Page 45 of Dare to Love Again

He didn’t react, not visibly, other than to tilt his head to the side a bit as he considered her. “This, as in drinks before playing?” he asked at length. “Talking and getting to know a little about the man you’ll be playing with? Or this, meaning me? Perhaps you can be more specific.”

Great, now she’d ticked him off.

“I never intended to... I don’t want—” She shook her head and repeated, “I can’t stay.”

“Take a breath, relax, and tell me what’s going through your head, Esme.”

She searched for something other than the truth that he stirred more in her than she was prepared for, and it scared the crap out of her. She latched onto an undeniable difference.

“You like whips. That’s too extreme for me, and we, um...don’t have much in common. So...I thought, well...it’s probably best...if we end things now...before they get started.”

Though she hemmed and hawed terribly, she finally spat out her lame justification, one riddled with bald-faced lies, because after the other night, each of her fantasies had starred a bare-chested, muscular, utterly gorgeous, and enthralling Keiran Finnegan with of all things, a braided, shot-loaded black snake in his hands.

Daring to look up and see how he took it, she flushed furiously beneath the intensity of his narrow-eyed, wholly skeptical stare. Damn insightful dom could see right through her. She needed to go before he started digging, and her resistance crumbled. But as she slid sideways on the padded booth seat, a large, black boot blocked her way.

“If any of that is true, lass, which I strongly doubt, why are you here, dressed to please, in a clingy pink dress exactly as I requested?”

Though he stated his observations calmly, the determined glint in his eyes told her he was ready to present his case, disputing her claims, like a defense attorney during cross examination.

“The lace is lovely, another suggestion of mine.” When he continued, it was in the low, seductive burr she found irresistible. “If I were a betting man, I’d put down serious money that when you wiggled into that fuck-me dress, you weren’t thinking I was too extreme or that we had little in common. I’m also willing to bet you left off your panties—as I ordered, like an obedient submissive, eager to please her dom.” He leaned forward, glimmering green eyes locked on hers, and asked, “Were you a good girl for me, Esme? Shall I slip my hand beneath the hem and see if I’m right?”

Torn between fear that he would and dread that he wouldn’t, she said nothing, and averted her gaze, but it collided with the couple at the next booth who were wrapped around each other, breathing hard, having reached the big finish. She couldn’t look at them or shake the seductive cry of her husband’s name echoing through her head. Her eyes darted back to Master Finn’s face.

“If you changed your mind, you could have called and left your regrets with someone on staff, instead of coming out having followed my orders to the letter.”

“That would have been incredibly rude.”

“Perhaps, but if I’m truly not the man for you, the risk of me punishing your rudeness by taking you over my knee and spanking your lovely ass until you’re dripping wet for me again is nil.”

She sucked in a breath. Except to spank, he’d barely touched her Friday night, but he’d known the effect he’d had on her all the same.

“The choice is always up to you, Esme.” Pausing, he searched her face, the intensity of his gaze making her squirm. Unable to hold it, her chin dipped down, and she stared at her hands, something safer to her peace of mind. “I might not like your choice, or believe it, but I’ll respect it. And it seems you leave me no choice, lass, other than to bow out gracefully.”

“Thank you, sir,” she whispered.

“But that doesn’t eliminate your problem or Master Eric’s ultimatum. Since you’re here, looking beautiful, those efforts should be rewarded, not wasted. Let’s find you another dom who might suit you better.”

No. She didn’t want that at all.

“That’s really not necessary,” she replied in a rush. “I’ve taken enough of your time. I can find someone on my own.”

“After three unsuccessful months, we both know that’s not true.” He turned and scanned the room. “When reviewing your file, I noticed suspension marked as something you’d be interested in trying. I see someone who excels at that.” He held up his hand.

“Oh, but...I...” Her protest died when she saw the man he flagged down was Master Tristan, the Brad Pitt look-alike, from Eric’s list. He’d rejected her once already, so it was a safe bet he’d do so again. She let out a relieved sigh.

She could sense Master Finn watching her, and feel the irritation coming off him in waves, but kept her gaze averted.

Good. With him annoyed, and most likely angry, after the other master turned her down flat, she could go home.

“Finn,” the other dom said in greeting. “You’re becoming a regular. About damn time.”

Hearing her unintended nickname for him was actually a thing, she decided after tonight, she’d have to rename her cat.

“Esme has decided my style is too extreme for her tastes.”

Her eyes flew up, and she vehemently shook her head. “Oh no! I didn’t mean to imply that at all.”

“Hush, subbie,” he ordered. “I’m negotiating on your behalf.”

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