Page 72 of Torrid Love
“So, do you have any buyer’s remorse?” I joke.
“Not even close.” She pauses for a long beat. “What about you?” Expecting eyes blink up at me.
“Are you kidding me? My sweet Dom is a hot a little thing.”
“You don’t have to say that, Rod. I’m sure the women you’ve been with are maneaters in bed. I know I lack experience—”
“That has nothing to do with how much I wanted you, Dom.”
“You wanted me that much?”
More than you’ll ever know.
“That was a genuine connection between us. Tell me you felt it.”
“I did. I felt a sense of vulnerability I don’t typically allow myself to experience with guys.”
Nagging thoughts I managed to push aside creep to the forefront. I carefully weigh what I’m about to say next.
“I know you didn’t want to talk about it last night, but now that I’m your lover, I need you to open up to me. What happened? Who’s the asshole who robbed you of your confidence?” She just stares at me. I swear I detect a glint of panic flicker in her eyes. “Did someone hurt you, Dom?”
“It’s… it’s…” she shakes her head forcefully, “water under the bridge.”
“The fuck it is.”
She extracts herself from my arms, sits up and pulls the sheet up to her neck, hiding her breasts.
“Fuck the past! That’s what you always say,” she throws at me.
“This isn’t about our shitty parents or our soul-crushing childhood neighborhood. This is about something that happened to you. Something you’re dead set on hiding from me. How the hell am I supposed to protect you?”
“You can’t protect me twenty-four-seven, Rod,” she says.
What the fuck?
“That’s what I do. That’s what I’ve done since you were thirteen.”
“Let it go, Rod.”
There’s such defeat in her comment.
“Dom,” I press.
“We’ve made something of ourselves by slamming the door in the face of adversity. We keep moving forward without ever looking back. No matter how hard life hits, we hit back, Rod. Dwelling on shit is a waste of energy.”
I narrow my gaze at her, studying her carefully.
“What are you not telling me?”
“All you need to know is with you, I feel cared for and cherished like I never have before. I know you’d never hurt me.”
“Who—”
“This is now, Rod, and it trumps everything else. For the last time, drop it. Let. It. Go.”
Her tone doesn’t bode for a retort.
It’s a good thing because I’m so stunned, I don’t even know how to respond.
