Sweet Addiction (Sweet #6)(23)

The next blow caught her unaware for the sheer brutality of it. The pain shocked her and suddenly Lucas’s hand was wrapped in her hair and he yanked her back, forcing her head so that their gazes met.

“Am I boring you, Ren? Would you prefer to be somewhere else?”

Her mouth twisted in dismay because it was the last thing she wanted him to think. “I’m sorry, Lucas. I was thinking.”

His hold loosened only slightly. “What were you thinking that was more important than me?”

“I was thinking of you,” she said honestly. “I was comparing my relationship with you to the others I’ve had.”

His hand gentled and he ran his fingers through her hair in a gentle pet. “Do you know what I love most about you, Ren?”

The question startled her. She’d expected his anger. Not this sudden …affection.

“You tell me the truth, no matter how awkward or potentially uncomfortable. It would be so easy to lie and say you drifted away or that you were thinking about where we’re going. Why is that?” he finished softly.

Her brow wrinkled in confusion. His hand soothed over the subsiding burn where he’d marked her, stroking and caressing.

“Why do I not lie to you?”

“I suppose that’s what I’m asking. I know that you’re inherently an honest person, but even the most honest person will seek not to make herself vulnerable to another.”

Her expression eased and she locked gazes with him. “Because I trust you not to use my vulnerability against me.”

His eyes went warm with approval. He leaned down and softly pressed his lips to hers.

“Now tell me how our relationship compares to your previous ones.”

She twitched against his palm, eager to feel the burn again. His hand stilled and then he pressed another kiss to her forehead in apology.

“I’m neglecting your need. When I’m finished administering the appropriate marks to your sweet ass and when I’ve availed myself of your body, then we’ll finish this conversation.”

She sighed her relief and gifted him with a smile.

“How hard and rough do you want it, Ren? I find I’m in a mood tonight. I’m not usually so indecisive but I go back and forth between wanting to allow my darker urges free or showering you with tenderness. I’m in an affectionate mood and then you smile at me like that and it only reinforces my desire to show you gentleness instead of power.”

She raised her head and settled back on her heels, allowing her hair to spill down her back. He had one knee on the floorboard and she turned her head to the side so she could look at him.

“I am yours, Lucas. Do with me as you will. I will love whatever it is you choose to bestow on me and I’ll take it without complaint.”

He lifted his hand to cup her cheek. His eyes shimmered with dark promise. “I am very glad to hear those words. Especially tonight.”

She cocked her head to the side, rubbing her cheek along his palm. She didn’t ask him why. She simply waited for what he would tell her. Or not tell her.

“Tonight I’m going to give you to another.”

She went completely still, shock rendering her unable to move or react. She stared back at him, but he too was waiting and in no hurry to further explain.

“Does that excite you?”

“I don’t know. It’s …surprising.”

“Why would you find this surprising? I’ve discussed with you in the past that I find enjoyment in giving the woman I own to another man so that I can watch and enjoy.”

She nodded. “It’s just that you never have. In the beginning I expected it. But as more time went on, you seemed content not to share me with other men.”

“Does it bother you that I seek to do so now?”

She frowned, unsure of how she felt. She’d considered such a thing just a short time ago and found that the idea excited her. The idea. There was a huge difference between what sexually excited her in theory and what actually aroused her in reality.

More than once, a kink that she was excited to try turned out to be something she didn’t enjoy at all. Would this follow in the same vein?

Now she wondered if the night out at the club had been a mere taste of what was to come. Had he tested her to see how receptive she was to having another man’s hands and mouth on her body?

And what had prompted him to take this step now? Was he bored with her? That thought sent panic and dismay racing along her spine. Had their time together come to an end? She shook the idea away because there was no way she could hold it together thinking such things.

“Ren,” he prompted.

“It doesn’t bother me that you would do it,” she said slowly. “I’m unsure of whether I would enjoy it. The idea excites me, but it also frightens me. My trust in you is absolute but doesn’t extend to another man.”

He stroked her cheek again. “All very valid points. And if I told you the man in question was Cole Madison?”

Her eyes widened in shock. Her pulse bounded, firing so rapidly that for a moment she swayed, suddenly dizzy.

“Cole?” she whispered.

She closed her eyes and foregoing all discipline, she turned away from Lucas. He didn’t reprimand her nor did he force her to look back at him. He slid back onto the seat behind her, silent, as he waited.