Page 8 of The Heart You Kept

“I’m not sure.”

His eyebrow flicks up as if unimpressed with my answer.

Fuck…why did I say that?

“Am I what you expected?” I try to sound confident but my question comes out as barely a whisper.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re submissive.”

No I’m not…am I?

“You don’t like submissive?” I frown.

“I love submissive.” His dark eyes hold mine and he lifts the drink to his lips and takes a slow sip. “Very much.”

His approval excites me and I feel my face flush.

I nervously sip my drink. What will I say next?

Okay…what the fuck is going on here?

I’m supposed to be hating every moment of this and getting something ticked off a to-do list. Having a visceral physical reaction to this man was not in my plan.

“Do you always fidget when you’re nervous?” he asks.

“What?”

“Your leg.”

I glance down to see my leg bouncing and I put my hand on my thigh to stop it.

What the hell is wrong with me?

“Oh…sorry, I didn’t realize.” I look around for an excuse for my kindergarten behavior. “You’re….” I shrug as I search for the right wording. “Intimidating.”

A trace of a smile flashes across his face and he takes a slow sip again. “What are you doing here?”

“I….” I swallow the lump in my throat. “I….”

He raises an impatient eyebrow.

Fuck it. Just tell him the truth.

“I’m living out a bucket list for my best friend.”

“A what?”

“My best friend wrote me a list before she passed of the ten things that she wanted to do in her life.” I take a sip of my drink, feeling braver. “This is me fulfilling wish number nine. I promised her I would do each and every last one.”

“This isn’t even something that you want to do?”

“It wasn’t…but, now that…you’re….” My mouth is so dry I can’t even talk.

The truth is you’re gorgeous and the thought of fucking you in any shape or form excites me.