Page 41 of Point of Contention

“He knew what I needed before I did. Then he gave it to me.”

“Okay…” Her eyes narrowed as she fought to understand.

“I’ve never had sex like that, Mom. I’ve never met a man who could read me like a book. Play me like a guitar.”Eat me like a goddamn buffet.

I kept that last bit to myself, for obvious reasons.

As I continued forcing my way through the meal under her watchful gaze, she continued asking questions, and an hour later, when it was time for me to get ready for my shift, she seemed more relaxed about my former relationship with Cabot.

And I was more heartbroken than ever.

Because rehashing it all reopened the wound.

And I fuckingmissedthat man.

As if by clockwork, halfway through my Sunday night shift, the colossal blond man returned.

This time, however, he wasn’t dressed in all black, but a pale blue sweater and blue jeans. His hair wasn’t slicked back, but messy and tousled in such a way that would make Edward Cullen cream his pants. His aesthetic tonight softened him only slightly, but it did make him appear less intimidating. It also made his impossibly pale blue eyes even bluer.

He strode toward the register, his gaze on me and just as intense as it was last night, though tonight the ghost of a smile danced on his lips.

Last night, he looked scary.

Tonight, he looked scary and… up to something. But I could see why some women might find his intensity attractive; that whole danger vibe was strong in this one.

“Good evening,” he said, his accent curling around the words.

I inclined my head, then met his gaze again. “I find it interesting that I’ve never seen you use this entrance before, yet here you are, two nights in a row.”

He leaned on the counter, bringing his face too close to mine, but I didn’t want to pull back, didn’t want to show fear in the face of someone who was clearly a predator. His eyes flicked back and forth between mine, then he finally said, “I’m going to take you downstairs.”

I barked out a nervous laugh, then pulled back and crossed my arms. “Like hell.”

He cocked one eyebrow. “LikeHeaven,” he corrected.

I rolled my lips together to keep my nervous giggle under control. “No.”

“No?” He repeated the word as if he’d never heard it before, his brows bunching with honest confusion.

“No.” I shook my head. “Not going to happen.”

He stood and motioned toward me. “You want to return there, yes?”

I glanced at the ivy-covered wall, then back at him. “Nope.”Lies.

His eyes narrowed. “I don’t believe you.”

I shrugged. “That’s not my problem.”

“Give me your hand.”

I extended my hand without thinking, eyes widening as I stared at it hanging between us. A born fucking submissive, huh? Isn’t that what Cabot had called me?

Way to prove his point.

The blond’s eyes flashed with amusement, then he slipped his hand around mine and leaned forward, bringing my knuckles to his lips. When he spoke next, his lips brushed against my flesh and goosebumps spread up my arm. “I’m going to take you downstairs, and I’m going to punish you for your attitude.” He placed a kiss on my knuckle, then flicked his tongue between my middle and ring fingers. “And then I’m going to fuck ‘no’right out of your vocabulary until the only words you remember are ‘Yes, Sir’and ‘Please, Master Gage’.”

Then he dropped my hand and turned away from me, striding toward the hidden door that led to the underground club, leaving me with my jaw on the counter.

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