Gentleman Sinner

‘You need to trust me.’

I don’t ask for more than that. Just like he hasn’t asked why I need to feel safe, or who has hurt me in my past. I trust him. ‘Okay,’ I agree. I feel like I’m dancing too close to the sun, and, bizarrely, I can’t wait to be burned.

‘Whatever you’ve run away from, Izzy, it can’t touch you as long as I’m here.’

I don’t appreciate the reminder. ‘I said okay.’

‘I heard you.’

‘Then please just take me to bed.’ I’m done with talking. Wants and needs have been established, and now I just need Theo to own me. To quench the insatiable thirst he’s unearthed. To give me something I’ve never had. Pleasure.Chapter 7

‘I’m not just taking you to bed.’ Theo holds me under my armpits and hauls me up so I’m standing over him while he remains on the floor at my feet. He reaches forward, looking up at me, and curls his palm around my ankle. I jolt violently, fire shooting up my legs and detonating in my chest. Explosions already. I need to grab his shoulders, I need support, but as I lift my arms to reach for them, Theo’s hands fly up and catch my wrists. He looks at my confused face as he gently takes my palms up to his shoulders for me. ‘Let me,’ he whispers, releasing my hands and allowing them to rest on his massive shoulders, closing his eyes as my touch meets his shirt.

The realization sucker-punches me in the gut. Oh my God. He doesn’t like being touched. I think about the way the members of his staff shift from Theo’s path when he’s near, and I remember every time I’ve gone to touch him myself. He’s caught me and controlled the touch. He’s seen my intention and taken charge of it. Callum giving me a wide berth all those times had nothing to do with me. It’s natural for Theo’s driver/friend/bodyguard to give people space because he does it all the time for Theo. And the butler, Jefferson. He told me to keep my distance. He wasn’t warning me to stay away. He was warning me not to touch Theo. All of Theo’s stealthy, quick moves, the times someone has gone to touch him. He’s expertly avoided them all.

I stare down at him, flummoxed. He needs controlled environments. Everything about Theo Kane since I met him has been controlled, and now I realize that will extend into the bedroom. He nods a little, seeing my comprehension, and his hands come back to my ankles, instantly replacing my shock with want. His touch doesn’t only make me feel safe. It makes me ache.

He smiles up at me, then lowers his eyes to my feet. ‘Like I’ve already told you,’ he says quietly, ‘you had me the moment I touched you.’ Lifting one of my feet to his knee, he starts to unfasten my sandal, his fingers constantly skimming the sensitive flesh of my ankle bone, driving me wild. But I wait, knowing it’ll be worth the agony. I had him. My touch. Our skin touching. A little part of me is intrigued, but a bigger part is relieved that he feels the same as me.

He releases my foot and drops my sandal, collecting my other foot and carefully removing that shoe, too. Once he’s done, both his hands slide around the backs of my calves and he lifts on his knees, bringing him higher, sliding his hands as he goes. He’s looking up at me, working his hands under my dress until he has a possessive hold of my arse. He squeezes, cocking his head a little, pulling me forward so his face is level with my breasts. Then he slowly drags my dress up until my bare flesh is exposed to his mouth. I still and close my eyes, knowing he’s going to come face-to-face with my scars at any second. I’m mentally preparing my go-to answer that I use when I’m asked what happened, feeling his movements falter. He’s seen them. Right now, while I’m hiding in my darkness, he’s staring at the aftermath of my past.

I wait for him to ask about the marks on my skin, but a few moments later, he still hasn’t. So I locate the courage I need to look down at him, finding him focused on my tummy. Staring. I breathe in shakily as he looks up at me, his face blank. Then he slowly drops his lips to the side of my belly button and licks around the area. My world doesn’t just flip upside down. It spins. And it spins. And it spins and spins and spins. Yet I still see Theo’s face. Clear as day, as bright as I’m sure it has ever been. My head falls back on my shoulders, my eyes closing in complete ecstasy, my gratitude fierce. The gentle swirl of his tongue is just the start of things to come. If this is fucking like a whore, then I’ll sign up for a lifetime’s worth.