= Sarah POV =

The warm glow of the table lamp filled the living room, casting soft shadows across the cosy space. I sat curled up on the couch, a thick blanket draped over my legs. In my hands, I clutched the book Chris had given me earlier—a sultry collection of erotica that had me blushing from the first page. I kept my gaze fixed on the words, though my cheeks burned too much to read any more of it.

Having finished the work she needed to do at her laptop, Chris packed her  things away and sat beside me, lounging with easy confidence, her  arm stretched across the back of the couch.

“You’ve been stuck on that same page for ten minutes now?” Chris teased, her  deep voice laced with amusement. “Should I guess which part you’re stuck on?”

My head shot up, my wide eyes meeting Chris’s playful smirk. “No! I’m just… rereading.”

Chris chuckled and leaned in slightly, close enough that I could feel the warmth of her presence.

“Rereading? Or imagining?”

I laughed nervously, shutting the book and setting it down on the coffee table. “Maybe we should do something else,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.

Chris arched a brow, clearly enjoying how flustered I had become. “Alright,” she said smoothly, sitting up straighter. “How about we play a game?”

“A game?” I echoed, my curiosity piqued despite my embarrassment.

Chris grabbed a deck of cards from the side table. “Something light. We’ll take turns drawing cards, and if it’s a face card, you answer a question or do a dare. Nothing too serious,” she added, giving me a reassuring smile. “Unless you want it to be serious?”

I shook my head quickly. “Light is fine!”

Chris shuffled the deck with practised ease, cards snapping together filling the room. “Alright, your turn first.” She handed the deck to me. 

I hesitated but drew a card: the Jack of Hearts.

Chris’s grin widened. “Truth or dare?”

“Truth,” I said after a moment’s thought, my voice small.

Chris leaned back, her  fingers tapping her  chin as if deep in thought. “What’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever done for someone?”

My cheeks reddened again. “Oh, um… I’m not sure. I’ve made a painting for someone once. That counts, right?”

“It counts,” Chris said, her  voice softening. “That’s sweet.” She picked a card from the deck and revealed the King of Spades. “Looks like I’m up. Truth.”

I thought for a moment, trying to regain some composure. “What’s one thing you’ve never told anyone?”

Chris’s expression shifted slightly, a flicker of something unreadable passing over her  face. But it was gone as quickly as it came. “That’s a tough one,” she said, her tone still light. “Alright… I’ve never told anyone how much I like taking care of someone. It’s satisfying, you know? Knowing someone trusts you completely.” Her  eyes lingered on me for a moment too long, sending a shiver down my spine.

The game continued for a few more rounds, each question or dare to bring them closer, the teasing light charged. Finally, Chris set the cards down with a flourish. “I think I’ve won,” she declared.

“Won?” I asked, laughing softly. “How?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Chris replied with a smirk. “Your prize for losing is that you must let me take care of you tonight.”

I blinked. “Take care of me?”

“Mhm.” Chris stood, walking toward a nearby cabinet and pulling out a soft-bristle hairbrush. She motioned for me to sit on the floor by the couch. “Come on. I’m brushing your hair.”

I hesitated. “You don’t have to—”

 “I want to,” Chris interrupted, her  tone leaving no room for argument. “You deserve to be pampered.”

Reluctantly, I moved to sit on the floor, the blanket still wrapped around my shoulders. Chris settled behind me, gently pulling my hair into her hands. She began brushing it in slow, deliberate strokes, her movements calm and soothing.

“You have such beautiful hair,” Chris murmured. “I don’t think you realise how lucky I am to have you here with me, my dear.”

I’m cheeks warmed again, but this time, it was from something other than embarrassment. She relaxed, the tension in my shoulders melting away under Chris’s careful touch. “This feels… nice,” she admitted softly.

Chris’s fingers brushed against my neck as she finished with the brush, sending a slight shiver through me. Chris noticed and chuckled, low and warm. “Ticklish?”

“Maybe,” I replied, my voice lighter now, almost playful.

Chris set the brush aside and gently massaged my shoulders, her hands firm but not overwhelming. “You’re so tense,” she said softly. “Let me take care of you. You deserve to feel this good all the time.”

I sighed, my body leaning slightly into Chris’s touch. “I feel safe with you,” I murmured, almost as if confessing a secret.

Chris’s hands stilled for a moment, then resumed slower this time. “You are safe with me,” she said, her voice low and steady. “Always.”

Chris guided me back to the couch as the evening wound down and wrapped the blanket snugly around me. Sitting beside me, she ran her fingers through my hair again, a soothing rhythm that lulled me into a drowsy state.

As I was drifting off, I vaguely felt Chris lean down, brushing her lips lightly across my forehead. “You’re everything to me,” she whispered. I wanted to reply, but my eyes were so heavy they fluttered shut as a small smile played on my lips as I drifted asleep.

Which was too bad for me as while I slept, Chris watched me for a moment, a quiet triumph glinting in her eyes as if for her, everything was falling perfectly into place.