Page 68 of My Ghost

He slides his hand down my back, slow and possessive.“What about us?”

I lift my head to look him in the eyes.His gaze is intense, unblinking.

“It’s just…you’re not what I thought you’d be.”

He raises a brow.“Disappointed?”

I snort.“Don’t fish for compliments.”

“I wasn’t.”His mouth lifts slightly.“I was bracing myself.”

That makes me smile, but then the question that has been running through my head slips out.“Matteo?”

“Mmh?”He hums low in his throat, his hand still caressing my back.

I hesitate.“Do you ever feel like going down to the club?”

His hand stills.“Why do you ask?”

“I’m…merely curious.”I feel flustered now and start to lift myself up.

But he bands his arm around my waist, pinning me back to him.“If you were curious about the club, why didn’t you ask me instead of…” He grips my hip, hard, and his voice becomes rougher.“Instead of going down there on your own.Jesus, anything could have happened if I hadn’t—”

“Relax, Matteo,” I cut in.“You were there and nothing happened.”

He exhales slowly, as if trying to regain composure.“Yeah.”

“You told me that you were not going there to…you know.”I feel my face heat.“But do you…are you into that kind of stuff?”

He chuckles at my embarrassment.“You mean Dom/sub dynamics?BDSM?Spanking?Be more specific.”

I have never been ashamed of my sexuality, but discussing this with him is…awkward.Why does my mouth always run faster than my brain?

“Ugh, never mind.”My face is flaming now and I push back with the intention to get up.But he only intensifies his hold, trapping me against him.

“No,amore.”He is serious now.“I’m not into hard BDSM, although I do like…power play and control.”His eyes lock on mine, scorching and hungry.

I frown.“Then you’ve tried?”

He resumes his slow, steady caress over my back.“I did conduct some research before I opened Second Circle.”

“And?You didn’t like it?”I’m curious now.This is a whole new world to me and somehow, I still can’t reconcile Matteo with the idea I have of this kind of place.

There is a beat of silence then he murmurs, “I didn’t find anyone I wanted to share that kind of intimacy with.”

Oh.I shift, suddenly unsure where to look.“Right, that makes sense…”

He watches me squirm for a while with a knowing smile.“Wanna go down there, little ghost?”he asks quietly.

I raise on my elbows, blinking down at him.“You’re offering to take me?”

“Only if you want to,” he replies, face unreadable.“I won’t push you into anything.”

My heart beats wildly in my chest.Do I want to open that door?Do I want to make myself vulnerable to him?Part of me is reserved, but the other, larger part is curious to see, curious to be with him like this.

“Okay,” I whisper before my resolve falters.“Show me…show me what it’s like.”

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