Page 71 of Caging Liberty

I let out a breathless laugh. “That’s not fair.”

“What, you don’t like to be teased?”

“No.” I look down at her and smile. She smiles back, but then lets it slowly fall.

“What?” I ask, fingering a lock of her hair.

Her eyes glisten in post-orgasm bliss, but there’s something else there too.

“Do you really want me to call you Mr. A?”

I consider her question for half a second before shaking my head. “Not when we’re alone, no.” I run my fingers through her hair. “But I’d prefer it if you called me Mr. A when anyone else is around. Sawyer has a thing about names, with the manor whores, at least… It’s a power thing.”

She nods absently and looks away. “Okay.”

“Hey.” I caress her face, then tilt it so she’s looking at me. “If it’s a problem for you, we’ll break that particular rule. Fuck Sawyer.”

She shakes her head. “It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

She lets out a soft breath. “I fucking hate being called Ivy.”

I give her a small, understanding smile. “Then I won’t call you Ivy.”

“Like, at all?”

“Like, at all.”

“You won’t care if Sawyer gets pissed?”

I shake my head.

“But what if he—”

“Liberty.”

She closes her mouth, and I run my thumb over her lips. “You’re safe with me. I promise.”

For the first time since I met her, she looks like she believes me. She snuggles her head against my chest and closes her eyes, her arm stretching across my abs to hug me close.

“Angel?”

“Hmm?”

She sighs, her breath kissing my skin.

“Thank you.”

19

Liberty

One month later

My hips sway to music that reminds me of my days in college.

I’d be out at a club with friends, usually my roommates, Tori and Mia. We’d start out sticking together, allowing the occasional guy to cut into our space if we deemed him worthy. At some point in the night, when our vision blurred and our heads were light enough for us to drift away in the arms of a barely-man in his early twenties, we’d break up.