I pressed my fingers against a red spot on my thigh. The red coloring momentarily went away, only to have it return with full force when I removed my fingers.

My cell phone went off in my bedroom, pulling me away from admiring the work of the water. I picked my phone up from the bed and stared at it.

“Hello.”

“Leda, it’s Colt. I’d like to see you tonight at Seven. Can you be there in an hour and a half?” Colt asked in a rushed voice.

For whatever reason, I glanced around my room, as if it held the answer to his question.

“Yes, I can be there in that time frame.”

“Good. Wear a short skirt, understand?”

“Yes, Sir. What kind of top?” I asked.

“Doesn’t matter. You won’t be in it long.” Colt paused and then repeated, “An hour and a half, Leda. Drive carefully.”

And with that, he was gone. I pulled my phone away from my ear and stared at the screen. Yep, the call had in fact ended.

I tossed the phone on my bed and raced to my closet. I was so excited! I pulled out the black skirt and found a dark top to wear with it. A chill ran down my spine as I recalled his voice telling me that I wouldn’t be in it long.

I started to pull on some stockings but stopped as I got one leg pulled over my heel. Colt hadn’t said anything about stockings. He could be testing me to see how well I can follow instructions. I flung the stockings away from my feet and pulled my skirt up.

“Oh, shit!”

Before I pulled the skirt over my thighs, I caught a glimpse of my glowing skin. Shit!

Would make-up work? I was about to attempt at covering it with some concealer but realized it would get on my black skirt. I finished getting dressed in a flash, did my hair and makeup.

Wade and Chastity were out at dinner, so I left them a note. I know in today’s modern day, I could have sent Chastity a text, but I didn’t want to deal with what her texts back to me might say. I grabbed a bottle of water and was off.

* * *

I worried the entire drive about my skin. I know it takes my skin some time to return to normal, but I stayed under the hot water a lot longer than I normally do. Would Colt notice? Would he say anything? Colt was sharp.

Once I parked, I pulled the hem of my skirt up to check my skin.

“Dammit!”

It was still red. I sighed and prayed that my actions at home wouldn’t have a negative impact on my evening with Colt. Ignoring the woods that were at my back, I hurried up the steps and once inside, I pulled the hem of my skirt down a bit. I made my way past the wall that housed all of the Doms, frozen in time, and their lineage.

The couch that Colt and I sat on together on Initiate Night came into view. And there he sat. My feet stopped propelling me forward. I just wanted to stand there and look at him. He hadn’t noticed me yet. Colt sat back, comfortably confident and his legs parted. His arm was casually resting on the top of the sofa while his other arm was propped on the arm rest. Colt looked like he owned that sofa. His presence and the way he carried himself had me in awe. When I finally pulled my eyes away from his crotch, I noticed that he had been watching me.

As I walked closer, he didn’t moved an inch. His chest puffed out and expanded as he took a deep breath. Colt cocked his head to the left and tilted his hand toward himself while he examined his watch.

“Right on time, Leda.”

Panic hit me as his eyes slowly roamed my body. Oh shit! His eyes were stalled at my thighs. He leaned forward, over his knees and continued to look at my legs. His intense gaze settled on my eyes as he stood.

“Follow me, Leda.”

We made our way down a different hall and into another room. Colt closed the door gently behind him.

“Any new hard limits crop up since Thursday?” he asked calmly.

“No, Sir.”

Accepting my answer, he nodded and began pacing in front of me.

“Undress, Leda.”

I prayed he wouldn’t say anything about my legs. I quickly undressed and set my clothes on a small table by the door. All while I undressed, Colt didn’t once look at me. Instead, he kept his eyes focused on the floor.

Colt stopped in front of me, and his eyes went immediately to my legs. I felt very embarrassed. Ashamed, even. I was about to ask permission to leave and excuse myself, but just then, Colt looked up at me. I remembered how my parents looked at me when they found out what I had been doing, and the look in Chastity’s eyes had been similar and a few other friends I had…and lost. But Colt’s eyes held a different look. Acceptance, maybe.

