Chapter 17

Chapter 17

...

"You look different," Tanya commented, her tone suspicious, and her eyes narrowed. I rolled my eyes at her, leaning back in my seat at the little bistro that Alice, Tanya and I had stopped at, Yoda lying by my feet, his leash tied to my chair.

"Why exactly are you here again?" I asked her, not bothering to coat my words with any amount of sugar. What had started out as a simple lunch with Alice had evolved into a girl's lunch out when Tanya had turned up on my doorstep, citing boredom.

"Irina is out of town, and it was either hang out with you or go golfing with Edward, where I would get hit on by politicians. There are only so many slaps on the ass I can take before I want to shove a golf club up Congressman Newton's ass," she said simply, like she was talking about the weather. "Plus, I knew you'd have Yoda, and I missed him.”

She leaned over to pat him on the head, and he squinted up at her through one eye before closing it with disinterest. I pouted at having been reminded that Edward was out golfing with his buddies. He'd left before I had bothered to drag myself out of bed, and I missed him.

"She looks happy," Alice told her, steering us back to the original point of conversation. "She's practically glowing with it.”

I shrugged, not disputing that fact. "I am happy," I said, dipping my spoon into my caramel and chocolate mousse.

"No, no, that isn't it. She looks rounder, more comfortable." Tanya argued.

I paused, my spoon halfway to my mouth. "Wow, Tanya, is that your subtle way of saying that I look fat?" I asked dryly. I knew that while on vacation I had put some weight on, causing my body to fill and my curves to become rounder. Thankfully, it had mostly hit my hips, ass and tits.

It wasn't to say that I hadn't had a mini freak-out over it, but Edward had been quick to reassure me that my added weight was much appreciated. According to him, my newly-developed hourglass figure reminded him of actresses from old Hollywood and gave him more to grab onto.

Since I still kept my somewhat small figure, I had let it go without too much persuasion.

She merely arched an eyebrow. "I don't do subtlety. If I thought you looked fat I would have told you. What I meant is that your edges have softened. I doubt you would have been seen dead in what you're wearing a year ago," she said pointedly.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" I asked, honestly mystified. I looked down at my clothes, wondering if I should be offended by her comment. I was wearing a grey, argyle sweater vest dress that fell mid-thigh with a white shirt and grey tube socks with a lace trim that reached over my knees. I finished my look with little black ballet flats and my hair up in pigtails.

I thought I looked cute.

She rolled her eyes. "Nothing, but can you honestly say that you would have worn this outfit a year ago?”

I thought over what she said for a minute before realizing that she was right. I used to be so wrapped up in looking absolutely perfect that I had foregone looking comfortable. 

Looking back on my life from the perspective that I had now made me realize just how miserable I had been.

I shook my head, and Alice must have seen how down I looked because she changed the subject. "How was the trip?”

I immediately perked back up. "It was great. He took me to Italy, where I met his grandparents. His Nonna was such a sweetheart and taught me how to cook some simple meals, and his Nonno...well, let's just say that I know where he gets the tall, dark and handsome look from. He took me to so many museums and churches around Florence that I swear my brain almost exploded from an information overload.

"We also spent a few days down in Milan shopping, and I even convinced Edward to take me dancing one night. We spent our last week in England where we stayed with one of Edward's old school buddies, Charles, who happens to be an influential Dom in London. Charles threw this party that was...I have no adequate words to describe it other than to say that I have never felt such an overwhelming freedom than on that night. I even got a turn in his playroom with Edward. We did quite a bit of sightseeing, and touristy stuff, and Edward may or may not have told me that he is in love with me on our last full day...”

I left the end of my sentence as I waited for them to catch up.

"Wait! He said what?" Alice said, looking absolutely giddy.

I beamed at her. "He told me he was in love with me," I repeated, and I think she swooned slightly.

"Give me details," she demanded, waving her hands in my direction impatiently.

I giggled at her. "We were at the London Aquarium looking at penguins and talking about how we were going to miss the freedom being out of America afforded us, and he turned me around in his arms and told me that, if I let him, he would do everything in his power to give me the world. He then kissed me and told me that he loved me," I explained.

I swear she turned into a pile of mush as she leaned her face into her hands that were propped up on the table. "That is so romantic. How did you react? Were you shocked? Details, woman, details!”

