Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 68628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
That’s partly why he agreed to fund the security measures we put in place here at the club. It isn’t just for Quinn, though. If Quinn is in danger, so is Eden.
My tone is clipped when I order, “Turn around and get back here.”
Her back and shoulders rise and fall as she draws in a deep breath. When she faces me, her eyes are hurt, her lips pressed into a thin line.
I point wordlessly to the floor in front of me. Quinn may like pain, but she’s no submissive. She doesn’t crave service and submission any more than I do. What I’m asking isn’t easy for her.
But she values our relationship. She knows I’m not playing.
And fuck, I hope I’ve established trust by now.
How many times has she been on the cusp of intense pain and trusted me not to hurt her?
How many times has she taken a risk and found I’m not going to betray her?
We need time, I know we do, but it’s one luxury we can’t afford.
When she’s standing in front of me, more hurt than angry, I grip her chin and make her look into my eyes.
“Tonight.”
“Tonight what?”
“Tonight, when I come back, I want you waiting in our room. I want you kneeling naked in the corner of the room, your palms on your legs as you wait for me.”
A slow blink shows me I’ve got her curious but not on board.
“The corner?” she repeats, clearly bemused.
“I promise you, this isn’t punishment. It will quiet your mind and help you let go.”
That’s the goal, anyway.
“I see.”
“I’ll text you when I’m on my way back, so you have time to be ready. And when I return to you, I’ll tell you where I was and why.”
When her eyes light up with hope, I shake my head. “Not everything, baby. I can’t until I have full clearance. But I’ll tell you my errand tonight.”
I cup the back of her head, hold her to me, and press my lips to hers. The fear of what lies ahead dissolves as I take her mouth and deepen the kiss.
I groan when her tongue licks mine. I cup her ass and give her a sharp, playful spank.
When we pull away, we’re both practically panting.
“Tonight,” she says. “I can do that. Now, do I get to play with my friends or what?”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“SPILLING THE BEANS”
Quinn
"Are you OK?" Eden asks me seriously. Her beautiful, trusting face is pinched and her hands are in her lap.
There’s no point in hiding it. If I can’t confide in my best friend, who can I confide in? We’re sitting in a private reserved area of the club. Eden’s off tonight so we’re having a little catch-up with some of the regulars.
"Feeling edgy," I admit. "You know… I'm not the kind of person to stick around. I'm also not the kind of person that trusts very easily." Which is exactly why I'm not the kind of person that stays around.
"I know," she says quietly.
Unlike other people, Eden doesn't question when I need space. She respects it. The thing I love most about her is that she doesn't feel that everyone around her has to be happy for her to be happy. She's confident in her own self-worth. Other than her sister or Sergio, she’s okay knowing that people around her aren't happy or that someone is struggling. She may offer to help them, but she never lets their situation rob her of her peace. Eden doesn't press or insist that I tell her anything. She just reaches for my hand and gives it a little squeeze.
"You know I don't like to stay in one place for too long. I start to feel like I've overstayed my welcome." I close my mouth quickly. I didn't mean to say that. I always laugh off my need to move somewhere new as something of a quirk. I tell myself I don't like to stay in one place too long, I like to couch surf, I want to see the world, I don't have a long attention span, I like to meet new people, et cetera.
It's true that I don't like to overstay my welcome. My grandmother was excellent at reminding me daily, in vivid detail, how much I cost them to raise, what a pain it was to have to raise a child all over again, and how I wasn't their child, blah blah blah. And I guess I internalized that. I don't like feeling like someone has to take care of me.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that I'm the type that likes to take care of other people, I know that. But I do try to be loyal.
That’s why when I made my vows to Adriano, I meant them. But it doesn't mean I'm cool with sticking around or that it comes easily to me.