Page 185 of Masters of Pleasure
For the first time, he felt pulled in two different directions.What he wanted and what he thought he needed usually aligned.Now, what he wanted was Iris, and he was pretty sure she was the opposite of what he needed.Even if he’d wanted a relationship, she was too unpredictable.Too wild.Too impulsive.
But under my eye, she’s been a good girl.She’s kept out of trouble.
Maybe I’m whatsheneeds.
That thought tugged at a part of him he’d thought long dead and made him want to run even faster, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to run away from or to her.
Pushing aside his conflicting emotions, he checked the text.
Just wanted to give you a heads-up.My brother knows about Friday night, in case you want to back out while you can.=P
The silly face emoji didn’t take away from the resignation in her words.She was expecting him to back out because of her brother, just like every other Dom at Stronghold and Marquis had backed away from her outside of the class, where they’d been required to scene with her.
Shit.
She needed this.Deserved it, even.
Something Law couldn’t ignore, no matter how conflicted his emotions were about the situation.Other people came first.He’d been selfish in the past—there was no way he was going to put his needs before hers.Especially not when he’d been the one to make the original offer.
Nope, not going to back out.The only way we’re not scening on Friday is if you cancel on me.
That would leave things open on her end in case she got cold feet.Part of him almost hoped she would, but it would disappoint as hell the rest of him if she did.
The message she sent back made his chest hurt for her.
Thank you.
Yup, Law kind of hoped Andrew said something to him because he would love a good excuse to give Iris’ big brother an earful.Although he wasn’t sure, Iris would want him to do that.
Sighing, he looked down at Whiskers, who was still glaring up at him.
“What?”
Sniffing haughtily, she stood and stalked away, tail high in the air, as though she couldn’t believe he’d even asked the question.Watching her go, Law chuckled, then turned to get back to work.
Oddly, it was a lot easier to concentrate, as if not backing out had settled something inside him.Hell, maybe it had.
ChapterNine
Law
Thursday night.His last night on Iris Watch and her brother wasn’t working at the club.Probably a good thing, all things considered.Law was having trouble keeping his eyes off her, though she was dressed almost modestly compared to some outfits she’d worn to Stronghold.
A corset pushed her breasts up but covered most of her upper body.The flirty skirt fluttered around the tops of her thighs but didn’t cling to her ass the way some of her skirts did.
She was giving him little sidelong glances, too.The biggest difference was instead of pretending they weren’t looking at each other, their gazes kept catching… and holding.
“This is almost painful to watch,” Asad said after Iris nearly tripped over one of the subs kneeling on the carpet in the Lounge, and Law hastily looked away.“Maybe you two should just go grab a room here tonight and get rid of some of the sexual tension filling the air.”
Law scowled at him.
“I’m just keeping an eye on her.The way I’m supposed to, remember?”
“Pretty sure Patrick did not know what he was asking when he set you up with that job,” Asad murmured, taking a sip of his beer.Connor chuckled but thankfully, didn’t add to the running commentary.
Glancing around, Law caught Q’s eye as he was making his way toward the bar.Gratefully latching onto the distraction, he greeted the other man and asked if he wanted to join them.
“Here alone tonight?”Law asked after everyone said hello.Q sat down with them at Asad’s invitation.The question was fairly rhetorical since he wouldn’t have joined them otherwise, but Law was feeling somewhat desperate to keep the conversation off him and Iris.He didn’t want his friends looking too closely at them because—if he was being honest—he didn’t want to look too closely at his own motivations.
