Page 17 of Mastered By Lust

I throw my napkin at her and we both laugh. This is what I feared, though—the whole story. It should include the messy entanglement with Dmitri, but it can’t. Danica would never forgive me for going behind her back and banging her brother.

Because I’m a fucking coward, I give her the safe-for-Danica version of the story. It includes moving to a hotel to stop imposing on Dmitri, and developing a relationship with Gage. And now I’m living with Gage.

She squeals in excitement. While my kidnapping is the worst part of the story and we spend a lot of time talking about that, she also has a billion questions about my new boyfriend.

It’s bizarre to think of him as my boyfriend.

“So, how much older is he than us? If he was like fourteen when AoG started, that would make him…”

“Late thirties,” I say. “It’s a big gap, but he treats me really well.”

“Just be careful.”

“I will.” I pause before adding, “If you see red flags, speak up, okay? I promise to listen. I won’t make excuses like I did with Mick.”

A huge group of parents with kindergartners approaches, talking loudly. The kids shout favorite ice cream flavors and spin, skip, and jump along the sidewalk.

Danica’s eyes grow wide as the party invades the ice cream parlor. She rises. “Break time’s over.”

I stand and gather my trash.

She touches my arm, then brushes her fingers over my cheek. “I can see the bruising now, past your make-up. Listen. I don’t want you to keep that stuff from me ever again. I don’t want you hurt. I swear to God, Leah. Talk to me next time. Don’t hold things back.”

Tears well in my eyes. I nearly blurt out that I fucked Dmitri, right here and now, but I can’t do it. It would hurt her, and I couldn’t do that to Dmitri, either. If it ever comes out, it’ll be all three of us together, having an adult discussion. Maybe years from now, when the feelings aren’t so raw.

Sunlight kisses my skin on the walk back to Gage’s. Pedestrians pass me going both ways. I’m not in a hurry. My mind wanders as my sandals slap the sidewalk. How would Dmitri and I have talked to Danica if we decided to continue fucking? I wonder if Danica would have approved. Probably not if it was just fucking. But if we dated, maybe. In another life, we could’ve tried to have a relationship. He cares about me, I know that much.

He just doesn’t care enough.

When I get back to Gage’s penthouse, my phone buzzes with a new text from Dmitri.

I guess you told her, because she’s blowing up my phone.

Wincing, I text,Just about the attack. Nothing about us.

He sends a thumb’s up.

That’s it, I guess. End of discussion.

Is that all he cares about? Danica never finding out? I can’t forget the way his hands felt on my skin, the delicate way he gripped my throat, the way his heartbeat sounded in my ears when he held me. Gods help me, I can’t get the scene out of my brain. I wanted him then. I still do. He was in such control, giving me everything I needed.

But now, I get a thumb’s up.

Fuck him and his fucking thumbs.

I spend the rest of the day readingWuthering Heights,wishing I could rewrite it as a fluffy romance. SurelyWuthering Heightsfanfic is a thing.

I look up from my book. Hours have passed. Gage should be home any minute now. A few minutes after I return to Heathcliff’s temper tantrums, Gage calls me. It sounds like he’s at Low Vice; faint bass thuds through my phone’s speaker.

“Princess. Have you eaten dinner?”

I glance at the time. It’s nearing eight p.m. “No, I forgot.”

“There’s a gift for you in the exercise room.”

My body gives a little shiver of excitement. I hurry toward the exercise room. It’s at the end of the hall, past the two bedrooms, across from his home office. “I hope the gift isn’t cardio.”

His low chuckle is sexy. “It isn’t cardio.”

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