Hoss’s Limits (House of Lustz #2)

Cady Chapter 10

My exhaustion and hunger, combined with the latest drama, was what had me going along with Hoss when he more or less ordered me to go home, pack, and let him take me to Taj and Mikhail’s place to stay the night. If I’d been at my best, I would’ve pushed back on him. Add to it the way he and I chatted on the way there. It had distracted me. I liked getting to know some things about him, although I shouldn’t. All those things combined were why I hadn’t been paying attention to his driving or where we were until we were practically entering a gated estate.

As we made our way up the winding driveway after he told me it was his house, I was at a loss for words. Even in the dark, I could see enough to know that it was expansive and gorgeous. The lawn was maintained. Flowerbeds and trees were strategically and artistically arranged. Even though they were mostly dead since it was winter, I knew in the spring and summer, they’d be a riot of colors. One would never get tired of exploring or seeing them.

Belle Meade was the most expensive part of Nashville, or at least one of the top three. There was lots of old money here. Discovering that Hoss, the doorman slash outer security for the House of Lustz, lived here raised more questions about him. The primary reason is why would he work at Lustz if he could afford to live here? However, that question and others would have to wait. At the moment, I only had one.

“Hoss, why are we at your house? We’re supposed to be at Mikhail and Tajah’s. They’re expecting us. Do you need to get something?” Maybe that was why. Yeah, that made sense, though what would he need this late that couldn’t wait for him to get home after he dropped me off?

As we topped the rise, I could see what was hidden from the street. It was a house—no, make that a mini-mansion. The exterior was lit up, with lights shining on the landscape. I gasped as I took it in. The house was covered in stone. I had no idea what kind, only that it appeared to be a dark, almost chocolate color, and the stone was stacked. Looking at it reminded me of a castle. There were pointed, peaked roofs, stone edifices, double ornate doors, and more. A large courtyard was in front of the entry. As the car drove down into the courtyard, I glanced at him. He hadn’t said a word since I asked why we were there and if he needed to pick something up. He brought the car to a stop outside a garage built into one side of the house. He shut off the engine, undid his seatbelt, and then twisted himself so he was able to see me.

“I’ll explain, but we need to do it inside where we can be comfortable.”

“I don’t need to go inside. Just grab what you need, and then we can go.” Even as I said it, I knew he had no intention of getting anything or of leaving here.

His head shook as he undid my seatbelt and then got out. He closed his door and made his way to mine. It was opened, and he reached for my hand. When I refused to give it to him, he sighed .

“Cady, it’s late. We’re tired. Please, don’t fight me on this. Come inside. Let me explain.”

“Why can’t you explain out here? Or better yet, take me to Tajah and explain another time?”

“First, because this has gone on long enough. Second, I expect her and Mikhail are already in bed. If they’re not asleep, they’re definitely otherwise occupied.” His lips twisted into a smirk.

“I don’t know what you mean by this has gone on long enough. As for Mikhail and Tajah being asleep, that’s fine. I can go to a hotel. Or I’ll call someone else and stay with them.”

Before I could say more, I was literally picked up and taken from his car. I wiggled and tried to get loose, but he was too strong for me. I pounded on his rock-hard chest with a fist as I shouted at him.

“Put me down! I insist you take me home or to a hotel this instant. I’m not playing with you. I’ll scream,” I threatened.

“Scream all you want. There’s no one to hear you. As for taking you home or to a hotel, that’s not happening. I’m not playing either. You and I need to settle a few things and clear up some misconceptions. While we do, we’ll be comfortable, and you’ll be safe.”

I let out a frustrated scream and hit him harder. The ass just laughed and kept going. I hoped he’d have to set me down to unlock and open the door. When he did, I’d run for it. The fence around the property shouldn’t be that hard to climb. I’d hiked my ass over taller things. Sure, they were when I was younger, but I could do it. As I prepared to run for it, the bastard ruined my plan. He was able to hold me with one arm while pressing his thumb to a screen next to his front door. A green light flashed, and then he opened the door. I was whisked inside. Before I knew it, the door was closed and locked.

I tried not to get distracted by the inside and its beauty. I was in the mood to fight, not admire the architecture and decor. He didn’t put me down. I wiggled again.

“Put me down,” I demanded.

