Shane’s words haunt me the rest of the day.

He’s right—time isn’t standing still. And though I know my first call was the right one, and that Hailey needs time to process what happened between us last night, I can’t help regretting the decision to put off lesson two until tomorrow.

I don’t want to wait.

I don’t want to waste a single second alone that could be spent with the woman I love.

Being with her again after so long apart was so emotionally intense I woke up feeling like I’d just played pond hockey all day in sub-zero temperatures, but I don’t want a break. I want to keep skating, headed straight for the thin ice at the center of the lake, and if I fall through and drown in the frigid waters, at least I’ll go out in the arms of my favorite person in the world.

She truly is my favorite. She’s my home base, my safe space, and the only proof I need that there is something more powerful than I am looking out for my best interests. So many stars had to align in order for Hailey and me to cross paths. I pulled a hamstring just in time to end up on our team’s physical therapist’s schedule on the last day of Hailey’s internship, mere minutes before she was to walk out the door and never come back.

Even securing the internship in the first place was a long shot for an eighteen-year-old. Hailey was the youngest applicant to ever score the position. Her college advisor tried to discourage her, insisting writing the internship essay would be a waste of her time, but Hailey applied anyway.

She’s stubborn, my girl. And she believes in herself. And she isn’t about to take no for an answer if she thinks there’s even a shot in hell of convincing someone to say yes.

I’m not really surprised when my doorbell rings just after four o’clock and I open the door to find Hailey standing on my welcome mat, wearing her raincoat even though there isn’t a cloud in sight.

No, I’m not surprised, but I am instantly awash in warring emotions. Will the ex-boyfriend is thrilled to see her, but Will the submissive professor isn’t happy about having his direct order ignored. He’s not happy at all, and at least for now, he’s the one calling the shots with Hailey.

So instead of throwing open the door and ushering her inside the way I usually would, I cross my arms, lean against the doorframe, and cast a glance down my nose. “Is it Monday, Miss Marks?”

Trapping her bottom lip between her teeth, Hailey shakes her head slowly back and forth. “No, Mr. Saunders, it’s not Monday, but I have a compelling argument as to why we really should reschedule lesson two for today. I made a list and everything.” She threads her fingers together in front of her and rocks back and forth in her high-heeled pumps, blinking her big blue eyes. “So I was hoping I could come in, and present my evidence?”

“You could have texted the list,” I say, not budging an inch. “Or emailed.”

“Well, yes, you’re right… I could have…” The skin around her eyes tightens, and I can see her wheels spinning as she tries to figure out a way to avoid obeying orders. She’s cute as hell, and a part of me wants nothing more than to pull her inside and show her how much I’ve missed her during the few hours we’ve been apart, but that would be rewarding poor behavior.

Instead I say, “Why don’t you do that, and we’ll discuss your list via the proper channels.”

A stricken expression flashes across her features. “No, please, Will. I’m sorry I bent the rules, but I’m new. Which means I need more one-on-one instruction, not less. If you let me come in, maybe you can teach me some new strategies. Ways to helps me stay disciplined in times of temptation.”

“The best way to resist temptation is not to let it in the door to begin with.” I stand firm even though Ex-boyfriend Will is shouting for me to quit being a dick and let her in. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave, Curious.”

Hurt flickers in her eyes, but it’s soon banished by determination and that stubborn jut of her chin I know so well. “But I don’t want to leave. And I don’t think you want me to leave, either.”

“No, I don’t want you to leave,” I answer honestly, “but I do want you to learn to respect boundaries I’ve put in place for your protection.”

“But I don’t need to be protected from you.” She fiddles with the belt holding her coat closed. “And I’m ready for another lesson. I promise. I even came prepared…” Slowly, she slips the tie loose and parts the front of her coat, revealing tiny white lace panties, a white lace bra, and nothing else.

Instantly, I’m hard, my cock thick and aching behind the fly of my jeans, but I’m not amused. Just a few days into her training, and she’s already trying to top from the bottom, already trying to take the reins and see how far I’ll let her steer us off course.

But this isn’t my first time at the power-play games, and I’m not about to give away the upper hand so easily. That isn’t what Hailey really wants, anyway, not deep down. She’s simply testing my limits, my word, and making sure it’s safe to put herself in my hands.

Which means, no matter how much I want to indulge her and my own need to have her under me again, there’s only one way to handle this situation.

Lips pressed into a tight line, I reach out and calmly, but firmly, close her coat, wrap the tie back around her waist, and secure it with a knot. When I’m finished I step back and point to the end of the hall, “Go stand by the potted plant with your nose to the window.”

Her eyes go wide. “What?”

“Go stand by the potted plant with your nose to the window until I give you permission to go home. Mr. Stubblefield and the Yangs are out of town, so no one should bother you, but if anyone asks what you’re doing, tell them you’re admiring the view and leave it at that. Everyone who works in the building knows you’re on my approved guest list.”

