Page 102 of His to Possess
Then Philip is half dragging me out of the room, clearly just as eager to be free from this place as I am. “Is Chris really at a hotel?” I ask.
“He is.” He shoots me a guilty look. “He was going to try to convince your mom to go too, but he texted that she wouldn’t leave the house just before I came in.”
I shake my head. As much as I want my mother far away from Howard, she’s an adult, and she’s made her choices. Christopher needs to be my focus—considering the fact that neither of his parents seem to give a damn.
“Why would you do that?” I ask as he leads me out to the hall. He tugs on my arm, trying to hurry me along even more. “I’m serious, Philip. Why would you go to all this trouble?”
“Because I’m in love with you.”
He says it like it’s the most simple, obvious thing in the world. Like he’s commenting on the weather or the ugly, tacky decor in this club. He doesn’t even slow his walking or turn to look at me.
I, on the other hand, am not so unaffected. I stop in my tracks and nearly fall in my heels when Philip keeps moving. He turns immediately, steadying me with his hands on my shoulders, and peers into my face. “You okay?”
“You just said you love me.”
He nods. “I did. Ido. Can we leave now?”
“Philip.” I shake my head. My heart is pounding so hard I feel faint. Did he really just say that?
Concern creases his face. “I know you’re worried about the money,” he says softly. “But I promise you no harm will come to your brother, no matter what you decide.”
“What I decide?” I parrot stupidly. My brain is completely overloaded at this point, leaving me fuzzy and off-balanced.
“What you decide to do next.” He closes his eyes briefly, like the subject brings him pain. “I want to take care of you more than anything, Lilah. But if you want your independence, I can learn to live with that. I can put my dominant tendencies aside and let you live your life.” He swallows, eyes searching mine. “I’ll give you the money for Christopher’s care, for an apartment, school—whatever you need. No strings attached.”
“Philip, that’s too much—”
“If you decide you want the money on your own terms,” he says, unable to keep the grimace off his face, “then we can fulfill the original contract right now.”
My eyes go wide. “You would really do that?”
“I would really do that. I would walk right back in there and tell them that the deal’s on.” He gives a wry smile. “With the shit storm Jane is pouring down on those assholes right now, I’m sure they’d appreciate the money.”
“You would fulfill the entire contract?” I press, disbelieving. “You would…have sex with me? Here?”
He shrugs, but his face is tight. “I’m not thrilled about the idea of any asshole in this place seeing any part of you, but yes.” He offers something that resembles a grin. “It might kill me to only have you once, but I would do it. If you feel like the only way to feel secure in this money is to get it through the contract, I would do it, Lilah.”
“What if once isn’t enough for me, either?” I blurt out, and my face immediately flushes. We have so much to talk about—what happened last night at Club Wyld for starters—and I’m not entirely sure sleeping with him is a good idea. But I can’t seem to stop myself from wanting him. He took care of my brother. He came in here, looking like a madman, and rescued me. He punched my stepfather for me.
And now he’s offering me the chance to get the money I need, no strings attached.
His expression is cautious but he lifts his hands to cup my cheeks. “I wasn’t kidding before, Lilah. I’m in love with you. I want to be with you and I don’t want it to be contingent on sex. I want to give you the money you need because you’re mine and it makes me happy to take care of you.” He presses closer, bringing his forehead to mine. “I want to be the first man inside you, the only man inside you. Whether that happens here in public for the contract or at home with just the two of us.” He swallows. “You own me, love. However you want this to go works for me.” I see a shadow of that smirk I love so much. “You pretty much get whatever you want where I’m concerned, Lilah.”
Holy shit. Is this really happening? Philip loves me? All I want to do is fall into his arms and get started on those sweet promises he just made. On the dirty ones, too. But something holds me back.
“Last night,” I say, unable to stop the way my voice trembles. “At Club Wyld—”
“It was all bullshit.” He doesn’t release me, but his voice lowers, filling with anger, and his fingers clench just a bit harder on the sides of my face. “Everything that girl said to you was bullshit. She’s Aden Roth’s sub.” He nods his head back to the room we just left, like I need a reminder of the asshole who had been at my “auction.”
“I don’t know if he did it just to mess with me, or if he was hoping to split us up so this would happen.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because I fucked him out of a lot of money.” His eyes gleam. “I’m about to fuck him out of even more.”
“So it wasn’t…none of what she said was true?”
His face softens. “Of course not, Lilah. Maybe I didn’t explain this whole Dominant thing adequately. The entire point—my entire purpose as your Dom—is to take care of you. To make sure you’re safe and happy and satisfied. Our time together is sacred, and I would never bring another sub into our space. Nor would I talk about you with disrespect. Not to anyone.”
