*
By the time we were all piling into Master’s house, I was practically vibrating with anticipation. I’d noticed the way Master had watched Clarissa and me the entire drive back to the house. I thought several times he was going to take control. Instead, he had listened to Clarissa talk about the evening and her previous interactions with this particular charity. She was overly chatty and I had to assume that was due to nerves. Regardless, I noticed there was something different about the way she looked at Trent. She was seeing him on a much deeper level.
I, on the other hand, remained quiet unless spoken to. It was natural for me to fade into the background. Not because that was what was expected of me, but simply because it was who I was.
“If you’ll ensure everything’s locked up,” Master told Bishop and Zeke, “you’re welcome to retire for the evening.” He turned to Zeke. “The yard’s fenced if you want to take your dog out.”
Zeke nodded, then turned to Clarissa. “Thank you for what you did tonight. Tank thanks you, too.”
Clarissa smiled. “You’re very welcome.”
“Can I get you something to drink?” I offered Clarissa when the big man left the room.
“No more alcohol for the evening,” Master stated. “I’d like for the two of you to meet me by the pool in half an hour.”
With that, he disappeared toward his bedroom.
When Clarissa declined my drink offer, I took her hand and led her out to the pool. She seemed rather shy, more so than she had been when I’d kissed her earlier this evening.
“Are you all right?” I asked as we neared the chairs surrounding the pool.
“Still processing.” She smiled. “I was a little taken aback by tonight.”
“How so?”
“All of it.” Her eyes strayed toward the house. “I’ve never seen that side of Trent before.”
“Most people don’t,” I admitted. “Like I said, he doesn’t allow too many people to get close.”
“I can see why. All those people tonight. So many questions, everyone wanting a minute of his time.”
That was nothing compared to some of the events I’d witnessed.
“Can I ask you something?” The words were out of my mouth before I could process them.
“Of course.” Clarissa eyed me with sincere curiosity.
“Earlier … when I kissed you…” God, I couldn’t believe I was asking her this. “Did you enjoy it?”
“Very much,” she said on a shaky breath. “What about you?”
I offered a nervous nod. I wasn’t sure how any of this worked. I didn’t know if I was supposed to wait for Master’s prompt, but I had the overwhelming urge to kiss her again.
Suddenly I was on my feet, my nerves getting the best of me. “I’m going to…” I motioned toward the house. I had no idea what I was going to do, but I needed to do something.
“Troy?”
I stopped mid-step when Clarissa called my name.
A soft hand was on my arm and I slowly pivoted. She was right there, so close, smelling absurdly good.
“I’m doing my best not to cross any lines,” I admitted when she didn’t say anything.
“I don’t think there’s a line to cross.” Her voice was soft, her eyes scanning my face.
Without thinking, I closed the small space between us and cupped her face. “I want to kiss you again.”
“That would be nice.”
Leaning in, I tried to take my time, again trying to get a feel for the situation. For whatever reason, I was drawn to this woman and feeling her lips against mine had become a priority.
“Troy?” she whispered, her breath fanning my mouth.
“Hmm?”
“Kiss me, please.”
Curling my hand behind her head, I leaned down and pressed my mouth to hers. Similar to our first kiss earlier, heat blazed through me as soon as our lips touched. I wasn’t normally aggressive, but something about this woman drove that dark, desperate need within me.
A rough growl escaped me as I gave myself fully to this woman, to this moment.
And for the first time, I didn’t think about Master as I devoured her.
SEVENTEEN
Clarissa
I COULDN’T EXPLAIN WHAT CAME over me or why I longed to get Troy’s mouth on mine again. Ever since he kissed me earlier, I’d thought about it at least a few dozen times, wondering if it could’ve possibly been as good as my brain had registered.
Good news.
It was.
So freaking good.
Troy was an incredible kisser. He took his time, owning every second as our tongues glided together, his hand firm behind my head, his body warm against me. While both Trent and Troy were attentive, there was something different about being with Troy. He lacked the self-assurance, the arrogance that Trent had, although I didn’t understand why. They both had the ability to overwhelm me in the best possible ways.
I had no idea how long we remained lip-locked, but it wasn’t until someone cleared their throat that we finally broke apart. I was breathing hard, as was Troy.
