Her choice

(Asher) Harlow stood in front of me with her arms crossed, waiting for an answer. I knew she was expecting an argument about returning to real estate. After what happened during her kidnapping, I couldn't blame her for thinking I'd object. But there was a difference between wanting to protect her and deciding how she should live. "Well?" she asked. "Well, what?" "What are your conditions?" "Who said anything about conditions?" She raised an eyebrow. "Asher, please. You always have something to say." "That's because you keep doing s**t that gives me something to say." She rolled her eyes before sitting beside me. I could tell she was trying to be patient, which wasn't something Harlow was particularly good at. I wanted to know whether she'd really thought about returning to work. Helping Cassidy with her course was one thing, but dealing with clients again was another. "Do you actually miss real estate?" I asked. "Yes." "Enough to go back?" "I think so." "Then why are you looking at me like I'm about to lock you in here?" "Because you're you." I laughed at that. She wasn't entirely wrong, considering how I'd behaved when we started seeing each other. But I knew what giving up her career had cost her. Harlow had spent years building something she was proud of. "I'm not stopping you from working, sweetheart." She stared at me. "Seriously?" "Yeah." "Who are you, and what have you done with my boyfriend?" "Keep talking, and I'll change my mind." "You just said you weren't stopping me." "And I'm not." She grinned, looking far too pleased with herself. I reached for her hand and pulled her closer. There were things we needed to discuss, and I wanted her to understand why. The last thing I wanted was another situation where nobody knew where she was. "If you're showing a house somewhere isolated, somebody needs to know where you're going." "That's fair." "And if a client makes you uncomfortable, you leave." "I know how to handle difficult clients." "I'm not saying you don't." Her expression changed when she realized I wasn't trying to start a fight. I wasn't going to make her relive what happened in that van. She'd already spent enough time dealing with the aftermath. I wanted her to feel safe without losing the independence she'd always valued. "There's one person who won't be happy about this," I said. "Ridge." "Exactly." She groaned and leaned against me. I could already imagine the argument between those two. Ridge had nearly lost his sister, and he wasn't going to forget it. Unfortunately for him, Harlow wasn't going to accept being told what to do. "He'll tell me no," she complained. "Probably." "And then he'll start lecturing me." "Definitely." "You're enjoying this." "A little." She smacked my arm before getting comfortable again. I kissed her forehead and let the conversation settle. There was something else I'd wanted to discuss with her for a while. I wasn't sure how she'd react, but I wanted to be clear about what I was asking. "Baby, there's something I want to talk about." She looked up. "Should I be worried?" "No." "That's what you said before you bought those restraints." I smiled at the memory. Harlow had plenty to say when she'd discovered what I'd purchased. She'd also been curious enough to ask questions. I wanted us to have that same honesty now. "Do you remember when we talked about me being in control?" "Which time?" "When we were discussing what you liked." "Oh." She sat up and turned toward me. Her expression told me she understood where this conversation was going. I took her hand, giving her the chance to move away if she wanted. She stayed beside me. "I want us to talk about submission." She watched me. "Mine?" "Yeah." "You're going to have to explain that." I nodded because I'd expected her to ask. This wasn't about controlling where she worked or who she spoke to. I wanted to explore something between us that depended on both of us wanting it. If she wasn't interested, I needed to know. "When we're alone, I like being the one in control." "I've noticed." "And you like challenging me." "That's because you're bossy." "You're proving my point." She smiled, but I could see she was listening. I wanted her to understand that submission wasn't something I could demand. It had to be something she chose, with boundaries we both respected. Otherwise, I wasn't interested. "I want to know whether you'd enjoy giving me that control sometimes." She considered my words. "What would I have to do?" "Nothing you haven't agreed to." "And if I don't like something?" "We stop." She looked at me for a moment before asking another question. I appreciated that she wasn't treating the conversation like a joke. Harlow had always been curious about the things we did together. This was something we needed to discuss properly before trying anything new. "What if I change my mind halfway through?" "Then we stop, baby." "Even if you're enjoying yourself?" "Especially then." She looked down at our hands. I wasn't going to pretend I didn't want her to say yes. But wanting something didn't mean I was entitled to it. She needed to know she could refuse without worrying about how I'd react. "We'd talk about boundaries and what stays off limits," I explained. "And you'd actually listen?" "Every word." "Even if I tell you you're being an asshole?" "That happens every day." She laughed and leaned closer. I wrapped my arm around her and kissed her. When she pulled away, she looked thoughtful rather than uncomfortable. That was enough for me. "Would we have some kind of signal?" she asked. "Yeah. We can use a word that means stop immediately." "Like what?" "Whatever you choose." She nodded before looking at me again. I could tell she had more questions, and I wasn't surprised. Harlow liked knowing exactly what she was agreeing to. I wanted her to take as much time as she needed. "Have you been thinking about this for long?" she asked. "A while." "And you waited until now to tell me?" "I wanted us to be ready to talk about it." She studied me before moving closer. I wasn't expecting her to make a decision right there. We could talk about it again whenever she wanted. I cared more about getting it right than getting an immediate answer. "I'll think about it," she said. "That's all I'm asking." "And no getting impatient." "I can wait." She gave me a doubtful look before standing. I knew that expression meant she had something to say. Instead, she picked up her phone and checked the time. Apparently, she had another problem to deal with. "I should go talk to Ridge." "Good luck." "You're coming with me." "Absolutely f*****g not." She stared at me. "You're supposed to support me." "I do support you." "Then come." "Baby, I love you, but I'm not sitting between you and Ridge while you two argue." She pointed at me. "Coward." "Smart man." She headed toward the door before turning back. I could tell she was already preparing herself for whatever Ridge would say. I felt sorry for him, considering the argument he was about to have. He had no idea what was coming. "If he pisses me off, I'm coming straight back here." "I'll be waiting." "And we're finishing our other conversation later." I looked at her. "Which one?" She gave me a smile. "The one about me submitting to you." Before I could answer, she opened the door and walked out. I sat there thinking about what she'd said. She hadn't agreed to anything, but she hadn't dismissed the idea either. And knowing Harlow, our next conversation was going to be interesting.