Chapter Text
Margo bit back the smile that threatened to reach her ears as she made her way up the steps of Sophie’s front porch. When she pulled into the driveway, she could see that every light in the quaint little house was out except for one. Just above the front door on the second story: the one to the bedroom Sophie shared with Graham.
But not tonight. Tonight, the room was theirs, and Sophie was hers. On these rare nights that Graham was away on business and Jack was at a friend’s house, the blonde from Boston wasn’t Sophie O’Neil: wife and mother. She was and could be whatever she wanted. And over the months that she and Margo had been having this little affair, more often than not, all she wanted to be was whatever Margo wanted. If Margo wanted a belligerent little brat, Sophie would pout and bite back until Margo tamed her into obedience. If Margo wanted a needy, pathetic slut, Sophie was shamelessly begging on her knees until Margo decided that she earned a reward.
And tonight— weeks since their last private meeting— when she received a text from Sophie that simply said ’I’m alone tonight’, Margo had to decide which version Sophie she wanted.
The heels of her cowgirl boots clicked against the concrete steps, Margo didn’t even get a chance to raise her hand to ring the doorbell before lights in the foyer were on and the door was opening to the eager, blushing blonde that she had been aching to touch— dressed in just an oversized lilac t-shirt with her hair loose around her shoulders.
“Hi.” Sophie whispered, looking up at her from where she stood a few inches shorter than herself. Her already flushed cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink when Margo simply brushed past her into the house, leaving the scent of Chanel Allure in her path. It was Pavlovian the way the perfume affected Sophie. Just the scent of it made her dizzy and weak in the knees with desire; precisely why Margo always wore it around her. Whether they were meeting up privately, at a fancy fundraiser, or just having drinks with the other wives, Margo knew the effect it had on the younger woman, and she loved to watch her squirm when there was nothing that could be done about it.
Backing Sophie against the door, Margo narrowly entered her space, blindly locking the door behind them. “How’s my girl?” she rasped, smirking down at her flustered lover.
A pink tongue snuck out over shyly smiling lips when Sophie responded with a simple, “I missed you.”
“You just saw me at lunch yesterday,” Margo teased, inching closer until they were sharing the same breath.
“You know what I mean.” Sophie’s eyes fell to her glossy lips, desperately needing them against her own. But she knew the rules. She waited for Margo to kiss her first and set the tone. Some nights the kiss would come first, some nights Sophie would be left desperately waiting until after Margo did with her what she wanted. Thankfully tonight, Margo didn’t keep her waiting. No, Margo missed her just as much, if not more. Since their last tryst, she ended her nights and started her days with Jed by her side and Sophie on her mind— unconsciously counting down the unknown minutes until she could have her again. And the countdown finally ended when their lips met in a feverish kiss.
As relieved as she was to have her girl in her arms again, Margo maintained her dominance, teasing her french-tipped nails just under the hem of Sophie’s t-shirt where it laid against her upper thighs. The blonde shivered visibly as goosebumps swelled on her pale skin, gripping the goldenrod satin of Margo’s blouse at her waist. One pleaful little noise escaped her throat and Margo had made up her mind. She wanted to tease and she wanted Sophie to beg.
Using her height to her advantage, she bent down just enough to lift Sophie up. Her back pressed tightly to the door and slender legs locked around her hips. Margo held her up confidently, tracing the line where soft lace panties met her skin. A smirk grew on her face against Sophie’s lips when she felt them under her touch. She knew exactly which pair they were. They were Margo’s favorite: white lace with pale blue accents that hugged each curve perfectly. Regardless of the role Margo wanted her to play, they made her look just how she always wanted her to: demure and breakable, but ready and willing to be ruined. Her little angel with hidden devil’s horns.
Margo could feel the heat of her seeping against her skin through lace and satin, and it took every ounce of will she had to prevent herself from fucking Sophie right there against the door until the hinges came loose. Instead, she pulled back from the breathless kiss, taking in the hooded blue eyes with blown out pupils in front of her. Sophie’s hands were laced together behind her neck and her chest heaved against hers as she struggled to catch her breath. But despite the burning in her own lungs, Margo captured her lips in a searing kiss again and tightened her hold on warm thighs as she pulled back from the door to carry the petite blonde to the living room.
