Page 83 of Mastered By Desire

“A ride back to the hotel? What are you talking about?” His voice is stern and deep.

I’ve figured out why that tone does things to my insides, especially between my legs. It’s his Dominant voice.

“I’m talking about…finding somewhere to sleep tonight? I don’t have an apartment, Gage.”

“You need a place to stay until you find an apartment?”

“Yeah.”

He gestures around his room. “Well, I can provide it. Please let me.”

We stare at each other. He looks surprised by his offer, but he doesn’t take it back.

“Are you sure about that? It’s a big offer. It also…complicated things with Dmitri when I stayed with him.”

“He’ll come around,” Gage says with a kind of certainty that surprises me.

“Did you mean what you said, about a relationship? At least the kind where I can stay here at your place?” I can’t keep the suspicion from my tone.

“I absolutely meant it. I would like to…date you. If you’re amenable. And without any pressure for sex, or power exchange.” He finds his glasses on the nightstand, puts them on.

“Okay.” I grab my shirt and tug it over my head. My face is still bruised, ouch. I throw my legs over the side of the bed and sit on the edge. “It would probably be best if we slept in separate bedrooms.”

His eyebrows rise on his forehead. “Really.”

“Really. You know. If that’s okay. I mean, it’s your house?—”

“I agree. Separate bedrooms is best.” He turns to his dresser and starts pulling out clothes. I catch a glimpse of a tattoo on his left shoulder that I hadn’t seen before.

My mind swirls with everything being decided right now, everything spoken and unspoken. “What about Dmitri?”

“What about him?” Gage turns. His expression is inscrutable.

“You said he’ll come around. But you want to pursue a relationship with me…”

“He’s welcome to do the same. As you’ve seen firsthand, I have no trouble sharing you with him.”

Something dark and hot moves through my heart.

My feelings must show on my face, because Gage says, “What is that expression?”

“I’mnot comfortable sharing.”

He tilts his head. “What? Oh—oh, baby girl. You’re jealous.”

“No.”

His steps are slow and even as he approaches my side of the bed. He stops when he’s standing between my knees. He’s breathtakingly beautiful and seems completely unaware of that fact.

“You are jealous.” His tone is matter-of-fact, nonjudgmental. “But you have nothing to worry about. I would share you with Dmitri, no others. And I have no interest in being shared. It’s you I want to pursue.”

“You seem awfully invested in Dmitri. Do you want to pursue him, too?”

He seems to consider my question, but he doesn’t seem offended by it. “No. I’m more interested in watching him pursue you.”

Watchingseems to be a theme with this guy. Which works, I suppose, with my newly-awakened exhibitionism.

“I have to be at the club soon, and then later tonight.” He gazes down at me. I have to fight the urge to wrap my legs around his and keep him here. “We could have dinner in between, though.”

---