He’d never struggled to focus at work before. This time, an eight hour day felt like it was torture. “Yo, Sean?” Josh said from over his shoulder. “Day dreaming? We got two walk-ins.”

“Sorry,” Sean said and pushed the consent form towards the young couple. They’d arrived armed with matching printouts, a couples tattoo stolen from someone on Instagram. You’re going to regret this, Sean thought as he began the outline for the complementary crowns.

Every spare moment he had, he texted Harper. There was this need to see her that burned deep inside him. Throughout the morning, he’d found an avenue to get a mini fix, but it would just tide him over until he could have her again.

“What’s for breakfast?” he’d asked her. It sounded innocent enough.

“No time today,” she’d replied. I’m meeting with P and his manager about the show.

“You need to eat, sweetheart.” Period. The ellipses appeared on his screen.

“Eat what?”

Some of the passages and lines from the book he’d picked up in her room flashed in his mind. Of course, he knew a lot of models kept a strict diet, but what were the odds of that being the only book in Harper’s room if it didn’t resonate with her? He’d never paid close attention to what she ate—or didn’t—when they were together.

“Egg whites with spinach and avocado,” he finally replied. It took a moment to dig into his knowledge bank about what a girl like Harper might deem “okay.” If he went straight for the good stuff, she might resist. Take it slow.

“Okay,” she replied.

Ten minutes later, while Gita prepped a customer for him, he texted again. “Made breakfast?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Send me a pic. Now.”

Immediately, a shot of exactly what he’d requested appeared.

“What are you wearing for your meeting?” he asked.

“Jeans and tank.”

“I like you in dresses. Change into the most feminine one you have. But not pink.”

“Okay.”

“And send me a pic before you leave.”

It continued throughout the day. Every small demand he had, Harper fulfilled. Fuck, it was almost as good as having a drink. Small sips throughout the day, just to feel normal. And it worked. His mind was on Harper even as he inked a manga character onto a massive man’s back, but his work was flawless, quick and precise.

“Nice work,” Josh said as his third customer left.

“Thanks,” he said, but he was already back to Harper.

“This girl’s really got you sprung, huh?”

“Sprung? Josh, come on,” Sean said.

It was insane that they’d only known each other a few weeks. Sean couldn’t remember what his life was like without her. The only time he carved out, besides what he spent with her and what was required, was his bed-side sessions with Ashton.

He certainly couldn’t tell Joon-Ki about his obsession. His sponsor would see it as an instant red flag. But Ashton didn’t have the luxury of a response. He could only listen, and that was an offering Sean had never had before.

“Where are you?” he texted Harper during a break.

“At P’s store, waiting for the owner.”

During his lunch break, their string of texts flowed non-stop. “What are you doing?” “What was decided at the meeting?” “What are you doing at the gym?” The need to constantly know where she was, what she was doing, it filled the void that threatened whenever she was away from him.

It was odd. Sean had never cared what a girl’s life entailed before. His casual relationships only existed during sex. But with Harper, he needed all of her, all the time.

Slivers of doubt crept into him. “Am I bothering you?” he asked. Seeing those four words displayed so crisply made him feel weak, but he needed to know. If his only option was to back off, and that let him keep her, so be it.

“No. I like it,” she replied.

For awhile, as he tattooed a sorority tattoo onto a slender girl’s back, he wondered if he’d suddenly become the jealous type—the kind of asshole who swore it wasn’t abuse as long as he didn’t physically touch her.

But jealousy? No, not quite. Possessiveness, yes. It was beyond the kind of possessiveness that made girls’ friends band together and warn their wayward friend of an emotionally abusive relationship.

He wanted to own her, in totality. Command her movements and see the trust in her eyes when she knew the pleasure would equal the pain.

Finally, he finished up his last customer of the day. Sean handed the girl the mirror and she inspected the Greek letters on her back, arched above a royal blue sphinx. “I love it,” she said. She couldn’t be older than eighteen, but gave Sean those hungry eyes he was so used to seeing. “And I love the bird on your neck, too,” she said. “Can I see—”

“Sorry, I have to clean up. Gita will ring you up,” he said.

