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I felt a bit hurt at that. He didn't want me to question him. "You want to understand me, Drake. Why can't I want to understand you?"
"That's not how it's supposed to work. You're supposed to just let me do the thinking. Let me do the knowing. You just let go of control when you're with me and relax. I should remain this dark and powerful enigma."
"Dr. Enigma," I said, smiling just a bit. "I think I get it. You want to stay a bit mysterious so I feel more submissive when I'm with you. Am I right?"
"Something like that. Now, shush. Go to sleep. I'm going to fuck you first thing before the conference starts and I want you all bright eyed and bushy tailed. Fair warning."
"Bright eyed and bushy tailed…" I said, a stab of desire going through me at his warning. "How will I be able to sleep after you tell me that? Too bad I didn't bring Big along…"
"You've got the real Big right here," he said and thrust his pelvis against me. "Don't you try to get me all hard again, Katherine." He nuzzled my neck and I could hear the smile in his voice. "I have to present my paper tomorrow morning in another session. I have to sleep."
I sighed. "Good night, D
rake."
"Good night, Ms. Bennet," he said, humor in his voice. "I'm beginning to think that name suits you to a tee and I should start calling you Elizabeth."
"Did you read Pride and Prejudice?" I said, surprised.
He shifted on the bed beside me, snuggling a bit closer. "Dave isn't the only person in the world to take a Victorian Lit course in college. I read Pride and Prejudice, but I'm more a Brontë Wuthering Heights fan."
I lay in the dark, Drake's arm around my waist, and thought about him as a young student, maybe twenty-two or twenty-three, studying Victorian Literature and reading Ms. Austen and the Brontës.
"Why did you like Wuthering Heights so much?"
"Kate…" He yawned beside me. "Tomorrow. I promise that, after I fuck you, I'll tell you all about my love of Emily Brontë over breakfast…"
"Wuthering Heights is so … depressing. Tragic. Pride and Prejudice is happily ever after."
"Shh," he said, squeezing me. "I don't believe in happily ever after, Kate. I've studied psychology. I've been divorced. Now please. Women's brains have this tendency to become more active after a good fucking. Men need sleep. Very strong hint…"
That sent a stab of something through my chest. I just lay still, barely breathing. I understood what he just did. He just reminded me very clearly that this was just a contractual agreement. What I so eagerly signed was meant to limit our relationship to kinky sex. He might have gone off the reservation somewhat with me, but this was as far as he was going to go.
I thought about Wuthering Heights, about Heathcliff, the tragic anti-hero. How Catherine was the only light in his darkness, how his enduring love for her drove him to do terrible things. How Catherine couldn't deny her love for him and how their love ended in tragedy.
I shivered, and it wasn't just my sunburn. Beside me, Drake breathed slowly and deeply, already asleep.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I woke really early, just as the sun was rising. Drake had rolled over onto his back and I was lying all alone, shivering, the sheet off me. My skin hurt where I was burnt and so I got up and quickly put on my nightgown, intending to put some aloe on my burns to ease the pain. I snuck out of the bed and tiptoed to the bathroom, taking my bag with me. I sat on the toilet to have a pee and took out my cell only to find an email message from Dawn. The subject line read
Read this now.
I hesitated. I did not want to open it and read anything bad from her. But I did anyway.
Kate, I know you're in the Bahamas with Drake. I asked Heath where you were and he was only too happy to tell me that you’d snuck down there for the holiday weekend to be with Drake, so bad planning on your part if you were trying to hide this. I also know that Drake is not what you think he is. He's not some sweet harmless man who likes to have some control during sex. Maybe you should ask why his ex-wife had a restraining order against him. Seriously, Kate. I did a background check on him. You think he's not a sadist but the police report I have suggests otherwise. If you don't come to your senses, I think the prospect of an anonymous letter with this police report included to the Head of Surgery at NY Presbyterian might convince you to end this very dangerous relationship.
I covered my mouth with a hand to stifle my gasp and texted her instead of sending an email.
Dawn, why are you doing this? Have you decided you'd rather lose my friendship than see me happy? I'm happy with Drake. Just give this a chance. Please, I'm begging you. He's not what you think…
She responded immediately.
A restraining order, Kate. I wonder what he tried to force on his ex-wife? Do you suppose he wanted to fist-fuck her? One day, you'll thank me for this. I can wait.
I held my head in my hands. Drake's ex-wife had to get a restraining order against him? A shock went through me, making me feel a bit dizzy. I was sure there was a good reason, but still, it made me slightly nauseated.
A noise at the door drew my attention away from the message. It was Drake, standing naked in the doorway, his hair mussed, his eyes sleepy.
