I opened the door and gasped.

“Master.”

He’d placed lit candles on every flat available surface and put on soft piano music. Since the walls were painted a simple off-white, everything looked and felt soft and inviting. In the middle of the room was a massage table covered with thick warm towels. Nathaniel stood beside it, holding out his hand.

I walked to him and he began to untie my robe. “You’ve given yourself to me for the last few days. You’re serving me well.” He ran his hands up my body, sliding the robe from my shoulders. “Now I want to serve you for a while.”

A shiver ran through my body and he dropped a tiny kiss first on one shoulder and then the other.

“You’re incredible,” I said. “Do you know that?”

“If I am, it’s because you make me that way,” he whispered in my ear. “Up on the table, on your belly.”

I kissed his cheek before getting into position. He followed behind, pulling more towels and a blanket over me. He started by caressing my back and shoulders over the blanket, and I sighed at how good his hands felt. Gently, he worked his way down my back, slowly increasing the intensity of his hands. After a few minutes, he eased the blanket midway down my back and swept my hair to one side. He pressed a kiss at the nape of my neck, causing my skin to pebble with gooseflesh. He laughed and kissed me again.

He slowly took his time working the knots out of my back and shoulders. After he worked his way down my arms, the entire room smelled like the citrus ginger lotion he used. My eyes grew heavy.

“You have the most amazing hands,” I mumbled at one point. “You make everything feel so good.”

He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the palm. “Your hands are pretty amazing, too.”

“Yeah, but you don’t let me massage you.”

“Nope,” he agreed. “Massage after play is for me to do for you. It’s my way of caring for you.”

It was an argument we’d had often over the years. His insistence that the aftercare he gave me wasn’t something I could perform on him. Certain things we did together. A shared bath and glass of wine was a favorite. Or holding each other in bed or on the couch. And sometimes we’d just make love, a sensual easement back into our weekday lives.

“I’d argue with you, but I’m too relaxed right now,” I teased. “I’ll eventually work my strength back, though, and then you better look out.”

“Oh?” He lifted the blanket and started massaging my right leg.

“Yeah,” I said with a yawn. “As soon as I find the energy to get off this table.”

He chuckled, fully aware that by the time he finished with the massage, odds were good I’d be asleep.

“Turn over for me, baby.”

Baby. I loved it when he called me baby while I wore his collar.

I flipped over to my back and met his gaze, bathing in the love and devotion I found there. I didn’t say anything, but closed my eyes and allowed him to serve me.

Chapter Eleven

He woke me up the next morning with room service breakfast in bed. I slowly blinked awake, prodded along by a kiss and whispered promises of coffee. I went to roll over to get up and groaned. Every damn part of me hurt. I’d enjoyed the day before—well, most of it—but I’d forgotten how sore I’d be the morning following such play.

“Take these,” Nathaniel said, holding two tablets to my mouth and passing me a glass of water. I gulped them down and then pulled myself up to a sitting position.

“Bit sore?” he asked.

“I think that’s an understatement, Master.” I took a sip of coffee and sighed. And thank fucking goodness I didn’t sleep on the floor.

“I won’t say I’m sorry.”

“I wouldn’t want you to.”

He put the breakfast tray in front of me. Everything looked delicious. I reached for a fork, but he shook his head and instead lifted a piece of pineapple to my lips.

“I’m free all day.”

“Really?” I said around the pineapple.

“Yes, we can spend the entire day together.” He fed me a bit of scrambled eggs. “There’s an art gallery I want to take you to. Then we can have lunch, maybe do some shopping.”

“I’d love to visit an art gallery, Master.”

His smile was mischievous. “I know.”

He must have eaten while I was sleeping because he didn’t take a bite of anything. Instead, he fed me. He took his time, giving me pieces of fruit, eggs, and ham. It’d been a long time since we’d enjoyed a leisurely morning in bed and having Nathaniel feed me was one of my favorite things to do, so I felt fully pampered and happy.