Chapter Two
Lizzie stared at Brute, not sure she’d heard him correctly. “What do you mean because you asked her to?”
“I overheard you and Maddy talking about it and sent my request to Madame Eve.”
She wanted to put her hands over her ears and pretend she couldn’t hear him. Pretend her one chance at love wasn’t ruined. “Why would you do that? Why do you three have to ruin everything?”
Brute tried to pull her into his arms. But the idea of physical contact right then appalled her. “Don’t touch me.”
He stepped back, hands up in surrender. “I wasn’t trying to ruin anything. I want to be with you.”
She glared at him and paced from one side of the room to the other. “Do you understand how insane that sounds? We have known each other our entire lives. You could have asked me out any time since I turned eighteen, yet you choose to turn up for a one-night stand with me. I mean, do you even know what I asked Madame Eve to find me.” She couldn’t suppress her fury at the mere gall of him.
“No, not exactly. But, considering how the evening started, I have a pretty good idea.”
“Fine then, Mister Know-it-all. What do I want?” She stopped pacing and glowered at him.
He crossed his hands over his chest and stared right back. “Okay, well, my guess is you’re a dominatrix and you’re after a submissive.”
“I prefer the term Domme, but, yes, I am looking for a permanent relationship with a submissive, which is clearly not you. So, can you please put you clothes back on and the get the hell out?”
She walked to the throne and sat down, her heart breaking into a million pieces. She’d thought this would be theone. Finally, she wouldn’t be alone. Once again one of her brother’s friends stuck his nose in where it wasn’t wanted.
She looked up, and Brute still stood in the same spot, didn’t appeared to have moved a muscle. Damn him and all his lean-muscled sexiness. “I said get your clothes on and leave.”
He smirked at her. “No.”
“Fine.” She stood up. “I’ll leave, then, because I’m not staying here with you.”
“Okay, okay. I will get dressed, but please, hear me out and if you still want me to leave, I will.” He put his jeans and T-shirt on but nothing else.
“All right. You have five minutes.” She really hoped she wasn’t making a huge mistake.
Brute walked to Lizzie and dropped to his knees right in front of her. It was not a place he’d ever expected to be unless proposing, but what he was about to say was almost as important.
“Elizabeth, I have wanted to be more than just your brother’s friend since…well, before it was probably acceptable for me to have thoughts of that nature. Pretty much the moment you hit your shift I knew you were the one for me.”
She tried to speak, but he silenced her with a finger to her lips.
“I know Garth, Masen, and I have scared away any guy who ever came calling, and I can’t speak for the other two, but, in my case, it was always because I wanted you for my own and I couldn’t bear to see you with anyone else.”
“But why wait?”
The dejected look on her face broke his heart. “Because I always thought I had more time. I wanted you to have a life, a career, before you were stuck with me, raising cubs.”
“Did it ever occur to you having a family and raising cubs was what I wanted.”
Brute let his head hang on his shoulders. No he hadn’t thought of that. And he wouldn’t say it out loud, but he always worried Garth wouldn’t approve of him. He raised his head to look at her again. “I’m sorry. I’ve been an idiot. But, if you give me a chance, I want to prove to you I can be everything you need and more.”
She looked at him and shook her head,
“Please, give me a chance. I know it is out of the blue, but can you honestly tell me the idea of us together has never crossed your mind?”
She shook her head again. “I’m sorry, Brute. I can’t do this.”
He nodded and stood. “I wish you’d reconsider. I’m only going as far as the bar downstairs. Please think it over. I can be your everything. I know I can. Just one chance is all I’m asking for.”
He wanted to get back on his knees and beg her to let him stay, but if he knew anything about Lizzie it was she was stubborn and pushing her on a subject only made her dig her heels in more.
