He motions to the spread in front of us. “If this is romance to you?”
“This is beautiful, Jagger, I’m in shock.”
He scratches the back of his head, looking uncomfortable. “Well, I thought it’s better than the bowl of cereal you normally come home to.”
Butterflies dance in my stomach. I shouldn’t let them, shouldn’t be grinning back at him all stupid and lovesick, should turn and run for it, because the dirty screwing I can handle. But this, this is something else, and a small niggling feeling in the pit of my stomach tells me this is dangerous.
Chapter 28
Come Undone
IsmileatJaggerfrom across the sofa. It’s a content, comfortable smile I never thought I would have for him. But he has really shown me a different side of him tonight, and I like what I see. Maybe too much. After I got over the initial shock of what he had waiting for me, he dragged me into the shower, and like both other times I have been with him, he took pleasure in bathing me gently, followed by rubbing arnica cream over my bruised ass cheeks so tenderly it’s hard to believe he’s the same man who took pleasure in punishing me with his belt in the first place. When he was satisfied his job was done,he found me a T-shirt of his to change into, and the two of us came back out into the living room.
He moved the platter to the coffee table, and we curled up on the sofa in front of the fireplace, stuffing our faces with cheese and fruit and drinking more champagne than we probably should have, because I’m now more than a little tipsy.
Through the tall windows, dawn is breaking, light slowly creeping in, bringing the lake to life. I don’t know what this feeling is, or about this crackling tension that’s now simmering between us. All I know is something major has shifted for us, and I don’t think it’s just my imagination, because the grump is smiling back at me, and it doesn’t look forced. He looks happy. Really happy.
“What are you grinning at?” he asks, same damn grin on his face.
I polish off the rest of my flute and place it on the table, relaxing back into the sofa. “This place is so pretty. Thank you for bringing me here,” I say instead of spilling my real feelings for him. I’m sure it’s just the champagne messing with my head or the orgasms. I’m just high, not falling for him in any way.
“It was nothing.” He brushes it off, casting his line of sight to the view out the window. It’s obvious how special this place is to him. He can deny it all he wants, but this is enormous that he brought me here.
“Except we both know it was.”
His gaze comes back to me, and he tries to shrug it off, polishing off the rest of the champagne directly from the bottle before relaxing back on the sofa and closing his eyes.
“Jagger, what happened with your last girlfriend?” I have no idea what possesses me to ask, probably too much bubbly. But also, it’s been bothering me since Sloane mentioned her. It’s not been long since things ended between them, and I need to know what that means.
His brow rises and his eyes pop open, fixing on me in a way that tells me I need to tread carefully. “I told you, I don’t have girlfriends.”
I roll my eyes. “The last girl you were seeing then. Your sister said you only just broke up with her. Is she still in the picture?” I know I sound needy as all hell, and I have no right to be, but I can’t help it. I deserve to know the truth.
He pulls me onto his lap so I’m straddling him, then, brushes an escaped strand of hair behind my ear. The man is such a contradiction—soft and hard, rough but caring at the same time. I have no idea what to make of any of it. “Did you just roll your eyes at me, flower?”
“Nope.” I grin back at him playfully; we both know I did.
He takes my chin in his hand. “It’s a bad habit. Do I need to spank it out of you?”
I purse my lips and make sure to lock my eyes with his. “Don’t change the subject. You know all about me, I want to know more about you. It’s only fair, don’t you think?”
His forehead creases. “My sister has a big mouth,” he grumbles.
“Lucky someone does, or I would be completely in the dark. All I know about you so far is you’re a bossy asshole who likes to get your own way and dishes out punishment when you don’t.” My voice is light and playful but holds an edge to it. “Oh, and you eat pussy like a sex god.”
That breaks his concentration and makes him laugh. “What more could you need to know?” His hand slides down my back and settles on my ass cheek, squeezing.
I wince, the spot still tender from his last punishment. “I want to know everything about you,” I admit, knowing how needy I sound.
It surprises me when he doesn’t try to push me away but instead draws me closer so he can kiss my lips. “I think champagne is my flower’s truth serum. I’ll keep that information up my sleeve for later.”
I slap his chest playfully. “Jagger, I’m serious.”
He scoops up my hands and pins them behind my back. “What will I get if I answer this one question?”
Now it’s my turn to raise an eyebrow. “If you don’t, what happened last night will be the last time.”
His lips twist up at the sides. “So, you’re saying I will get to fuck you again?”
