Page 107 of Your Sharpest Edge
Truthfully, these parties were always a “whatever goes, goes” kind of event. I’d been attending them since I moved, though I’m sure I could find a similar group anywhere. I enjoyed sex, and like Anastasia, I loved to explore. With my years of experience, I wanted to share this with her and see if it’d be something she’d be open to.
“Wait.” She hesitated, pulling her hands away and crossing her arms over her chest. “There’s a party tonight, and you want me to come with you?”
Oh. That was easier than I expected. I guess I pieced it together for her, judging by the way her hand pulled away from mine.
Anastasia’s eyes widened, and she fidgeted as she crossed her arms tighter over her chest. She bit her lip, glancing away from me, clearly conflicted. Uncertainty was written all over her face.
“Anastasia, you don’t have to decide right now,” I said softly, trying to ease her tension. “I thought it might be something you’d be interested in.”
Her silence stretched out, and I started to second-guess myself. Maybe I had pushed her too far, too fast. The last thing I wanted was to make her uncomfortable, especially with the new studio. This was supposed to be a fresh start, a new chapter for both of us. What if I had jeopardized that by bringing this up?
“I’m sorry if this is too much,” I murmured. “I shouldn’t have sprung it on you like this.”
Anastasia took a deep breath, finally meeting my gaze. “No, it’s not that I’m not interested,” she said slowly, as if carefully choosing her words. “It’s just... a lot to take in. I’ve never been to anything like that before.”
“I know. There’s no pressure. I happened to?—”
“Why isn’t Ledger there?” she asked.
I chuckled. “He doesn’t go to these events, says he likes meeting girls the old-fashioned way. And he’s absolutelyterrified, even though there are NDAs. He’s got a lot of anxiety as the captain that someone might recognize him.”
“Ah.” She nodded a few times like she understood. “And Dirks?”
I swallowed, unsure if I should tell her the truth. “He attends.”
“Will he be there tonight?” Her right eyebrow raised in question.
“Yes.”
“I don’t know, Alex. That just added a very complicated layer to all of this.” Her words sank in, and I realized that, even momentarily, she was considering attending the party. “I don’t even know what we are.”
I knew exactly what we were. She was mine. The answer for me was quite simple, but we hadn’t had that discussion yet.
“We can take it slow. I didn’t realize that was something you wanted to discuss.” A slow smile crept on my cheeks.
“I’m okay with just being . . . us.”
“Me, too,” I admitted, not wanting to pressure her.
There was another pause.
“On a personal note, outside of this whole sex party, I don’t want Damien to have men in and out of his life. That’s the most important thing for me.”
My smile fell. “It’s always been the most important thing for me, and you know I’m never leaving you. You’re both mine.”
She reached up and ran her smooth fingers along my stubble. “We do this together,” she whispered.
It wasn’t a question, more a statement.
“Together.” I paused. “I don’t want to push you into anything. If you aren’t ready now, we can?—”
“Fuck it,” she said, standing up abruptly and sending her chair flying back. “Did you bring my bag?”
“Yeah.” I nodded and jogged to the door where I’d dropped our bags.
There wasn’t a couch here, but I had an alternative date planned elsewhere if she rejected the idea of the party, so I brought them to the studio, figuring we could still use them either way.
I grabbed her black duffel and handed it to her.
