“This has been great,” she says, breathing hard. “But even if Iwantto ask you to come upstairs, I think, for now, raincheck?”
My dick twitches. My body responds fiercely.
“Raincheck,” I agree. “I’ll text you later.”
“You better,” she says, flashing me a look.
The next morning, as I walk into the office to join the Saturday crew, it’s like every single person knows our secret. Like they’ve somehow seen the video. Every glance is an accusation. Every hesitation makes me wonder if they’re wondering how to break the news.
It’s torture, but I’m not breaking my promise. Until she’s ready, I need to stay strong.
CHAPTER 21
DAKOTA
Mara sits cross-legged on my armchair with a bowl of ice cream balanced on one knee.
“Did you tell him about your dad and Noah or any of that stuff?” She asks after I’ve explained my real-life Cove freakout.
“No,” I reply. “But he was understanding. He sort of sensed that something was going on without me needing to explain what. Then we went to the diner, and that jerk was there, the one I told you about.”
“That was thesame night?”
I nod. “I didn’t tell you what happened after, either. Jack stood up for me. He went full caveman and called mehis woman. And I loved it. I felt possessed. Owned. Protected.”
“And you… loved it,” Mara mutters in wonder.
“I know. Talk about mixed signals.”
“I’ve told you once, and I’ll tell you a hundred times, that’s just being human. Where did you leave things?”
“Up in the air, I guess,” I say, shrugging. “We’re still seriously hot for each other. I’ve never experienced anything like this. One touch and…” I shiver. “He had to sit on the other side of the limo just to stop himself from touching me. It was crazy. But the whole time, there’s this alarm going off in my head.He wants to control you. He wants to own you. All whileenjoyingwhen he called me his.”
“You can be his in certain contexts,” Mara says. “And independent in others. You just need to navigate it together. Have you talked since?”
“A little. He texted me last night when I got in. Mostly about the game. But he’s so busy with work.”
“I saw they put an announcement on X.”
“Yeah—the new zone. He’s been working so hard on it. And when he took me to our real-life Cove…”
“You’re going in circles, Dakota,” Mara points out.
“It’s like—he wants to tell people. About us. But tell themwhat? Am I supposed to hop on stream one day andannouncethat I fucked him on somebody’s desk and had one failed date at a diner?”
“Don’t kid me. I know it means more to you than that.”
I avert my gaze because I can’t lie. She’s right. An hour in the game with him is better than any date I’ve been on with any other man.
“Maybe I should explain what happened,” I muse.
“It’d be a start. You said he shared something personal with you?”
“About his family,” I say, nodding. “I feel so bad. I thought he might be lying for a while. Then he mentioned it on the boat, and his tone, Mara, God. It was like his heart was being torn from his chest.”
“What’s his game plan if you go public?” she asks.
“Honestly? I don’t even think he has one. Not specifically. He just doesn’t want a PR scandal. Which is fair. Neither do I—what?”