She sat in the exact spot she’d learned Sophie made herself cum to the thought of her for the first time. It felt like ages ago that the new girl from the East Coast had so quickly and effortlessly wrapped Margo around her finger. That was the craziest part of their relationship. Margo was the dominant one, but Sophie had all the control and they both knew it. She had never met anyone who had the power to make her say “how high?” if they told her to jump. It terrified her, but here she was anyway: months deep into an affair with her husband’s employee’s wife. And the only thing that scared her more than getting caught was the very idea of Sophie deciding she didn’t want her anymore. Fortunately, as of right now, the younger woman was glued to her, perched in her lap and kissing her wantonly.
After one single jut of Sophie’s hips against her lap, Margo locked in to her role, gripping her hip tightly with one hand as the other laid a single smack to the side of her thigh. “You know that’s not how you get what you want,” she said darkly, though her eyes glinted with mischief.
Sophie— who yelped at the light slap— bit down hard on her lip, fisting the golden satin with an audible gulp. “M’sorry,” she whispered breathlessly, but her hips jerked on their own again when Margo’s belt buckle bumped her clit through her panties.
“Doesn’t seem like you are,” an eyebrow arched knowingly as Sophie blushed furiously from arousal, “Stand up, baby.”
Sophie unwrapped herself from the older woman and stood obediently onto her shaky legs in front of Margo’s spread knees. She subtly pressed her thighs together, desperate to relieve the growing pressure between them as she gazed down at her.
“You know better than that. Don’t you, Sophie?” Margo continued, sitting up straighter and raising her hands to Sophie’s hips. She bunched up the thin lilac cotton and lifted it higher watching perfect pink nipples stiffen in the air conditioning once it was peeled over Sophie’s head.
“Yes,” Sophie nodded, keeping her hands stiffly at her sides while the cold air met her heated skin.
Margo peered up at her with an expectant gaze. “Yes?”
Sophie’s face was painted red as she shifted her weight between her feet. “Yes, Mommy,” she whispered, humiliated but still biting back a smile. The sly smile Margo gave her in return sent a rush of wetness to her core.
“Good girl.” The older woman took her gently by the hips and pulled her closer, peppering her stomach with slow, torturous kisses that made Sophie’s muscles twitch under her skin.
Blonde hair cascaded down her bare back when her head tilted back, failing to hold back the noises of pure need that tumbled past her lips at the feeling of Margo’s lips inching closer to the swell of her breasts. She tried her hardest to stay still when warm lips wrapped around a taut nipple. Margo grinned knowingly against her breast and bit down on her suckable skin before soothing it over with her tongue. Her other breast was being palmed and played with, and she knew that she had Margo’s full, undivided attention. But that also meant that she couldn’t make a single move without Margo knowing about it. Margo knew her body like her favorite song: every note, every beat, and every word like second nature.
“Please…” she gasped, “I’ll be good, I promise.”
“Mmm, too late for that, baby,” Margo kissed the flat plane between her breasts before pulling back and gazing up at her. “Sit.”
Sophie immediately moved to raise her knee to settle back in Margo’s lap, but the older woman stopped her quickly— smugly. “No, not here,” she hummed, extending a leg out slightly.
Sophie looked at her with wordless pleas to have mercy on her. But when Margo’s gaze darkened, challenging her hesitation, she obeyed and lowered herself until she was sat in a straddle over Margo’s foot. The leather of the cowgirl boot was firm and solid against her panties, and it made Sophie give a meek cry when Margo nudged it against her.
Sophie (though willing to play along) hated when Margo made her do this. Not only was it humiliating to be made to get herself off on the older woman’s boot, but more than often it offered no relief to her desperation. The angle was unfulfilling and she usually got cramps in her thighs or carpet burn on her knees before she even got close to an orgasm. It would be even more difficult now with her panties interfering with the friction against the grooves in the leather design. Margo knew exactly what she was doing, as usual.
“You know what to do, honey,” Margo clutched her chin in a firm hand and leaned down to kiss her slowly, before leaning back against the couch cushions undoing her belt buckle— much to Sophie’s horror and excitement. “Be my good girl, now.”
Blue eyes watched as a polished hand crept under her tight blue jeans, unable to keep her hips from rutting as she watched Margo’s hand move to touch herself under the denim. She knew that Margo would always take care of her in the end, but the journey of teasing on the way was always torturous. “Fuck,” she panted, trying to find a good angle before she could find a rhythm, but anything she tried was useless or short-lived, providing her with a moment of pleasure before it disappeared from
her reach.
