Chapter Ten
SOMETHING WAS WRONG.
They’d eaten fries, split a hamburger, and argued over the proper condiments to put on all food. He’d regaled her with stories about growing up with his cousins, even admitting Rafe still held the scar from their brilliant game of chucking rocks at each other in a deadly, updated game of hide and go seek.
Boys.
She relished every grin and hungry gaze. Reveled in the occasional touches as he ate, and the sizzling heat that crackled between them like a live wire. But Scarlett noticed a slight frown to his brow, as if a specific thought was bothering him. She was determined to put him at ease. She’d already made her decision.
This would not be her last night with Leonardo Sinclair.
She wanted more. Wanted dinner and dating. Wanted to meet his cousins. Wanted to spend endless nights in his arms, learning about the beautiful world of BDSM. Wanted him as her Dominant, for herself.
Why wasn’t she afraid any longer? Now that she was unmasked, with her heart open, there was no longer any fear or doubts. For the first time, she felt truly free to be her true self with him.
It was an incredible gift she intended to treasure.
She watched him get up from the table and prowl across the room. He reminded her of a graceful predator, all hard muscles and lean strength, from his abs to his pecs to that glorious ass. He stared out the window, jaw clenched with tension.
“What’s the matter, Leo?” she asked softly. “Did I do something?”
“No. Not you. Me.” She tilted her head, listening, and he went on. “I don’t think you’re ready for a commitment right now.”
Her heart sped up. Her belly tumbled with nerves. “But I explained how I feel. Is it because you can’t forgive me for leaving you?”
He turned to face her, shaking his head. “No, little one. I completely understand why you left. I have a responsibility to protect you and look out for your interests. It’s part of what I love about being a dominant. And though we’ve shared something extraordinary, I think you need to experiment more before you can make the right decision about us.”
She got up from the chair, pulling the edges of his shirt around her. “I already know what I want. You. Us. This. I have no need to play with anyone else.”
Arrogance shimmered from his aura, along with a set determination that squeezed her heart. “I disagree. I’d be doing both of us a disservice if I didn’t push you to explore this lifestyle and everything it can give you. As you said, you’re just spreading your wings. You need to be sure.”
“I am sure.”
“I’m sorry. Chains is a good club. I can introduce you to some dominants who may be a good match to play with.”
Anger mixed with desperation, bubbled up from inside and spilled out. “You can’t make all the rules between us,” she shot back hotly. “I can make my own decisions, Leo, and I choose you.”
His lips tightened, and those dark eyes flashed with warning. “I will make the decisions I feel are right for you. Do you think this is easy on me? But it’s the only way to see if this is real.”
“No, it’s not.” Desperate to make him see, she gave in to her instincts and stripped off her shirt. His gaze focused on her nipples, already hard and needy. The fabric fell to the floor, and she stood proudly in front of him, owning her beauty and power and sexuality in a way she’d never done before. “Because I already know how I feel about you, and it’s not temporary. It’s not going away under the lash of another dominant’s whip.” She dropped to her knees, keeping her head up so he could see every expression on her face. “I ache for you, Leo, for what only you can give me.”
And then she began to crawl toward him.
He sucked in his breath. His gaze devoured her whole, eyes lit with a fierce lust and need that burned her alive. The cool marble tiles were hard on her knees as she crawled across the room, stopping at his feet. His face was a tortured mask of emotions as he stared down at her.
“Scarlett?”
“Let me serve you. Let me show you what you mean to me.”
His groan ripped through the air. She raised her palms upward in supplication, waiting for his command.
Heart-stopping seconds passed as he seemed to struggle with his inner demons. Then with a vicious curse, he ripped down his pants and exposed his erection, the tip already dripping with pre-cum.
“Suck me,” he commanded.
She opened her mouth and took him deep.
Blow jobs had never been a highlight for her, but the moment she caught his musky taste, ran her tongue over the silky iron hardness of his dick, she was lost. She attacked him with more fervor than finesse, relishing every grunt and groan that escaped his lips. His fingers twisted in her hair and guided her head, forcing her to open her throat deep to take his full length, and she hummed with pleasure, feeling used and cherished and powerful.