She looked equally crestfallen and offended, but Sean didn’t have time to flirt with a customer for a bigger tip. “Off work, you free?” he texted Harper.

“Yes, at home.”

“Come to my place,” he commanded. “Are you still wearing the dress?”

“Yes.”

“Keep it on. No panties.”

“Yes, sir,” she replied.

Sean gave a half-hearted wave to the crew as he hitched the messenger bag onto his shoulder and headed upstairs. The pizzeria had started their mass orders for the night, and filled the corridors with the scent of yeast.

“Door is unlocked,” he texted Harper.

Sean stripped the bedding and covered the mattress with shiny black plastic tucked tightly beneath the frame. When he heard the door open, he turned and saw Harper in a short yellow dress framed by the light from the hallway.

“Come here,” he commanded. “On your knees.”

She turned to shut the door.

“Leave it open.”

Harper took a step towards him. “I said on your knees. Crawl.”

She dropped to all fours at once and began a slow, intentional crawl towards him. Sean loosened his belt and released his cock. By the time Harper arrived, lips parted with tiny mewls of need emanating from her, he was rock hard and slick with pre-cum.

“Is this what you want?” he asked.

“Yes.”

He allowed her to use her hands. She gripped his base and stroked his length while her tongue worked his tip.

“That’s enough,” he said when she’d brought him close. “Stand up.” Even in the dim light, he could see the redness spread across her knees, the signs of bruises to come. It excited him even more.

Although he loved her naked body, especially when the bruises from their last session were fresh, something about the innocent femme schoolgirl dress intrigued him. Sean took out the police-grade handcuffs with steel that could bite into flesh if she resisted too much. “On the bed,” he said.

She spread out on the black plastic, the frilly dress a stark contrast to the vinyl and steel. Sean secured her wrists and ankles. Crouched before her, he trailed his tongue from her calf to her inner thigh. She let out a cry when she jerked against the cold steel, an automatic reaction as he flicked his tongue across her clit.

“Move too much and you’ll hurt yourself,” he warned.

He pressed his palms into her thighs, forced her legs wide and traced his name with his tongue across her clit. It engorged in his mouth and her wetness began to slip down her thighs onto the vinyl.

When she was close, he backed off. “Is this your first time edging?” he asked.

She nodded, her hair matted and eyes unfocused.

“Answer me,” he said while he pressed his thumb against her clit.

“Yes,” she gasped.

He brought her close to the edge five times. Each time, he could sense her want and frustration, but she never once voiced it.

“You’ve been good,” he said. Her juices had spread across a quarter of the plastic, and her clit was swollen beyond what he’d ever seen. “I think you deserve a reward.”

He grasped her hips and lifted her middle onto his legs. For just a moment, he teased his tip against her opening. Harper groaned in desire. The cuffs kept her from having much movement, but she did her best to press herself against him.

As he dove into her, tears streamed down her cheeks. This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

“Gomorrah,” she whispered, over and over.

She came fast and hard, vaginal walls clutched against him. The sensation made him come with her. Sean released into her. He could stay there, buried inside her, forever, but he forced himself to pull out slowly. He watched their combined come spill out of her slowly. Cream pies had never done much for him before, but with her it was different.

Harper shook gently on the vinyl as he unlocked the cuffs. Easily, he lifted her up. Cradled in his arms, he moved her to the couch. He pulled out fresh cloths from the bedside table and spent ten minutes gently wiping her down. Sean pulled off her dress and wrapped her in the luxe black robe.

As he rose up from between her legs, where he’d pressed and wiped at the wetness with the cloth, she kissed him. It was sudden, unexpected. His immediate reaction was to reprimand her, but it wasn’t the right time.

Besides, it stirred something deep inside him. Be careful, he thought. It was one thing for him to get addicted to her. But what if it was mutual?

He couldn’t think about that. A growl began from deep inside him. Harper’s eyes widened. The last thing Sean remembered was how easy it was to rip the robe off of her.