Page 79 of Cherry Auction

“You keep saying I can do whatever I want, but then you want to tell me what to do. You’re such a fucking asshole!”

He nods along with me. “Yes, exactly. I’m an asshole.” Then he clamps his mouth shut as if forcibly trying to make himself not say more. Works for me.

“Yes,” I agree vehemently with him agreeing with me. “And whoever said I wanted normal?I’mnot normal. That ship sailed a long time ago. God knows who I might have been if normal had been an option. It wasn’t. This is who I am, whoever the fuck that is. I want to find outwithyou. I’m just trying to tell you there might be some stops and starts.”

“Oh.” He just nods, sounding a little choked.

“Yeah. Oh,” I say, still on a roll. “And whatIwant is to go to the club tonight and do a scene. Is it a big deal if I pull a safe word there?”

He switches to shaking his head. “Not at all. I hope you’ll feel even safer there with everyone else around.”

“You idiot.” I dare shoving him on the shoulder. Just a quick touch and then gone again. “I’m not afraid to be alone with you.”

He just stares at me a second. And then he throws hisarms around me and squeezes me to his chest. I sink against him and for a second she’s back—that hovering ghost. We both remember this. My body remembers him. It has this whole time.I’veknown him and the heart of the boy that still lives inside the man. Even whenhecouldn’t remember it, I still could, amnesia or not.

Donny I’ve got to tell you something.

I gasp and pull away from him.

“What?” he asks, concerned. His eyes search my face.

“Nothing,” I say, still a little short of breath. Was that an actual… memory? But now that I try consciously focusing on what I was just thinking, it’s disappeared like a wisp on the wind.

So I smile and wrap my arms around Domhn’s waist. “I can’t wait to see everyone at the club.”

He just shakes his head at me and looks down with eyes so full of affection I could drown in them. “How is your spirit so strong? Fuck I’m so glad you don’t want to leave me because I don’t think I could let you go. I’d chase you to the ends of the earth.”

He pulls me back into his arms and I sink against his chest, loving the strong, sure pound of his heart beating against my ear.

“Good,” I breathe out. “Because you’re stuck with me now.”

THIRTY-TWO

DOMHNALL

I’m still shookafter last night.

We spent the day quiet. Snuggling. Watching movies. And getting ready for tonight.

I’ve just parked us atCarnalbut suddenly my hands go white-knuckled on the wheel. We’ve been so safe in the protection of the mansion all this time. And I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect day than today.

Brooke was so delighted with everything I bought her. I glance over at her adjusting her outfit and can’t help grinning. She’s adorable in the little cat-eared tiara, nestled at the crown of her long, flowing hair. My collar glitters at her neck. It brings me a deep-down pleasure I can’t explain.

“How does my tail look?” she asks as she opens her door and bends over, lifting her robe with one hand and grinning over her shoulder at me. She waggles her bottom, the furry cat’s tail attached to a butt plug we carefully inserted a little bit ago swishing back and forth.

She’s been quiet all day, but like this, too—bouncy and happy.

My eyes track her swishing tail up to her round little?—

Fuck. Now I’m hard.

“You sure you still want to do this?” I ask for the hundredth time.

She glares at me, then barks, “Out of the car.”

She stands back up and reties the robe that’s softly lined inside but looks like a jacket on the outside when it’s closed. Knowing she’s naked apart from the collar, tail, and the little nude ballet shoes she’s wearing underneath doesn’t help my stiffy.

Until I remember what she said last night and immediately deflate. Just when I thought I was so in control, I totally lost my shit.

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