Page 23 of No Going Back

CHAPTER SEVEN

For once, his inner sadist willingly took a back seat.

Guy set his whisky glass down and crossed the room to join the woman standing just inside the connecting door. He lifted a hand and trailed the back of his fingers down the side of her face.

She jerked away from his touch.

“Madeleine? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it’s just… I can’t explain, not yet.” She refused to meet his gaze. “Would you mind if we turned the lights off?”

He hated it when women were insecure about their bodies, as if only perfection were acceptable. Although Maddie was a mature woman, he’d guess in her forties, even she was bedevilled by that insufferable plague. Guy was torn—should he do as she asked and let her get away with it, or make her face her demons and risk losing her? It would have been so easy if he’d been her Master. She’d have been sure of him, and he could have given her what she needed to bolster her confidence.

“How about a compromise? I’ll switch the main light off but leave the table lamp on.” He glanced in the direction of the small light on the opposite side of the room. It would cast a lot less light than he would have preferred, but if that was what it took to make Maddie feel comfortable, then he could roll with it for now.

Maddie, on the other hand, looked torn, as if even that was more than she’d be happy with. He couldn’t allow that.

“It’s that, or this ends now. And I’ll give you fair warning—I won’t let you hide from me indefinitely.”

Although the stand-off lasted only a few seconds, to Guy it felt like a lifetime until she acquiesced.

“Come with me.” He took hold of her hand, firmly enough to lead her, but loosely enough for her to pull away if she changed her mind. He’d never forced himself on a woman, and he wasn’t about to start with her.

Every cell in his body seemed to have regressed to the stage of being a randy teenager desperate to get an attractive woman into bed. Attending to the lights on the way, he led Maddie to the sofa. His sane, mature head still held sway and demanded he take it easy with her. He was more than old enough to appreciate that the journey could be every bit as enjoyable as the destination.

He held her hand until she was seated. “Would you like that drink?”

“Please. Just a small one, though.”

He splashed some whisky into a second glass. Maddie cradled the tumbler between her palms, rolling it back and forth, apparently fascinated by the movement of the amber spirit within. Not wanting to risk intimidating her, Guy made himself comfortable a little distance away from her.

“Thank you for agreeing to come with me this evening. You made it a pleasure and not a chore.”

“Thank you for asking me.” She sipped her drink. “I enjoyed it.”

Guy took a healthy swallow of his whisky, knowing it would be the last alcohol to pass his lips that night. He deposited the glass on the low table in front of them. Though he’d kissed her before, it somehow seemed appropriate to ask her this time, given that it could be a precursor to something far more intimate.

“May I kiss you, Madeleine?”

She stared into what was left of her drink, then turned to him with a sparkle in her eyes. “I think I’d be disappointed if you didn’t. For the record, though, you don’t need to ask.”

Determined to do this right, Guy kept the first kiss gentle, more of a promise of things to come. He touched his lips to hers, teased them with the tip of his tongue, and withdrew when she would have allowed him entrance.

It was true, some things did get better with age. Guy wasn’t proud of his behaviour in relationships before he’d discovered his true nature—the phrase “reckless youth” had epitomised both him and his contemporaries. Then a chance comment had inspired him to explore alternative lifestyles. Mentored by a Domme who’d remained a great friend for many years until her death, he’d discovered a taste for Dominance with a well-defined streak of sadism.

“Is that the best you can do?” Tease and challenge shone in Maddie’s eyes.

“Oh, like that, is it? I haven’t even started.”

Taking the bait, he issued a demand of his own. He leaned in for a second kiss. This time, he nipped the fullness of her lower lip between his teeth before curving his hand around the back of her neck and demanding more. Finally given free rein, lust surged through his body.

“If you had any idea how badly I want you, you’d run back to your room and lock every damn door and window to keep me out.”

Her lashes swept upwards, and what he saw stole his breath. Her gaze gave him tingles as if he were a teenager again. Electricity crackled between them.

“Do you want me to run?” She asked the question as if she already knew the answer.

“I want you.”