Page 89 of Dark, Forbidden, & Taboo

“Yes.”

“Well, what is?” he presses, his voice losing a touch of its patience.

I reach up and push my hair behind my ears again, look into his eyes, and see the reflection of fireflies dancing in them.

“You.”

Chapter

Six

My bold response is enough to turn his faltering smile into a small grin as the wheels in his mind blatantly begin to turn.

“I already have company,” he says slowly as he begins to rub his chin thoughtfully. “Are you a jealous girl?”

“No.”

It’s the truth.

I don’t know what jealousy feels like, so I can’t admit to something I’ve never felt before.

“George, I know you’ve seen what my vices are. Is this something you’re absolutelysureyou want from me? Because to be quite honest with you, I enjoy that you watch me. It makes me perform better and brings more pleasure to the woman I choose to be with for the night.”

I feel a small shock of electricity go through my body. I was right—he did know that I had been watching him, that my eyes on him makes him feel the way that they do.

“I … I could watch again,” I reply nervously.

“I think that would be best,” he agrees with a nod.

“But I want to be inside,” I say again.

Duran raises an eyebrow, blows out his breath, and looks me quickly up and down.

“Just this once,” he says, holding up one finger.

Once is all I’ll need.

“George, this is Linda. Linda, George,”Duran says as I sit at his dining room table. I unfold the cloth napkin that he sets down in front of me, my eyes on my lap as I nod a greeting without looking at her.

“Hi,” she greets me cheerfully. “You didn’t tell me you had kids, Duran,” she teases him.

He replies with an amused laugh as my face burns crimson in response. “Because I don’t. George is a friend I’ve recently had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with.”

After he places a plate as red as my face in front of me, he squeezes my arm reassuringly. I steal a glance up at him, and hiseyes tell me that I shouldn’t feel as ashamed as he knows I do right now.

I manage a small smile for his sake, and he nods, disappearing back to his kitchen and returning with a set of utensils.

“Help yourself, sweetheart; there’s plenty for everyone,” he tells me as he sits down and continues the meal I had so rudely interrupted.

“Thank you,” I mumble softly as I reach forward and attempt to cut a piece of meat from the massive pork shoulder sitting in the middle of the table.

Linda begins conversing with Duran, and I can feel their eyes watching me curiously as I struggle to saw through the meat. Without so much as the slightest acknowledgement of my struggle, Linda brings a glass of wine to her lips and rests a hand on Duran’s arm, but he shrugs her away and gets to his feet.

I can feel him behind me now, his body pressed gently against the back of my head as he places a hand on mine and shows me how to properly slice a piece for myself.

“Thank you,” I say softly as, together, we pick it up with my fork and the large knife, placing it on my plate.

An affectionate ruffle of my hair, a chuckle, and then he’s back in his seat, continuing his conversation with Linda.

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