The Dom Who Loved Me (Masters and Mercenaries #1)(23)

“You said you didn’t want a relationship.”

He sighed. “I don’t want a twenty-four/seven D/s relationship, baby. Look, I have a brother. He’s older than me. He’s really hardcore and most of his friends are, too. I got into the lifestyle at a young age, but there are parts I’m never going to be comfortable with. I’m crazy about you. I want everyone to know we’re together. I just…I don’t want a slave.”

She smiled up at him. Her relief surged through her like a wave. It had never occurred to her that he would want to take the D/s relationship outside the bedroom. “I’m glad to hear that. Sean, you should know that the first time you tell me what to do outside the bedroom, I’ll probably take a skillet to your head.” She cuddled back against him, happy they were on the same page. “My mama made sure I had a good cast iron skillet when I got married.”

“Save me from southern women and their mamas.” He started to walk toward the steps. His arm went under her legs, and he hauled her up. “I want you to think about this. I want to be utterly in charge when it comes to our sex life, but I want a partner. I want to depend on you as much as you depend on me. When we’re in the bedroom or at a club, I’m the Master, but everywhere else, I want to be your boyfriend with all the stuff that comes with it.”

He placed her on her feet. There was a towel on the bench. He wrapped her in it and started to dry her off with short strokes. Grace stood there smiling a bit. No one had touched her in so long, and now she had her own personal dryer. “What stuff comes with it, Sean? You’ll have to forgive me, but I haven’t had a boyfriend in twenty-two years. I married Pete when I was eighteen and had two kids by the time I was twenty. I’m afraid I don’t understand dating.”

“Hold your arms out.” Grace did as Sean asked, and he wrapped the towel around her torso. “I think we should take it slow. Maybe we can have dinner tomorrow. Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out. We don’t have to follow anyone else’s rules. We can make them up as we go along.” He leaned over and kissed the bridge of her nose. “Now, go get me one of those towels and turn on the shower. I’ll clean up and then maybe get a look at your kitchen.”

She nodded, but her doubts lingered as she walked through the cool house. She moved through the master bedroom and into her sunny yellow bathroom. It had become so very feminine over the years, she wondered at how out of place big, masculine Sean would look in it. She grabbed a towel, turned on the shower to heat up, and returned to him.

He’d taken off his clothes and stood there in the moonlight completely comfortable with his own nudity. Of course, who wouldn’t be if they looked like that? Grace stared for a moment. He was a testament to masculine perfection. His shoulders were broad and his chest ripped. His abs formed a perfect six-pack, and she’d been right about his legs. They were long and powerful. There was the lightest dusting of blond hair across his chest. And then there was his cock. It stood up proudly, jutting from the V of his thighs. It was long and ridiculously thick. It lay almost flat against his abdomen, the head reaching his navel. Without a thought, Grace licked her lips. He was so hard it must be painful. Grace stepped forward, and her hand came out to touch him.

He stopped her by catching her wrist. “I didn’t give you permission to touch me, Grace.”

She felt herself flush with embarrassment. She took a quick step back and lowered her head so he couldn’t see the tears welling up in her eyes. How could he not want her?

He released her hand and took the towel. He quickly wrapped it around his waist. “I thought I made myself plain. I’m in control of our sexual encounters. There will be times when I give you leave to do what you like. This is not one of those times. I’m going to take a shower and then we’ll talk. Think about this long and hard. I might not be so easy to deal with as you think. I won’t tolerate you manipulating me.”

“I wasn’t trying to manipulate you.” Her fists were clenched at her sides. She didn’t understand anything. If he didn’t want her, why the hell was he here? “I didn’t understand that I wasn’t even allowed to touch you. Maybe I’m not cut out for this.”

Maybe it was the kind of thing that only worked in a book.

He forced her chin up, his eyes fairly pleading. “I’m sorry, little one. I’m feeling a little savage. I need to calm down, and that means I need a few minutes to myself. I know you won’t believe this, but I’m feeling my way through this, too. I haven’t dated much.”

She snorted. It wasn’t a pleasant sound, but she couldn’t help it.

His lips curled up slightly. “I didn’t say I hadn’t had an enormous amount of sex, but it didn’t mean anything. Now, go open that bottle of wine. When I get out of the shower, we’ll talk.”

He turned around, and it took everything Grace had not to gasp. Sean was utterly perfect from the front, but his back was a mass of scars. She managed to keep quiet and not reach out to him. He was damaged. That was something she understood. He walked off, leaving her feeling more vulnerable than ever.

What had happened to him? The scars were white. They were years old, but told a tale of pain he’d endured. Grace wanted to go to him and wrap her arms around him. She wanted him to tell her what had happened and to promise that he wouldn’t be in that position ever again.