Page 17 of Gabe's Obsession
"Because you're afraid?"
She stayed silent, specifically not answering his question. After a few minutes of quiet, Gabe threaded his fingers through her silky hair and tugged just enough on the strands to force her to lift her head and look at him.
"Answer the question, Nina. I think we've already established how important honesty and trust is in this situation."
"I believe there are some things better left unsaid. Some doors, once opened, can never be closed again. I can't risk that."
The sadness in her non-answer was unmistakable, so much so that he was left with an inexplicable ache in his chest. Nevertheless, he had to know what the hell she meant.
"You can't risk what exactly?" he questioned.
She looked back at him, the sadness now darkening her normally vibrant eyes. "Don't do this. You're asking me to risk our friendship. A friendship I'm not sure I could live without."
For half a second he thought he could let it go. Then her bottom lip quivered and a sheen of tears pooled in her eyes. He'd always had a weakness for making his subs cry. He viewed tears as the near ultimate act of vulnerability and intimacy. And had he mentioned he was a sick bastard? While tears could be cathartic in healing, they also made his dick hard. Not that he was suffering in that department.
"I'm not going anywhere and neither is our friendship. No matter what happens between us or what we might learn about each other, nothing can alter how much I care about you and specifically what happens to you. So stop letting fear hold you back. We all have to take risks. It's the only way to win big."
"That's easy for you to say. You don't have anything to lose."
"That's naïve of you to think so. Everyone everywhere always has something to gain or lose. Always. Now stop evading my question and tell me the real reason why you've never participated in a scene."
Anger flashed across her face, almost making him laugh with its predictability. Filled with a fervent passion for life, his Nina always ran hot or cold. She was not a lukewarm woman. Now it would be his job to temper some of her emotions and channel it into something far more productive and/or pleasurable.
Watching her suffer these last few weeks had been hard to bear. How many times had he considered yanking her under his control to stop it? The only thing that stopped him had been the serious nature of her repressed memories. They weren't to be taken lightly.
Several more minutes passed without her uttering a word and while he considered himself to be a patient man, he did have his limits.
"Nina," he warned.
"Fine," she huffed. "I never tried it because the right man never asked."
Some of Gabe's tension eased once she said the words, but the part of his body being fueled by arousal flared to life.
Fuck.This woman. She would be the death of him.
She hadn't said the exact words he'd been hoping for, but they were there just the same. She'd been waiting for him.
And he'd been an asshole and not pursued her. Primarily because Mason had demanded it. For some reason the lifestyle was good enough for all of them, but not good enough for her.
Or maybe all roads led back to the same fucking scenario. The night of their father's death. They all acted like they wanted her memories to return, but their actions didn't exactly match up on that.
By treating her with kid gloves and making sure she didn't get too involved in their lives, it kept her in that same limbo she'd lingered in for over a decade.
He'd definitely have to give some more thought to her brother's motivations, but not now. Right now he needed his focus solely on Nina.
"And who is the right man?" he asked. Yes, maybe his ego was starting to get the best of him, but that didn't change the fact he needed to hear her say it.
"Now you're just being a jerk."
He chuckled. "I've been called much worse. By you, many times. In fact, I'd dare say jerk is quite an improvement. Nevertheless, there is one thing that should be crystal clear in this negotiation."
"What's that?"
He gazed into her eyes, relieved that the sadness and anger that had previously filled them had given way to something else. Curiosity or resignation maybe?
"When we do this, and considering you're still here on my lap and not fighting me too badly, I'd bet we will be doing this, it will be because we both have agreed that it's something that we want. I am not coercing you into anything. In order for this to work, your consent is key."
"I'm aware," she replied, her voice lowering to a husky whisper that cracked at the end.