I gasped in shock as he smacked my ass. “Settle down, Cady Cat. I’ll put you down when I’m ready and not a second sooner. I know you think you can run, but you can’t. We’re going to relax and have an adult conversation.”

His audacity left me speechless. Then, my inner mouth kicked in. “If you say so.”

He gave me an amused look, which I wasn’t expecting. I’d have to turn up the irritation factor. I knew, given time, I’d anger him enough to be glad to get rid of me.

We entered a vast living room. I expected him to sit me down and take a seat. Wrong. My breath caught when he sank down on the couch with me still in his arms. This ended with me sitting on his lap. It was too reminiscent of last night and us on my couch. We knew what happened then. I tried to pry his hand from my middle, but he was too strong for me. I glared up at him.

“Hoss, I’m warning you. Let me up. If you want to talk, this isn’t the way to go about it. Honestly, I have no idea why you and I need to talk about anything. Thank you for stopping in tonight, although I don’t know why you did. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“First, let’s get clear on something. I don’t want you to call me Hoss like everyone else does. It’s a nickname. ”

As he paused, I jumped in. “What do you prefer that I call you? Dickhead? Asshole? Pain-in-my-ass?”

“If you choose to call me those, be aware that I’ll have to discipline you for it. However, I can be a pain in your ass if you want. Just know my version will be far more enjoyable than the kind you meant.” He winked.

I flushed hot all over. I knew exactly what he meant. He was referring to him putting things in my ass, and from the heated way he was staring at me, his cock would be one of them. I wanted to moan. I enjoyed anal sex, but my experiences had varied from enjoyable to painful. In his case, I imagined he was proportionate. The thought of his massive cock entering my ass both scared and thrilled me.

He groaned. “Fuck, you can’t look like that, Cady. It just makes me want to say the hell with talking. Be good. At least for a while.”

Before lust overtook my whole brain, I shook off the haze and scowled at him. He wasn’t going to find me an easy target again. I wasn’t falling under his spell like I did last night. I had to keep my wits and remember, he was a player and cheater. He freely admitted last night he had a woman, and then I saw her. I had no idea what game he thought he was playing. Or did he think I was a woman who wouldn’t care? That being a side piece was good enough for me. The thought of any of those being the case had my anger rising.

“Go to hell, Hoss. You have nothing I want to hear or nothing I want. Play your games with someone else. I’m not interested.” I jabbed my elbow into his ribs. I hoped it would make him let go of me. Instead, it made him wrap his arms tighter around me. I could still breathe, but I wasn’t able to get free. However, I wiggled my hardest to try.

As I did, I became aware of a hardness growing under my ass. I gulped. I tried more frantically. I had to get away. I whimpered when teeth bit down on my earlobe, making a slight pain go through it, then a warm, wet tongue sucked on it as if to soothe the pain. His growly voice made me shiver.

“Cady, you keep wiggling that delicious ass all over my cock, and I’m going to strip you bare, feast on you, drive you wild, then I’ll sink my cock inside that pussy and fuck you until we both come and can’t move. Is that what you want, Tiny?” he rasped.

“No. I want you to stop playing this game or whatever with me. Your woman can’t approve of this behavior. Does she know you cheat on her? Why can’t you be faithful? Why bring me or other women into your love life? Oh, wait, I forgot. You’re a man. Men are genetically hardwired not to be monogamous,” I said acidly. I’d heard that excuse more than a few times.

His face tightened. I held myself ready for him to give lame excuses, lie out of his ass, or get angry—typical man reactions.

“First, let me tell you that I’m not playing a game with you. Second, I’m not cheating on my woman. Third, I can more than be faithful to a woman. Monogamy isn’t a dirty word to me.”

I hissed at him. I mean, I literally hissed like a cat. His response pissed me off to no end. “You’re lying right now! Last night, you had your tongue in my mouth and your hand on my body. If I hadn’t stopped you, are you telling me you would’ve stopped? And how can you say that wasn’t cheating? Does only penetration count? I hate to tell you, but most women consider what we did as cheating. Therefore, you can’t be monogamous.”

“I did have my tongue in your mouth and my hands on your ass and tits. And no, I wouldn’t have stopped. But it wasn’t cheating. It—”

I cut him off. His denial was making me sick. “How the fuck is it not cheating!? God, men make me sick. No wonder I’m over the whole bunch of you. I swear, I think being a lesbian is where it’s at,” I snarled. I sank my short nails into his arm, attempting to get him to let go so I could get up. I was out of here, even if I had to climb the fence and walk my ass all night to get home.