“Leda, I brought you in here to play. Before we proceed, I need to be certain that your mind is clear.”

I nodded and followed up with, “Yes, Sir. I’d like to play.”

“Safe word?”

“Metal, Sir.”

Colt placed a wooden chair in the center of the room and slapped the seat of it with his hand as silent instruction for me to sit down. The chair was another unique handmade piece of furniture in Seven. It was made of thick wood, and the seat was wider than the average chair. Each of the legs and the backrest had iron eye holes that could be used to attach restraints.

While he went to an armoire in the corner of the room, I took a seat. Colt spent little time finding what he was looking for, and with a handful of items in his arms, he returned to a table behind me and out of my sight.

I wondered what he had back there.

The element of surprise had me on my toes as I tried to listen to the items and materials he was moving around behind me. I heard chains for sure.

I was pretty sure.

I think.

Colt stayed behind me for a few minutes, motionless. It had been a few moments since I last heard any movement. My heart was pounding, and my eyes darted around the room.

What was he doing?

I stared at the clock that was on the wall directly in front of me. It approached ten minutes of no noise or motion from Colt when I started to fidget in my seat.

“Settle down, Leda,” Colt’s firm voice advised.

I swallowed hard and began to panic. I couldn’t see what he was doing!

Was he just standing back there watching me? What kind of implements had he pulled from the armoire? What was he planning?

“Leda, clear your head.”

Closing my eyes, I forced myself to take a deep breath. When I opened my eyes, I nodded my head.

Footsteps. I heard his feet making a slow path behind me from left to right…then back to my left. One of his fingers twirled a lock of my hair as he spoke.

“I want to get to know you a bit more than what our conversation the other night provided.” Colt let go of my hair and began his slow, purposeful traipse behind me again. “I want to see what’s past the pretty exterior. I want to see the parts you don’t show anyone…the parts you don’t want anyone to see…the parts you keep hidden.” My heart pounded in my chest, and he came to a stop directly behind me. Colt startled me by bending over and speaking quietly in my ear, “I want to see what you think are the dark parts.” He walked around and finally came into my line of sight. Shirtless, he stood before me. “I will see those parts.”

All I could do was look at him. My eyes couldn’t leave his all-consuming stare. Colt returned to the table behind me. Trying to remoisten my mouth, I swallowed a few times, though it hadn’t helped much. He reappeared with two spreader bars, metal cuffs, and a couple of short lengths of chain. Colt crouched down in front of me and reached out to take hold of my left ankle.

When his firm grip came into contact with my ankle, I began to relax a bit. My eyes followed the quick work his hands were weaving. Soon, my ankles were wrapped in cool metal and the spreader bar was attached to the cuffs. He adjusted the bar, which effectively forced my legs apart. I could feel the heat begin to color my cheeks. He could see everything. He was right there. Colt stared at my pussy, and a smile spread across his face. After he attached the spreader bar to the legs of the chair, he sat back on his haunches and gazed between my legs.

“Your cunt is wet, Leda.”

I smiled and looked down between my legs.

“What? You don’t trust me?” Colt asked.

He reached forward and pushed three fingers into my pussy. Oh, my God. His fingers felt incredible buried inside, and I shut my eyes, reveling in the bliss. I felt the familiar swelling, pressure building in my clit. My mind began reeling. His fingers…he was going to make me come.

“Leda, open your eyes.”

I opened them slowly, willing myself to think of something non-sexual. His eyes pierced me, and suddenly, Colt stopped moving his fingers. Lodged deep inside of me, were his three fingers. I was teetering on edge, trying hard not to go over. It was almost as if he knew. The pressure was building, and I couldn’t control it.

As I came, his eyes were fixated on me. He told me not to look away while I came. I had never, ever looked into someone’s eyes while I came. It was so personal. The wave slowed, and I could feel the guilt knocking on the door. Here I sat, completely exposed, spread wide and I just came in front of this man; Master Dom of Seven.

