Page 149 of For the Sub

“If you want to see her again, you’ll have to tell her the whole damn truth. She deserves it.”

“She deserves you to be the man she needs,” Gregorio added.

“Better yet,” Damien suggested, “let the past go.”

Yeah.

Right.

Easy for Damien to say.

But now that he’d slowed down, taken a step back from his responsibilities at his production company, Niles had more time than ever to think, for brutal memories to haunt him.

If it were that easy to forget and move on, Niles would have done so years ago.

Now where the hell did he go from here?

* * * *

Even though he’d passed exhaustion ten minutes before, Niles continued to pound out the miles on the treadmill at the gym.

No matter how hard he worked or exercised, he couldn’t force Damien’s words from his head.

“Let the past go.”

How could he, when the betrayal lingered?

And yet…

Despite his angry reaction to his friends’ words, Damien and Gregorio were both right.

Niles would remain stuck, as long as he allowed the events of that day to occupy space in his brain.

Like a movie reel, images of his beautiful Brandy fluttered through his memory.

Her scowling, arguing about letting him help with kitchen cleanup at her house.

Wearing those stockings to breakfast at the diner.

On her knees, surrendering.

Wearing his triskelion pendant.

Then even thoughts of her ridiculous menagerie intruded.

Dana and her big, floppy ears.

MW and his nasty, sharp little teeth and relentless determination to bite at toes.

The outrageously loud cat.

What chaos was going on in the house at that moment?

What was Brandy doing? Working? Or taking care of the pets?

After all, it was Saturday, and she was probably getting ready to go to the Den.

For a moment, he was tempted to head for the club, but he shook his head forcefully.

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