He let out what sounded like a frustrated growl. Suddenly, I was airborne. I squawked in surprise. Before I could gather my wits, I was on my back on the couch, and he was hovering over me. Lashing out with my knee, I went for his balls. Pain shot through my leg when I made contact with hard plastic or something where his balls should’ve been.

“Ow, what the hell?” I cried out.

“Did you honestly think I’d be that dumb again? I knew you’d likely get combative, and I wanted to be sure we didn’t have a repeat of last night. It’s called an athletic cup. Now, before you do something to hurt yourself more, let me finish what I was saying. It wasn’t cheating. The woman you saw at Lustz isn’t in a relationship with me, Cady.”

“She knew you, Hoss. She sure seemed to know you sexually and what you like. Or is it that you play with so many of the women there they all know? How can you keep them all straight? For a man, the club is an all-you-can-eat or, in this case, all-you-can-fuck smorgasbord. I don’t know how Tajah can stand for Mikhail to be around all the women he’s been with. She’s convinced he won’t stray, but give it time.”

“Christ, babe, I get it. I do. Men have always disappointed and hurt you. I’m sorry. I am, but it doesn’t make every man a liar or cheater. I can guarantee you Mikhail will never betray Tajah. He’d cut off his own arm first. As for Fleur, yes, I know her. We scened together a couple of times months ago. I was looking for a partner and thought I’d try her. I ended up not liking it and told her never again. When she came up to me at the party, she was delusional and causing trouble. I got rid of her and went to find you. That’s when I discovered you’d left and came after you. I have never had sex with Fleur. Are there women at the club I have had it with? Yes, a few, but a lot less than you think. I’ve played with more than I’ve ever had sex with.”

“Played with? What difference does it make? Playing is sexual and intimate.”

“It can be, but in my case, they are different and separate. There are only a few women I have done both with.”

I let what he said sink in, but I knew that even if what he said was true, it had nothing to do with me. “Say what you just said is true. Why should I care? It has nothing to do with me. I’m not in your club. I’m not looking to play with someone or to have a fuck buddy. So there’s no reason for you to continue whatever this is,” I pointed my finger back and forth between us. I had to find a way to get him to let me go. If not, I’d crack, and my mouth would be on his, and I’d be begging him to touch and fuck me.

His head lowered until his forehead practically rested on mine. I was almost cross-eyed. His gaze burned into me. “There is every goddamn reason for this. I told you my woman would be at the party last night. That wasn’t a lie. She was. The only problem is she has no idea I want her to be mine. That I crave her like a fucking drug. Just the sight of her, hearing her name, and catching a whiff of her scent is enough to drive me wild.

“I want to spend every minute I can with her. I want to know her better than anyone. I want her to give me all her worries and troubles. I need her to want and crave me the same way. I’m hanging on by a thread due to my overwhelming need to claim what’s mine.”

I was stunned at his admission and then angry. I shoved at his chest, but he didn’t move. “If you have someone like that, then why are you doing this!? Playing head games with me isn’t what you should be doing,” I shouted at him.

“You’re so damn dense,” he muttered. I growled at him which made him smile. His head had raised away from mine a tiny bit. “Cady, you’re the woman. I want you. I’ve been waiting for you to get to know me, but it hasn’t happened. I can’t wait any longer. That’s why I kissed you. If you hadn’t run out of Lustz or run off after our kiss at your place last night, you would know this. Woman, you’ve got a running problem I’ll have to cure you of, but I’ll enjoy doing it.” He winked.

“You, I, uhm, did you…,” I rambled.

I was in shock, and a part of me was in denial. There was no way a man like Hoss would be interested in me. Even if he were, it wouldn’t last. I grasped at that. “Hoss, let me save us both time and heartache. You may feel that right now, but give it a few weeks or months, and you won’t. I’m not long-term girlfriend material.”

He scowled. “And what makes you say that? Cocksuckers like Flint Reid and your past boyfriends? The men who have slapped you, flung you around by your hair, and more? Those sons of a bitches? Because I can tell you right now, I won’t do that to you. And I have no doubt you’re long-term girlfriend material, but that’s not what I’m after.”

“Then what? Do you want a play partner?” He was confusing me more.

