Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88350 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88350 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“I can relate,” Lia said. “I thought I was in love with a guy but it turned out he didn’t exist.”
Beau wrinkled his brow in apparent confusion. “Huh?”
She slapped her forehead in disgust. “It was so stupid. I got heavily involved with an online Master, but only virtually. According to his profile, he was single and looking for a real life submissive to claim for his own. I fell for his bullshit, thinking I’d found Master Right. But then I started having some doubts when it never worked out for us to actually meet in person. Finally sick of waiting, I tracked the guy down and showed up at his place. His wife answered the door, a baby on her hip.”
“Ugh,” Beau said sympathetically. “So, you know exactly what I’m talking about. That gut punch of betrayal.”
“I do, indeed,” she agreed darkly. “So, when I finally got up the nerve to show up at your place last night, it happened again—or I thought it had. You can see why I freaked out, and why I wasn’t in a hurry to open the door to you.”
Beau groaned. “God, talk about horrible timing. I am so, so sorry you had to go through that a second time.”
He reached across the table, taking her hands in his. “I behaved like a coward, not a Dom. I denied the possibility of love because of fear.” He shook his head, his expression rueful. “The crazy thing is when you showed up at my door, I was already planning to show up at yours. Mark and I had been talking, and he really brought it home to me. Love—even just the potential for love—is something too precious to throw away. I finally understood that I don’t want to take the safe route anymore just to avoid possible emotional pain. I’m ready to open my heart again.”
He squeezed her hands. “What am I saying? It’s already open. And last night—making love to you—just confirmed what I already knew.”
He brought one of her hands to his lips. Turning it over, he placed a slow kiss on the tender flesh in the hollow of her palm. The gesture was supremely sensual, and Lia couldn’t help but sigh.
“I’m falling in love with you, Lia.” Beau shook his head. “No. Scratch that. I’m in love with you.” He gave a small, self-deprecating laugh. “I was already falling when I agreed to our week of one-on-one training. I put up every wall I could think of, but you knocked each one down without even realizing that’s what you were doing.” His expression was earnest, almost pleading. “There’s no more denying it—not to you or myself. I love you, Lia.”
A joyful laugh escaped Lia’s lips. “I love you back,” she proclaimed. “I fell the first time I saw you at that stupid wedding, even though you were with yet another tall, gorgeous blonde.”
Beau made a face. “Don’t remind me.” But he was grinning too.
“Y’all look happier than two pigs in a mud bath.”
They looked up at the sound of Odilia’s voice. “I guess we are, at that,” Beau replied with a laugh.
The waitress placed the check on the table. “Take your time.” To Lia, she added in a conspiratorial stage whisper, “I hope you said yes.”
≈
After breakfast, they took a walk along the boardwalk by the French Broad River. The morning was sunny but a little chilly, especially as Beau had raced from his apartment the night before without taking the time to grab his jacket.
Just as he reached for Lia’s hand, his cell phone dinged. “Fuck,” he swore softly.
“What?” Lia asked.
As if in reply, the phone dinged again.
“Aren’t you going to see who that is?”
Earlier that morning as he’d dressed, Beau had noticed the dozen or so text messages that had come in the night before from a number he recognized as Renee’s, though he’d removed her from his contact list some time ago. There were also several missed calls and accompanying voicemails. Those he deleted without listening to them.
The messages had ranged in tone and substance from outraged disbelief at the way he’d run off to declarations of love and back again to fury. It had been startling to realize just how little her words moved him. He’d used to equate her high emotional drama with true love. Now, he understood it for the hyperbole it was. Still, the gentleman in him couldn’t ignore her entirely, so he’d dashed off a text apologizing for leaving her so abruptly while reminding her there was no longer anything between them.
Now, he pulled out the phone and swiped at the screen. As he’d feared, it was yet another text from Renee.
This is your last chance. Meet me at the Grand Bohemian, room 256, in half an hour or you’ll never see me again.
“Who’s it from?” Lia asked.