“Don’t lie. Not now.” His voice was firm but not cruel. “You want someone to take control away from you. You want to stop thinking, stop planning, stop performing. You want someone to see through all your bullshit and give you what you need, not what you think you want.”
I felt exposed, like he’d peeled back my skin and looked directly at parts of myself I’d never even acknowledged. How could he see me so clearly when we barely knew each other?
“And what if you’re right?” I whispered against his thumb. “What then?”
Connor’s hand slid from my face to the back of my neck, his grip firm but not painful. “Iamright.” He waited a moment for me to challenge him, but I didn’t. “And nothing happens,” he added simply.
“What?” I was genuinely confused. “After I just told you all that I get nothing?”
“First thing,” Connor growled, tightening his grip on my neck. “You won’t speak to me like that. Understood?”
I just glared at him.
“A ‘yes, sir’, will suffice.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes,sir.”
“Better,” he nodded. “And secondly, I don’t owe you a goddamn thing. You don’t know me, I don’t know you. And I’m not a free man yet. Getting involved with you could ruin my life.”
“I won’t tell anyone,” I blurted out, still desperate despite my irritation. “Especially not Dad.”
Connor’s face hardened. “And what happens when your daddy finds out, anyway? What happens when he catches us? You think he’ll just fire me? No. He’ll call my parole officer, make up some shit about me forcing myself on you, and I’ll be back in prison before sunrise.”
“He wouldn’t?—”
“He would.” Connor’s voice left no room for argument. “Men like your father don’t see people like me as human. We’re just labor to him. Disposable. And you’re playing with my life like it’s a game.”
I felt the weight of his words sink into me. He was right. Dad would absolutely send him back without a second thought. I’d never considered the full consequences of my actions, had never needed to. The privilege of being Pete McGrath’s son.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, the words unfamiliar on my tongue. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d genuinely apologized to anyone.
Connor’s expression softened slightly, though his hand remained firm on my neck. “I believe you. But sorry isn’t enough.”
“Then what do you want from me?” I asked, my voice small.
“I want you to prove it.” He studied my face carefully. “You want to submit? Fine. Submit to this.” He paused for a long moment. “Leave me alone. Completely. No flirting, no teasing, no ‘accidental’ encounters in the barn. Nothing.”
My heart sank. “For how long?”
“A month.”
“A month?!” I repeated, dismayed. “But?—”
“That’s the deal,” he cut me off. “One month of you behaving yourself. Proving you can follow rules. Proving this isn’t just some game to you. Proving that I cantrustyou.”
“And after that?” I couldn’t keep the hope from my voice.
Connor’s eyes darkened. “After that, if you’ve been good, we talk again. No promises beyond that.”
It was more than I’d expected but less than I wanted. Still, it was something. A chance. More than he’d offered before.
“Okay,” I nodded, swallowing hard. “I can do that.”
His grip on my neck tightened briefly, then relaxed. “We’ll see.”
He was about to step away when I caught his wrist. “Wait.”
Connor raised an eyebrow, his body tensing.