He fucked her mouth and she took it all, her own arousal dripping down her thighs, her fingers working his balls as she squeezed and rubbed and sucked harder and harder.
And then he was coming, and he was yelling her name and she took it all, desperate to please him and own him like he did her.
He dragged her up, lifted her into his arms, and brought her back to the bed. She writhed and begged and pleaded under the wicked lash of his tongue, the bite of his teeth, and the hot touch of his skin. He took his time, worshipping every inch of her body, and then he donned the condom and pushed inside her.
He fucked her slow, forcing her to meet his gaze the entire time, drinking in every cry and gasp from her lips, every shudder from her body. And when she came, he watched her with animal satisfaction, owning her orgasm the way he owned everything else.
When they collapsed into each other’s arms, Scarlett slept with a smile resting on her lips.
Until she woke up and he was gone.
***
“Wait a minute. You dissed her? The woman you’ve been moping over for the past few months? The woman you’ve been desperate to find again?”
Leo scowled at Rem over his coffee. The noisy sounds of chatter and plates crashing at the popular breakfast buffet distracted him from his sudden desire to rip into his cousin. “I didn’t diss her. I left a note.”
Rem whistled and sat back in the booth. “Dude, you fucked up.”
He let out an irritated breath and tamped down on the sudden uneasiness twisting his gut. “You’re not listening to me. I’m doing what’s best for her. She needs to figure out if her feelings are for me or if they’re just the physical high of being dominated.”
“I know, you explained that. But she was clear that’s not what she wanted. I know sometimes we make decisions on what we think is best for our subs, but she doesn’t sound confused to me.”
Leo forked up his eggs and regarded his cousin with determination. “I need to know for sure.”
Rem nodded. “Okay. But she’ll take it as a complete rejection. A retaliation for her leaving you.”
“No, I was clear in my note why I left.”
An amused chuckle escaped his cousin’s lips. “Have you never been in a serious relationship? Women see things differently. What we think is black and white, females declare bluish, purplish grey. What did the note exactly say?”
“I told her she was special, and the night meant everything to me, but it was important for her to explore more of the BDSM world before she could commit to me in a relationship. I told her I’d set her up with someone at Chains.”
“Yeah, I was right.”
“About what?”
“You fucked up. Hell, not only did you reject her, you offered to whore her out to a friend.”
“No, I didn’t!” He dropped the fork and glared. Did he? Had he made a horrible mistake in his quest to do the right thing? “I want her to be safe and be sure because once she’s mine, I’m not letting anyone else touch her.”
“There. That’s what you should’ve said to her, not like in your jacked-up note.”
Ah, fuck. Maybe Rem was right. The idea of hurting Scarlett ripped at his insides. He had to track her down and talk to her. Leo pushed his coffee and plate away. “Do you understand why I’m not ready to trust her feelings for me? Or am I fucked up thinking that way?”
Rem’s face reflected a shred of sympathy. “Nah, I get it. I’d feel the same. But first you gotta tell her how much she means to you so she doesn’t think you’re just pushing her away. Make sense?”
“Yeah. How’d you get so damn sensitive?”
He gave a suffering sigh. “Cara made me see things in a different light. Oh, clear your calendar for next weekend. I’m going to ask her to marry me, and I want all of us to go out and celebrate.”
Leo grinned. “That’s awesome. Congrats, you deserve it.”
“Thanks. It feels good.”
“I’m going to find Scarlett and fix this.” He threw down his napkin and fished out his wallet.
Rem waved his hand in the air. “I got this. Just tell me one thing.”
“Sure.”
“Fanta-C worked, didn’t it?”
Leo stilled. Frowned. Now that he’d thought of it, how the hell had an agency been able to hook him up with the one woman he couldn’t forget, but left behind? A shiver shot down his spine. “Yeah. I guess it did.”
Rem nodded solemnly. “Kind of spooky. Better be careful who you give your referral to.”
He thought of the card at home on his desk. Hmm. He’d have to save it for something big. But for now, there was just one thing on his mind.
Talk to Scarlett.