shook her head and tried to make
the wall absorb her.
“If you know I love you, and I’ve finally come to my senses and
admitted it, why are you fighting me on this?” Michael heard the acerbic bite
in his tone. Even now he was being an asshole. Trying to smile, his split lip
announced its presence.
Michael didn’t think McKenzie was going to answer him. A myriad of emotions
chased one another across her beautiful face. “ Because you love me.”
It was Michael’s turn to shake his head and it fucking well hurt.
This was not going in any way as he had visualized. Didn’t McKenzie want his
love? Did she only want the D/s relationship? He couldn’t go back to just that.
His uncomfortable musings made him short with her again. “Quit talking in
riddles, sub.”
Michael pointed to his feet and McKenzie went to her knees, although
obviously against her will. Conflicted. “Answer me. Explain.”
The response came out in a rush and rocked him to the core. “You
know you love me, you’ve accepted it, and you’ll hate yourself. It’ll destroy
you when Andrew and Joyce are finished with me.”
Fuck, McKenzie had thought
him capable. And she would have done it for him had she stayed, so had left to
spare him. That was love. Michael was
ashamed, terribly guilty, and felt fucking awful. He had no right to this
woman. No right to offer her his trivial self. He wanted to weep, something he
hadn’t done in memory in over thirty years, and it underscored his shame,
nearly making him choke. He tried, anyhow. “I would never give you to them, not to anyone again, ever . I regret sharing you with them before, sharing you with
anyone. I’m an asshole. I know it now and I know why I did it, because I
couldn’t let myself admit I loved you. So I acted out.”
“I want to believe you, Michael. I really do.” McKenzie raised her
head to look at him, faint hope again skittering across her beloved features.
“But I won’t let you do anything to harm yourself.”
Who was it who insisted subs had all the power in D/s relationships?
Oh, right. Just about everyone in the
whole fucking lifestyle. And when had he somehow
forgotten? Oh right, just about the time he’d become a craven fucking coward. He
tried harder.
“I didn’t know, McKenzie, that you’d left to save me from myself. I
thought I’d driven you away. I didn’t think you’d take that threat of giving
you to the twins seriously. Or probably I did and I was still being an asshole
to fuck with your head. Fuck me, sweetheart. I’d come to my senses by then.
Saying that was a last ditch effort to push you away again. Honestly it was. I
was on my way back to ask you to marry me when...” He couldn’t continue
anymore, so slid down to crouch beside McKenzie on that cold tile floor, easing
an arm around her, pulling her against him, reveling in her feel and smell. He was aghast at
how thin she’d become, and terrified she’d still reject him, thinking to save
him from himself.
“Sweetheart?” Fuck, she was crying again, silent hot tears dripping
to the floor. Michael turned her face into his shoulder and those tears damn
near boiled his bones.
McKenzie hiccupped and sobbed once. “Promise me. Promise me. No
contract, just a promise. Say you won’t ask anything of me that will end up
hurting you.”
Once again she shook him to his core, although why he should be
surprised he really didn’t know. His woman was one of kind and she’d been his
and could be again. “I promise.”
“All right. I’ll stay.” It was a measure of the depth of McKenzie’s
love for him she simply accepted his word. Michael was humbled to the ground
before it.
Standing awkwardly in the small space, he winced against the
discomfort in his ribs and McKenzie instantly rose to stand beside him, to
support him. He carefully pressed a kiss on her hair, trying not to reopen his
split lip. Damn those bodyguards of hers. Fucking his woman was going to be a
tad uncomfortable and not
the wall absorb her.
“If you know I love you, and I’ve finally come to my senses and
admitted it, why are you fighting me on this?” Michael heard the acerbic bite
in his tone. Even now he was being an asshole. Trying to smile, his split lip
announced its presence.
Michael didn’t think McKenzie was going to answer him. A myriad of emotions
chased one another across her beautiful face. “ Because you love me.”
It was Michael’s turn to shake his head and it fucking well hurt.
This was not going in any way as he had visualized. Didn’t McKenzie want his
love? Did she only want the D/s relationship? He couldn’t go back to just that.
His uncomfortable musings made him short with her again. “Quit talking in
riddles, sub.”
Michael pointed to his feet and McKenzie went to her knees, although
obviously against her will. Conflicted. “Answer me. Explain.”
The response came out in a rush and rocked him to the core. “You
know you love me, you’ve accepted it, and you’ll hate yourself. It’ll destroy
you when Andrew and Joyce are finished with me.”
Fuck, McKenzie had thought
him capable. And she would have done it for him had she stayed, so had left to
spare him. That was love. Michael was
ashamed, terribly guilty, and felt fucking awful. He had no right to this
woman. No right to offer her his trivial self. He wanted to weep, something he
hadn’t done in memory in over thirty years, and it underscored his shame,
nearly making him choke. He tried, anyhow. “I would never give you to them, not to anyone again, ever . I regret sharing you with them before, sharing you with
anyone. I’m an asshole. I know it now and I know why I did it, because I
couldn’t let myself admit I loved you. So I acted out.”
“I want to believe you, Michael. I really do.” McKenzie raised her
head to look at him, faint hope again skittering across her beloved features.
“But I won’t let you do anything to harm yourself.”
Who was it who insisted subs had all the power in D/s relationships?
Oh, right. Just about everyone in the
whole fucking lifestyle. And when had he somehow
forgotten? Oh right, just about the time he’d become a craven fucking coward. He
tried harder.
“I didn’t know, McKenzie, that you’d left to save me from myself. I
thought I’d driven you away. I didn’t think you’d take that threat of giving
you to the twins seriously. Or probably I did and I was still being an asshole
to fuck with your head. Fuck me, sweetheart. I’d come to my senses by then.
Saying that was a last ditch effort to push you away again. Honestly it was. I
was on my way back to ask you to marry me when...” He couldn’t continue
anymore, so slid down to crouch beside McKenzie on that cold tile floor, easing
an arm around her, pulling her against him, reveling in her feel and smell. He was aghast at
how thin she’d become, and terrified she’d still reject him, thinking to save
him from himself.
“Sweetheart?” Fuck, she was crying again, silent hot tears dripping
to the floor. Michael turned her face into his shoulder and those tears damn
near boiled his bones.
McKenzie hiccupped and sobbed once. “Promise me. Promise me. No
contract, just a promise. Say you won’t ask anything of me that will end up
hurting you.”
Once again she shook him to his core, although why he should be
surprised he really didn’t know. His woman was one of kind and she’d been his
and could be again. “I promise.”
“All right. I’ll stay.” It was a measure of the depth of McKenzie’s
love for him she simply accepted his word. Michael was humbled to the ground
before it.
Standing awkwardly in the small space, he winced against the
discomfort in his ribs and McKenzie instantly rose to stand beside him, to
support him. He carefully pressed a kiss on her hair, trying not to reopen his
split lip. Damn those bodyguards of hers. Fucking his woman was going to be a
tad uncomfortable and not
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