Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 86510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Or perhaps not…if she chooses to leave now. Disappointment wells in me. After the night we had, why does she want to leave?
I put my beignet down on the plate and glide my napkin over my lips. “Why? I haven’t shown you any of the sights yet. Don’t you want to see the graveyards? They’re legendary.”
“Of course, I would love to see everything. So far, this place is spectacular. It’s everything you said it was and everything I’ve read about it. But I—”
She bites her lip, looks down at her plate, which is full of crumbs and powdered sugar. She takes a sip of her café au lait and wipes her mouth again.
“Tell me what’s going on, Mary.”
“I’m not sure I can give you what you want,” she says.
“I see.”
“But let me be honest with you. I have no intention of leaving the lifestyle. I enjoy it, and I’m good at it. I like being a submissive.”
“We can go as slowly as you need to,” I say.
“I appreciate that, but that’s only…” She shakes her head. “Never mind. I just think it’s better if I leave. I’m perfectly capable of getting on a plane by myself and flying back to New York. I want you to stay, Ronan. Visit with your grandmother. Enjoy your old stomping grounds.”
This makes no sense. “Have I done something wrong?”
“No. You’ve been a perfect gentleman.”
“Maybe that’s the issue.”
She lets out a nervous chuckle. “No, that’s not the issue at all. I have to tell you that I think a scene with you would be…fucking amazing. I think you could take me places I’ve never been. But I don’t see that future for us, Ronan.”
Even I am shocked at how fiercely I feel the dagger of her words puncture my heart. “Why not? I get that you had a bad experience. I understand this isn’t easy for you. I get that it’s going to take time for you to get back into the club scene. I’m willing to wait, Mary, because I think you might be my perfect submissive.”
She sighs. “That’s where you’re wrong.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Ronan”—she clears her throat—“I will never be your perfect submissive.”
“I disagree.”
She draws in a breath. “My God, you’re going to make me spell it out for you, aren’t you?”
“I’m not going to make you do anything, Mary.”
“Ronan—”
“Give me one day. Spend the day with me—and the night—and then tomorrow morning, if you still want to leave, I will personally put you on a plane to New York.”
She takes a bite of beignet, chews, swallows, and wipes an adorable smudge of sugar from her chin. “You’re not making this easy. The fact is that I want to stay.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
She clams up.
I don’t know what’s truly bothering her, and I think it’s time she was honest with me.
“Tell me,” I say. “Tell me about the scene that went bad.”
Her cheeks redden.
“It wasn’t anything terrible,” she says. “I’ve told you that much. But it happened because the Dominant I was playing with was beginning to have feelings for a woman.”
“A woman other than you, I assume?”
She nods. “Yeah. He and I are just friends.”
“Still?”
“Yes, of course. He’s a good guy. He was so apologetic. He felt terrible about what happened. He took excellent care of me afterward.”
Okay, that all makes sense. But I’m still missing some pieces to this puzzle. “What are your hard limits, Mary?”
“Edge play, of course.”
“Edge play means different things to different people.”
“Gunplay. Breath play. Blood sports.”
“I don’t engage in any of those, either,” I say.
“But I like to be beaten hard, Ronan. Very hard. As long as no blood is drawn.”
“I think I see what you’re getting at.”
“He didn’t mean to, but his head wasn’t in the game. He wasn’t focusing. He knows that, and he took care of things. And it’s not so much that I’m afraid it will happen again. He and I won’t play together again. I wouldn’t have anyway, but he’s in a monogamous relationship now.”
“And are you afraid my head won’t be in the game?”
“No. Not at all. I’m pretty sure your head is always in the game, Ronan.”
“It is.”
She pauses, looks down at her hands. “I’m not sure I can explain it any better than that.”
“I think you probably can, Mary.”
“You’re right.” She crosses her legs and takes a sip of coffee. “I’m just not ready to.”
Fair enough. I’m not going to push her. “Then will you spend the day with me? And the night? And if you’re still not ready to tell me tomorrow, I will put you on a plane myself.”
She swallows and then licks her bottom lip.
And my cock reacts.
“All right,” she says. “I’ll spend the day with you.”
“Perfect.” It’s hard not to smile from ear to fucking ear. “What would you like to do today?”
“Whatever you think we should. You’re the expert.”