Page 12 of Hard Ride
“We were busy,” I say. “The time wasn’t right.”
“You think it is now?”
“Why else would she be here?”
He glances at me and smiles, and it’s ferocious. “That’s what I told her.”
There’s a fire in him tonight, I can see it burn. A fire he’s kept banked for years but left still smoldering. It’s for her, that fire,and I’m glad to see it, because after she left, he got a little darker and a little angrier, and he stayed that way.
Getting involved with the BDSM scene helped. But his mom died young, and he had a shitty father, and a shitty upbringing, and he deserves to be happy.
He deserves to have her.
“So, what’s she doing now?” I ask, after a moment, unable to resist.
“We didn’t get into that,” Tate says. “From the looks of that suit she’s wearing, I’d say she’s working in a law firm.”
I’m not surprised. That’s always what she’d wanted, and she was determined to get there.
“That’s it?” I ask. “You didn’t ask her any questions about her life at all?”
“No,” Tate says, not looking chastened about it one bit. “We can talk about that later.”
Despite my foul temper, I almost want to laugh. Typical Tate. He’s too fucking impatient, that’s his problem. “Christ,” I murmur. “You really know how to seduce a woman.”
“Some women don’t need to be seduced.” He’s still looking at the stage, a smile playing around his mouth. “Some women are already there.”
Instinctively, I glance over to the alcove again, to check on Katie, to make sure she hasn’t run off, and this time she’s got her head up, looking in our direction. Her gaze meets mine, and like it did when she first came in, I feel the impact of it. She goes very still, and I don’t look away, allowing my authority to bleed through as I test the arcing chemistry between us.
It’s still there, still strong, I can feel it. But fuck, you’d think I’d have learned by now. Testing our chemistry all those years ago only added to her fear, and it’s probably doing the same thing now. I can’t be responsible for her running out on Tate a second time, I just can’t.
“I need a favor,” Tate says.
I drag my attention back to him. “Sure. What do you need?”
He glances at me. “I want her to watch a scene, so she knows what she’s getting into. You up for that?”
A curl of heat wraps itself around my cock at the thought of doing a scene with Katie watching. Yet part of me is still fucking pissed, and Tate asking for this, especially knowing how I feel about her, is shitty.
“What?” I raise a brow. “Like baby’s first Dom?”
Tate’s green eyes narrow. “Put it the fuck away, Luc,” he says flatly, ignoring my barb and addressing the real reason for my bad temper, the sharp, fucking asshole. “I’m asking you because I trust you. You know the rules, and I know you’ll show her what she needs to see.”
I let out a breath, take a leisurely survey of the crowd, and try to get my foul mood under control. Again, this is not his problem. It’s mine, and it’s up to me to handle it, and if I’m not careful, I’ll turn this into a bigger deal than it needs to be.
“Yeah, okay,” I say at last, glancing back at him. “I was going to find Cherry to relieve a little tension, anyway. You want to do this now?”
He nods. “Nothing like striking while the iron is hot.”
“Give me fifteen then.”
Tate gazes at me for a moment. “Thanks, Luc,” he says, and I know what the thanks is really for.
“It’s okay.” I meet his stare with one of my own. “But don’t let her get away again. If I have to go through more years of your emotional bullshit, I’m going to move to fucking France.”
He gives me another of his ferocious smiles. “Oh, don’t you worry. The Eiffel Tower can wait. I’m not letting her leave here without me.”
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