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His voice wavered in such a way that made her hesitate, and the sound drained all of her pride and happiness. “Sir, why does it sound as if our night is over?”
“Because, my pet, it is.”
“But I’ve taken your punishment.” She paused. Yes, he’d rewarded her with a climax, but she had yet to have him. She wanted his cock and the ache in her pussy declared she needed him. “What have I done to displease you, Sir?”
“No more formalities, please.”
“What have I done then? Tell me what I did to upset you that you will not offer yourself to me?” Tears rimmed her eyes behind the mask. She’d been taken on a high, soared along the fantastic ride, only to be dropped with no net.
He took her hand and squeezed. “You’ve done nothing wrong. In fact, you did everything right.” His voice sounded so different than it had this whole time—almost unsure.
It unsettled her. Before she had a chance to ask him more, he released a low deep breath. “Remove the blindfold, Taryn
.”
She blinked beneath it and tried to process what she’d heard. Up to that point, her Dom had not said her name and the sound of it hit her with a memory.
It can’t be.
She yanked the blindfold down, so she could laugh at herself for thinking that this man just then sounded so much like her ex-boyfriend. But as her vision adjusted from being held in the dark for so long, warm hazel eyes greeted her, along with a charming smile.
“Blake?”
He grinned. “Surprised to see me?”
Chapter Two
Blake had no preconceived notion about how Taryn would react, and had been surprised she hadn’t recognized his voice, even though he tried his best to disguise it. He didn’t want her to know who mastered her because he wanted to remind her of what he had to offer. Now, he merely let the seconds tick by until she had resolved her thoughts.
She finally blinked, but still stared blank-faced at him. “How can this be?”
“Madame Eve contacted me three weeks ago—as I’m sure she did you—and invited me to the Christmas celebration here at the lodge to meet my match, and also extended an invitation to attend the gala on Christmas Day. It’s my hope that you’ll join me.”
She shook her head as if she were unable to process what he told her. “Are you telling me we met again by chance?”
“No.” The Christmas Eve encounter had taken not only planning by Madame Eve, but he’d had to make life changes in order to be the man he needed to be when he saw Taryn again.
“Then, what?” Her confused expression shifted to a scowl. “You set this up? You knew you were meeting me tonight and said nothing?”
“You agreed to keep our identities a secret until tonight,” he gently reminded her. “Madame Eve must have thought it was appropriate that I knew we were being matched, but she didn’t disapprove of my wanting to surprise you.”
“That means nothing—who cares what Madame Eve thinks? You should have told me.” She glared. “I cannot believe you did this.” She strode over to her suitcase, grabbed a pair of pants, plus a shirt, and set about getting dressed. “You should have warned me. Told me it was you. You had no right to assume I even wanted to be with you again.” She never looked back, but he could tell by her curt tone that she loathed him.
She dressed and he saw her wince as the clothing settled over her sore body. He wanted to help, but knew better than to approach her right then. He leaned against the wall, crossed his arms, and waited for her to calm down. The Taryn in front of him was one he knew well. If he said a word, she’d trap him in an impossible situation he’d never recover from—nothing he did would ease her. He waited for her to stop being so angry, to allow herself time to think.
“And there you go—like you always did—saying nothing while I’m the only one letting my feelings be known.” She scowled at him. “You have nothing to say?”
He shook his head. Not right now. Not when you’ve cornered me.
Her eyes narrowed, her face turned a dark shade of red, and rage wafted off her. “I’m so fucking angry with you.” She spun on her heels, heading for the patio door, only dressed in the T-shirt and a pair of jeans. “Go home.”
He sighed, annoyed, infuriated, and frustrated. He hoped she’d be more receptive to him—that she missed and wanted him as much as he did her—but her demand had been firm. She wanted nothing to do with him.
It only confirmed he had made the right choice in how he approached her. If he had knocked on her door or even called her, she would have run—just like she did now. He wanted to show her the spark that existed between them, and he held no doubt she’d witnessed it tonight. He suspected her hesitation came from the night he broke her heart and she broke his—too swamped with old pain to see straight.
He had lived that life for the past five years, and he wouldn’t walk in the shadow of despair any longer. He hadn’t gone through all he had to ensure this night happened to let her walk out of his life again.
Fuck this. She’s mine.