I felt filthy.

Too many unpleasant thoughts and feelings came crashing into my mind. I fought one feeling off, only to be assaulted with another. I didn’t let my eyes leave his, as he instructed, but I continued to hold my ground as the war raged in my mind…all while he stared at me.

“There it is,” Colt said quietly.

I was lost as I tried figuring out what he was referring to.

“What, Sir?”

“A glimmer of the dark.” He retrieved his fingers from my pussy and sucked my juices from them, all while maintaining eye contact with me. “Exquisite, Leda.”

Colt stood, making it known that his pants were hiding his erection. So much was running through my mind. Had he seen in my eyes how damaged I was?

Colt placed the same type of metal cuffs on my wrists. My arms dangled on either side of the chair and he pulled my wrists behind me a little bit, attaching them to the other spreader bar. He attached that bar to a spot on the seat of the chair in the back. This pulled my shoulders back and pushed my breasts up and outward.

When Colt came back into view, he had a thick dildo in his hands. He leaned over and pushed it into my pussy in one motion. Shit! Instantly, I felt the pressure build again.

Colt disappeared behind me again while I tried thinking of anything not even remotely sexual again.

“Chin up,” Colt said as something lightly slapped under my chin.

He stood in front of me with a crop and a smile.

“Feel good?”

“It feels thick, Sir.”

“Imagine that up your ass.”

Damn, I was. And now I was trying hard to fight off another orgasm.

“I’m going to ask you some questions, and I expect answers. I’ll give you little rewards here and there though.”

I nodded, “Yes, Sir.”

My pulse was going a mile a minute. I was nervous about what he’d ask, based on what he said earlier.

“We’ll start off simple…how many men have had their cocks in your pussy?”

My eyes shifted as I thought. The Service Tops would count, so three of those. Two guys in college…my mind stalled. Grandpa.

I felt the sting of his crop on my left breast.

“That’s a simple question, Leda. You’re in for a long night if you struggle with that one.”

I nodded and swallowed a few times, trying to work past my dry throat.

“I’m sorry, Sir. Six.”

“Any of them long term boyfriends?”

“No, Sir.”

“Were they all Doms?”

“No. Three of them were, Sir.”

“When was the last time you masturbated?”

How embarrassing.

“This afternoon, Sir.”

He was smiling.

“Good,” he said while nodding.

Colt flicked the crop between my legs and the leather landed perfectly on my swollen clit. He gave my clit another slap with the crop, but this time held it still after it made contact with my swollen nub. Pressing the leather flap against my clit, Colt began to move the crop in a rubbing motion. Shit! His laugh preceded another slap from the crop against my clit.

“Tell me about it. What, or who were you thinking about, Leda?”

I took a deep breath. No one had ever asked me something like this.

“I was thinking of you, Sir.”

“What was I doing in this fantasy of yours?”

I hesitated for a moment. Would he think I was really messed up for fantasizing his hand around my neck as he fucked me? He said he wanted to see all of the things I kept others from seeing. My hesitation earned me another slap of the crop, but this time on my right breast.

“Leda.”

“I had imagined your firm grip wrapped around my neck while you fucked me, Sir.”

I looked up at him, and he stood there, just staring at me. Another smile danced across his face.

“Do you like hands on your neck, Leda?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Colt slowly walked out of sight again. I could feel him behind me though. He pressed his chest and abdomen against the back of my chair, leaned over me a bit. Colt’s big hand wrapped around the base of my neck. His thumb rested on one side of my neck while his other fingers sat on the other side. I knew he could feel my pulse.

“Do you like this, Leda?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Notice how tiny your neck is in my hand?” Colt flexed his fingers and thumb lightly. “Feel that, Leda?” I nodded my confirmation. “I bet you feel it here.” Out of nowhere, he brought the crop down between my legs hard.

Oh, fuck! It felt so good! I didn’t want him to move. His hand felt incredible around my neck as he spanked my pussy and clit. I tried pushing my pussy forward to get more. My body was begging for the crop.