"Calm down, geesh! He'd already told me while we were in Italy that he was falling for me, so I wasn't too shocked. I had time on our trip to think it over until I came to the conclusion that my feelings were dipping in that direction, and so I told him that I was falling for him. You should have seen his face when I admitted that; it practically took my breath away. Anyway, we ended up going to the Marriott and booking a room there, and we had sex until we had to rush to the airport," I concluded.

I had noticed that Tanya had been keeping quiet through my story and glanced over to see her looking pensive. She tore open a packet of sugar and dumped the contents into her coffee, acting as if she couldn't hear what I had been saying.

I didn't take it personally; it was obvious it was still hard for her to let Edward go, and I also gathered that Edward hadn't told her about this yet. By being the one to announce it, I was probably adding salt to that particular wound.

"What was sex like after your declarations?" Alice asked curious, directing my attention back to her as the sex therapist in her reared its head.

"Out of this world," I told her simply. "Completely and utterly overwhelming. It got easier to deal with after the third time, but as much as it makes me sound like a woman, I swear I almost started blubbering at one point. That was slightly embarrassing, but Edward didn't mind when I clung to him, refusing to let go in case I gave in.”

It was nice being able to talk about this openly with someone. Ever since Edward had figured out that Alice was in fact the therapist that had helped him work out his fetish after finding a picture I had of her on my computer, he had been open to allowing me to disclose whom he was with her, knowing that she would keep it with the strictest confidence.

I knew that Tanya and I would never truly be close, what with all the resentment stewing beneath the surface, but I was okay with that. It was her loss, not mine.

I had patched things back up with Jake upon our return from England and we were getting back to how we had been before he had gone MIA, but I wasn't fully comfortable talking to him about my relationship with Edward, especially after what had happened with Felix.

"The first time making love is always intense," Alice agreed, "But as long as you have some sort of balance then you'll be fine. A lot of people would be envious of your relationship, you know," she told me, and I snorted, because, duh, I knew that.

"Not because of who he is, Isabella, but because of the trust and honesty that is the base of your relationship. Men hold respect higher than love; they need it to feel as though they are the leader, a good provider for their mate. Some need it more than others, though, but it's not easy to find someone who needs that as much as they do. I think Edward found his mate in you," she said confidently.

I didn't want to hold too much hope in her words, but I could see Edward and I lasting long term. I didn't dare think about such things as kids and marriage right now, since that wasn't in our immediate future and I would most likely freak myself out about it, but the prospect that it could happen, maybe, made me happy.

I shrugged noncommittally. "Who knows. I'm not going to bother to over think it. I'm happy, and that is all that matters right now," I told her. "I can't change the future because I don't know what it's going to be like. I'm content to just ride this out and see where it takes me.”

"That's a little irresponsible, isn't it?" Tanya commented, and I barely refrained from rolling my eyes at her. Oh, goody, someone decided to rejoin the conversation.

"Don't care," I told her. "It's not my job to worry about inconsequential things. It's one of the perks of having a Daddy. He does all the worrying, and I trust him to guide me in the direction that is most beneficial for both of us.”

She frowned. "I don't quite get it," she admitted. "How can you give up all control so easily?”

I shared a look with Alice, who quirked an eyebrow, silently asking me if I wanted her to answer the question. I nodded easily, knowing that I wouldn't be able to give an adequate description compared to hers.

"Tanya, I know that, as an independent woman who likes being in control, this may be hard to wrap your head around, but some women actually prefer not to be independent if they can help it. There are many different degrees of submission, as there are with domination. You don't have to lose your independence to become a sub, but some women don't want their independence to start with.

"Take Isabella, for instance. She spent years being in complete control of her life and, no offence, that didn't turn out so great.”

"None taken," I told her, because honestly, my life had been a bit of a train wreck. I couldn't quite bring myself to regret my past, because as Edward was always telling me, it was a part of who I was today, and who knows if I would have met Edward if I hadn't been a call girl.

"But now, she has a Daddy. Now, despite much confusion, a Daddy is in fact a typeof Dominant. There are different levels and types of Doms, who choose a specific avenue for their outlet. Edward, as we all know, is a caregiver as well as a Dominant. He strives to nurture and guide Isabella to be the best woman she can be. Having a Daddy is usually more of a full-time sort of thing, but it doesn't mean that there aren't times when they simply are who they are.”

