So, she did. Cosima explained the Bluetooth-activated toy that allowed a partner to control the pleasure of the person currently wearing it. He continued sipping his coffee, trying his hardest not to let on how much the knowledge that this was something Cosima wanted to try out so badly her friend decided to buy it for her for Christmas affected him. He couldn’t believe the chain of events that led to him being here with Cosima in her living room, watching her shy smile as she tried to justify her curiosity. The chain of events that led to him throwing out all sense of taking things slowly when he said, “Your ex being out of the picture doesn’t mean you can’t use it.”

“I know I can use it on my own,” Cosima responded. The no shit, Sherlock was strong in her tone. “The whole point is the surprise. I’ll hardly be surprised if I’m controlling it.”

He smiled at her then, slowly pulling his bottom lip through his teeth before he said, “I wasn’t suggesting that you control anything.”

“Oh,” she whispered, undoubtedly still turning his comment over in her mind. Watching his insinuation dawn on Cosima was a sight to behold as her eyes widened, and she breathed deeply with so many emotions flashing across her beautifully expressive face as she repeated, voice soft and shaky, “Oh.”

9. Cosima

Chapter 9

Cosima

Cosima splashed warm water over her face and stared at her reflection in her bathroom mirror. She thought it might help calm her nerves, but it did nothing, so she tried splashing water again.

“Am I really about to do this?” she asked herself for what felt like the hundredth time since Tristan posed his question, and she agreed to wear the Lovense Dolce while they went shopping for Christmas tree décor.

There had been numerous opportunities for Cosima to back out of their agreement.

She could’ve changed her mind while she set the sex toy to charge before they chose the best spot in the living room to put up the tree.

She could’ve backed out while Tristan went through the process of downloading the app to his phone and setting up the Bluetooth connection.

She could’ve let him know she was no longer interested when he tested it out by wrapping one of the bulbous heads of the toy in his hand and turning it on before exclaiming, “I can feel this all the way down to my elbow.”

Yes, that might have been the time to pull the plug, but Cosima didn’t. She didn’t because the only thing that had changed between when she opened Navaya’s gift and now as she stood in her bathroom, having sanitized the toy and inserting it so that one end nestled inside her and the other rested against her clit, was that she was buzzing with anticipation.