“Imagine the dildo that’s buried in you is my cock.”

Colt randomly swatted around my pussy, clit and the insides of my legs as he held my neck in his enormous hand. Using the leather flap of the crop, Colt began rubbing my clit with it. He was going to make me come again.

“Oh, Sir,” I whispered.

I didn’t think I could hold off much longer. He abruptly stopped the rubbing motion and then spanked my clit.

“Ahh!” I moaned out.

As I came, Colt continued to bring the crop down on my clit. I loved the way his hand felt wrapped around my neck. I felt so safe with it there.

Quickly I felt the guilt creeping in further. He let go of my neck and walked around to stand in front of me to assess me. Colt crouched down and looked deep into my eyes. I felt so safe in the embrace of his eyes. Even though he wasn’t touching me, I felt so protected. Gently he tapped on several places where my red skin was from my shower.

“Your legs didn’t look like this Thursday night. How did this happen?” I was quiet and felt so ashamed. I could barely look at him. “Eyes on me, Leda. I’ll ask you again...how did this happen? Is someone hurting you?”

“No, Sir. It’s nothing like that. It’s really tough to explain.”

His eyes didn’t move from mine as my mind raced. He said he wanted to see my dark. Could I tell him this? How could I tell him and it not lead to something else darker?

“Are you still giving hope a chance, Leda?” I nodded. “Then tell me.”

I sagged in the chair and felt the lump in my throat forming.

“It’s from water. Hot water from the shower.” His eyes still held mine as if he were expecting me to continue. “I sometimes take hot showers, when I’m feeling inadequate, or when I’ve been bad. The, um, pain, it gives me a release…Sir. It makes me feel better.”

He broke eye contact with me and looked down at my legs. Colt ran his hands over my red, blotchy skin on my both of my legs. Then his fingers lingered to the scars on the inside of my legs and I flinched. His dark eyes came up to mine.

“Do these hurt?”

I quickly shook my head.

“No, Sir.”

“Your body jerked.”

“I, um…no one has ever touched them.”

He carefully traced them while frowning. I’m sure he thinks I’m a mess and not worth the trouble.

“Did you cause these?”

Did I cause it?

Quickly I thought about my reply, and while thinking of how to answer, I got lost in the woods again.

“Goddammit, Leda!”

I had kept trying to lean forward, away from my grandfather. I finally leaned forward far enough that I fell off the log he had me perched on.

He pulled a branch off of a tree that was close, pulling from it smaller twig branches and leaves. He swung it through the air, scaring me.

“Come here.”

Colt’s voice brought me out of my daydream.

“Leda.”

“I didn’t directly cause all of these, Sir.”

He narrowed his eyes at me.

“Explain.”

“What I meant was that I hadn’t done all of them to myself. Some, I’m ashamed to say, were caused by me. But my behavior caused the others, Sir.”

“Someone put these on you.”

Realizing that he hadn’t phrased it as a question, I just nodded. When he looked up at me, I quickly said, “Yes, Sir.”

“How long ago?”

“Um.” I blinked back tears, looking upward. “Um, for the ones you’re touching, I was nine or ten.”

Colt’s finger continued to trace the scars. Some were raised while some were indentions on my skin. He was quiet now, which worried me.

“Leda, who put these on you?”

I took a deep breath and look him in the eyes. He wanted my darkness.

“My grandfather.”

Colt seemed to grow distant, or at least, what I thought was distant. He exhaled loudly, took my legs out of the cuffs and then moved behind me to release my wrists.

Now what? Was he done with me? Now that he knew some of the dark edges that sit in my mind, how quickly would he dismiss me and move onto a better Initiate?

“Get dressed.”

Oh, pretty quickly, I think.

“Yes, Sir.”

He stood close, and I felt his eyes were on me. I couldn’t even look at him, I felt so embarrassed. After I pulled my top on, he handed me a bottle of water. I thanked him and held it in my hands. I was shaking too much to have dared opening it and attempted to drink it. He pulled the bottle from my hands, opened it and handed it to me.