Tanya's eyebrows furrowed together as she thought over what Alice had said. "But, isn't it weird to call someone your Daddy, especially if you're fucking them? Don't get me wrong, I'm not judging, I'm just curious.”

I snickered. "Try as I might to deny it, Tanya, I have Daddy issues. I never really got to know my father because I only saw him on weekends, and even then, the only time he really acknowledged me was when I had done something wrong. I come from a Catholic background; physical punishments tended to be the most effective for me as a child. That doesn't mean that I think about my father while I fuck Edward or get a spanking, because that is all kinds of wrong and just...no, but the fact that he acts how a father would, soothes and calms me. I need and crave that," I told her honestly.

"What about the ordering around? If he asked you to fuck someone other than him, would you do it?”

I shook my head vehemently. "Edward would never ask me to do something like that. All D/s relationships have set limits. Edward and I are in a completely monogamous relationship. If he did ask me to do something like that, I would tell him no because it would clash with my limits. If he asks me do anything I'm uncomfortable with, and I have used my safe-word or its one of my hard or soft limits, he won't punish me. He will simply stop, and we'll talk about it so that we can both get a better understanding about my reaction.

"Complete honesty and trust means that, while he may sometimes push my boundaries and my body to take more than I think I can, he won't abuse my submission. Submission is a gift because without it, there would be no one to dominate. Edward makes it a point to tell me how proud he is of me and how happy and fulfilled my submission makes him. It may seem like the balance of our relationship is off, but it's what works for both of us. I used to stress and worry to the point that I would make myself sick. I hated it, and I never really wanted it. Edward gives me what I need by taking control of the decisions. If it's something important or about us as a couple, he'll ask for my opinion, but ultimately, the decision is in his hands. It isn't like I can't think for myself or make my own decisions; I just give the big ones to him so that I don't have to worry about them.”

"I don't think I could do that," Tanya admitted. "I like to be in control too much to be able to give the reins to anybody else.”

I shrugged. "Submission isn't for everyone. You'd probably make a good Dom. I mean, you're sadistic and a control freak," I told her.

She rolled her eyes at me. "You sound like Edward. I am, in fact, very happy with how my relationship with my girlfriend is, thank you very much. There's no need to add whips and collars into the equation.”

"Your loss," I said before digging into my neglected desert, all the while wondering when Edward would be back from golfing. I glanced at my watch and sighed; still a few hours to go.

...

"Stop," he ordered. I had barely managed to close the door behind me when his command resounded through our apartment hallway. I froze, my key hanging limply from my hand above the bowl on the entryway table where Edward insisted that we store the keys.

My eyes snapped up to meet his, and my heart stuttered in its beat as I took him in. He wore nothing but a pair of dark slacks, his feet bare and the sinewy muscles of his arms bulging as he crossed them across his chest.

I couldn't quite decipher his expression, but his eyes were dark with lustful intent. We had started setting apart specific times to have 'scenes,' but he liked to spring them on me at times, forcing me to adapt quickly and submit to whatever he had in store.

"What time is it?" he asked.

I looked at him, my face a little blank. "Around five?" I guessed.

He nodded. "Really, because I thought you told me that you would be back before three."

I grimaced at that, knowing that I had gotten my first strike.

"Why haven't you been answering your phone?" he asked before I could come up with a decent excuse for my first offense, his tone sticking to my skin like glazed honey.

My eyebrows pulled together in confusion, and my pulse escalated as I quickly rooted through my bag. I was certain that I hadn't heard anything ringing, but if I was wrong, then there was sure to be a punishment.

I cursed internally as I picked it up, the screen black. I tried to switch it on, but it was apparent that it was dead.

"It's out of battery," I told him weakly. Strike two.

He wasn't impressed by my answer, and he leaned against the wall, the muscle in his jaw twitching slightly in irritation.

"I hate that I feel like I have to remind you of this, but what are the rules for your phone when you are out of the apartment?" he asked tersely.

I knew there was no way to get out of this partially unscathed without accepting the fact that there would be a punishment in my near future. There was no point in fighting or arguing; it would only make things worse.

"Make sure it's fully charged and switched on, always make sure it's on me, answer immediately if you call, and check periodically to make sure it is still working" I told him quietly, knowing that I had just gotten my third strike.

