"What did you think was going to happen here tonight? Especially when you ask to sleep in my bed?"
“I asked to sleep on the couch. Not your bed.”
Cocking his head to the side, he gave me a look that told me exactly how foolish I sounded right now.
He had a point. It's not like I didn't know he'd take what he wanted from me if I came in here with him.
Isn't it what you want, too?
No. Yes. Fuck, I didn't know.
His dark eyes burned into mine. "Come on." With a lift of his chin, he gestured for me to go to his room.
My feet moved, my body obeying him even as my mind stuttered in confusion. I didn't want this, did I? But some part of me must, because I found myself preceding Tristan down the dark hallwayto his bedroom, my heart pounding so hard I thought it was going to break my rib cage. He opened the door and gestured for me to go inside. I hesitated only a moment before stepping over the threshold.
The first thing that hit me was his scent. The room smelled like him—dark and clean and spicy, a hint of his cologne mingling with the masculine, earthy scent that was intrinsically his. Shadows danced across the dark furnishings in the dim light from the hallway. The space was neat and orderly, reflecting his meticulous nature. My eyes were immediately drawn to the imposing bed in the center of the room. Large and masculine, it had a black headboard with cutouts and black posts at the foot. The bedding was simple, done in blacks and grays. He'd be able to tie me in place easily.
My face heated at the thought, even as tension coiled low in my belly.
Tristan's presence was a physical force at my back as he entered behind me. The click of the latch rang loud in my ears as he shut us in together.
Anticipation heated my blood as I eyed the outline of the bed in the darkness, only to be replaced with shards of ice the longer I stared at it. "How many women have you tied to that bed, Tristan?" I don't know why I asked. It was none of my business, and I didn't really want to know. But something inside of meneededto know.
"None. I've never been with a woman."
As always, his direct honesty threw me for a second. I blinked in surprise as I continued to stare at the bed, momentarily taken aback by his blunt words. I heard the clink of metal hitting woodand then soft light filled the room. I turned to find the handcuffs on the black dresser behind me where he'd left them. A small lamp illuminated the room. He never seemed to turn on bright overhead lights. Was that a preference or another thing that he carried over from his traumatic childhood?
I put the question aside for now and met his gaze. "What do you mean?" Surely, he was lying. Or maybe he was bi? Had he only dated men until me? Was that why he seemed so fascinated with my body?
There was no shame in his voice when he answered, "I've never been intimate with anyone before you."
I couldn't quite keep the disbelief from my voice. "You're a virgin?" How could that be possible when the man made me come so hard I thought my bones would shatter from the force of it.
He stuck his hands in his pants pockets, glancing down as he said in a rough voice, "I don't know that I would call it that."
Tristan was abused by Gino when he was a child.
Enzo's words came back to me.
Oh, my god.
My eyes went to the handcuffs, and I changed the subject. "You're not going to cuff me?"
His eyes traveled down my body and back again. "We'll see. Take off your clothes, Luna."
"No." My answer was immediate and automatic. I could make excuses for my reaction to him when he had me handcuffed or tied to my bed. I could tell myself that even though my bodycraved his mouth on me, it was still a form of rape because I was unable to run away. He forced those reactions out of me. But I couldn't just give in to him like this. Like I had a choice.
"I want to taste you again."
I swallowed the whimper that tried to escape the back of my throat.
"Please, take off your clothes. I want to see you."
I was about to refuse again, but then I thought about it. I wasn't bound. If I made him happy, maybe he'd just go to sleep, and I'd be able to get the hell out of here. Fuck my promise to him. I wasn't going to live like this if I had a chance to get away. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. And I'd fucked way worse than a hot Italian guy with death in his eyes who had issues with touching.
Decision made, I took off my hoodie and laid it on top of the dresser.
He backed up a step as I reached around him, his eyes heating every piece of skin I revealed as he watched me.
