Page 13 of Protecting Lanie

“Workshop’s wrapping up,” he murmured. “You did good, little one.”

Then he walked away, leaving her standing there—still feeling his touch even though he was already gone.

Lanie sat on the leather couch in one of the quieter corners of the lounge, her fingers curled around the warm mug of tea Archer had handed her. She wasn’t sure how they’d ended up here. One minute, she’d been walking out of the beginner’s submissive workshop, mind still tangled in the lingering awareness ofArcher’s touch. The next, he’d been at her side, guiding her to this quiet, dimly lit space.

“You should eat something,” Archer said, his deep voice pulling her back.

She looked up at him. He was standing near the couch, arms crossed, his sharp gaze assessing her. His presence had the same effect on her as always—steady, unyielding, commanding.

“I’m not hungry,” she murmured, lifting the mug to her lips. The warmth seeped into her fingers, grounding her.

“You need more than tea,” Archer said, voice calm but firm.

She lowered the cup, exhaling. “I’ll grab something later.”

His jaw tightened slightly, but he didn’t push. Instead, he took the chair across from her, leaning forward slightly, his forearms resting on his knees. The way he watched her made it impossible to hide.

“You handled yourself well tonight,” he said after a long pause. “You were nervous, but you didn’t let it stop you.”

Lanie let out a quiet breath. “I almost didn’t go.”

“Why did you?”

She hesitated. The simple answer was because Tessa had pushed her into it. But that wasn’t really true.

“Because I wanted to see if it was different,” she admitted, tracing a finger along the rim of her mug. “If it could be something other than…”

She trailed off, unsure how to put it into words.

Archer didn’t rush her.

“…other than control,” she finished, throat tightening. “Not mine. Someone else’s.”

She expected him to offer meaningless reassurance, to tell her that of course it was different, that she had nothing to fear. But he didn’t. He simply nodded, waiting for her to say more.

Lanie stared down at the dark liquid in her mug. “For a long time, I thought trust meant giving someone everything. That ifyou loved someone, you weren’t supposed to have limits. That’s what he taught me.”

Archer’s entire body went still.

Lanie forced herself to meet his gaze. “I know that’s not how it’s supposed to be. I know that now. But knowing and believing aren’t always the same thing.”

Archer’s eyes flashed—something dark and lethal—but he didn’t direct it at her.

“When did you leave him?” he asked, his voice quiet but edged in steel.

“A year ago.” She swallowed hard. “I ran.”

His gaze sharpened. “Is he looking for you?”

Her stomach twisted. She had told no one about the text she’d gotten the other night. She’d convinced herself it was a fluke, that if she ignored it, he’d go away. But she knew Vinnie never went away.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “He let me go. Or at least, that’s what I thought.” She exhaled slowly. “But lately…”

Archer leaned forward, his presence so solid, so steady that she had to resist the urge to sink into it.

“Talk to me, Lanie.”

She hesitated. And then, before she could stop herself, she pulled her phone from her pocket and handed it to him.

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