“No, I want you as my woman in every way for the rest of my life. I want you the way Mikhail has Tajah—as my play partner, lover, and, eventually, wife. And if you’re willing, as the mother of my children. The last isn’t a hard must if you don’t want kids. What I’m not willing to do is play with someone else.”

“What if I don’t like what you do when it comes to playing?”

My heart was galloping half out of my chest. I was finding it hard to think. Excitement was bubbling up inside of me, but along with it was trepidation. I knew even if he said he wanted me, he’d grow tired of me and my attitude. All men did.

“You’ll enjoy it. I saw the way you watched and reacted to Sam and Justine at the club when she was letting her brat out, and he responded. The only differences between them and us are they’re only scene partners, not lovers, and he’s a brat tamer while I’m a brat handler. I know you think your brattiness will anger me or eventually turn me off, but it won’t. I happen to love your sassiness, and I want you to give that side free rein. I’ll show you when it’s acceptable to let that all show and when it’s not. The problem with the guys you knew in the past is they had no idea how to handle you. You needed me. ”

My body was screaming at my mind to believe what he was saying. If it were up to my body, we’d already be naked, and I’d have him inside of me, which was crazy. I didn’t respond to men this way. I’d never been insane to have sex with a man. Sure, I’d had interest, but it was nothing like the intensity of my attraction to Hoss.

“Hoss—” he put a finger to my lips to stop me.

“Back to what I started to say. I don’t want you to call me Hoss. It’s fine that others do. I’ve had that nickname for a long time. But with you, I need to hear something else.”

“What? Sir? Master?” I taunted without thinking.

He smirked. “Maybe when we play, but outside of that, I want you to call me Magnus. It’s my name, after all, Magnus Sacket.”

I’d heard him tell the cops that, and I secretly thought it was an awesome name. To be asked, no told, to use it was surreal. I knew from Tajah that few people called Mikhail by his actual name, and even fewer used Misha as she did. I wasn’t sure what to say.

“I know I’m dropping a shit ton on you all at once, but you’re elusive, Cady. It’s been a fight to get to know you. You avoid me. I’ve got to know. Is it because you don’t like me? My instincts say it’s not, but am I wrong?”

His slight uncertainty was endearing—as if any woman in her right mind wouldn’t want Hoss—I mean Magnus. However, this uncertainty might be my chance to avoid an imploding relationship. I was over those. I should tell him I didn’t like him and take the out. I didn’t need or want more heartache. And something told me that he would hurt more than all the others combined when he left me .

“Hoss… Magnus, you haven’t thought this through. Even if I liked you, this wouldn’t work. The best thing for both of us is to forget we ever had this conversation.” I tried to move into a better position, but he still had me trapped underneath him, although he wasn’t lying on top of me. If he were, I wouldn’t be able to breathe.

His eyes seemed to grow darker, which shouldn’t be possible. They were almost black as it was. The light was shining off his bald head. I yearned to run my hands all over it. I’d never been with a bald man. I would’ve said I didn’t find one sexy, but Hoss made me change my mind. I’d been dreaming, when I was alone in my bed, of having him naked and exploring all the muscles I knew were underneath his clothing, as well as running my hands over that smooth head. I’d use my hands and mouth on every inch of him. Thinking those thoughts made my nipples tighten more, and the slickness between my legs from feeling his erection minutes ago increased. Unconsciously, I squeezed my legs together. Of course, he noticed, and a sexy smirk appeared.

“Babe, are you wet for me? I bet if I put my hands on those bare tits of yours, your nipples are hard pearls, aren’t they? I saw your intention on your face. You’re going to tell me you don’t like or want me, but that’s a goddamn lie. Your body doesn’t lie. Tell me why. Tell me why you’re so afraid. If you do, I’ll help you with that ache.”

He brushed a feather-light finger over my nipples. Even though they were covered in my shirt and bra, it was enough to make me whimper in want. “Tell me,” he whispered before he placed a barely there kiss on my mouth and then moved away .

I was weakening. I wanted him to touch me. To do whatever he wanted to me. My resistance was eroding. I tried to fight to hold onto it. “Hoss, stop. This isn’t what either of us should do.” My voice didn’t sound convincing. It was hesitant, weak. Damn it! Try harder, I scolded myself.

He raised his head. He’d been kissing along my neck. “Cady Cat, it’s abso-fucking-lutely what we should do. What we have to do. Tell me why you fear it. I think I know, but I have to be sure.”

