“You were naked, and your dick was hard. I saw it so don’t try to pull that shit on me.” It kills me to have seen the proof of his desire for her, but I’m glad that I did. It’s a real wake-upcall.
“I was naked and hard because she came into my bedroom through the doorway between our rooms in the dark. I swear to God that I thought it was you coming to me. And that’s exactly what she wanted—to make me believe that it was you in my bed. Did you see what she wearing? It was a piece of your lingerie. The one with ruffles. The one you wore on vanilla night. She knows that I’d feel that in the dark and never suspect it was her. Because she doesn’t own anything sweet and innocent likeit.”
Shit. She was wearing my silk ruffledgown.
“The lamp wason.”
“I turned it on when I realized that she wasn’tyou.”
“How did you know that it wasn’tme?”
“I felt her implants and knew they weren’t yourbreasts.”
That makes me nauseous. “Great. You were touching herbreasts.”
“Only because I thought she wasyou.”
“What else did you do withher?”
“We kissed. And almost fucked.Almost. But wedidn’t.”
Claudia is desperate, and she’s hopelessly in love with Tristan. That much I know for certain. I can totally see her sneaking into his bed and pretending to be me if it meant she could have himagain.
“I believeyou.”
He releases his hold on my neck and wrists. “I’m going to let you up, but you’d better not kick me in my ballsagain.”
I turn over and sit up so that we’re facing one another. “I’m sorry that I kneedyou.”
“Please don’t ever do thatagain.”
I don’t say anything because at this point, I’m making no promises as long as that bitch is here. “Claudia has been making problems between us since I moved in, and I’m sick of it. She has togo.”
The expression on Tristan’s face instantly changes. “You seem to be confused about the dynamics of my place as your Dom. I’m in control, and I make the decisions. You aren’t my girlfriend, and you aren’t my wife. You are my submissive, and you don’t ever get to make demands. I do what I want, when I want, and I don’t owe you a goddamn thing. I don’t take orders from you. I’ve known Claudia a hell of a lot longer than I’ve known you, and she will stay until I decide that shegoes.”
Wow. That stings a lot more than it should. “I think that we should end this relationship, and I shouldleave.”
“We will if that’s what you want, but understand this: if you leave, you’re going tojail.”
“I won’t be the only one, buddy. Your crimes against me exceed my little bit of casinocheating.”
“Proveit.”
I look at him, saying nothing; we both know I have no evidence of hiswrongdoings.
“That’s right. You can’t proveanything.
He grabs my wrist when I get up, but I yank it from his grip. “Please leave myroom.”
I’m here because Tristan Broussard is blackmailing me. Somewhere along the way I seem to have forgotten what he is and what he’s doing to me. But no more. He just gave me the perfect reminder of what kind of bastard he really is. And I won’t be forgetting anytimesoon.
I don’t want to be here, and I don’t want to do this anymore. That key is my ticket to freedom. I have to pull it soon, get the fuck out of here, and never see Tristan Broussardagain.
And forget that all of this everhappened.
* * *
It’s beenthree days since my fight with Tristan. I’ve avoided him; I’m so pissed off and hurt that I don’t even want to look at him. And apparently, he must feel the same since he hasn’t come to me. But not seeing him—and not fucking him—isn’t at all beneficial for me. Staying away from him may satisfy my need to lick my wounds in private, but it doesn’t bring me any closer to gaining myfreedom.
