Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25371 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 127(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 85(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25371 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 127(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 85(@300wpm)
Henry played with a wrinkle in the sheet as he kept his eyes downcast. “Yes, but Hyde is the man you want in your bed. You barely tolerated my kisses.”
I reached out and caressed his jaw. “That’s not true. I liked your kisses. They were sweet.”
Henry rose and paced around the bedroom. “Sweet. You are just trying to spare my feelings. A woman like you doesn’t want sweet. Like you said, you want passion and danger.”
“I admit it. I thought I wanted passion and danger. I don’t anymore. I don’t think I’m cut out to be with a man like Hyde. I don’t think I have the emotional fortitude.”
Henry turned to face me. “Does that mean you could want a man like me?”
I bit my lower lip.
Henry ran his hand through his hair. “Stop. Wait. Don’t answer that. It’s unfair of me to ask you that. Not now.”
“I’m not saying no, Henry. It’s just been a rough night. I need a shower and time.”
“Oh, my God! Of course! Of course! I can’t believe I’ve been grilling you about your feelings when you’re,” he gestured to the broken bed and handcuffs, “obviously indisposed.”
Henry circled around the bed assessing my situation.
I waved in the direction of the fallen bedposts. “I tried to break the one post but as you can see it didn’t go very well.”
Henry frowned. “If only we had the key.”
His eyes widened. He patted his denim pockets in front then in back. He reached inside his back pocket and pulled out a key. “The handcuff key!”
My eyes narrowed. “How do you have that?”
“Hyde tossed it to me this morning, saying I might need it. I didn’t think anything of it at the time and then when you didn’t show up for work, I got worried and forgot all about it.”
It seemed plausible but still…
I shrugged. Now was not the time to look a gift horse in the mouth. I lifted my wrist. Henry unlocked the handcuff. I let out a long sigh of relief as I rubbed my wrist. I was surprised to see there weren’t any real marks with the exception of a faint red mark near my thumb from where I had tried to pull my hand through the metal bracelet.
I wrapped the sheet around myself more securely. “Thank you. I’d like to get dressed now.”
Henry jumped back. “Of course! I’ll just be downstairs.”
I nodded.
Before he left the bedroom, he surveyed my broken bedroom door. Pointing to it, he said, “I’ll fix this for you later.”
I gave him a faint smile. “That would be nice, thank you.”
It would be a nice gesture. I hated to think what Mr. Langon would say if he saw the shattered door.
After Henry left, I rose from the mattress on the floor and hobbled to the bathroom. Every muscle in my body hurt. I reached down and turned the knob for the shower. Usually, because of my pale, sensitive skin, I took lukewarm showers. Not today. I turned the knob as hot as it would go and stepped under the stream. I couldn’t contain a groan of relief as the hot water hit my sore back and shoulders.
I soaped up a washcloth and rubbed it down my arms and legs. I then twisted to catch a glimpse of my ass. I was surprised to see only creamy white skin. No marks. My cheeks flamed at how Hyde had put me on all fours and whipped me with his belt and then fucked me hard from behind. My orgasm was so intense I’d passed out. When I woke up, he was gone. I was so overtired from sex with him that I fell asleep again, not caring that I was still chained to the bed.
Later, when I was alone with a bottle or three of wine, I would let myself dwell on what happened. Right now, I was content to think Hyde was the biggest, most arrogant asshole in the world but also the greatest sex partner I’d ever had in my life and leave it at that. There would be plenty of time later for guilt, regret, second-guessing, and analyzing every detail with girlfriends.
Maybe in time, when I was older, married, and settled with a few kids, I would look back on this with amusement as a final reckless fling, like most people did with their stupid mistakes in their twenties. They chalked it up to being young and stupid and left it all in the past.
And that was where Hyde belonged. In the past.
I slipped into a simple black dress and a cozy pair of socks before heading downstairs.
The smell of coffee drew me to the kitchen.
Henry was standing in front of my tiny stove wearing my frilly French maid-inspired apron.
I laughed.
He turned and gave me an innocent look. Feigning confusion, he held up his spatula and said, “What?”