“Tell me what you believe.”

He shook his head. “Nope. You first.”

The brat inside of me was pushing for me to smart off, but I didn’t. Instead, I confessed. After I was done explaining, surely he’d see the light and back off. If he didn’t, I was afraid tonight would be the night I threw myself at him and begged him to fuck me.

“The reason is simple. After putting up with me and my attitude, smart mouth, and obstinate behaviors for a few weeks or even months, you’ll grow to hate them. And when that happens, you’ll hate me. That’s when things get ugly—verbally and physically. We’ll part ways, not as friends, and heartache can result. No matter what, our friends, Taj and Mikhail, are together. We’d be exposed to each other after breaking up. I’ve done this dance, Magnus. It never works out. I’m not long-term material. I told you that. Hell, let me give you the names and numbers of my exes. They’ll tell you. No man can put up with me. I’m abrasive and unlovable.” I made sure to include some of the words used by my prior boyfriends. It still hurt to know I was seen that way, but after so many declaring it, I had to admit it was true. And changing my attitude was something I’d never been able to do.

“And I can’t change. I’ve tried,” I added. I was fighting to keep tears out of my eyes.

He closed his eyes and groaned. I wasn’t sure what his expression meant. When he opened them moments later, I swear there was a fire in the depths. I gulped.

“Let’s sit up. This requires all our attention, and having you under me this way is far too distracting,” he said before he was up and tugging me into a sitting position.

As I got into it, he sat back down next to me. He had us touching knees as he angled himself to be able to see me. I mirrored his angle. He took both of my hands in his. His thumbs began to rub back and forth over the back of my hands in a soothing way. Who knew hands that huge could be so gentle?

“Cady, baby, I need you to hear me out. Please don’t interrupt. You’ll have a chance to speak after I’m done, I promise. Will you do that for me?”

I found myself nodding yes. He gave me a pleased smile.

“Your attitude and mouth, as you call it, are classic brat behaviors. As I said, I’m a brat handler. Being able to handle someone who is a brat feeds a need inside of me. I like to be responsible and to be in control. However, unlike those men you’ve been with in the past, I don’t want to stamp out your brattiness. They were idiots and had no right to engage in a relationship with you. They needed to nurture your brat in the right way, not destroy it.

“I know you’re just beginning to learn about the fetish lifestyle and, in particular, bratting and handling. I’m not a tamer. They like to try to get rid of the behaviors. What I want and need is to teach you when it’s okay to engage in your bratty side and when not to. There are rules to it. Some are universal, but many are individual to the brat and his or her handler. They’re agreed upon in advance, just as any punishments are. Remember, I told you that.

“You’re a submissive but a unique kind. You push and try to top your partner from the bottom, as we say. This means you require a strong Dom who has a high threshold of patience and wants the attention and responsibility of you. You demand a lot from your partner. Those others couldn’t cope with those demands. And let me say, talking about your past lovers fucking pisses me off. I will take you up on your offer of names and numbers, but at a later date and for a very different reason. However, they’re important because they set up this erroneous idea in your head that you’re undesirable and need to change.

“I don’t want you to change other than to learn when and where to be a brat. And I’ll more than enjoy teaching you those boundaries. There isn’t a single inch of you that’s undesirable, Cady. You’re challenging in the perfect way for a man like me. If you put yourself in my hands, I promise you I’ll worship the ground you walk on and give you everything you want and need. You’re insecure, and that’s what has led you to be a brat. Let me be your safety.”

When he paused, I felt dazed and overwhelmed. No one had ever spoken to me that way. It was hard to absorb. Was he right? Had those men in my past not been right for me, and that was why we failed? It wasn’t because I was unlovable, unruly, infuriating. His assurance that I didn’t need to change completely was a shock. To hear him say he’d worship the ground I walked on and give me everything was every woman’s dream for a partner to do. Was it possible? When he stopped, he patiently waited while I grappled with everything and was able to find my voice.

“Say I believe what you just said. And it’s true, my knowledge of the kink lifestyle is in its infancy. You said I’m insecure. Why am I? Why did I turn into a brat? And you mentioned punishment. What did you mean? What punishments do you dish out? Knowing the right time and place to be a brat. What does that mean?” So many questions were filling my brain as hope began to peek out from my soul.

