Page 84 of The Forbidden Trio

She pictured him sliding his palms all over her body, and the image was making her nipples hard. “What else?”

“We need to talk about triggers.”

Shit.

She bit her lip. “If we have to.”

“You know we have to, Aster.”

“I know. I just hate this part. Especially with you.”

“Why with me?”

“Because I know how it felt when I saw your tattoo and felt like you’d kept something important from me. And if we have to talk about this stuff, then you’re going to find out some things.”

Damn it, why were tears stinging her eyes? She pressed her fists against them, hoping to keep the tears back.

“Aster? Baby? Come here.”

Max took her by the hand and pulled her into his lap. He kissed her cheek, stroked her hair from her face, then pressed her head to his shoulder, where she burrowed in, the scent of his skin and his closeness calming her.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Better now.”

“Do you want to finish this another time?”

Did she? If she put it off, she might never be able to get it out.

“No. Now is good—as good as it ever will be.”

“Okay. Ready when you are.”

She hated to go over this stuff, but she knew it was necessary. Because of their history she knew she’d be more responsive with him, more submissive, more raw. It was imperative she tell him things she never told anyone else. But also, because it was Max, the moment felt too heavy. There was already an emotional investment with him, and enough history that talking about the hard stuff made it seem more real. But it had to be done.

At least her head was pillowed on his shoulder, and his arms held her tight. Max wassafetyin a way she’d never had with any other man. And maybe this was exactly what she’d needed her entire adult life.

Max.

Yes.

She took a deep breath before she started. “So, I have to tell you about something bad that happened to me. I know you’re protective of me, and I love that about you, but I need you not to get too angry, even if it’s on my behalf. I just… don’t think I could take it. Okay?”

“Okay.”

She inhaled once more. “My mother went through a few boyfriends before she married your dad. Some of those men were okay, although none of them really wanted much to do with me. I can’t blame them. Given who my mother is, I can’t imagine the men she got involved with were interested in family, and she mostly had me sent off somewhere with my nannies. But there was this one…”

She had to pull in another deep breath and hold it for a few seconds before she blew it out. “There was this one,” she continued, while every nerve in her body went into high alert. “His name was Phillip. And he… he took more interest in me than any of the others had. He’d make sure I was included sometimes when they went to lunch, or he’d go swimming with me. Everything seemed fine on the surface, but I was never really comfortable with him. I couldn’t have told you why, and I wouldn’t have said anything to anyone, anyway. My job as a kid was always to stay out of the way and not cause trouble. It wasn’t worth my mother’s wrath. So, one night after Mother had sent me upstairs, he came to my room and said he was going to tuck me in.”

Max’s arms tightened around her, holding her safe. It was exactly what she needed.

“You don’t need to say anything more, Aster. Not if you don’t want to.”

“No, I need to tell you—you of all people, Max. I need to.”

“Alright, baby.”

“Okay.” She wrapped her hand around his forearm, needing his strength, his stability. “So… he came into my room. I was already in bed in my cotton nightgown. And he sat on the edge of the bed and he held my hand and talked to me. I don’t even remember what he was saying, exactly, but it doesn’t matter. What I do remember, as if it happened yesterday, was when he put his hand over my mouth and told me to be quiet as he lifted my nightgown and… and he… he touched me.”

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