Page 253 of Masters of Pleasure
She was done.
She was so, so done.Noelle wasn’t acting rationally—twisting the truth, making it into something it wasn’t, making Iris out to be something she wasn’t.She was truly upset, but she didn’t have to be.
“I’m not treating you like shit.You are the one making decisions that affect both of us without talking to me.You are the one who didn’t bother to reach out to see how I’m doing while accusing me of doing that.You are the one twisting things around.”Iris was holding her ground and not giving in this time.Not again.
“Great, and now you’re gaslighting me!I can’t wait till the end of this lease!”Throwing her hands in the air, Noelle whirled around and stalked into her room, slamming the door behind her.
Tears formed in Iris’ eyes, but she quickly wiped them away.She wouldn’t shed one tear over this stupid fight.She wouldn’t.This wasn’t her fault.
Right?
Law
The moment Iris returned, Law knew something was wrong.She’d been a little off that morning before leaving for work, but nothing compared to how she was now.She was jittery, and the smile on her face wasn’t anywhere close to being genuine.
It was all Law could do to keep from frowning the moment he saw her, but he didn’t want to add to her upset by having her misinterpret the expression onhisface.
She set the bag in her hand on the floor, which made it even harder not to frown.It was a reminder she’d gone back to her apartment.Whatever the problem was, he would bet good money it had to do with her roommate.
“Hey, how was your day?”If she didn’t want to talk about it right away, he didn’t want to push her.Moving toward her, he put his hands on her hips.She tilted her head back for a kiss, sighing before his lips even touched hers.Not an unhappy sigh, more a sigh of relief—as though she was happy to be there, as if his mere presence made her feel better.
Talk about an aphrodisiac.Having that kind of effect on her was like catnip to his ego.He loved knowing that just being in his presence could calm her.
Sliding his hands around her waist, he pressed them flat against the small of her back, keeping her trapped against him as he kissed her.Iris kissed him back, careful where she placed her hands and arms.She’d been diligent all week about making sure not to put pressure anywhere that might hurt him.
Ending the kiss, he enjoyed the feel of her leaning against him—on his right shoulder, definitely not the left.The sling between them was still uncomfortable, but at this point, he’d gotten used to it.
“Are you gonna answer my question?”he asked gently.
“What was the question again?”
Law snorted softly.“I asked how your day was.”
He felt, as much as heard, her sigh.She rubbed her nose against the side of his neck, and with tiny movements of their bodies, he swayed them.Not rocking her, exactly… but sort of.
“It started off pretty well, but when I went to the apartment to switch out my clothes for the next week, Noelle was there.”As Iris told him about the confrontation, Law found it more and more difficult to hold his tongue, but he did because Iris clearly needed to get it all out.
Though she sounded defeated when she started, she got angrier as she spoke, and he sure as hell didn’t want to stop that.He hated the way Noelle treated Iris—and no, he didn’t need to meet the woman to feel that way.Iris self-examined everything she had said to Noelle, and he could see her doubt that she remembered the events correctly, despite how self-aware she was.
Law could feel her distress growing along with her anger.When she got to the part about Noelle ending their lease, he had to hold back a sigh of relief and joy.Even though he didn’t want her to live in that toxic situation anymore, Noelle going behind her was fucked up.Unfortunately, there wasn’t much she could do about it.
Turning her head, she pressed her forehead against his shoulder, letting out another long sigh.
“Now, I have to live another two months with her while I find a new place, and just thinking about being in the same apartment makes my skin crawl.”
“So, move in here.”The thought had been in his head almost from the first moment she’d started talking, and it hadn’t gone away.It was a crazy thought—definitely, a thought unlike him—but it hadn’t gone away.In fact, it had only gotten stronger.
They’d fallen into a routine almost immediately.A good one.He loved spending his evenings with her, whether they were sitting side by side on the couch, doing separate things, watching something together, or at the table playing a game.He didn’t want her to leave.
“What?”Iris jerked backward, staring up at him in shock, but didn’t look horrified by the idea.More disbelieving, as though she couldn’t believe he had suggested it but hoped she hadn’t heard him wrong.“I… isn’t it too soon?”
Maybe, but it was also too soon for him to have fallen in love with her, and look how that had turned out.
“It doesn’t have to be permanent.You could move in here while you’re looking for a new place to live when the lease is up.That way, you can keep paying for the apartment.I don’t need a roommate financially, so you wouldn’t have double expenses.”The more he spoke, the more he liked the idea… a trial run living together.
If it worked, he’d make sure the trial run went on forever.
Iris blinked.Her lips firmed.
