“I was embarrassed—“ I began.
“Embarrassed of me?”
“No—of course not. Embarrassed of--my brother seeing any weakness. Knowing any weakness. That’s not how we were raised. My father fucked club bunnies all his life. Never was without a woman. Zero respect for his ol lady.”
Her eyes were so wide. Would she think I was too fucked up for another chance?
“And I was the same damn way. Until I met you.”
Still her face was cold and remote, and I started to feel panic crawl along my spine.
“I’m working on being less of an idiot,” I added. “If you come back I promise things will be better.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
I heard a little tap on the glass and a big poster board was shoved up in one of the Shop windows, with somebody’s shitty handwriting on it.
I RESPECT WOMEN AND DO NOT THINK THEY’RE JUST PUSSY
Oh, god. Was I doing so badly that these fuckers were trying to help?
“I suppose you’ve kidnapped me to get your free pussy back.”
“No,” I said swallowing hard and trailing along behind her as she walked into the clubhouse. “I don’t—that’s not what this is about. I want you back first. Then we can—talk about the rest. Which—obviously--I want to,” I gritted out, in case she thought I didn’t want to have sex or had turned into a monk.
Because I had not, and every little motion she made sent a pulse of desire down to my dick.
To think I’d hadfreeuseof her sexy as hell body and had thrown it all away.
“I forgot some of my clothes in here,” she said. “I’m just retrieving them, so don’t get the idea I want anything to do with your penis.”
I tensed as she walked in the bedroom.
Because I’d painted the whole thing a buttercup yellow. And stenciled little white daisies and orange sunflowers on the windowsill. Because that seemed like something she might like.
But Polly said nothing.
She looked over at where I had laid out the painstakingly put-together quilt on the bed.
Surely here she’d see that I meant what I said. The quilt would demonstrate that I’d been a dipshit, and was sorry, and we could start again.
But she had no response, only staring at it silently for a moment, then turning away.
“Take me back.”
“No!” I barked out, panic seizing me. “You belonghere.”
I belatedly remembered as she raised a cool eyebrow at me that I was supposed to be working on becoming a new and improved man.
“Sorry. I meantplease.” I licked my lips. “Please listen to me. Let me make it right.”
Now was the time to say it. I’d never said these words to another human in my life.
I’d said the words “get your pussy over here” and the words “suck my cock” and also, many times, “I’lltellyou when I want pussy,” but I’d never said these particular ones.
Now I was sweating profusely. My neck and wrists felt slick as hell, and the back of my shirt was sticking to my skin.
“Polly, I—love you.”
