“Kissing women in public. Is that something you like?”
“I guess I do.” Matty leant in again.
“And how far would you go, in public?” Sloan asked.
“Further than I probably ought to,” Matty said with a small smile. “I’ve never really thought about it. My ex wasn’t exactly…adventurous.”
Sloan’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Not adventurous how?”
Matty shrugged again. “Compared to what I hear from other people about their relationships and sex lives, I suppose.” Her cheeks reddened a little. “I mean, you’ve already mentioned you like to control when a woman can orgasm and I’ve never…” She paused, then gave a small shake of her head. “No. That’s a lie. Control’s always been a part of my life, but it always felt like a weapon until now.”
Sloan’s frown was immediate. “I don’t know if I like the sound of that. Can I ask how?”
Matty sighed and sat back against the door. “I was married.” She let the thought of her ex-wife settle beside the image of Sloan, lining them up in her head for comparison.
There wasnocomparison.
Sloan Slater’s presence—her calm, unshakable authority—made Amelie’s once-reliable protectiveness feel almost…redundant.
“Go on,” Sloan encouraged, her voice even.
Matty shifted, her body giving away the tension she tried to keep tucked in. “She wasn’t in control of herself…not really. So she liked to control me…but not in a good way. She didn’t hurt me—not physically—but there were things I wasn’t allowed to do. Parts of me I had to mute.”
She paused, watching Sloan for a reaction. There was none, just quiet presence. Listening.
“I think, looking back…there were parts of that dynamic I responded to…things I liked, but didn’t understand why. But mostly I just felt…unsafe. Like she could explode at any moment over something small.”
“You liked how she sounded when she was sure of herself,” Sloan said gently, “even when it wasn’t real.”
“Yes.” Matty nodded slowly, the thought settling into place. “In the beginning, I felt protected by it. She took care of everything—small things I couldn’t manage. Bills. Shopping. Planning fun stuff. She made the decisions, and it felt like…relief.” Her voice dipped. “In bed, I let her take over. I liked it. I still like it.”
She paused, eyes flicking to Sloan, then away. “My childhood wasn’t exactly calm. The way she was with me…there was a lot of it that felt familiar.” She shifted, a flash of defensiveness rising. “I’ve done the therapy. I’m not saying I like what I like because I’m damaged or confused or anything like that—”
“Say it,” Sloan interrupted softly. “Don’t apologise for it.”
Matty sat up straighter. “I like being told what to do.”
“In bed?” Sloan clarified.
Matty nodded. “Only in bed. Anywhere else, absolutely not.”
“I want to give this conversation my full attention, but my mother is currently running amok on wheels. Can we continue it when we get home?”
Matty smiled and twisted back around in her seat. “I’d like that.”
***
Sloan crept along the avenue, turned right into Avondale Road, then left into Gwent Street. Gloria was nowhere in sight.
“Where is she?” she muttered as she scanned either side of the road.
“I’m sure she’s fine. Why don’t we head back and see if she’s there already? Either way, it’ll look like you trusted her and gave her some independence.”
Sloan chewed at her bottom lip for a second before finally saying, “Okay.” She pressed the accelerator and pulled away.
They drove in silence until they were just around the corner from the house.
“Do you think I’m controlling?” She kept her eyes on the road. “Is that part of why you’re drawn to me?”
