Page 244 of Masters of Pleasure
“Really.I’ve learned how to dodge.That’s assuming she’ll let you pet her.She won’t with most new people.”Law cracked an eye open, turning his head slightly.Whiskers meowed again.“I’m actually surprised she came out to say hello.”
“Maybe I’m special,” Iris said, gathering her courage to pet the cat.Whiskers purred, her back arched, followed by her butt, the way a cat normally did when someone ran their hand along its back.So far, so good.
“Oh, you’re definitely spe— Fuck!”Law’s murmured compliment, which would have been pretty hot, was cut off as he apparently forgot about his injuries and tried to roll toward her.Iris sat up so fast, Whiskers yowled and jumped off the bed, making her feel bad, but there was nothing to be done about that.
“Are you okay?What hurts?Oh my God, stop moving!”Iris’ hands hovered over his chest.She didn’t want to actually push him down because she was worried about hurting him, but she didn’t want him trying to get up.
Dark eyes glittered at her.
“Iris, I am fine.”
“All evidence to the contrary,” she retorted.“You’re making it worse by moving around.”
His arm snaked around her, hand grabbing an ass cheek, and it was her turn to narrow her eyes.
“I amfine.I moved without thinking, but now that I’m more awake, I won’t do it again.Relax.”He squeezed her ass.
Iris let out a long, slow breath.She did need to relax.He was fine.Mostly.The injury had happened, and the lingering pain would not kill him even if she didn’t like to see it.
“Okay… okay, but the doctor said you needed to rest, not grope me.”She swatted at his arm.Law’s eyebrows rose in that Dom way.
“You need to be careful, sweetheart,” he said in a lethally quiet voice.“Just because I’m injured doesn’t mean I can’t find creative ways to keep you in line.”
And boom, just like that, whatever morning-lady-wood would be called, Iris had it.Regardless of what Law said, there was no way they were doingthatthis morning, which meant she needed to get out of bed and away from temptation.
“Yes, Sir,” she said, only a little cheeky.His eye narrowed as if he was trying to figure out if she was being sassy.“Um, what would you like for breakfast?”
Distract, distract, distract.
She had no doubt if pressed, he would make good on his word.
Law
His chest hurt more than it had yesterday, which made him cranky.Especially because he couldn’t even help with breakfast.Iris made him pancakes and bacon, which smelled amazing and tasted even better, but he still hated being waited on in his own house.Breakfast conversation didn’t improve his mood much, though she waited until he’d had half a cup of coffee before broaching the sensitive subjects.
“So...you were an alcoholic?”
Law appreciated that she didn’t pussyfoot around the topic.She was watching his expression, eyes clear but nonjudgmental, and she didn’t sound like she was upset.
“I was.Am.I’m recovering.Some days are harder than others.That’s what happened last night.I was already feeling… off.Then everything with that asshole happened, and you suggested going to the bar, and I wanted to.I wanted to so badly, I had to get out of there.”Huh.Law blinked.He hadn’t remembered that until he’d started talking, and it wasn’t so much a memory, but more that he’d started speaking, and the words kept coming, but he knew they were true.
“I’m so sorry.If I’d known…”
“You don’t have to apologize.You couldn’t have known.I didn’t tell you.”Law looked down at the syrup soaking into his pancakes.“I was also married before.We got divorced because she finally realized I wouldn’t change.I went to rehab and got better, thinking that meant I was cured, that I could handle one drink… but things got even worse after that until she left.That was what finally made me realize how far gone I was.”
Even now, the memory carried both relief and guilt, along with a healthy dose of gratitude.
There was a short moment of silence before Iris finally spoke.
“That must have been hard,” she said cautiously.
“It was,” he said grimly, raising his gaze to meet hers again.“Elaine took her marriage vows seriously.She stayed far too long, really, giving me a chance after chance after chance.Until she left, I really didn’t understand how much I’d been hurting her.Hurting everyone I cared about.I knew she’d never leave me over anything trivial, and… truthfully, I’d started thinking she would never leave me at all.”
“So, you quit then?”
Law smiled grimly.He didn’t want Iris to have any illusions, but his chest tightened in fear.It wasn’t only his clavicle hurting, but he was also worried about what she would say.
How she would react.