“Drink, Leda.”

I drank the water as he buttoned his shirt and then returned the lid to the bottle. Colt ran his hand through his hair and then looked at his watch.

“Would you like to go for a walk with me?”

“Yes, Sir,” I said.

I was somewhat stunned. He wasn’t dismissing me, at least not yet.

We walked to the main room, and he led us to a door that went to the back of Seven. I stalled when he made the gesture to walk outside ahead of him. I slowly walked out to the dimly lit porch, but barely left enough room for him to walk outside and around me.

“Come on, Leda.”

He sidestepped me and walked to the stairs that would lead us to a path that appeared to take its travelers into the woods. I couldn’t.

“Leda.”

He abandoned the stairs and came back to stand in front of me. Colt took hold of my chin firmly and pulled it upward so I looked in his eyes.

“What is it?”

“I…I don’t like the woods.”

Colt leaned down and kissed my forehead.

“Are the woods a hard limit?”

I glanced out into the darkness and then back at Colt.

“No, Sir. Not a hard limit, but a soft limit.”

Colt nodded and led me over to a bench on the porch.

“No walk in the woods tonight, Leda. But I want to sit with you for a while.”

* * *

I walked inside and went straight to my room, closing the door quietly as to not disturb Chastity and Wade. They had left the kitchen light on for me but appears they were already in their room for the evening.

As I undressed in the bathroom, I smiled at the red marks Colt’s crop had left on my breasts and the inside of my legs. Most of the red blotchiness that had been on my thighs had now diminished.

I pulled on some soft panties and a tank top before flopping into bed. I was exhausted. Mentally and physically. I couldn’t believe everything that I told him tonight. That wasn’t like me. It was stuff that I had kept behind a guarded wall. At least, I thought I had secured behind a wall. But Colt…God, how did he pull all of that out so easily?

Wade had warned me. I thought I was doing a good job of paying attention to Colt and thinking before I responded, but he just stormed in. Wade said that Colt was really good at getting into heads.

God, he was sexy.

I let my mind drift back to the feel of his hand wrapped around my neck. I could feel myself dampen at the memory. The way he slapped my pussy and clit with the crop while he held my neck was beyond what I had ever imagined. I’ve had Service Tops hold my neck before, but what Colt did was different. He made me feel different.

Nothing I had ever experienced with a Service Top even came close to what I had felt with Colt tonight.

* * *

“Leeds, do you want to go shopping today since you have the day off?” Chastity asked me as I helped her put groceries away.

“Thanks, but Colt invited me out for coffee.”

“Colt Grantham asked you out for coffee?” Wade asked from the other room.

I looked up at him when he walked into the kitchen with his hands on his hips. I don’t know what his problem with Colt is. Colt has been a breath of fresh air, but I felt like I was starting to suffocate in this house.

“Wade, I’m sure coffee will be fine,” Chastity said while giving Wade one of those silent conversation glances.

“Leeds, please watch what you say to him. He catalogs everything. Don’t give him anything else to use against you,” Wade said.

“He’s not a monster!” I exclaimed.

It was quiet in the kitchen while Wade and I stared at one another.

“No, Leeds. He’s not a monster. He’s worse than a monster. He’s the devil.”

I just shook my head. Wade was totally unreasonable.

“His expectations are unrealistic, Leda. He’s never initiated a woman into Seven. He’s incapable. He breaks women, tends to their wounds and sends them on their way. Tell me, how long did he sit with you after your two scenes?” Wade asked.

The first scene was like Wade said; he tended to my wounds and then left. But the second time he sat with me on the porch.

“He sat with me for a while after our second scene.”

“Probably because he fucking felt guilty for extracting so much from you. I don’t think he was prepared for the dark shit that lurks in your past—”

“Wade!” Chastity tried to interrupt him, but he ignored her.

“I warned you to be careful what you said to him. You gave him a gateway to manipulate you. And fuck, Leda, haven’t you had enough of that shit?”

