Page 8 of Temptation

Leaning against the wall across from the door, arms crossed over the turkey on his chest, his eyes laser focused. Their gazes met and she lifted her chin defiantly, even as her insides got a little gooey. Dammit. He was in full Dom mode and her body responded.

Remembered.

Try to keep it together and also remember how he fucking ghosted you right after that night.

“It’s all yours,” she said, jerking her gaze away, stepping to the side as she gestured back at the room she’d just left.

Orlando stepped forward and she instinctively moved away from him, her back hitting the wall as his arm came up, planting his palm right next to her so she couldn’t keep heading toward the stairs. Her heart rate picked up, her traitorous body practically tingling as he trapped her.Fuck, fuck, fuck.

This wasn’t hot, dammit.

It wasn’t.

“We need to talk.”

“Mmm, yeah, I think that time has passed.” She moved to duck under his arm, but he leaned in at the same time, pressing her into the wall with his body. A whimper threatened to escape her lips and she barely managed to swallow it back. She wasnotgoing to let him affect her this way… except it wasn’t like she really had a choice.

No matter what she might want, no matter how she might want to respond to him, her body had a mind of its own.

This is what happens when you go for a year and a half without a Dom and then one presses you into the wall. Doesn’t matter that he’s a colossal ass. You’re a submissive who isn’t getting her needs met and your body doesn’t care that he’s a dick… it just wants his dick.

Fuck.

Brooke had been right. Orlando had been right. She’d been denying herself and this was the result —she was getting turned on by a guy she hated.

“I owe you an apology.” Green eyes bore into hers and she raised her eyebrow. Okay, well, this should be good. Juliet stilled, holding herself in place, waiting… because, yeah he totally did. He stared at her, not saying anything.

“Go on.” She poked him in his stomach, pretending as if she wasn’t internally freaking out because of his closeness. Part of her hoped he would step away when she poked him, another part of her got a little thrill when he didn’t. Fucking Doms.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you like that. When I woke up, I got freaked out and then my mom called and we were talking and I couldn’t stop thinking about how happy she is with Lawrence and how I don’t want to fuck that up for her… but I shouldn’t have just ghosted you.”

The hurt inside her that had been carefully sheltered, cultured into anger over the past year and half, blossomed. Crossing her arms over her chest to give her at least a little space between them, she glared at him.

“Then why did you?”

For the first time, his gaze lifted, like he couldn’t quite meet her eyes while he was speaking.

“Honestly? I knew if I talked to you that I wouldn’t be able to do it. I wouldn’t be able to walk away. And I figured if you hated me, then it wouldn’t matter what I wanted.”

Fury bubbled up inside her all over again. It was just like him to make a unilateral decision for her. No consultation, no discussion, just what he wanted and not only had he not cared if he hurt her, that had been his actual aim. Which brought up the old hurt and magnified it.

Fucking asshole.

“Well done, good job. You definitely achieved that.”

“I know. I’m an ass. But I’m not wrong about you, either.” His gaze lowered to meet hers again, the earnest sincerity in his expression threatening the hurt and anger that she’d wrapped herself in like a shield against him. “You are submissive. You can’t just turn that part of yourself off and expect to be happy. And I do want you to be happy. London isn’t going to do that for you.”

“And I suppose you are?” Sarcasm dripped from her question.

“If you’d let me. I’d like to try again. But we’d need to talk about things, like what we’re going to tell our parents and-“

“Fuck you, Orlando Romeo.” Enough was enough. Juliet put her hands against his chest and shoved him back. “Red, okay? Fucking red.”

They weren’t in a scene, but she knew he would respect a safe word regardless and she was right. Relief flooded through her as he stepped back, hands up in the air, an almost wounded expression on his face.

“Juliet-“

“Kink isn’t everything. I want to be with a man who wants to be with me. A man who willcallme. I don’t want a Dom, I want a boyfriend who treats me like I matter.”