"Oh, so youdo remember them, because your actions suggest otherwise," he said darkly.

"Are you willing to submit to me and take your punishment?" he asked when it became apparent that I had nothing to say in my defense.

My eyes sunk down to the floor. "Yes, Papi," I murmured.

"Good girl. Now, strip," he commanded.

I didn't hesitate in following his instructions. My dress and shirt hit the floor in seconds, followed quickly my by bra and panties. I moved to slide my socks down over my knees, kicking my shoes off, but he shook his head.

"Keep the socks on.”

I stood, completely naked-apart from my socks-in the entryway of our apartment, my clothes littered around me as my chest heaved with what I could only describe as anticipation.

Punishment or not, nothing thrilled me more than playing with my Papi.

I could feel the heat of his gaze as he took me in, his eyes lingering on my bared skin.

I peeked up at him from under my eyelashes, biting my lip as he took in my carelessly discarded clothes with narrowed eyes. He didn't comment on them as he pushed himself off the wall, standing with his legs slightly parted, his arms still crossed firmly across his chest.

"Come here," he directed, and I practically skipped over to him, willing and waiting for whatever he deemed necessary for me to be forgiven for the error of my ways.

His finger tapped at my chin, silently asking me to lift it. I looked up at him expectantly, wondering what was in store for me. I could see no trace of the gentle, loving man that adored me. My Papi's eyes were hard, the steely darkness of them sending a chill through my body, causing arousal to weep from my pussy.

"Kneel," he instructed, and I lowered myself to my knees before him, my face now level with his crotch. I licked my lips as I saw how the material strained against his erection, hoping that I would get a chance to please him with my mouth.

I was so wrapped up in thoughts that it startled me when he moved, walking around to stand behind me. I internally chastised myself for getting distracted, forcing myself to focus solely on him.

He trailed a hand over my neck, brushing my hair back over my shoulder before collecting the long strands in both hands. My eyes fluttered when I felt small tugs at my scalp as he braided my hair.

The act was very intimate and solidified the fact that no matter what, it was always me that he thought of first. It was in this move that he helped me discard any and all fears and place my trust completely in him-not that I had a hard time giving him everything I had without hesitation. He tied a simple band into the base of the braid before letting it drop and he splayed one of his hands between my shoulder blades, urging my body forward.

I leaned forward, holding my body up off the floor with my hands. I could feel the legs of his pants brush against my sides as he stood above me.

I shivered as I felt his hot breath fan out across the side of my face. "Crawl for me, Little One," he whispered, moving ahead of me and twisting his body around to face me. He walked backwards as I pushed past the lust clouding my brain and settled my mind into its safe place, making sure I had the right mindset.

I crawled toward him, quickening my pace as he disappeared through the living room doorway.

"Stop!" he said suddenly, and I practically skidded to a halt, the plush carpet creating friction against my socks and burning against my knees in my haste to obey. His eyes held me in their critical gaze, a long, thin switch held carefully between his fingers. The smirk on his face could only be described as sinister as he registered my widened eyes.

I swallowed tightly as he moved toward me, inspecting my body. I shivered as I felt the cool wood slide across my pelvis from one side of my hip to the other. A gasp left me as he tugged on each side, forcing my ass further back and higher. My upper body dipped down as he removed the switch, thankful for all the yoga lessons I had taken to increase my flexibility.

"Back straight," he snapped, bringing down the switch on my ass. I cried out, my body lurching forward, almost collapsing on my elbows as I scrambled to comply with his demand.

My arms shook slightly as I attempted to replicate the position he had put me in, but with my back straight.

I tensed as I felt the switch against my inner thigh, tapping it lightly. "I want those legs spread. I don't want you to be tempted to rub them together.”

I slowly spread my thighs, feeling the cool air brush against my sensitive folds.

"Shhh," he soothed, slipping soft silk over my eyes as I whimpered, leaving me in darkness. He tightened it, making sure it was secure before removing his touch from my body. The hairs on my body rose up as my head dipped down, my eyes glued to the floor as I focused on keeping my breathing even and used my ears to search for any kind of sound that would tell me his location.

His hands trailed over the round globes of my ass gently. "Your punishment will be five lashings on each cheek, followed by five on each thigh. That amounts to twenty. Are you ready to take them?”

