importantly, he needed to make sure she wasn’t suppressing her own needs in deference to his. If she’d developed the first challenge with him in mind, then she’d be sorely disappointed.
“Well, the food was as fabulous as ever, but I’d best be getting on home.” Mal swallowed the last bite and sighed happily. “I want to be back before Andy.”
Victor took Shiloh’s hand and helped her up from the table. She smiled her thanks but said nothing. Her reticence tightened his gut. He couldn’t bear to lose her so quickly. “Where’s he at tonight?”
“Guys’ night out,” Mal replied. “He meets his old college buddies once a week for poker and beer.”
“Isn’t he too old for that shit?”
Mal laughed. “Which is why he does it, so I can punish him for making me wait.”
He walked them toward the front door, but Shiloh saw the guest restroom in the hallway. “Excuse me a moment.”
“See you tomorrow, Shiloh. I can’t wait for another day of fun on tape!”
At the door, Mal leaned against the wall instead of grabbing her bag. Inwardly, he groaned. She wanted to talk. Great.
“I like her, V. She’s perfect for you.”
“I like her too.” He tried to keep the intensity out of his voice, but his friend knew him too well. “Let’s see how long I can go before scaring her away.”
“You’re not giving her enough credit. She’s made of sterner stuff than Kimberly. She’s not going to fold on you.”
He dropped his gaze to his hands, so big and calloused, made to punish. “I know.”
“You’re worried about hurting her.”
She paused, waiting for his response. Deliberately, he kept his gaze away from hers and let his silence say it all.
“Don’t you feel how much she wants you to do exactly that?”
He fisted his hands, fighting to keep the need from roughening his voice. “Don’t you feel how much I want her?” Barely, he kept back that he wanted to hurt her as much as he wanted her in his bed, but Mal knew the truth better than anybody.
“Hell, I’d have to be blind and dumb not to feel you two. You’re both walking orgasms waiting to happen. The sexual tension is only going to worsen your Master instincts. Why don’t you ease a little of that desire with her tonight?”
“It’s not that easy. She wants the Master.” Sighing, he pulled his hair tighter, letting the pain feed the need rising within him, buying him a little control. “I don’t know that she wants the man.”
“Are you crazy? Of course she wants the man. It’s the man who makes the Master and vice versa. She wants you, V. She needs whatever you’ll give her.”
Kimberly had loved the man but feared the Master. What if the man didn’t satisfy Shiloh at all? She might be so into the scene that she wasn’t interested if he didn’t have the crop in his hand, and right now, he was too raw and ragged to even think about bringing his weapon of choice into his bed.
“Do you want to play a few scenes with her? Have a good time and then go on your merry way? Or do you want a relationship?”
Shiloh blazed in the darkness of his mind like a supernova. If he had her to brighten up his life, heat up his bed, and smile that saucy little grin, he could die a very happy man. “I want it all. I want her.”
“Not even you can be a Master one hundred percent of the time. You need down time to rest and restore, and she can help you fill that well. If you’re empty and dead inside, you won’t have anything to give her in the scene. Give her a chance to know and love the man. Or…” Mal paused, waiting for him to meet her gaze. Challenge sparked in her eyes. “You can hide. You can keep secrets like you did with Kimberly. How’d that work out for you?”
He ground his jaws and bit back the curse. “It sucked.”
“Give Shiloh the crop for the show. You already know she’ll love it.” Mal gave him a hug and headed out the door. “Tonight, give her the man, and I think you’ll find she loves him
“Well, the food was as fabulous as ever, but I’d best be getting on home.” Mal swallowed the last bite and sighed happily. “I want to be back before Andy.”
Victor took Shiloh’s hand and helped her up from the table. She smiled her thanks but said nothing. Her reticence tightened his gut. He couldn’t bear to lose her so quickly. “Where’s he at tonight?”
“Guys’ night out,” Mal replied. “He meets his old college buddies once a week for poker and beer.”
“Isn’t he too old for that shit?”
Mal laughed. “Which is why he does it, so I can punish him for making me wait.”
He walked them toward the front door, but Shiloh saw the guest restroom in the hallway. “Excuse me a moment.”
“See you tomorrow, Shiloh. I can’t wait for another day of fun on tape!”
At the door, Mal leaned against the wall instead of grabbing her bag. Inwardly, he groaned. She wanted to talk. Great.
“I like her, V. She’s perfect for you.”
“I like her too.” He tried to keep the intensity out of his voice, but his friend knew him too well. “Let’s see how long I can go before scaring her away.”
“You’re not giving her enough credit. She’s made of sterner stuff than Kimberly. She’s not going to fold on you.”
He dropped his gaze to his hands, so big and calloused, made to punish. “I know.”
“You’re worried about hurting her.”
She paused, waiting for his response. Deliberately, he kept his gaze away from hers and let his silence say it all.
“Don’t you feel how much she wants you to do exactly that?”
He fisted his hands, fighting to keep the need from roughening his voice. “Don’t you feel how much I want her?” Barely, he kept back that he wanted to hurt her as much as he wanted her in his bed, but Mal knew the truth better than anybody.
“Hell, I’d have to be blind and dumb not to feel you two. You’re both walking orgasms waiting to happen. The sexual tension is only going to worsen your Master instincts. Why don’t you ease a little of that desire with her tonight?”
“It’s not that easy. She wants the Master.” Sighing, he pulled his hair tighter, letting the pain feed the need rising within him, buying him a little control. “I don’t know that she wants the man.”
“Are you crazy? Of course she wants the man. It’s the man who makes the Master and vice versa. She wants you, V. She needs whatever you’ll give her.”
Kimberly had loved the man but feared the Master. What if the man didn’t satisfy Shiloh at all? She might be so into the scene that she wasn’t interested if he didn’t have the crop in his hand, and right now, he was too raw and ragged to even think about bringing his weapon of choice into his bed.
“Do you want to play a few scenes with her? Have a good time and then go on your merry way? Or do you want a relationship?”
Shiloh blazed in the darkness of his mind like a supernova. If he had her to brighten up his life, heat up his bed, and smile that saucy little grin, he could die a very happy man. “I want it all. I want her.”
“Not even you can be a Master one hundred percent of the time. You need down time to rest and restore, and she can help you fill that well. If you’re empty and dead inside, you won’t have anything to give her in the scene. Give her a chance to know and love the man. Or…” Mal paused, waiting for him to meet her gaze. Challenge sparked in her eyes. “You can hide. You can keep secrets like you did with Kimberly. How’d that work out for you?”
He ground his jaws and bit back the curse. “It sucked.”
“Give Shiloh the crop for the show. You already know she’ll love it.” Mal gave him a hug and headed out the door. “Tonight, give her the man, and I think you’ll find she loves him
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