“He didn’t treat me like I was made of glass after he heard!” I yelled back.

“Of course not. He had you tied to a fucking chair. He’s excellent at fucking with minds! I told you this!”

“I’m not as feeble as you think, Wade,” I stood my ground.

Wade walked closer and tilted my chin up so I’d look at him.

“I never said you were feeble, Leeds. You have the bravest heart of anyone I know. But you also have the most delicate of souls. You’ve already endured one sadistic monster…don’t walk into the hands of another.”

I tried to move away from Wade, but he held onto my chin, keeping me in front of him.

“I won’t stand by quietly if he breaks you, Leda.”

“He can’t break me! Why can’t anyone get that through their heads? You can’t break someone who is already broken!” I yelled.

Wade pulled me into a hug and held his hand on the back of my head while I fought off tears.

“Leeds, you’re not broken, sweetheart. But please don’t underestimate Colt.”

* * *

An hour and a half later, I pulled up behind Colt’s Ferrari at the café he suggested. Not bothering to take the time to button my coat, I pulled it closed and hurried inside. The café was warm, inviting and smelled like coffee and baked goods.

Sitting across from Colt, I got an eyeful of him. Colt looked sexy in his black tailored pants and blue button shirt. Every time he moved his left arm, that watch would catch the light just right and throw a burst of light back in my eyes.

“Your watch seems to catch the light often,” I lightly commented.

He raised his eyebrows and looked down at it.

“It’s not a watch, Leda. It’s a time piece. It’s very special to me.”

I nodded, hoping he hadn’t thought that I had been making light of his watch—time piece. I wondered to myself at what price point does a watch become a time piece. Of course, for a man who drives a Ferrari, I suppose he only wears time pieces. But I could tell by the way he looked at it, that he was very fond of it. And I was pretty sure it wasn’t due to monetary reasons, but that it was rather sentimental reasons.

While we talked, I kept glancing down at his tattoo to signify that he was a Dom of Seven. As Wade mentioned, Colt had never initiated a woman into Seven, so the extra tattoo mark was missing.

The café was starting to get noisy, and Colt asked if I wanted to go for a walk while we continued to chat. I nodded, and we got our coffees to go before heading out to the sidewalk. In front of the café, Colt looked up at the sky. Storm clouds had been threatening all day, but hopefully, it’d hold off for our walk.

“Button your coat, Leda. It’s cool out.”

Colt took the paper coffee cup from my hand while I buttoned my coat. I felt his eyes on me as my hands moved quickly on the buttons.

“Is that wool?” he asked.

“My coat? I don’t know,” I said as I quickly glanced at the label by the interior breast pocket. “Yes, one hundred percent wool,” I happily announced, though he hadn’t seemed impressed.

His coat looked really warm, and I reached out and rubbed my hand on the sleeve of his coat. I was surprised by the softness of his coat. It felt as soft as a sweater. A really nice sweater.

“That’s very soft. Is it warm?” I asked, taking my coffee cup from his hands.

“It is. It’s cashmere. It’s all of the warmth, without the bulk and weight. It’s perfect.”

Our conversation had been light in the café, but once we got outside the topics grew darker.

“Why is rope a hard limit, Leda,” Colt casually asked while we stood at the crosswalk.

My stomach dropped, and I started feeling weak.

“Did a scene go bad with some rope and a Service Top?” he asked when I hadn’t immediately spoken up.

“No, Sir—”

“Leda, it’s Colt. ‘Sir’ is reserved for Seven. Colt is my name and is what I want you to call me. I’m not training you to be a slave, understand?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“So, the rope?” he prompted again.

“My grandfather…he tied me to trees and logs.” I paused long enough to force myself to slow down. “He tied me to keep me from moving much.”

Colt’s pace slowed, and I could feel him looking at me, though I wouldn’t look up. I kept my eyes focused on the cement path in front of us. We walked the length of another city block before he spoke again.

“How long did it go on, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“A long time,” I said.

