked groggily, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings of Chad's bedroom before the events of the previous night came rushing back.

She had stayed the night with him, after their intense play session ended with tender lovemaking and intimate talk about their future together. They had fallen asleep in each other's arms, exhausted and sated.

Cassandra turned carefully to face Chad, studying his handsome features as he slept - the straight slope of his nose, the sensuous curve of his mouth, the dark fans of his lashes against pale cheeks. Even in sleep, he exuded a sense of power and control. She felt herself stirring just looking at him.

As if sensing her gaze, Chad's eyes fluttered open. He smiled at her affectionately, reaching out to brush a lock of hair from her face.

"Good morning," he murmured, pulling her closer for a soft kiss. "Sleep well?"

"Mm, like a rock," Cassandra replied with a smile, snuggling deeper into his embrace. "You wore me out properly last night."

Chad chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Not that you're complaining, I hope."

Cassandra shook her head. "No complaints here. In fact, I'd be happy for an encore performance right about now..."

She punctuated the statement by trailing a hand down his bare chest, fingers drifting lower to tease along the waistband of his boxers. Chad sucked in a sharp breath, his erection twitching against her palm.

"Careful what you wish for," he growled playfully, capturing her wrist. "I've been thinking of all sorts of fun things I could do with you. Clamps and gags and floggers and..."

He let the sentence trail off suggestively, eyes gleaming with dark promise. Cassandra felt a rush of heat between her thighs at his words. Her body reacted to even the merest hint of his dominance, craving the rush of endorphins that came with submission.

But as the fog of arousal began to clear, cold reality set in. She had to get to work, needed to figure out how to salvage the mess she'd made with her performance review.

With an effort, Cassandra pushed herself up into a sitting position, pulling away from Chad's arms. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood on shaky limbs, reaching for her scattered clothes.

"I should probably head home and get ready for work," she said reluctantly, trying not to let the disappointment show on her face. "I have a lot to do to prepare for a big presentation this week."

Chad looked slightly crestfallen at the mention of work, but he nodded in understanding. "Of course, of course. You should get to it then."

He rose as well and wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her back against his bare chest. "But I'd like to see you again soon," he said into her ear. "Soon and often. Let's plan something concrete for this weekend?"

Cassandra melted into his embrace, warmth suffusing her chest at the prospect of spending more time with him outside of work.

"That sounds great," she agreed softly, turning her head to capture his lips in a sweet kiss. "I'm looking forward to it."

They finished getting dressed in companionable silence, stealing lingering glances and soft touches between steps. When they were both fully clothed again, Chad walked Cassandra to the door.

"I'll text you later," he promised, dropping one last kiss on her lips before ushering her out into the morning light.

Cassandra stepped outside with a wave, already missing the security of his presence. She climbed into her car and began the drive back to her place on autopilot.

Halfway home, her phone rang through the car speakers. A glance at the screen showed it was Kyle. She considered letting it go to voicemail - she wasn't in the mood to be ribbed about her love life yet again. But she knew Kyle well enough to know he wouldn't give up easily. Better to face the music now and get it over with.

Cassandra sighed and hit answer, putting it on speaker. "Yeah?"

"Please don't tell me you overslept again," Kyle groaned by way of greeting. "I'm here alone already, drowning in paperwork like an idiot."

"Actually..." Cassandra hedged, knowing it was pointless to try and keep anything from Kyle for long. "I'm not even home yet. I had a late night."

She could practically hear the grin in Kyle's voice as he responded. "Spill the beans, woman! Come on!"

Cassandra rolled her eyes good-naturedly. As much as she hated gossip, she did enjoy their playful banter sometimes.

"Fine, if you must know," she said archly, injecting just enough bite to make him realize she wasn't entirely amused. "I had another session with Chad. Things went...well."

Kyle whooped excitedly in the background. "Now that's what I like to hear! Tell me all about it. What did you do this time? Is it kinky? Come on..."

"Let's just say I experienced more new things last night than I have in the past year," Cassandra replied with a wry smile. "And that's all I'm saying. Some things should remain private."

Kyle made an exaggerated pout sound into the phone. "You're no fun," he groused playfully. "But fine, fine, I get it. A girl's gotta have some secrets."

They chatted amicably for a few more minutes about work projects and weekend plans before saying their goodbyes. As Cassandra hung up, she reflected on how much more relaxed and comfortable she felt discussing her personal life with Kyle now. Maybe having a supportive friend to confide in was exactly what she needed to help balance out the intensity of her relationship with Chad.

By the time Cassandra reached her apartment and got ready for work, she was riding a wave of newfound confidence and enthusiasm. She could tackle anything - this presentation, Karen's scrutiny, even the stress of dating a professional Dominant. As long as she kept her head up and her wits about her.

Cassandra arrived at the office earlier than usual to put in some extra prep time before her big meeting later that week. She threw herself into research and strategizing, barely glancing up when Kyle delivered a coffee at mid-morning.

"Big presentation this week, huh?" he asked conversationally as she scrawled notes in her notebook. "Anything you need help with?"

"Actually, yes," Cassandra replied gratefully, pushing up her sleeves in determination. "I could really use your expertise on some market data. Think you could dig it up for me?"

Kyle nodded and ducked out of the room to get started. By lunch, Cassandra was ready for a break from spreadsheets and emails. She grabbed a yogurt from the breakroom and headed outside for a quick walk around the block, breathing in the fresh air and trying to stretch out her cramped muscles.

On the sidewalk in front of the building, Cassandra almost collided with another hurried worker. Her heart leapt into her throat at the sight of Karen rushing past.

"Oh!" Karen exclaimed as they nearly careened into each other. "Sorry, didn't see you there."

"No, no, my fault!" Cassandra stammered, trying not to panic at having nearly run into her boss. "Just distracted with...work stuff."

Karen gave her a sharp look. "Hope it's going well," she said curtly before breezing by without another word.

Cassandra watched Karen's retreating figure with trepidation, stomach twisting nervously. Clearly she hadn't been forgiven yet for her mistake.

Sighing heavily, she turned and made her way back inside. She had more work to do, and this time, she couldn't afford any slip-ups.