“This what you wanted?” Margo breathed, staring down at her.
“N-no, Mommy,” Sophie whimpered, frustrated tears pricking at her eyes as she kept her hips moving in an attempt to find some relief.
“No? You sure seemed eager to rub your needy little pussy on something just a little while ago.”
The younger woman just whimpered, needy grunts falling from her throat with each thrust of her hips. The rug was scraping into her knees as she gripped tightly to Margo’s calf, digging crescent shapes into her skin with her nails through flared jeans. Between failing to get herself off on the leather boot and not being able to do anything but watch as Margo’s jaw slacked as she touched herself, Sophie was in the trenches between heaven and hell, loving and hating every second of it. “Please—“ she breathed, unsure what she was even begging for.
“Please what, sweet girl?” Margo cooed from above her with her blue eyes dark and hooded, “Tell Mommy what you need.”
Sophie sobbed against her denim-clad knee at Margo referring to herself in the kinky little honorific, still uncomfortably grinding down on her boot. “I c-can’t—“ she cut herself off with another sob, “I can’t cum like this.”
A dark chuckle filled the room around them, sending a delightful chill down Sophie’s spine. Margo didn’t respond otherwise. She just continued to touch herself right there in front of her. Sophie nearly fainted when she heard the unmistakable sound of fingers sliding into soaking wet folds, again and again as Margo proudly made a show of herself being able to find and chase her own pleasure while Sophie struggled.
“Mommy, please,” she gasped sharply with tears brimming on her lashes.
Margo ignored her plea, moaning and tilting her own head back against the cushions as she got closer to her own release. At the moment, Sophie hated the power that Margo had over her. She was starving for relief, but she couldn’t stop her mouth from watering at the memory of the taste of Margo’s cum— and she hoped that the brunette would be generous enough to feed it to her off her fingers after she came.
Despite not being able to reach her own orgasm, Sophie sighed almost joyously when Margo finally brought herself over the edge. Margo’s pleasure was her pleasure, and she knew that the sentiment was reciprocated. It just couldn’t be voiced without tainting the fantasy of the dynamic. Her forehead fell to Margo’s bent knee in front of her as she continued to breathlessly ride her boot, but her head was roughly pulled back up by the back of her hair. Her big blue eyes locked onto Margo’s dark, fiery ones, letting her mouth fall open obediently when she saw the glistening layer of slick that coated her fingers.
“Such a good girl,” Margo breathed through a rather sadistic grin. She slid her wet fingers into Sophie’s waiting mouth— a dark but proud smile forming on her lips when the younger woman sucked and licked them with eager determination. The rings at her knuckles hit Sophie’s lips as her fingers pressed at the back of her tongue, gagging her for a short, thrilling moment before she slowly pulled them from her mouth; a string of drool keeping the two women linked together until it broke off and landed on Sophie’s chin.
The woman from Boston lost her breath when Margo clutched her jaw and kissed her hard, and it was followed by a cry of relief when she adjusted her leg just enough for Sophie to be able to find that long-coveted angle. “Oh, fuck,” she sobbed, jutting her hips in a tight rhythm as she chased her orgasm. She wouldn’t last long now that Margo had provided her with a better position. After a few moments, her rocking became sloppy— desperate and eager for the release that she was so close to. The lace between her legs was already ruined by the arousal that had likely seeped through to the leather.
Her cheeks burned hotly with need as she brought herself closer to the edge, rapidly losing any feelings of shame or humiliation over the fact that she was being made to make herself cum by riding her lover’s boot.
“You’re close aren’t you, pretty girl?” Margo’s voice met her ears again. Sophie opened her eyes to meet hers and felt like she might just faint just from how intensely Margo was looking down at her— equally amused and proud.
“Y-yes, Mommy,” Sophie sobbed, “So— ah!— so c-close. Can I please—“
The boot tucked between her thighs was gone before she could even finish her question, leaving her kneeling on the floor with her hips rocking over nothing. “No, please,” she cried, “Please, I wanna cum.”
