"Not nothing. I can leave the room."
"You told me you wanted to watch me dress. Like a reverse strip tease." She twirls for me.
"I'm sure I didn't say that," I say, knowing full well I fucking said it.
She puts her hands on her hips. "That's a lie. So, how do I know you're not lying about you following me?"
"Because you'll be driven there and back, and one guard will keep an eye on you, just in case."
She frowns. "But?—"
"Take it as offered or not at all." I go to her, take her face gently in my hands, and drop a kiss on her soft, warm lips. "I get you're frustrated, and it's only made worse by nothing happening in terms of Dom Rebecci making any moves. But that's the problem with keeping someone safe. Nothing happens until it does. And the 'until' is usually when people drop their guards."
She searches my face. "Then why are you letting me go?"
I shrug. "Because I'm actually reasonable."
But the truth is, a million reasons abound.
I want her to trust me. I want her to miss me. To wantme, to think only about getting back to me and doing my bidding.
I want to show her I can be mature and reasonable.
Which I can.
I'm lying in a way.
Hah! Outright lying, that's what I'm doing.
Sure, she's still under protection with the guards. But I'll be there, even if I'm not seen.
There are a lot of reasons I could give, like the illusion of freedom is as good as freedom itself. But the thing is, I know this world and the dangers. I know that every dangerous asshole out there, including Dom, knows that lock and key and being hidden away can't last forever.
I'll protect her with my last breath. My sister, too.
Lola needs small tastes of freedom, of fresh air, she needs to feel that the life she once had is still connected to her.
After all, she carved one out for herself. I paved the way for her, opened the right doors, and closed the wrong ones, but she's the one who walked to those doors and opened them. She created a life.
I know she feels I stole her wins, but I didn't. I just nudged her there. There are reasons, good reasons.
But I can't be the one that makes Lola wither and die. I want her to bloom.
This is a careful way to do that.
Since Dom is so fucking hard to locate, I need to let her step outside, taste that fresh air.
I'll get him, though. It's a matter of time, and then I can relax.
As much as I can.
And hopefully, when that happens, she'll want me for more than just kinky sex game fun. She'll want me like I want her.
Baby steps...
"You? Reasonable?" She laughs.
That fucking makes me smile despite myself. "I can be reasonable."
