Page 28 of Hooked

The arm wrapped around her waist gave her a firm squeeze. “Hush, baby. I’ve got nothing to hide. I was married once, a long time ago.”

She rose on an elbow and gazed down at him. “I don’t think anyone knows that at work.”

“The office gossip mill must be on the fritz. Have you heard any other good dirt about me?”

“It can’t be very accurate. No one knows you’re a dom.”

“I should hope not.” He reached up and tucked several strands of loose blonde hair coiled on his chest behind her ear. “Not that I’m ashamed of what I am, but I prefer keeping my private life private. That’s why I play at the club.”

“Because it’s two hours away,” she said, nodding. She’d done the same thing.

“That and because they thoroughly screen their members. And guests have to come by recommendation of a member, or they don’t get in.”

“I didn’t,” she replied, although she had to fill out a bunch of paperwork.

“You just wandered in off the street?” he challenged.

“Well, no. I had an invitation that was arranged by a friend of a friend.”

“One or both of whom vouched for you.”

“Ah...”

“You also had to sign an ironclad confidentiality agreement which, if broken could be financially painful. I know because I wrote it.” He tapped her nose with his finger. “And you, my pretty pet, typed it for me.”

“I did?”

“Yep. About two years ago. It may have seemed generic, but believe me, it wasn’t.”

She shifted, stacked her fists on his chest and her chin on top of them. “What happened that your marriage didn’t work out?”

“It was right out of law school. We were both focused on our careers more than each other and definitely didn’t jive in the bedroom. She was strictly vanilla.”

“Why on earth did you marry her?”

“Ella and I were friends, classmates, and lovers, but we were never in love. It was a huge mistake. At twenty-five, I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted other than my career. That came through loud and clear in a relationship. After the divorce, a friend of mine introduced me to the club scene. Dominance and submission felt instantly right to me and filled a void that previous relationships had not. After that, vanilla was a flavor I no longer enjoyed.”

“That was nearly twenty years ago. Did you give up on marriage after that?”

“Not necessarily. I was open to it if I found the right woman. You know as well as I how difficult that can be in the lifestyle.”

She did. She’d crashed and burned too many times.

“Do you regret not having children?”

“Not with Ella. It was a clean break. Children would have made it extremely messy.”

She frowned. Not liking the sound of that at all.

Well attuned to her moods, even after such a short time, Joseph shifted and toppled her onto her back. Then, propped on a forearm, he leaned over her, cupping her cheek in his free hand.

“If you’re trying to find out if I’m anti-marriage and anti-kids, I’m not. Although this weekend has proven we have something very promising growing here, three days might be a bit early to write vows and hire a decorator for the nursery.”

She balked. “Oh no, I didn’t mean—”

“I know you didn’t, pet. With me, marriage and kids are still on the table. So you aren’t spinning your wheels. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.” She flushed at his ability to read her so easily. “Were you always this perceptive?”

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