“Poor baby,” Margo cooed teasingly, bringing her up into a straddle on her lap again. Sophie knew better than to try to find relief against her thighs or belt buckle this time, but she couldn’t help the buck of her hips when Margo rubbed her fingers slowly and diligently against her pussy through the soaking wet lace. “You know this is mine.”
“Yours,” she responded instantly with a nod, eyes locked on Margo’s as she silently begged for mercy.
“And who do your orgasms belong to?” a perfectly shaped brow cocked up on her forehead.
“You, Mommy,” she sobbed, biting down on her thumbnail in an attempt to ground herself.
Margo just smiled warmly at her, removing the hand from between her legs to cup her face with both hands and bring her in for a slow and sensual kiss. Sophie kissed her back, breathing hotly against her lips as her head swam from the torture. But Margo quickly maneuvered them around until they traded places. Now Sophie was sitting on the couch and Margo was kneeling on the floor in front of her. The blonde knew that she was either in for a treat or just more relentless teasing. She could never tell.
Margo gripped her thighs and tugged her closer until her ass was on the edge of the couch cushion. Sophie was vibrating with anticipation, watching as Margo kissed her way up her inner thighs until her nose brushed the wet lace against her clit. It sent shockwaves through her as she kept her thumbnail between her teeth.
“My sweet, baby girl,” Margo hummed, gently easing Sophie’s thighs further apart, “You need Mommy’s mouth on you?”
“Yes. Yes, please, Mommy!” Sophie cried, her body racked with sobs of desperation.
Margo was tantalizingly slow in her movements as she raked her nails up Sophie’s thighs. She took her dear sweet time hooking a finger under the stitching and pulling the soaked material aside, exposing Sophie’s swollen pink cunt to the cool air of the living room. Her clit twitched and she let out a pathetic whimper when Margo blew a gentle stream of breath against her, knowing Sophie always reacted deliciously when she did that.
“Always so wet and ready for me,” she kissed her way up her inner thigh again, grinning at how Sophie twitched and cried with each one, “And just for me, isn’t that right?”
Sophie was nodding before Margo could even finish her sentence, blindly fumbling around so she could hold her hand. But as soon as she found it, it was ripped from her grasp and came down sharply against the side of her ass, making her squeal.
“I asked you a question, Sophie.”
“Just for you. Nobody else, just you,” she panted, feeling lightheaded at the soothing warmth of Margo’s palm rubbing over where she had left a pink stain on her skin.
Margo’s lips curled into a proud smile against Sophie’s inner thigh. “That’s right,” she whispered smugly, starting to gently tug her ruined panties down. Sophie’s hips rose and fell in an effort to help, and she could have cried when Margo hooked a leg over her shoulder once she had them off. “Fuck, baby,” her breath was warm against her sodden core. Perfectly manicured fingernails traced the creases where her pussy met her thigh, sending chills down Sophie’s spine and a fresh wave of arousal through her slit.
The blonde knew that as much as Margo teased her and made her wait, it was equally as torturous for her. Margo had told her that sometimes she liked to deny herself for as long as she could help it, because the moment her tongue met with her cunt for that first taste of her was so worth waiting for every time. Not just that, but Sophie always came so much harder when she had to wait for it. And in Margo’s words, Sophie always tasted so much better after waiting patiently for it like a good girl.
Running her fingernail down the glistening line of her slit, Margo delicately pressed her open, feeling herself get lightheaded at the sight before her. Between carefully spread lips, a pearl of desire dripped from Sophie’s tight hole like a tear falling from her eyes. She caught the droplet on her finger, practically breathless as she raised her hand to Sophie’s mouth again; and her girl took her fingers between her lips without even being told.
A few months into this little affair and Margo knew she had trained her so well. When they first started, Sophie was shy. She would hide her body and avert her eyes. Her cheeks would flame up with debilitating embarrassment that would actually have her asking to stop. It took a while, but Margo made it her mission to get Sophie to feel beautiful and sexy without shame. She fed her praise and compliments like a mantra, rewarding her with intense orgasms and other little prizes each time she exuded some confidence. Margo never wanted her to be embarrassed or feel any kind of shame unless it was part of whatever role she was playing.
However, the re-creation of their first time was one of Margo’s favorite scenes to play out. It always reminded Margo of how far Sophie had come and how much she had come out of her shell. Months ago, she couldn’t suck on Margo’s fingers without blushing and giggling, but here she was now: moaning happily at the taste of herself with her lips wrapped around two of them.
