Page 30 of See You Sometime
He patted her hand. “Hey, don’t feel bad. I’m sure there will be other opportunities. And we can still see each other.”
“Cali said there would be a couple of guys at the private party who are service Tops. That means they’ll play with other people. Would you be okay with me doing that?”
“Sure. As long as it’s what you said it is and not sex.” He squeezed her hand. “I know Rusty and Eliza are happy. They’ve been together over twenty years. And I know Grant, Darryl, and Susie are happy. So are Mike and Jenny.” He shrugged. “I’m not going to be a douche and ask them to spy on you or anything, but I’m hoping I’m not wrong that since you were a victim of cheating you won’t be a cheater.”
He couldn’t have said a more perfect answer if he’d tried. “Thank you for trusting me.”
He stared down at their hands. “Fair warning, I don’t trust easily. So please don’t give me a reason not to trust you. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. I won’t give second chances this time.”
“And that goes both ways.”
His gaze rose to meet hers. “Yeah. Absolutely.”
* * * *
Part of him wanted to say no, please don’t play with anyone.
And he knew that’d be the douchey answer, and one issued out of fear, not facts. Until he knew more, or until they actually had a “relationship,” he wasn’t going to ask more of her than he already had. Especially when in a few weeks they might decide they were better off as friends.
At least he had a ready-made group of experts he knew he could trust and approach to talk to about all of this.
If he could find the nerve to ask them.
They headed inside for dinner and fortunately they were seated at a table off in a corner that allowed them a little privacy.
Once their drink orders were placed, and Axel knew what he wanted to order, he closed his menu and stared at her. He couldn’t believe she was sitting in front of him.
How funny life’s twists and turns proved to be.
She smiled. “What?”
“Thanks for having dinner with me tonight.”
“Thanks for not turning around and running from my dad.”
He shrugged. “I lost my dad a few years back, so it’s fine. It’d take more than that to scare me away.”
“I’m sorry. How’s your mom?”
“Remarried. She lives in Texas.” He lightly drummed his fingers on the table, nervous, trying to find the strength to say it. “If this isn’t working for you, please do me a favor and tell me sooner rather than later. Don’t think you have to spare my feelings. I can take it.”
She reached over and laid her hand over his, stilling it. “Ditto. I want honesty and trustworthiness. I’m allergic to cheating—I break out in divorce attorneys.”
He laughed. “Ditto.”
They had a great dinner. Ironically, as he talked to her more, about a variety of subjects that included BDSM, he felt more sure of his choice to take a chance and to let Skye be Skye.
If they were going to possibly build something between them, it had to start on a foundation of trust. If she proved him wrong, then live and learn.
But hewantedto trust.
Despite what Linda had done to him, he didn’t want to project his fears and hurts on someone else. There was a lot of shit that maybe he needed to work through still about his divorce, but Skye didn’t deserve to carry any of that baggage for him.
Just like he hoped he wouldn’t have to carry any of her emotional baggage for her.
If she wanted to hide stuff from him, she easily could have not gone down that path with him, kept it a secret for now.
But she’d opted to take the hard road, not the easy one.
