“What point?”
“That he doesn’t care who the fuck I am, because he’s going to have you anyway.” He lets go of my arm to get his phone from his pocket as he walks up to the valet.
My pulse seems to be everywhere as I stand there waiting. I realize I never said Dame’s my stepbrother, and with the way we walked away arm in arm, he’d have to assume we’re together …right?I shake the thought away. Mallory had mentioned that Finn’s leaving tomorrow morning, so what Dame’s suggesting is obviously not the case. The valet goes to get the car while Dame walks back over to me.
“What the hell does that even mean, Damian? You can’t just drop that on me and walk away.”
“It means what I said. He’s used to getting his way.”
“I literally just turned him down, and he’s leaving tomorrow, so I probably won’t see him again until … who knows when. If ever.”
His expression turns serious as we watch his car approach. “I’m just telling you what I’ve heard. He’s a one-and-done kind of guy who takes what he wants and leaves a trail of broken hearts behind.”
“So, sort of like you, then?” I swallow hard, wishing my heart would stop pounding so erratically.
He shrugs. “Not that my opinion will make a difference, but I think you should stay away from him.”
“I have a boyfriend now, remember?”
“Don’t remind me.” Dame scoffs as he takes a step forward when the car reaches us. He opens the door for me and walks around the car as he speaks. “I can’t believe you’re seriously dating that loser. You know he’s only with you because Dad…”
I set a hand on the door as I step into the car, and his words are drowned out by the pulse in my ears when I see Finn standing outside. He’s looking at his phone, and there’s a woman by his side taking a selfie and smiling like she just won a prize. I don’t understand the sudden hollow in the pit of my stomach, but it’s what I feel as I get in the car and pull my seatbelt on. It makes no sense. I don’t even know him. We hadoneconversation. But as I lay in bed, the unbidden image of that woman at his side returns, along with the hollow feeling.
3
JOSSLYN
We haven’t even fully stepped inside of Onyx and I already feel like I’m out of my element. That alone is a feat, considering I rarely feel uncomfortable anywhere. I take my eyes off the picture of a man kneeling in front of a man dressed in only leather chaps and study the small cut on the back of my hand. Seeing it makes a wave of anger bubble up inside me, but I push it down.
The cut doesn’t bother me as much as the reminder of the argument Tate and I got into while we were fixing the old red pickup truck he decided to buy and restore. We were unofficially together for almost a year and never argued, but this morning—our first official morning together—he started acting like a jerk.
“I can’t believe I finally got you to come here today,” Mallory says, breaking me out of my thoughts.
“Well, it’s your birthday,” I say, smiling. “Who am I to say no to the birthday girl?”
“Still.” She looks at Tate and I can tell she’s trying to smile at him, but can’t out of loyalty to her family. “Thanks for coming. I know she wouldn’t be here without you.”
“No problem. I’m curious about this place.” He looks around at the art of dominatrixes that line the deep burgundy walls of the entrance.
Mal excuses herself and tells us she’s going to check in and make sure we’re on the list. She’s been talking about this place for months, and even though I’ve been curious about it, I never actually find myself here before. I definitely didn’t think it would be the first place Tate and I would go as a couple, but he already told me we could leave if I get uncomfortable.
Tate leans over. “You know, if you want to play with other people, you just have to say the word.”
I pull back, my gut twisting. “I don’t want to have a threesome.”
“It doesn’t have to be a threesome. I’m just leaving the option open, so you know you can play in there if you’re curious.”
I wanted to check this place out, but I’m notthatcurious. He knows this, which only leaves one other option.
“Do you want to play? Is that why you’re suggesting this?”
“No! But I figured I’d give you free rein in here,” he says. “Well, to a certain extent.”
“To a certain extent,” I repeat, dumbfounded. “What does that mean?”
“No fucking other people.”
“That’s it? Like no p and v sex?” My brows shoot up when he nods. “So if someone touches me or goes down on me or vice versa, that’s okay?”