Smiling coyly to herself, Margo let her keep sucking on her fingers while she finally leaned in to get a taste for herself. As usual, the wait was well worth it for both of them. One taste of Sophie and Margo was home. She always thought that she could die happy with Sophie’s juices on her tongue.
Sophie had lost her grip on her fingers when she let out a high pitched moan at the relief of having Margo’s mouth on her at last, but the older woman just dragged that hand down to her chest, pinching and kneading at her breasts while the other stayed looped around her thigh.
The tip of Margo’s nose dragged against the hood of Sophie’s clit as she licked into her vigorously, making her hips buck up on their own. Lewd wet sounds filled the air along with Sophie’s blissful sobs of pleasure and Margo’s satisfied humming. The hand at her breast came down to hold tightly to her other thigh, keeping Sophie’s legs spread open despite her uncontrollable attempts to close them.
The blonde moved erratically, holding tightly to the hands on her thighs when suckling lips found her sensitive clit. The suction of Margo’s mouth mixed with the warm wetness of her tongue was taking her to heights she had only ever reached with her. And she only flew higher when two fingers slid into her, curling just right against the spongy front wall of her pussy. “Oh fuck,” Sophie gasped, her back arching off the couch.
“Cum for me. Cum for Mommy, baby girl,” Margo gazed up at her through darkened blue eyes as she pumped her fingers in and out of her dripping hole. Sophie was moaning and squirming as she chased her release and Margo could tell how close she was just by how she clenched around her fingers. One long squeeze, two short, one long, one short; Margo read her body’s reaction like Morse Code, understanding the message she was sending. And just as she surveyed, Sophie began cumming hard.
Screams reverberated off the walls of the quaint living room as she came around her fingers. Margo could feel the sturdy release of fluid against her bottom lip as she sucked her clit into her mouth again, lapping up every bit of it that she could. Her fingers remained diligent, coaxing out every last drop until Sophie had nothing left to give. She slowed her hand down to a stop, keeping her fingers tucked comfortably inside her as her tongue made slow sweeps around in an attempt to clean up the delicious mess Sophie had made for her.
Once the blonde was just a boneless puddle on the couch, Margo began to remove her fingers.
“No, wait,” Sophie whined breathlessly and reached down between them for her wrist, weakly wrapping both hands around it to keep Margo still. The brunette could only watch, hypnotized as Sophie held her hand in place as she rode her fingers until she came again. There were a lot of things that Margo loved, but having Sophie use her to get off was in the top five. Whether she was riding her face or humping her boot, she loved to watch Sophie make herself feel as good as she deserved to.
She’d never forget one morning after Sophie stayed the night at the lake house and she woke up to the younger woman riding her thigh in her sleep. Sophie was humiliated after finding out, but Margo insisted that it was one of the hottest things she’d ever seen before making her girl cum three more times in a row.
Sophie relaxed back onto the cushions, chest heaving as her grip on Margo’s wrist went slack. The brunette just smiled cockily as she slowly removed her fingers from inside her, cupping her sore cunt and massaging the walls of her entrance carefully, reassuring her of her presence after the loss.
After Sophie’s breathing had calmed down, Margo stood up off her sore knees and shed her cum-stained satin shirt to the floor, climbing onto the couch with her girl and draping a blanket over her shivering frame. “My perfect girl,” she whispered into her red-tipped ear, kissing just behind it as her hand reclaimed its place between Sophie’s thighs, “You did so good for me. You feel better?”
“Mmhm,” the younger woman hummed contentedly, reaching down to weave her fingers with Margo’s between the warmth of her thighs.
“What d’you say, baby?”
Sophie just smiled and turned to kiss her slowly, tasting the remainder of herself on her lips. “Thank you, Mommy,” she whispered, cuddling closer to her as her eyes fell shut.
Margo just chuckled and pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder, knowing Sophie would be out cold in less than a minute as usual. “Good girl.”
She’d never felt the way she did now about anyone. Even with Callie, she took what she wanted and left. Though pretending to have any semblance of feeling for her to keep her close had gotten her out of some sticky situations. All of her relationships, both romantic and platonic, were transactional. It was like she had a deal with each and every person she came in contact with that she would scratch their back if they scratched hers. But even after that fateful meeting in the guest bathroom, Margo knew that Sophie didn’t have any power to get her anywhere, or any connections that would do her any favors. There was nothing to gain from keeping her satisfied, but Margo came running to her every time she asked anyway.
