Page 44 of His to Keep
“Yes. And I would have offered him ten times as much just for the chance to talk to you. I wasn’t even supposed to be at The Draw that night. I was ready to go home until you walked out on that stage.”
“How is that possible? There were so many women, way more beautiful than me—”
I growl, tightening my fingers on her soft cheeks. “No. There’s no one in the world more beautiful. Not to me. That’s what I’m trying to tell you.”
“So you were attracted to me.”
I sigh. “Yes, there was lust involved. Your body has been driving me insane from the first moment. But it’smorethan that. We were together for ten minutes before I realized I wanted to know everything about you. Waking up to an empty bed the next morning ripped my heart out. I was preparing to camp out twenty-four seven in front of Club Wyld waiting for you to come back before you showed up in my office. I haven’t gone ten minutes without thinking of you in the past week. You even haunt me in my fucking dreams, Rebecca.”
A part of me wonders if I should rein it in a little. I probably sound like a lovesick teenager here, and I doubt that could be very attractive. But I can’t seem to help myself. I need her to know how real this is for me. If she agrees to stay with me, it won’t just be a casual dating situation, and it certainly won’t be the unattached, cold, unemotional dom/sub relationship she had with that fucker Roth. I am all in with this girl, and she needs to know it.
I press another kiss to her soft, sweet lips before continuing. “The way you gave yourself to me this weekend blew me away, sweet girl. I’ve never had a relationship that combined all of this—” I bring my hand down to press against my heart, then move it to her chest to repeat the action. “—all of this emotion with everything I need in the bedroom from a submissive. It feels like you were made for me, Rebecca.”
I could have kept going, could have told her a hundred more reasons why I know deep in my bones that we’re more, but she covers my mouth with hers and all of a sudden, talking doesn’t seem so important.
“I feel the same way,” she whispers against my lips. “I feel the exact same way, Luke.”
“Good. Because I really don’t think I could let you go at this point.”
“You won’t have to,” she promises, and I swear I could break out into song. But the last thing I want to do is scare the girl with my terrible voice, so I settle for kissing her again, hard and deep. She’s breathless by the time I’m done, panting, and all I want to do is drag her back to my room. I knew I never should have let her leave my bed this morning.
Unfortunately, there are responsibilities that must be handled first. So I force myself to pull back and I stand. “I want you to wait here for me.”
She looks confused. “You’re leaving?”
I run a finger over her kiss swollen lips. “Just for a little while. I need to take care of this.”
Confusion turns to worry in her eyes. “Luke, I don’t want you to do anything stupid.”
I scoff. “I can handle myself with Roth.”
“I have no doubt you can handle him,” she says immediately, and damn if her confidence doesn’t feel good. “My concern is more the possibility of you getting arrested.”
I laugh. “I’m not going to get arrested. I can do this without violence.” I wink at her. “Doesn’t mean I won’t hit him a few times just for fun.”
She clutches my hand. “Don’t, Luke. Don’t hurt him, please.”
I raise an eyebrow, not at all pleased with her defense of the asshole. “You’re concerned I might rearrange that pretty boy face of his?”
She rolls her eyes. “I don’t give a damn about his face. And he would deserve anything you did.” She pulls on my hand, trying to bring me back to my spot in front of her. “It’s you I’m worried about. I don’t want my boyfriend to end up in jail over that little weasel.”
“Your boyfriend, huh?”
Her cheeks color. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
I silence her by bending over and pressing my lips against hers once more. “I’m definitely your boyfriend. I’m also your dominant. And your protector. And the only man who gets to make you come.” She starts to protest so I kiss her again. “I take those roles very seriously, Rebecca. Part of taking care of you means keeping assholes like Roth from ever bothering you again. You trust me?”
She nods. “I trust you.”
“Good. I’ll be back soon.”
I’m halfway to the door before I turn back to see her sitting in the same spot, wringing her hands nervously. “Oh, and baby? Make sure you’re naked when I get back.”
Rebecca
Luke is gone for a long time. I occupy myself by snooping around his house. I figure after his declaration he won’t mind too much. His penthouse paints a fascinating picture of the man I’ve fallen so fully—and quickly—head over heels for.
He’s very neat. I suppose that could be his housekeeper’s hand, but he gave Emily the entire weekend off and there’s still not a thing out of place. He even made his bed after I left—it’s poorly done enough for me to know Emily didn’t do it when she arrived. Something about the idea of Luke making his bed gets to me. It makes him feel more normal, slightly less unattainable. Of course he’s still the same powerful, confident business genius who makes more money in an hour than I do all year. But the slightly rumpled duvet pulled up to his pillows makes him seem more human.
