Page 85 of Gamble
The color drained from Elijah’s face as her pulse raced. It was his turn to look surprised. “Wait, a minute. How the hell did you... who told you about... showed you...” He stammered, truly in shock.
“Nalani. And don’t you dare get mad at her,” Reagan said quickly.
“How? When?” Elijah’s pointed questions were loud enough that she could feel some of the couples closest to them on the dance floor glancing their way.
Reagan leaned in closer so he could hear her over the music. “The weekend before your surgery. I was so angry with you. So hurt.” She let the pain of that time seep into her delivery. She could see him processing her words, remembering that she’d told him about meeting his friends. “You know that I stormed into Runway demanding to see the manager, and that’s when I met Madison. At first, when she said she was the manager, I thought you’d lied to me. That you didn’t actually work there after all.”
Reagan’s words came faster and faster and she confessed the secret she’d been holding back for weeks. “But then she took me to this private dining room where Jaxson, Chase, and Emma, and so many more of your friends were having a dinner party. Of course, Shane and Nalani were there too. After I got over the utter shock of being in a room with so many truly famous people, I begged them all to tell me the truth of why you had ghosted me. It blew me away that not only did they all know you, but they all seemed to even know who I was.
Before Elijah could break in, she continued on with her story. “At first, Jaxson refused to let any of the employees disclose personal information about you, their co-worker. But finally, Nalani was brave and stood up to him and said that since she nolonger worked at Runway, she could say whatever she wanted to.”
“That little... nosy...”
“Friend?” Reagan supplied with a small smile.
“Something,” he muttered, but she could see he wasn’t truly angry “So, if you’ve known about Black Light this whole time, why the hell haven’t you said anything?” His voice was strained with what might have been hope and fear in equal measure.
“Because, like you, I’ve been waiting for you to recover, and... to be honest, I needed time to get my head wrapped around it all. I just didn’t see the point in bringing it up until we could see where this—where we—were going.”
“And now?” His voice was rough with emotion. “Why are you bringing it up now?” He pressed.
“Well, I admit, part of me doesn’t want to see you quit a job that you love, and I know that you do love it, don’t you?”
He nodded before pulling her even tighter into his arms. Elijah’s gaze was smoldering as he asked, “And what about the other part of you?”
Reagan decided to hold nothing back. They needed complete honesty if this was going to work.
“The biggest reason is that I’m fascinated by what I saw and have read so far. I won’t lie. The idea of turning myself completely over to you scares the bejesus out of me, and I’m not entirely sure I’m going to end up loving the lifestyle like you do, but I do know this: the thought of walking away and never experiencing the true Elijah Keaton unleashed in his dungeon scares me more.”
The look that crossed his face was so intense it took her breath away.
“Baby, I don’t deserve you. And you need to listen to me, Reagan, because this is so important. I’ll walk away from Black Light in a heartbeat if you decide it isn’t for you.”
“I’d never ask you to give it up for me.”
“You don’t have to ask,” he said simply. “That’s what men do when they’re in love. They do whatever it takes to make the woman they love happy. And that’s all I care about. Making you happy.”
The word ‘love’ hung between them like a promise, and Reagan felt tears prick her eyes. This time, they weren’t from the wedding’s romantic atmosphere but from the overwhelming realization that she had truly fallen in love with a man who would sacrifice his happiness for hers. Who wouldn’t force her to change into a watered down version of herself.
“God, I love you.” Her words spilled out.
“I love you more, Reagan Murphy, and I would be honored if you would trust me enough to introduce you to the darker side of my personality.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
ELIJAH
Several hours later, they left the wedding reception as it wound down at midnight. Elijah felt like a man possessed. Learning that Reagan had known about Black Light for weeks—had been researching it, thinking about it, wanting to experience it—changed everything. He’d been ready to walk away, and he still would.
His mind had raced in the hours since Reagan had shared her little secret. Irrational anger that Reagan and his close friends had basically been lying to him for over a month warred with the immense relief at the possibility that she might want to explore a power exchange lifestyle with him. The excitement of the possibilities tipped the scale in the internal tug-o-war, leaving him anxious to start Reagan’s sexual exploration.
He knew he should probably take things slow. Introduce her gradually at home, giving her time to adjust to some of the darker aspects of the BDSM lifestyle before taking her to Black Light. But knowing she’d already been there made his patience fly out the window. He needed to get her to the club.
Tonight.
“Are you sure about this?” Reagan asked as he pulled his Mustang out of the venue’s parking lot. “It’s past midnight.”
Reaching to wrap his arm around her shoulders and pull her closer, he punched the gas. “Trust me, Saturday night at this hour is when Black Light really comes alive,” Elijah answered, his pulse quickening with anticipation and nerves. “Besides, I can’t wait another second to show you my world.”
