Crossing Lines
Chapter 46
Alden
There it was–the spark. I had given him
misstep in my control.
It was intentional.
the
1D70%量
green light to unleash along with a fair warning. But this time, it wasn’t a careless flare–up or a
Every move I’d made today–from the
to
the stares to the cold, clinical distance–was deliberate, Calculated. Necessary.
Well, maybe the shower moment was more of a test for me than for Noah–a est still aching somewhere between my heart and my balls…..
I’d stoked the fire in him, knowing exactly where it would lead, because it wasn’t just Noah on the edge anymore.
I was there too. I still needed an explanation. An apology.
I’d built this moment. Every layered emotion, every lash of guilt, every unanswered glance, and now it was time to let out the beasts. His and
mine.
To see if he’d bare his teeth… or kneel.
He stood still for a second, fists tight at his sides, lips parted like the words had just jammed in his throat. But the storm was coming–I could feel it building in every shaky breath.
“Thank you, Sir,” he said finally, sharp and clipped like the words had been dipped in acid. “Since I’ve been dying to get this off my chest all fucking day, let me just say ”
I raised a hand. “Careful.”
He froze mid–sentence, eyes narrowing.
“I said you could speak, not curse at me. That’s a warning, not a count. You know the rules, Noah. Profanity directed at me is the highest form of disrespect in this dynamic. You break it again, and I start counting. Understood?”
The tension in the air sharpened, taut and trembling between us.
“You never gave me that rule before, and I thought you said I could talk freely, Sir. What kind of freedom is this if I have to measure every word?” He fumed, his hands trembling.
I tilted my head. “Maybe you should reread the contract, Noah. Freedom to speak doesn’t mean freedom to disrespect.”
His jaw clenched, but he didn’t interrupt.
“I gave you space to express your feelings, not a license to lash out. You’re allowed to be angry. You’re allowed to be confused, upset, even hurt. What you’re not allowed to do is forget who I am to you in the process.”
I stepped forward just enough for the words to land heavier.
“I’ll always give you the truth, Noah. But not at the cost of discipline. You want to talk? Then talk. But if you choose to throw a tantrum,
then
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Chapter 46
yes.. I will count
a
“That’s bullshit The words escape his mouth on instinct.
“One, 1 interrupted coolly.
He blinked. “What?”
“I just warned you about tone and language. That’s one,”
The disbelief on his face was almost comical. Almost. But this wasn’t a gate, and I wasn’t about to let his temper dictate mine. Not here. Not
now.
“Oh, come on! That was an expression! That doesn’t count….” He looked at me in disbelief,
“Oh, it does. And I just did.”
“Oh my God, seriously now?” His voice rose, cracking under the strain. “I’ve been following your rules. I’ve done everything you’ve asked. You ghost me all day, treat me like I’m invisible, and when I finally get to talk, get punished for it?”
“You’re not being punished for talking or for what you’ve done,” I said, still calm. “Yet.”
That did it.
“No? Because it sure as hell feels like it! The silent treatment, the guilt trip, the shit you pulled in the showers–and now this? You are punishing me for last evening, and you haven’t even told me what the fuck I did wrong!”
“Two.”
“No! You don’t get to count!” he snapped, voice raw. “You don’t get to act like I broke the damn contract when I didn’t. I went swimming, big deal! Nothing in that precious little agreement says I have to ask for your permission for every second of my goddamn day–especially when you made it clear weekends were the only time we-”
“Present,” I said.
He froze.
The word hit like a gavel.
For a moment, I thought he’d do it. Drop to his knees, take the position, offer himself despite the rage still burning in his eyes, but he didn’t
move.
He just stared at me, chest rising and falling like he’d just run a mile. Rage. Hurt. Pride. All of it boiling just beneath the surface.
“I said present, Noah.”
His jaw clenched. Slowly, he rose to his feet–not to obey, but to walk over to the chair. He grabbed his clothes with shaking hands, holding them tight against his chest like a shield. Then, without putting them on, he turned to the side table, unzipped his backpack, and pulled something out.
A folded stack of papers.
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09:38 Mon, Feb 9
Chapter 46
No.
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My heart dropped. It was his copy of the contract.
He stood there for a long second, staring down at it. His entire body trembled–bare, flushed, marked. Every muscle in his frame tensed like he was trying to keep himself from falling apart. Ile hadn’t looked at me once
I didn’t breathe..
Please don’t.
That thought was a scream inside me, but I didn’t let it reach my face. I held my posture, my silence, like armor.
If he left… if he walked out now–I wouldn’t stop him, but it would destroy me.
I’d told myself I could handle it. That if he left, I’d accept it.
But watching him now–shaking, wounded, on the verge of walking away felt it all cracking open.
Micah had stood in the same place once. Different house. Different pain. But the same look in his eyes. The same disbelief.
I let him go. Told myself it was what he needed.
Told myself I was too broken to be more than a Dominant.
And when the door closed behind him, I didn’t feel noble. I felt empty.
And now Noah–this stubborn, bratty, brilliant boy–was about to do the same.
And I was terrified.
Because I knew this time, I wouldn’t recover.
My voice lowered, steady. “Think very carefully about what you do next. If you leave now, Noah… It’s over.”
And I meant it.
This wasn’t about last night–not the way he’d talked to me, not the contract. This was about trust. Control. Submission.
But more than anything, it was about peace–about protecting his heart… and mine.
I felt for him. God help me, I was starting to care. And even if I looked cold and composed on the outside, the truth was my heart fluttered every damn day at the thought of him. He gave my days purpose again. Gave me purpose again.
Just having him in my life made everything feel less empty.
But I couldn’t keep walking on eggshells, afraid he’d leave the moment it got hard.
Just like he needed to trust me with his submission, I needed to trust that he’d still choose it. Not the performance. The surrender–even when it burned.
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09:38 Mon, Feb 06
Chapter 46
If he walked now, it wouldn’t just be from the rim. It would be trean
And a few seconds that remed like Homs, the wide his deton
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09:38 Mon, Feb 9 0 G.
Chapter 46
If he walked now, it wouldn’t just be from the room. It would be from us. Bom what we were building. And we both knew that.
After a few seconds that seemed like hours, he made his decision.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
