Page 51 of Daddy Down Under

“I wish Victor had shared that sentiment. No matter how I tried to tell him he was wrong, he wouldn’t believe me. Finally, he told me who he’d heard it from, and then I knew. It turned out Preston was behind it. Victor’s friend was a business associate of Preston, and Preston had told the man I was cheating on Victor, knowing he’d tell Victor.”

“Jesus fuck, what a bastard…”

“Within a mere week, I lost everything. My lover, my Dom, my best friend…all gone in an instant.”

“God, Cash, I’m so sorry. You must’ve been devastated.”

I could see the anger simmering beneath the surface, could almost feel the waves of protective fury radiating off him. It gave me the courage to continue.

“I threw myself into work, tried to forget. But every time I closed my eyes, I saw Victor’s face, heard Preston’s words.” I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the next part of my story. “But that wasn’t even the worst of it. A few months later, I started hearing whispers at work. Rumors about my…proclivities. About me being gay. About my health. Things only Preston could have known.”

I clenched my fists, the memory of that betrayal washing over me like a tidal wave of shame and anger. “He’d told everyone, Ocean. He outed me but twisted the truth, made it sound like I was some kind of deviant. Said I was unsafe to be around. He even hinted at me having HIV.”

My eyes stung with unshed tears as I stole a glance at Ocean, his face barely concealing the storm brewing beneath. “I lost clients, contracts, friends. People I’d known for years suddenly couldn’t look me in the eye. It was like drowning, but everyone around me ignored my struggle. I rebuilt, eventually. Clawed my way back up. But the trust never came back. How could it?”

Finally, I met Ocean’s gaze fully, letting him see the raw, unguarded truth of who I was. “So there you have it. Cashell Sullivan, brought low by his own desires and the betrayal of someone he thought was a friend.”

“Cash,” Ocean said, and just the sound of my name on his lips sent a shiver down my spine. “What Preston did to you is unforgivable.”

I nodded, letting his words sink in. The empathy in his eyes, the understanding in his touch was so different from the disgust and manipulation I’d experienced with Preston. It felt like coming up for air after being underwater for far too long. “I’ve never told anyone this before. I’ve been so afraid of being judged, of being seen as weak or perverted.”

Ocean’s eyes softened, the anger ebbing away like the tide, replaced by something warmer, deeper. He reached out, his hand resting gently on my arm. The touch sent sparks through my body, awakening every nerve ending. “Cash,” he said, his voice as firm and steady as the earth beneath our feet yet gentle as a summer breeze. “Your submissive nature isn’t something to be ashamed of. It’s a part of you, as natural and beautiful as the waves that shape the shore.”

His words washed over me, soothing the raw edges of my long-held pain. I felt my shoulders relax, tension I hadn’t realized I was carrying melting away. “But Preston…”

Ocean’s grip on my arm tightened slightly. “Preston was cruel and ignorant. He didn’t understand, and he lashed out at something beautiful because of his own fears and insecurities. That’s on him, not you.”

“But I’m a businessman. A lot of my success is rooted in my ability to come across as confident. How do those two go together?”

“Because being submissive and being confident aren’t mutually exclusive. You can be submissive and still be very confident, even dominant, in your work.”

I frowned. “You don’t think it’ll show through? That others will pick up on it?” Then, something struck me, a realization that made me gasp. “You picked up on it. How did you know?”

Howhadhe known? In hindsight, he’d dominated me from the moment we’d met. I’d seen it as confidence initially, or as him being bossy—and he had plenty of both. But it had been more than that, hadn’t it? He’d known. Even on the plane, he’d known. “If you’re good for me, there will be a reward,” he’d said.

How? How could he have known?

My stomach sank. There was only one explanation.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

In which Ocean shares a truth of his own and I discover Preston betrayed me all over again…but did far worse to Ocean.

The suite felt smaller suddenly,the opulent furnishings receding as my focus narrowed to Ocean’s face. I drew in a slow breath, steeling myself. “How did you know? About my submissive side?”

The words hung in the air between us, heavy with implication. I watched Ocean carefully, noting how his eyes widened slightly, searching my expression. The silence stretched, taut as a bowstring.

Ocean’s lips parted, then closed again. He swallowed hard, his throat working. “Cash, I…”

“Ocean.” I wanted to sound commanding, like he could, but I didn’t have it in me. In boardroom negotiations, no problem, but not here. Not with him. “Please. I need to know.”

What if this changed everything between us? The thought sent a chill down my spine. In the short time I’d known Ocean, he’d managed to burrow under my skin in a way no one else had. The idea of losing that connection made my chest ache.

He ran a hand through his tousled hair, a gesture I’d come to associate with nervousness. It was oddly endearing, a chink in his usual carefree armor. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

The sincerity in his tone caught me off guard. I felt my defenses waver, just a fraction. “Sometimes the truth hurts, but I’d rather have honesty between us.”

A sad smile tugged at his lips. “Yeah. I knew you’d say that.” He took a deep breath, his shoulders squaring as if bracing for impact. “It was my father. Preston told me about your submissive side.”

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