Page 28 of Dominated

I knew nothing about him.

And as I sat in this office, I was learning that the little I did know was a lie.

But my body reacted every time I thought about him.

I couldn’t fake that.

I couldn’t hide it.

And my chest ached when I thought about the reality of never seeing him again.

Of never feeling his lips.

Of never having another intimate moment with the man who knew my body better than anyone.

“Yes.” I swallowed. “I care about him.”

“Pepper …” Her hands locked, her fingers squeezing together, like she was trying to warm them up. “In all the years I’ve known you, you’ve never once said those words to me.”

“This is so complicated.” My voice wasn’t any louder than a whisper.

“Most of the men who aren’t a part of Lush don’t want anything to do with the lifestyle. They don’t understand our needs. I know. I get it. But Bale didn’t just rock your world inside your private room; he rocked it the moment you stepped outside the club too.”

I nodded. “You’re right.”

And because Scarlett was a member of my club, I knew she understood.

She’d found a man who could satisfy her at home and at Lush.

Hudson was the ideal match for my best friend.

I’d just never been that lucky.

But the truth was, I never looked.

Lush took all my dedication. My time. For the most part, it was my passion.

I got everything I needed inside those walls.

At least, I’d thought I did.

Until Bale showed me I could have both.

“I assure you, babe, there are other men who can give you exactly what Bale did. They exist. And you’ll find it again.”

My throat tightened as the heaviness of that statement hit me. “I wasn’t looking. I’m still not. I just …”

“Feel like you lost something that was going to be the best part of your life.”

I thought about her words.

I let them sit in my chest, the back of my throat, the effects trailing all the way down to my fingers.

“Yes,” I finally replied. “But, Scarlett”—I filled my lungs, waiting for the narrowness to lighten but it didn’t—“I knew him for one night. Just a few hours at Lush and then the time we spent at Jacob’s house. How could I fall that fast? And why does the thought that I’m never going to see him again hurt so much?” I pushed myself to the front of the chair, teetering along the edge. “I have no way of finding him, and, oh God, that hurts. You would think I would want to know why he came to Lush. What he wanted. What he was going to do with whatever piece of information he was looking for and found. But I don’t. At this moment, I don’t even care about that. I just want him.”

“I know. Trust me, I know.” She licked across her lips, her head bobbing like there was music playing. “That’s the reason they call it love at first sight.”

SIX

---