“There could be a variety of reasons you’re insecure that led to your brattiness. We’d have to explore, but it likely started when you were a kid. If your life wasn’t one that made you feel safe and able to express yourself honestly, that is a likely cause, or at least partially.” He paused after dropping that nugget on me.

Knowing my past, I snorted. “That explains a lot.”

“And soon, I want you to share what it was like for you. If I know how it began, I can decide how to fulfill what you’re lacking. But that’s for later. As for punishments, there are actually two categories. Punishments are for disobedience, and funishments are for minor infractions to the rules. Before you ask which is which, you and I would talk through them, and they’d be agreed upon by both of us. I’ll never do something to you that you don’t consent to, Cady.

“I’m a sadist, but I do not get off on subjecting my sub to horrendous pain or from her fear. Communication is vital in our type of relationship. Just as it is for Mikhail and Tajah, they’ve had lengthy conversations and set the rules together. We’ll do the same. What you need to know is my punishments will never cause you irreparable harm, scarring, or pain. Doing so would lose me what I want most—you. I never want that. I need to take care of you.

“The right time and place will also be negotiated. I’ll never leave it ambiguous. Clear boundaries will be established. You’ll know which circumstances will lead to a funishment for misbehaving versus punishment for disobedience. Remember, I want you to continue those behaviors only in the right way. They feed something inside of me.”

I mulled over what he said. It was still confusing, but it did raise another question. “If being insecure in my childhood led to me being a brat, what made you a handler? Do you know?”

He gave me a tiny smile. “Actually, I do know. It was my younger brother. Let’s just say he pushed, and my parents let him push them and have complete control even when it led to him and others being hurt and more. They always had an excuse, and he constantly misbehaved at the wrong times. More than a few times, I tried to get them to intercede or to let me, but it was always no. They enabled him to his detriment. I crave control, Cady.

“So you see, our childhoods create our adult selves in many ways. There’s more I can tell you about that, but we can save that for later. Do you have any more questions? It’s late, and I’d like to know before we retire if I have to continue to fight for you, or will you make me deliriously happy and say yes to a relationship with me?”

I sat there going over everything he said. I was scared and worried, but the desire to find someone who could handle me and make me feel loved and wanted was overwhelming. I’d told myself for a while that there was no one out there for me. I’d end up alone. Hearing him say it didn’t have to be that way was a dream come true. Then, add in the physical attraction I felt for him and it was impossible to say no. Please, don’t let this be a disaster, and I get my heart torn out, I prayed seconds before I answered him.

“Magnus, I hope like hell you mean what you say. Because if you end up hurting me, I’ll tear out your heart,” I threatened.

He grinned. “I’d expect nothing less. Now, kiss me, and then we have to get to bed. We have a long day tomorrow and lots of work.”

I didn’t wait for him to tell me twice. I grasped his face and lowered it to mine. I latched onto his mouth and engaged my lips, tongue, and teeth to make it the best kiss of his life. His groans told me it was working. The way he responded had me moaning and ready to have him strip me bare and take me by the time it ended, which was his doing. I was panting, and so was he.

“Fuck, babe, I hate to do this. Don’t hate me. But as much as I want to take you to bed right now, I can’t. Morning will be here too soon, and the clinic needs to be taken care of. I don’t want anything to dictate how long I keep you in my bed once I get you there. However, I’m a masochist, too, I guess, because the thought of sleeping with you and not touching you is torture. Will you sleep in my bed tonight but hold off on our lovemaking until tomorrow night after work?”

I was stunned he’d ask it, and I wanted to say no, but he did have a point. “But you work tomorrow night at Lustz.”

“I can have someone else cover for me. In fact, I’ll have them cover the whole weekend. I don’t want any interruptions. Is that a yes?”

“It’s a yes, but I can’t promise not to attack you if you get handsy in your sleep,” I warned him.

He laughed. “Baby, if I get handsy, you’re free to attack, and the same goes for me if you do.”

“Deal.”

And that was how, less than thirty minutes later, I was showered and sliding into a massive bed with Magnus Sacket. I was nervous, but he didn’t allow me to wallow in it. He tugged me to him and wrapped me in his arms. It seemed he liked to cuddle. I thought for sure I’d have trouble sleeping, but I didn’t. Instead, within minutes, I was drifting off, ensconced in a warm cocoon.