His voice was low and calm, keeping me on edge while soothing away my fears. "Yes, Papi," I breathed.

"Hmm, good girl. Now, be sure to keep your position.”

He didn't give me time to respond before starting. I was vocal and loud as he brought it down on my supple, soft flesh. Pain flared through my body to a point that I struggled to choke back sobs.

I trembled and shook, my thighs quivering as wetness continued to trickle from me. It was the bliss, the freedom, that accompanied the lashings that made me wet. I was high, flying above the clouds as sweat left a light sheen on my skin. The tightening in my chest that formed once my transgressions had been revealed started to loosen each time the switch connected with my skin.

"Do you like making me worry?" he asked tersely.

I shook my head weakly, unable to form an answer.

My tears saturated my blindfold and my muscles coiled and tensed, my shoulders rolling which each shift of my body. It hurt like a bitch, but fuck if I hadn't learnt my lesson. I swore that I would constantly leave my phone plugged into its charger if it meant not getting a lashing like this.

"You could have gotten yourself hurt and had no means of communication. I would have been sitting here, helpless, without a clue. Is that what you wanted?”

"No," I choked out, guilt building. I hated making him worry unnecessarily about me, especially when it could have been avoided.

I was in a heightened state of arousal as the pain spurred me closer to an orgasm. 

Everything was so much more intense without my sight. I could hear the blood rushing through my veins, the loud thumping of my heart, the stuttering breaths that left me, and the whoosh of the cane slicing through the air.

My whole body was a live wire as I teetered between pain and pleasure. I wasn't sure what was up or down, right or left, only Papi kept me tethered to earth.

"I called you three times, Bellezza, and all I got was voicemail.”

I could hear the anger simmering in his tone, but he never let it affect his strokes. Each one was measured and firm, calculated and timed with precision.

He threw the switch to the floor, creating a muted thud once he had finished before stalking around my body, a breeze washing over me from his movements. I cried out as he gripped my braid, using it as leverage to yank my head back as I quivered.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" he asked sharply.

"I'm sorry, Papi," I sobbed.

He made a noise in the back of his throat before letting my hair go. "You're getting there," was all he had to say in reply.

It took me a minute to realize that he had left me, blindfolded and on my hands and knees, without any inkling as to when he would be returning.

I strained my ear, hoping for even the quietest sound to reassure me, but I was met with complete silence. I couldn't even feel him in the air.

"Papi?" I whispered hoarsely, but he didn't reply. My heart, which had begun slowing, picked back up, thrumming wildly as panic started to rise. I took deep, calming breaths hoping to bring myself back down and get back into my safe place. I felt abandoned and alone, completely naked and vulnerable, and I struggled to find any amount of calm.

My throat felt tight and my breathing continued to escalate. Small whimpers left me as I slowly started to lose grip of my sanity, sliding down into panic.

Was this what it felt like for him, the worry and niggling doubts of where I was, what I was doing, why wasn't I here, holding him captive in their hold just as they did to me now?

Just as I was about to break down and say my safe word-never had I been so glad that I had one-I felt his hand splay out on my head.

"Shhh, I'm right here. I'll always be right here," he murmured, coaxing my body and mind back into its safe place.

I swear I almost sobbed from relief as my body leaned forward. I blinked rapidly as he pulled the blindfold off, adjusting to the sudden light.

"Did you understand why I did that?" he asked gently, and I nodded, the constriction in my chest loosening and freeing me from its hold.

"Good. Now, kneel," he ordered, and I let my body tip back until my ass was seated carefully on my heels.

Everything in me screamed for contact with him, and it was only by clenching my hands into fists that I managed to control it. I watched him as he undid his slacks, pulling down the zipper and pulling his thick, engorged cock out. My mouth watered as I whimpered needily. This wasn't a want; I needed him, in my mouth, all over my body.

One of his hands settled in my hair while the other one guided his cock in my direction. My eyes fell closed briefly, and I shivered as he dragged his hot, hard flesh against my cheek. Even this minimal contact softened the edges of my need, and I lapped it up, reveling in it as the wet tip left a trail along my skin.

My lips parted as he traced the contours of them, his pre-cum coating them as my tongue slid between my teeth, peeking out of my mouth.

"Open for me," he instructed, and he didn't need to tell me twice. My mouth stretched for him as he slid his length into it. He wrapped my braid around one his fists, guiding my mouth up and down.

