Dominance in bed, she suggested something so fucking absurd I laughed in her face. But the more I thought about it, the more sense it actually made.”
Ross shook his head and heaved out a heavy sigh.
“I let Angie cuff me to the bed when we had sex.”
The air left my lungs in a whoosh. “Y-you mean…like, chain you down?”
“That’s exactly what I mean. I couldn’t touch her, couldn’t hold her, kiss her…nothing. The only thing I had any control over was coming in a condom.”
“Oh, Ross,” I whispered, heart breaking in two. “That sounds so…”
“Cold? Empty? Yeah, it was. But god love her, Angie kept me sane.”
Every preconceived notion I had about the woman turned on its axis. Realizing they hadn’t been making love but simply copulating for nothing more than release, I was in awe of her compassion and the lengths she’d been willing to go in order to give Ross the salvation he’d needed.
“But…you’ve touched me, kissed me, done everything but make love to me. When we make love, w-will I have to chain you to the bed, too?”
Please say no. Please say no.
“No.” Ross shook his head. Thank goodness. “That first night in the VIP room with you, I’d already had my hands all over you when I realized I was still in control. I’d simply mind-fucked myself for years, thinking I wasn’t. That, and”—his voice softened—“I’d found the right woman to finally let myself go with. To let myself be me again.”
“Is that why you kept asking if I trusted you?”
“Maybe, I’m not sure. At the time, I didn’t want to scare you or force you to do something you didn’t want to.”
I kissed his cheek and smiled. “I want to do everything with you.”
He let out a strangled groan, then cupped my nape and pillaged my mouth with his tongue. Sparks and lightning bolts ignited inside me, but as the limo slowed and finally came to a stop, Ross pulled back and glanced out the window.
“We’re home.” He grinned.
I leaned down and peered at the house…no, peered at the castle, and pressed a hand to my heart, now slamming against my ribs. The stone circular drive and the white limestone and beige stucco exterior that framed massive shimmering windows on every floor and the numerous peaks of the roof, boasting at least five fireplaces, looked like a French chalet I’d once seen in a magazine.
“Th-this is your house?” I stammered.
Ross chuckled. “Don’t worry. It’s homey inside. Not pretentious like Sylvia’s place.”
“Y-you live here…just you and Angie?”
“I needed a tax write-off.” He shrugged.
“How many bedrooms are in this place?”
“Eight. Eight bedrooms, ten bathrooms, a workout room, sauna, library, wine cellar, media room, a couple of offices, and a pool in the back.”
“I’m going to need a map to keep from getting lost.”
He chuckled again. “It’s not that big.”
“Compared to what I lived in, it’s gigantic.” I glanced over my shoulder and pointed to the round white marble waterfall poised on the front lawn, surrounded by sculpted shrubs. “The trailer I share with Bodhi is smaller than that.”
“Then you’ll have plenty of room to stretch your limbs.” He grinned as the driver opened the door.
Placing my palm in his hand, Ross helped me from the vehicle as an excited squeal split the air. Sliding a possessive arm around my waist, he turned and smiled. Stepping off the porch, a tall, willowy, strawberry-blonde with twinkling blue eyes rushed toward us.
“Oh, my…” She flashed a blinding smile that highlighted tiny lines around her eyes and mouth. “Harmony, it’s an honor to meet you. I’m Angie, Ross’s housekeeper, cook, secretary”—she glanced up at the man and tilted her head—“and friend.”
Flooded by the happiness and serenity flowing off her, my angst vanished.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too.” It was, now that I knew she was the kind of friend who’d given so much to help save Ross.
Eyeing the braces on my knee and arm, and the bandages still covering Ross’s hand and forehead, Angie tsked. “You two look like you’ve been in a war. Come, I’ve fixed us some lunch. I hope you don’t mind, but when Ross told me you like being outdoors, I set everything up on the lanai.”
“That sounds wonderful. Thank you.” I grinned as Ross gave me a little squeeze.
He stayed behind as the driver retrieved our luggage while Angie led me through the chic entryway. The white marble floors with speckled gray inlays shimmered beneath a massive crystal chandelier. Glossy wooden stairs framed in white