I don’t think he cared for my vagueness, but he seemed to hold his tongue regarding the topic.

“And when did it stop?”

“High school. My parents found out just before my senior year started when I came home from my summer visit. They sent me there every summer. My mom saw the marks on my hips, and then hell broke loose.”

“I imagine so.”

I appreciated the fact that he hadn’t said something like, “I’m so sorry.” I had heard that from my parents, friends and my friends’ parents so much that it just pissed me off each time. I know it’s awkward, but it makes me more uncomfortable when someone spits out a phrase because they feel like they have to.

Colt hadn’t done that though. It made me wonder if maybe he had something dark in his past too. Maybe that’s why I felt so protected and accepted when I’m around him.

“When did you start hurting yourself?”

“I was 12 or 13…7th or 8th grade. I had discovered it on accident. I was standing under the shower at my grandfather’s house, trying the get warm—I had always been chilled after our walks. I’m sure it was just my body freaking out. Anyhow, I kept adjusting the temperature and the hotter the water got, it made me feel better. It’s kind of hard to explain, but the pain from the hot water released other feelings I had. It made it easier to breathe, if that makes sense.”

He was quiet again, and I began to worry some. I was doing exactly what Wade told me not to do. But Colt seemed genuinely interested; otherwise, I don’t think he’d ask.

“How did you hurt yourself in other ways?”

It was almost as if he knew, but was making me confirm it for him. He had seen my thighs during our scene; he knew.

“Cutting.”

“Where did your grandfather live?” he asked while we were in a crosswalk.

“He had a house on a lake in Michigan. I’d go there every summer. I loved being with my grandmother. She was always so good to me. We’d play with my dolls in a dollhouse my grandfather built for me. That’s how it started, actually. My grandfather would take me out into the woods to help him pick out the wood for my dollhouse. Then we’d pick out wood for the furniture and so forth. There was always something to go out in the woods for.”

“That’s why the woods are a soft limit,” Colt said, knowing that it was the reason. “Is the loss of sight a hard limit due to your grandfather?”

“You remembered my limits?”

I was somewhat surprised, though I’m not sure why. I think Wade had built up in my head that Colt only cared about himself in the immediate moment. Remembering my hard or soft limits outside of Seven didn’t seem to be a characteristic of a man who was as self-absorbed as Wade made him out to be.

“Of course, I do, Leda. Blindfolds?”

“Yes. His doing as well.”

At the next crosswalk, I glanced at Colt. He seemed to be deep in thought, and his eyebrows were furrowed.

The sky had darkened considerably since we started our walk and we began walking back to our cars that were parked in front of the café. Colt had been quiet for most of the walk back, and I felt like our conversation put us at a distance now.

“Did you ever fight back, Leda?” Colt asked as he pulled the door to my car open.

Fight back? I never had. He was my grandfather and old. Around the house, he was as kind and loving as my grandmother was. It was just on our walks that he wasn’t the same man.

“No, I never fought back, Colt.”

His warm eyes held my gaze for a few moments before he nodded at me. Colt had reached out, taking hold of the lapels of my coat and pulled it open. The icy air instantly chilled my exposed skin as he pulled his scarf off and gently took hold of my neck. With his other hand, he weaved the scarf behind my neck and bundled it in front of me.

Oh, God.

How was his hand so warm after we had been walking around in the cool air for so long? His dark eyes commanded the attention from my eyes as he tugged the scarf higher up on my neck. Colt’s strong fingers flexed under the scarf against my neck, and warmth spread through my body. No other man has ever made me feel like this. Colt knew what he was doing to me, and he smirked just before he released my neck. He then buttoned my coat up and gave me a smile.

“I don’t want you to be cold, Leda.” He looked upward at the stormy sky. “How long should it take you to get home from here?”

“About fifteen minutes.”

“Okay. I want a text when you get home. It’s going to start raining soon, and the streets will get slick. I need to know you arrived safely.”

I nodded. He cared if I got home safely.