My hands reached up to touch him, but he wasn't having any of it. "Did I say you could touch me?" he snarled, and I whimpered, retracting my hands and folding them behind my back.

I knew what he was doing, giving me as little contact as possible, just like he knew how I craved what he was refusing to give me.

His hips thrust forward as I hollowed my cheeks, sucking him greedily.

His grip tightened on my hair as he pushed me to take all of him and held me there. "Hold it," he ordered as I choked and gagged around him, tears welling up in my eyes. I forced myself to breathe through my nose deeply until he drew back, allowing me the room I needed to regain control of myself.

I was sure that I looked like a mess as I peered up at him from under my wet eyelashes, my face streaked with makeup and puffy from crying, but he looked at me as if I was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

My nails dug into the soft skin of my biceps as wetness dripped down my thighs and the ache in my stomach curled tighter and tighter.

My tongue joined in the effort to please him, running over the veins and dips along his cock as I continued taking him.

He made me hold him down my throat three more times before he came, my throat constricting and tightening around his cock as he pulsed long streams of cum. I choked and swallowed convulsively as his cum dribbled from my lips, dripping down my chin as I forced myself to take every drop of what he was giving me.

Once I had thoroughly cleaned him, he stepped back, tucking himself back into his pants.

"Hands and knees," he ordered, and I moved into position wordlessly. I was weak and horny as he moved around the room, silently hoping that I had fulfilled my punishment and would get some real attention.

I wanted to feel his arms wrapped around me, his cock pistoning in and out of me, his body flush against mine. I needed contact, but it seemed to be the one thing he was reluctant to give me tonight.

I let out a long, drawn out moan as I felt the tip of a vibrator slip through my pussy lips, the vibrations shooting to my core as he dragged it through my labia and around my clit.

My hips bucked wildly, seeking more, always more, and he slid it into me to the hilt, turning it onto the highest setting.

"As long as you keep your position, you may orgasm as many times as you wish," he told me before retreating. I cried out in pleasure, already near the edge of my first orgasm, but holding on as confusion washed through me.

He wasn't just going to just leave me here, alone, was he?

Thankfully, my fears subsided somewhat when he sat on the couch, which was positioned beside me, using my back as a footrest as he switched on the TV. The added weight of his feet was not welcome as my arms and legs shook, the strain of staying in the same place for an extended period of time taking its toll.

Mewls and whimpers left me as I nearly collapsed, my orgasm finally gracing me with its presence. Shudders rolled through my body as my juices gushed down my thighs. My eyes slammed closed and I bit down hard on my lip, the pain keeping me grounded enough to not just say fuck it and fall into a jellied heap on the floor.

I felt as if I still had to prove somewhat that I was sorry, and I wouldn't give in until he was satisfied that I had taken all that I could.

I panted heavily as I glanced over at him, only to find his eyes transfixed on the TV, not even registering the fact that I had orgasmed.

My emotions were mixed between annoyance and arousal at his blatant disregard of my presence. It was as if, to him, I was simply an inanimate object.

Before I could really get into how I really felt about that, the vibrations in my pussy took over every rational thought. I could feel another orgasm mounting as I let my head drop, my muscles protesting against holding up my weight.

Those extra pounds I had put on did not feel so sexy right then that was for sure.

It took longer this time for me to cum, and I gave up trying to hold myself up any longer, collapsing on the carpet.

"No more," I begged, "Please, no more.”

He immediately shifted to remove the vibrator, switching it off before picking me up in his arms and cradling me to his chest. I sighed in contentment at the contact, nuzzling his neck as I tried to catch my breath.

Even though he had pushed me to take more than I had previously, I couldn't deny that I had needed that kind of release. I felt weightless in his grip, spent but unbelievably happy.

"Too much?" he asked as he lay me on my stomach. I sighed in relief as his calloused hands carefully moisturized and massaged my ass and thighs.

"No," I murmured, my face buried in the soft pillows on the bed. "Just enough.”

His hands moved up my back, pressing and kneading the kinks out of my neck and shoulders, loosening muscles that I hadn't even realized where tense.

His placed a chaste kiss on the side of my neck.

"Please don't make me worry like that again," he murmured.

"I promise," I vowed, craning my neck and pulling him down for a quick kiss, sealing my vow with my lips.