Page 47 of What About Love

That ticked him off. “You don’t owe me anything that isn’t freely given, goddammit.”

Her gaze shifted away. “This is embarrassing to say.” Awkwardly, she cleared her throat. “It wouldn’t be a hardship for me. Ever since that day in the Rossi lobby, I’ve wondered how it would be, but I was—”

“You were afraid. I get that.” Probably more so than she did herself, especially when her dying words haunted his dreams.

I’ll never know what it would have been like to love you.

“You’re new to all of this, baby. Add in the drama and intrigue, and it’s easy to get sucked in. Introducing a new relationship, especially a power exchange, if only for a night or two can play with your head, as well as your heart.”

“I’m a big girl, T.”

“I realize that, but it would kill me to see you hurt.”

She laid her hand on his arm. “I can handle it, T.”

Even if that was true, he wasn’t sure he could say the same. “Don’t lose your heart to me, Angie. This would be it. I don’t—”

“Have it in you to give,” she finished for him. “I know, although I don’t understand why.”

“Angie—”

The hand on his forearm rose to his cheek, stopping him. “No. It’s not my place to ask. You’ve made it clear, and I get it. But, T, can you get that I need to do this? We’ve got to stop this guy. I won’t be able to live with myself if one of them gets hurt or dies and I could have done something to stop him.”

He didn’t reply right away. His thumb stroked her chin, taking in her beautiful face. So brave and, in his world, so damn naïve.

“I want to clarify that no one is asking this of you, baby. Not me or Eric or Cap. Hell.” He huffed a laugh, although far from amused. “Cap doesn’t know. He told me to find another way.”

“He’s family and protective. Not to mention, Megan would lose her mind.” She glanced up at him. “But this is my decision, T. It’s my body, my mouth—”

“Some find that much more intimate.”

Processing that for a moment, she glanced hastily away. He could practically see her mind working as she imagined herself taking him into her mouth. The image ran through his mind as well, and he grew instantly hard.

He couldn’t sit there and deny he hadn’t fantasized about this exact thing, but this was reality. Caught up in the case’s urgency and the intrigue of the lifestyle, what she’s willing to do now could turn to regret in the aftermath. He wondered what about the carousel would bother her most the morning after, being on display, having strangers touch her, or giving him pleasure as she took him inside her hot mouth, letting him glide over her plump, pink lips.

Her low voice interrupted his spiraling thoughts. “It’s not like I’ve never blown a guy, T.”

His back went rigid, as if a steel bar had melded to his spine. Jealous anger ran all over him. He didn’t want to hear about the men in her past, especially the intimate details. Fortunately, she had looked away and didn’t see his inexplicable reaction.

Still not meeting his gaze, she murmured, “Maybe we’ll catch a break in the case and it won’t come to pass. We’ve got two nights to solve this, don’t we?”

“We do, and I hope like hell that we can.” He hadn’t planned to tell her this, but with her decision already made... “We went back through the logs. Each abduction happened on Saturday, on the same night the subs rode the carousel.”

Her head came up, a shadow of alarm crossing her face. “Then Saturday is our best chance to get him.”

“You’ll have to do some heavy-duty bratting tonight and tomorrow.”

“And earn some heavy-duty punishment,” she whispered. “Fuck me!”

“Although I hate to hear you say it, baby. That about sums it up.”

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