“You’re kidding,” Hailey says with a shaky laugh, but the worry flickering across her features makes it clear she knows I’m not.

I shake my head, which summons a sigh from her lips.

“Shit,” she mutters. “I screwed up. I’m sorry.”

“You did. It happens. Just take your punishment like a good girl, and we’ll move forward from here.”

Her nose wrinkles, and her upper lip curls into an irritated squiggle. “I don’t like being a good girl. I’m a grown woman, not a girl.”

“Noted,” I say, fighting a smile. “We can see if you enjoy being a bad grown woman better than a good girl tomorrow during our scheduled lesson. But tonight, you need to take your punishment.” And with that, I shut the door in her face, grinning at the affronted gasp from the other side.

I adore Hailey, and in real life, I definitely prefer not to get on her bad side.

But this isn’t real life, this is the game, and Dominant Will enjoys teaching a submissive her place, especially a hard-to-handle submissive. Dominant Will can’t wait to see if Hailey obeys orders, already plotting what kind of punishment she’ll receive tomorrow night if she refuses to do as she’s told.

The thought of Hailey draped over my lap with her ass bare to the flat of my hand is so erotic, in fact, that I almost hope she chooses to disobey.

But when I peek outside ten minutes later, she’s there at the end of the hall, with her trench coat wrapped around her and her cute little nose pressed to the window, and I immediately realize I was wrong.

Seeing her taking her punishment like a good submissive is way better than any other outcome. Knowing that she’s on board with this, on board with my control and my rules and me leading the way through this new-to-us experience, is a turn-on like nothing else. Because it means there’s real hope. Hope that Hailey is enjoying this experiment as much as I am, hope that we’ll be able to make power exchange something that’s organic to our relationship, hope that before too long we’ll be a couple again and that it will be the two of us against the world, the way it’s meant to be.

I’m so fucking happy—elated really—that it’s hard as hell to shut the door. I want to touch her, kiss her, to show her with my body how proud I am of her for being brave enough to put herself into my hands.

But that will have to wait until tomorrow night. If I’m going to maintain control of my headstrong girl, I have to show her that when it comes to the game, my word isn’t to be questioned.

Instead of slipping outside to surprise her, I wait exactly forty-three minutes—a punishment weighty enough for her to know that I mean business, but short enough to keep her legs from going numb—and shoot off a text—Thank you for your obedience, Curious. You can go home now, and I’ll call you tomorrow to talk details for Lesson Two.

After a beat, bubbles fill my screen, indicating her impending response. The bubbles go on and on, making me wonder what kind of opus she’s writing, but when the text pops through, it’s only four words: Okay. See you tomorrow.

I bite my lip, but I can’t resist replying, You’re taking this awfully well.

Hailey shoots back an angry cat emoji, making me laugh, followed by, That clearly wasn’t my ideal outcome, but…I get it. At least I think I get it.

What do you think you get? I ask.

You’re serious, she replies. This may be a game, but it’s a game with rules you take seriously, and you expect me to do the same. If I don’t, this won’t work. And it won’t be as much fun, either.

My lips curve. If you were having fun out there, I wasn’t doing my job properly.

No, I wasn’t having fun. I was pretty pissed at first. She sends through three angry cats in a row, followed by a ball of fire and a skull and crossbones emoji. But while I was standing here with my nose pressed to the window, I realized that—in addition to feeling mortified and worried someone we know might show up in the hall and ask what the hell I was doing—I also felt…safe. It’s nice knowing exactly what to expect. I follow the rules and things go smoothly; I disobey and there are consequences. It’s like the rules are a safety net, even when I break them…if that makes any sense.

I lean against the wall near the door, wishing I were outside having this conversation with her instead of locked on my side of the divide. But she’s right, the rules are important, so I let my thumbs do the talking. It makes complete sense and I couldn’t agree more. The rules are our safety net. The more you see me obeying the rules, the more you know you can trust me. The more you trust me, the freer you’ll feel to let go. And the more you let go, the more fun we can have together.

Bubbles fill the screen for a good thirty seconds, but again, her eventual reply is only two sentences long. I like the sound of that. See you tomorrow, sir.

This time I have to move away from the door, striding deeper into the apartment to keep from reaching for the knob and joining her in the hall. I want to kiss her sweet, obedient mouth. I want to squeeze her ass and tell her how proud I am of her for being open to this change, this adventure, this new way of loving each other. I want to carry her to my bed and celebrate her success with half a dozen orgasms and an all-night cuddle session.

Instead, I remember the rules and tap out, See you then, sweetheart. Get home safe, and then I head out to the balcony, watching the street until I see her blond head emerge from the lobby door and head west toward the river.

“Tomorrow, Curious,” I murmur, electricity prickling across my skin as I start whipping up a lesson plan she’ll never forget.