Sophie had her wrapped around her finger. A terrifying notion, but what was foreign to Margo was that she never took advantage. Sophie didn’t have files on files of blackmail on her that she threatened to release if she didn’t bend to her every whim. If anything Sophie was a social pariah herself that would just end up digging her own grave if their affair was ever discovered. She had nothing to gain from Margo either. All she wanted was her company and for the Texan to make her feel the things that Graham failed to.
Peering down at the dozing blonde in her arms, Margo dragged her fingers through her hair and kissed her forehead, gently shaking her awake. “Come on,” she beckoned in a whisper, easing them both up. Sophie just whined quietly, keeping her face buried in the warm curve of Margo’s neck. Shaking her head and chuckling, Margo scooped her into her arms with ease. The grandfather clock by the window gave ten chimes as her heeled boots clacked against the hardwood floors. Sophie, wrapped around her torso as bare as the day she was born, was dotting her neck and shoulder with innocent pecks— wordless gratitude for being her legs when her own weren’t reliable.
Margo climbed the stairs, rounded the corner, and strode past the first two doors on the right: a walk she could do blindfolded by now. She placed Sophie down on the neatly made bed, finding herself still trapped in the blonde’s embrace when she tried to let her go.
Sophie pulled herself back just enough to find Margo’s lips with her own. “Stay,” she whispered, caught between a question and a demand.
Maego just breathed a laugh of amusement. “I’ll be right back.” She unwrapped Sophie’s limbs from around her and kissed her once more, disappearing into the attached bathroom. Gazing at the mirror, she couldn’t help but smile at her reflection. The woman who stared back at her looked so at peace; so satisfied and tranquil despite the reality that awaited her beyond the walls of this white brick house.
Pushing those realities to the back of her mind, Margo sighed and began to shed her layers of clothing. Her tight still had damp stains on them from Sophie’s cum, making her smirk to herself as she pulled them down her legs. After she had her clothes and boots in a careless pile on the floor, she grabbed a cloth from the linen closet, running it under the faucet once it reached the perfect temperature and wringing out the excess.
“Margo?” Sophie called softly from the bedroom just as the older woman was returning.
Sleepy, baby blue eyes brightened when Sophie saw her, making Margo’s heart tighten delightfully in her chest as she leaned down to kiss her slowly. Their lips were soft and slow in the kiss they shared while Margo dutifully swiped the warm damp cloth between Sophie’s legs, cleaning up the mess she had made of herself. The younger woman sighed, content and pleased with the warmth of the washcloth being slowly dragged through her slit.
“Shhh,” Margo hushed quietly when a few little yelps and whimpers escaped her sensitive girl, tossing the used cloth toward the bathroom so she could hold her close under the duvet. The feeling of Sophie’s warm skin on hers was orgasmic in itself— something she never wanted to lose. She’d rather die than lose the feeling she got with her.
The word “love” had been tossed around so much in their friend group, that it didn’t feel like enough to describe what Margo felt for her. Sophie deserved something stronger, more binding; something that perfectly summed up the way Margo yearned for her and prayed to God that they would meet again in another life under better circumstances.
“Sleep,” Margo nuzzled her nose against her temple and kissed the hollow of her ear, deciding to cherish life with her as she knew it instead of dwelling on another.
“Don’t want to,” Sophie huffed through a yawn, placing a thigh between Margo’s with determination to keep going. But with fingernails scratching against her scalp and the softness of Margo’s hand tracing her spine, she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer.
Margo felt Sophie’s body relax against hers as she drifted into a peaceful slumber. Selfishly, she wanted to keep her awake and fuck her until the sun came up, but their time was limited. Graham would be back in the morning after picking up Jack from his friend’s house. She knew that if they were lucky, they would be up early enough for a shared shower with an orgasm or two sprinkled in. But even if things didn’t go that way, the annual father/son camping trip Jed hosted for his staff and their sons was just two weeks away.
Two weeks until she had Sophie all to herself for 48 hours.
Two weeks for her to plan the perfect weekend for her and the woman who had a violent grip on her heart.