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“So, what you’re telling me is that you want to go out and have sex with strangers, but you won’t sign on as my mistress. ”
He knew it was the alcohol talking, but still, there had to be some truth to her words. Had he read her wrong all along? Did she really not desire him? It was unlike him to feel doubt, but he didn’t know what to think right then.
“I didn’t know I liked sex until I had it with you, but it was good, really good, and I’ve decided I want to do that again and again. I can’t do it with you though, cause you’re a control freak who wants to rule my life. ”
“No, Ari, I want you to submit to me. ”
She looked at him with a furrowed brow for a minute as her drunken mind tried to comprehend his words. He took the opportunity to caress her neck with his mouth and he felt her low grown all the way to his toes. His groin jumped painfully as she ground her h*ps against him.
“Isn’t that the same thing?” she panted.
“Not at all. Let’s go home and I’ll show you the difference. ”
She looked at him with confusion as if she were trying to solve a difficult math problem. His body throbbed as he waited for her response. If she said no, then he’d stay at the club until her friends took her home – but he really hoped she’d just say yes.
“Okay. I better tell my friends, though. ”
It took almost a full minute for her words to sink through to his brain. When it registered, he wasted no time in pulling her from the dance floor.
“Where are they?”
“Over there,” she pointed. He spotted the women from the hospital room and made a beeline for their table. The three of them were looking at him like he was their next meal. He had to admit they frightened him just a tad. He’d have to check for hex bags beneath his bed.
“The mysterious Rafe arrives. I vaguely remember seeing you at the hospital,” one of the women said.
“Yes, somehow I received a message from Ari’s phone with a picture and her location. I’m taking her home now. ”
“Is that okay with you, Ari?” one of the women asked.
“Oh, yes. Rafe is going to show me the difference between control and submission. ”
Rafe nearly groaned as he watched the three women’s eyes go wide at Ari’s words. He and Ari were going to have to have another talk about privacy. Her friends suddenly seemed unsure if they should allow Ari to leave with him.
He didn’t care. They could try and stop him, but it wouldn’t do them any good.
“Goodbye,” he said as he wrapped his arm around her waist and grabbed her purse. Before the women could even think about standing, he was hauling Ari through the club. He got her into his car and floored the gas.
Just as he reached home, he looked over at her, anticipation burning hot. A groan escaped when he saw she was completely passed out. He may like a submissive woman, but he certainly didn’t want a corpse.
He wondered if a man could die from sexual frustration. He was beginning to think so. As he carried Ari into his home and laid her on his bed, he decided it was time for a stiff drink and an ice bath.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Ari turned over and felt a small ache in her temple, nothing too unbearable, but just enough to make her realize she’d had one too many drinks the night before.
Blackness surrounded her, letting her know it was sometime in the middle of the night still. Her lips opened and she realized how dry her mouth was. She needed a glass of water. She went to move the covers and her arm landed against something solid.
Tentatively, she wiggled her fingers and realized there was a man next to her. She stopped all movement as she tried to assess her situation.
The first thing she needed to figure out was who she’d gone home with. Very carefully, she reached inside the covers, then let out a relieved breath when she found she had some clothes on. That was a good sign.
Now, she just needed to figure out who she’d decided to have a one-night-stand with. Horror filled her at the thought. She may talk big, or even think she was capable of having casual affairs, but the reality of it was mortifying. She’d never respect herself if she treated sex like nothing more than a game. She felt bad enough about falling apart each time Rafe so much as looked at her.
At the thought of Rafe’s name, Ari’s memories came flooding back. She remembered dancing until her feet were screaming. There were so many men, and it had all been nothing more than innocent flirting, and a whole lot of hip action.
One minute she’d been dancing with a stranger, then the next she’d been in Rafe’s arms – right where she’d pictured being all night. He’d swept her across the dance floor, turning her excited body on in ways none of the other men could come close to being able to do.