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He smiled wickedly as he tucked himself back into his briefs, his jeans still riding low on his hips. “We’re not done yet, in case you’re wondering.”
Her face flamed even as her heart skipped a beat. More?
The laughter in his eyes turned serious as he pulled her to her feet. He kissed her nose and leaned his forehead against hers. “You okay?”
“Better than okay. I didn’t know...” Her voice drifted off. His face tightened and she kept talking. If she talked, she wouldn’t have to answer the question she could see in his eyes. She didn’t want to ruin the mood so she grinned up at him. “Best. Dessert. Ever.”
That startled a bark of laughter from him and his expression turned playful. “I’ll be happy to feed you dessert any time.”
She laughed and ducked her head.
“You kill me, you know that?” Jeremy’s voice was fierce. He tucked his hand under her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “So fucking sweet, and so unaware of the appeal you have to a man like me. To me, period.”
She blinked. “What do you mean, to a man like you? A cop?”
He snorted. “No. To a man who craves a submissive woman. A Dom.”
She narrowed her eyes and raised a brow. “I don’t know what a Dom is, but submissive? I’m no doormat, so don’t even think you can walk all over me. Been there, done that, divorced now.”
He barked out a rough laugh and pulled her against his chest. “Not what I meant, kitten, and I’m glad to hear it. Nothing sexier than a woman who knows what she wants and refuses to take shit from anyone. By submissive, I meant you like it when I tell you what to do, or when I choose what we do, in a sexual situation.”
Oh, that. Yes, please. “I’m not sure how I feel about the when I choose what we do part, but I did like it when you asked me to lick you.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and settled closer against him. His heart thudded under her ear, strong and steady. When his hand came up and cupped the back of her head, she sighed. And when his hand wound around her hair and tugged her head back, and his lips stopped just shy of hers, she got wet.
Very, very wet, and very, very desperate to have his mouth on hers.
“Please, I...”
Jeremy pulled back, instead of kissing her. “I didn’t ask you to lick me, did I?”
She thought about it for a second. No, he’d told her, and she’d been happy to do it, wanted to. “Why did you stop just now?”
He grinned. “Just showing you what I mean by when I choose what we do. You may want that kiss, but you can’t have it. Not until I say so. And, kitten? You’re beautifully submissive in the way you do what I tell you to do.”
His words sent a frisson of unease winding through her and suddenly it was all too much. She wrenched herself out of his arms and fled to the sofa, drawing her legs up and curling into a ball in the corner. She wrapped her arms around her legs and set her chin on her knees, trying to get her breathing to calm. She could feel the panic rising, threatening to overwhelm her senses.
“Bec? What’s wrong? What did I say?” He squatted down beside the sofa, getting eye level with her. He reached out a hand as if to touch her, but he must’ve seen something on her face because he pulled back, his eyes flaring as he dropped his hand. “I think maybe now would be a good time to talk about Sam.”
She couldn’t hold back the words. “How is this different from what he did to me? That I’m in control attitude...you tell me no, he tells me no. Don’t I get a say in things? Doesn’t what I want matter?” She squeezed her eyes shut.
He sighed and then she felt the air stir. When she opened her eyes again, he was sitting on the floor against the sofa with his long legs out in front of him, staring at the fire.
He glanced back over his shoulder at her with a pained look on his face. “I’m sorry, Rebeccah. Maybe this, between us, isn’t such a good idea. I don’t know if I can...this is who I am.”
Panic of a different kind flooded her system, confusing her even more. “What?”
He scrubbed a hand over his jaw and shifted sideways so he faced her. “You do get a say, with your safe word and your limits. And you matter. All of you, body, mind, heart, soul. But I’d rather not be with you than hurt you, so maybe it’s time for me to go home. Could be that I want you to be a submissive so badly that I read your body language wrong and I’m seeing what I want to see. Or
maybe what Sam did to you stole your trust and you truly can’t see the differences between us. I don’t know, but...” He sighed again, gave a small, sad smile. “I never wanted to hurt you.”
Her heart clenched. “Jeremy, I...”
Before she could finish, her phone rang.
* * *
Jeremy swore. There was more he wanted to say, but maybe this was a sign to shut the fuck up and give her some damn space. “I should go home.”
“I—”
