Cowboy Casanova (Rough Riders #12)(100)

the last time they’d used the trailer.


Out of the blue, Quinn said, “Is it woman trouble? Because only woman trouble puts a

look like that on a man’s face. Trust me, I know.”


The jack clanked. “Why you doin’ this?”


“Doin’ what? Talkin’ to you? I’m pretty sure you ain’t talkin’ to nobody else

about this.”


Ben grunted.


“Come on. You don’t gotta give me her name, but this is eatin’ at you, bro.”


Eating at him was putting it mildly. He’d had a hollow feeling in his gut that felt a

lot like shame. “I did something…that didn’t seem wrong at the time, but now I’m

feeling guilty about it.” He’d taken the harshest stance imaginable with Ainsley—a

new sub—showing her what it really meant to be used. Using sex as punishment.


You think she might’ve been upset? Since she didn’t want you to touch her and she

left in the middle of the f*cking night?


What the f*ck had he been thinking?


Because after seeing Ainsley’s flood of tears before she fled, he had an acute sense

of failure. As a man. As a lover. As a Dom. For the first time ever, he’d questioned

his actions. His rights as her dominant. Whether he’d tried to break a woman, instead

of breaking through a woman’s barriers. Whether he’d been punishing her out of his

frustration with her.


The fact he was so upset he couldn’t think straight, or concentrate, indicated he’d

stepped over the line. And it sliced his guts to ribbons that she hadn’t said her safe

word.


“Ben?”


He looked up at Quinn. “Sorry. Did you say something?”


“Just wondering how long ago this happened?”


“Seems a helluva lot longer than just last night.”


Quinn crossed his arms over his chest. “Is that why you volunteered to take Libby to

town last night? To meet up with her?”


“Yeah.”


“Man, you don’t give an inch. And people say I’m closemouthed? You’ve got me beat

by a country mile. Have you tried talkin’ to her about it?”


“Not yet.”


“But you do plan to, right?”


Ben tossed the socket to the ground. “I guess.”


“That oughta go over well, if you’re as forthcoming with her as you’ve been with me,

” Quinn said dryly.


“Asshole.”


“Look, I’m just gonna toss this out there. We guys expect women to carry the

emotional load in a relationship. I’ve figured out things go to hell when I’m not

doin’ my part to tell Libby how I feel. Then she gets upset and won’t talk to me. It

’s a damn vicious cycle and an easy one to get into.”


Quinn had hit it dead on. Ben had been so adamant about Ainsley opening up, about

sharing her feelings, both in and out of bed, that he’d neglected to share his own. He

’d kept her at arm’s length emotionally, even while he demanded her absolute physical

obedience.


Not only did that make him a bad Dom; that made him a bad man.


But he had no idea how to fix it. He sighed. “So got any advice, Q?”