Nas sets his coffee down and takes a bite of his bagel, taking extra time to lick the cream cheese from his lips like he’s trying to seduce me all over again, which is pretty funny considering he’s still naked. I bite my lip as I watch him but don't allow myself to give in to his tactics.

“Nas, you know I like you, right?” I ask. I even put my food down and angle my body toward him so he knows I’m not letting it go this time. “We’ve been doing this thing of ours for a little while now, and it has been amazing for me. You say it’s been amazing for you, too, and I’m glad we’re on the same page about that. But, I just wanted to say out loud that I like you. Like, I really like you.”

Nas swallows the bagel in his mouth before he looks at me. “I like you, too, Alina.”

“Do you?”

“Of course I do. I thought I made that clear right from the beginning.”

“Maybe you did, but what has never been clear is what we are,” I go on fearlessly, although I’m hoping this doesn’t scare him away. Maybe he’s the kind of guy who doesn't like labels, and enjoys the freedom of just being in the moment without needing to define it. If that's the case, I just need him to say it and I’ll accept it. But, he has to say it to me. He can’t just force me to assume it and connect those dots myself.

Nas pinches his lips together as he stops eating and leans back against the headboard, staring up into the mirror on the ceiling as he blankets his naked lower half to hide his dick. I watch him, wondering if he’s deciding to end it right now, but when Nas looks down, he smiles as he reaches for the collar around my neck.

“I thought this made it clear. You're my pet,” he says with a chuckle that I do not reciprocate. Nas sees my straight face and stops laughing. “What?”

“Don’t joke right now,” I tell him, just before I reach up and take off the collar. “My friends think I’m crazy for getting this deep with you. I tell them I don’t need to define us and that we’re doing our own thing, but I would at least like to know that you care about me in some way.”

“Of course I care about you,” he interjects. “I care about your well-being and mental health, which is why I make sure to take care of you after our scenes in this room.”

“This isn’t about aftercare, Nas,” I fire back, feeling my anger sprouting wings and getting ready to take flight. “I want to know what I am to you, and I don't mean your pet.”