"I can't wait to see you in your dress." Not a request for a preemptive peek, just honesty. She was going to be a vision in black, and no one, not even him, would be able to hold a candle to her beauty. He gave a little chuckle at her joke. It was corny, but adorable, and she always lit up for him when he laughed for her. It was worth it.
Oh, but then she was murmuring one of his favorite words, and a shiver slid down the boil's spine as he leaned in hungrily to catch her lips. No longer sweet, but demanding. He taught her that, through repetition and reward. Pleading and permission.
eight