Page 65 of What About Love

Baffled, Angie confronted her. “Then why did you recommend him?”

Val’s head snapped back, and she frowned. “I would never recommend him to anyone.”

“But you did. I distinctly remember you saying Gregory would make an excellent play partner for me.”

Angie hadn’t ever actually seen the blood drain from someone’s face until now.

“I was talking about Grigori, Angie, with two i’s. He’s a sweet, sensual dom. You picked Gregory with an e and a y. A none too gentle sadist and by far, the worst asshole in the club.”

“Ohmigod.”

“I tried to get you to wait for Eric.”

Angie covered her face. A sadist, like Master Dan, only not a nice one who cared that his partner enjoyed the pain as much as he enjoyed dishing it out. Could she pick ’em, or what?

“I really messed up.”

“Yeah, you did. And I should warn you, T is seriously pissed, which is another reason he didn’t come this morning. He didn’t think your ass could take the spanking you’ve got coming on top of last night and what lies ahead.”

“He threatened to spank me?”

“Bust your defiant ass is how he put it. Which tells me there is more than a business association between the two of you. He was the image of a possessive dom who considered you his possession.”

Suddenly, she found herself pouring her heart out. “He says he wants me, but then he doesn’t. I’m up against the wall with his tongue down my throat one minute and the next, he’s telling me not to lose my heart to him, that he doesn’t have it to give.” She rubbed her forehead, but it didn’t ease the budding pain behind it. “As if this case isn’t stressful enough already.”

“The big guy has commitment issues. I should have guessed. What’s that about?”

“I wish I knew.”

“Abandonment? Sudden loss, maybe?”

Angie shook her head. “He’s never spoken of his past.”

“God save us from closemouthed men.” Val gripped her hand. “And have you?”

Puzzled, she replied, “Have I what?”

“Lost your heart to him?”

She closed her eyes, trying to hide the truth. With Val, that was impossible, as futile as trying to hide from Superman and his x-ray vision.

“This will end with my heart in pieces. I’ve accepted that, but I’m trying to mitigate the damage. I try distancing myself from him, but then something happens that draws me in deeper, like a spanking for not obeying his rules, an argument followed by a smoldering kiss, and tonight, carousel.”

“Oh, Angie,” Val murmured, her voice rife with sympathy.

“Yeah, sucks for me, doesn’t it?”

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