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That complete truth, the intimacy of sharing more with her than simply what he had to, was obviously something he couldn't give her.
She had chased after him since she was teenager. Now that she had made it into his bed she was learning that there was much more to seduction than she had ever imagined. She was going to have to figure out the rules before she went much further.
Unfortunately, she had the feeling her apartment wasn't the best place to do so. Khalid owned the damned building. Grabbing her purse and the overnight tote she kept packed, Marty rushed from her apartment to the parking garage.
Her mother was still gone, but her father was home. She wouldn't have to go into detail; she'd never had to when her emotions were like a cauldron ready to boil over. And when it came to Khalid, she imagined her father could be a font of information, if he wanted to be. Convincing him to give her just a few insights shouldn't be too hard.
Her father had always understood. He would understand now.
Sliding into her black BMW, Marty started the engine and put the car into drive. Driving through the exit of the garage, she threw a wave at the security guard on duty.
As she drove past she noticed his hand reaching for the phone and rolled her eyes. No doubt he was informing Khalid that she was leaving her apartment. She'd noticed that Khalid had a rather strong habit of keeping tabs on everyone in his life. Not that he had many friends, but those he did have also seemed to revolve in the same sphere of social, personal, and business alliances as he did, which made it easier for him to do so. She had now become someone he felt the need to watch over.
She hadn't needed a man's protection since she had left her parents' home. She didn't need Khalid's protection now. What she needed was far more important, something she was afraid she would never possess.
It was more than she had received last night, though. She just had to figure out how to get him to realize he wanted to give it to her. Then she had to figure out exactly how to handle it if he did.
The night before had been a revelation in many ways. From the second Shayne had walked into the Sinclairs' library, Marty had sensed that her life was changing.
Something she had only been curious about before had bloomed inside her. And in Khalid's eyes she had seen an affirmation that it was coming.
If she allowed this relationship to progress, then it would be far more than what they had shared the night before.
She felt a jolt of response at the thought of being the lover of two men. It had only been a distant curiosity for so many years, but the knowledge that it would happen if this continued suddenly had her wondering what it would mean to her own sexuality, and to the emotions she could feel torturing her now.
Over the years Marty had managed to get enough information to form a certain image of the club and the men she knew were a part of it.
Men who walked a certain dark edge, who found thrills in various forms of high-adrenaline lifestyles. Whether they were CEOs, leaders of countries, or agents of one of the world's alphabet agencies, they all shared a common tie: a darkness and a sense of danger that they carried like an invisible shield.
The ring of the cell phone on the seat beside her had her heart racing again. Picking it up, she glanced at the number, fortified her courage, and flipped the phone open to answer it. "Leave me alone for now," she ordered briskly, praying she sounded more determined than she truly was.
"You picked the perfect time to leave. " Shayne's chuckle came through the line. "Khalid was on his way to your apartment as you pulled from the garage. "
"That's what I pretty much figured," she informed him. "I need some time. "
"You should have thought about that before you shared his bed last night. " Shayne's tone became firmer. "What the hell is going on, Marty? You're not some flighty kid. Why the hell are you running from him?"
Because she didn't know what to say, what to do. Because she wanted to dream of happily ever afters and she was terribly afraid those couldn't exist in Khalid's arms. He couldn't hold her after taking the innocence she had saved for him. He could only give her half truths. What made her think he would ever do more than fuck her?
She should have considered this; she should have thought of it. But she would have sworn he felt more for her than simple lust.
"I need to think," she finally breathed out roughly. "I'll call him later. "
Shayne grunted at that. "Does Khalid seem like a man you can dangle on a string, sweetheart? I think you know better. "
Yes, she knew better. And she had a feeling Khalid would reinforce that impression.
"I didn't ask for your opinion," she muttered.
"I volunteered it," he stated, his voice like dark silk. "If I were you, I'd return to the estate. "
She laughed at the order. "Go to hell. Look, I'm certain you'll be talking to Khalid soon if you're not still at the estate. Tell him I'll call him later. I have some things I have to sort out, and I can't do that in his bed. "
"You may not have a choice," he growled.
"Yeah. Right. " She laughed into the line as she made her turn and took the road to her parents' home. "When I no longer have a choice is when you'll be burying me, Shayne. Now go away. I have things to do that don't include you. "
"For the moment. " Though low, his tone was intense, commanding.
