Page 17 of The Master

It was only then that I realized I could feel the wet fabric between us. Apparently, that mess wasn’t entirely my fault.

“We’re going to need to sleep in different bedrooms,” he said with a rueful smile. “At least for tonight. I don’t think I could handle sleeping next to you without wanting to break that ‘no sex’ rule.”

Unfortunately, I had to agree. As much as I wanted us to spend the entire weekend naked and fucking, it would be better for our relationship in the long run if we made it about more than sex.

Dammit.

Eleven

Nate

Stayingin one of the guest rooms while Ashlee slept in my master bedroom required more self-control than I’d ever needed to use with a woman. When I was having sex, I could hold back because being a Dominant was part of what I needed sexually, but what Ashlee and I were doing wasn’t the same sort of denial.

Granted, I’d gotten off in the car earlier, but that hadn’t made me want her any less. Hell, pretty much everywhere I looked I could see something I wanted to bend her over, lay her down on, or fuck her against.

The thought that was keeping me sane was that I needed to focus on the long-term. I could fuck her now and probably lose her, or I could be patient and get to keep her. I wasn’t quite letting myself think of words likeforeverormarriage, but I also wasn’t planning the future without her or wondering about who I’d be pursuing next.

She was still sleeping when I made my way to the kitchen, and I had breakfast nearly done by the time she appeared, showered and dressed, and smelling better even than the Belgian waffles I was in the process of making.

“Mmm.” She came over to stand next to me. “Those look delicious.”

“Almost as delicious as you.” I kissed the top of her head. The atmosphere was quite domestic, but the thought didn’t bother me in the least. The realization encouraged me. It was proof I could change, that what she and I had could work.

“I’ll set the table,” she said with a smile, her hand resting on my arm for an all too brief moment. “Plates?”

I directed her around the kitchen as I finished, and everything was ready by the time the last waffle came off the griddle. I’d had meals with women in the past, but those had been room service in hotels on the rare occasions we’d stayed overnight together. Making the food, then sitting at a table in one of my homes was completely different, and it seemed like a positive direction to take this new relationship.

“Do we have anything planned for today?” she asked. “Or are we going to wing it?”

“Have you heard of Longhouse Reserve?”

She shook her head. “What is it?”

“It’s a garden.” I took a bite of my waffle before continuing. “But not like what you’d picture. There are flowers and other plants and trees, but there are also sculptures. Sixteen acres to wander through, and today is supposed to be absolutely beautiful.”

“It sounds amazing.”

“It is,” I said. “Thanks to Finley, Manhattan Records is one of their top donors. He wanted us to contribute to the arts and to the environment, and this is one of the ways we do.”

“Is it one of your…things?” She was still smiling as she asked it, but it wasn’t quite as bright as before.

I couldn’t blame her, not after how rocky things had been. “You’re the first woman I’ll take there, and the first one I’ve had here.” Even though she didn’t express any doubt, I continued, “Anytime I wanted to bring a woman to the Hamptons, I took her to a beach condo I rented specifically for those times. This place and my home in the city have always been off-limits.”

She looked around, taking in the vaulted ceilings and airy, open floorplan. Six bedrooms and bathrooms on the second floor, and more than enough space on the first. She hadn’t even seen the acreage or patio. Plus the pool. I hoped she didn’t think it was too ostentatious. I’d actually done most of the decorating myself, with only Finley’s input in a couple places.

“Your father’s the only one besides me who’s been here,” I added. She still had a question in her eyes. “You can ask me anything.”

“Why did you buy such a large vacation home if you’re the only one who uses it?”

“You know, I’ve never really thought about it,” I said honestly. “I suppose, somewhere in my mind, I knew I’d eventually want to share it with my family…and someone special.” I reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “It’s not a line, I promise.”

“I’ll bet your niece and nephew would love it here.” She turned her hand and threaded her fingers between mine. “Maybe we can have them up here this summer.”

The faint waver in her voice tugged at that protective part of my Dominant nature. I lifted our hands and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. She needed to know that I was looking toward the future too, and she was in it.Wewere in it. Together. “That’s a great idea. We’ll have to plan that.”

I’d always been the type of person who liked to stay busy. Maybe a couple times a month, I’d watch a movie or a game, but even then, I was usually working on something at the same time. Dates had been specific outings with a path toward sex at the end. I took women to events, clubs, and restaurants. On the rare occasion we went to the theater or to see a movie, I had some sexual game we were playing the entire time. I didn’t like to sit still, and I didn’t like to just leisurely walk around.

But spending two hours at Longhouse Reserve, holding hands as we strolled around, looking at sculptures and flowers and landscaping, I didn’t experience a single second of boredom. Art had always been something that I could take or leave, though I’d thought I understood the value it brought to society. Seeing Ashlee’s face light up, the overwhelmed expression she wore when something particularly spoke to her…I appreciated the place on a whole other level, watching her experience it for the first time.

---