He remained silent.
“I’ve had Doms who have suggested I might want to switch to being dominant.”
“They what?” he asked incredulously.
“So you see, you might think you're being nice and noble offering to stay here, but I’d only end up driving you insane. You’d be better off just leaving after you’ve put in the rest of the cameras.”
She turned away. She couldn’t look at him anymore, worried she might just throw herself into his arms and beg him to forget everything she’d just told him. But she was doing them both a favor. She couldn’t stand it if he ended up turning away from her in disgust.
“Reagan, look at me.”
She turned, gasping as she found him standing right behind her. “You move like a ghost. Not that I believe in ghosts.”
He smiled. “I’m staying. We’re gonna get on fine.”
He said that now. But he hadn’t experienced living with her. The last person to live with her had lasted less than a week.
She wondered if Tiny would do better than that.
Chapter Five
“The cups go in this cupboard. They’re all the same, and the handles face this way. Best let me deal with the fridge. I don’t think you’ll get my system.” Reagan turned to look at Tiny. Hmm, he was still there.
He raised his eyebrows questioningly.
“You’re still here. Thought you might have run off by now.”
He grinned. “It’ll take more than this to scare me.” He’d finished installing all of the cameras about twenty minutes ago and had insisted she show him how she liked things done.
She placed her hands on her hips. “You won’t like living here with me. I’m abrasive and rude. There’s something wrong with me. Believe me, I know my faults. I drive people insane.”
His smile was wiped away by a frown. “Who said there’s something wrong with you?”
“Plenty of people. When I first moved here, I thought I should try to meet people. So I decided to rent out my spare room. I found a woman about my age, she was smart and educated. She lasted three days. Most of my work colleagues steer clear at me. My boss bought me my own fridge and put it in my office so I would quit rearranging the communal fridge in the staff room. And at the club, most of the Doms avoid me.”
“They avoid you?”
He looked shocked now. “I thought they would be grateful for instruction about what they were doing wrong, but they seemed to take offense.”
He leaned back, folding his arms over his wide chest. She swallowed heavily as studied him. He wasn’t overly tall. In fact, he was probably just a few inches taller than she was. But he seemed much larger. Maybe all those muscles made him seem taller. Or maybe it was just Tiny himself. He seemed to suck up all the space in her small kitchen. His short dirty-blond hair was in need of a cut, his jeans and T-shirt were clean but plain, his crooked nose and scar gave him a menacing appearance. Until he smiled. Then he took her breath away.
“Then they’re not very good Doms.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. Although, Roarke seemed more annoyed at me.” She still didn’t understand it. If someone was doing something wrong, didn’t they want to know so they could better themselves?
“I’m a very good Dom.”
“W-what?” She glanced over at him nervously. He hadn’t moved, and yet the room seemed to have shrunk around them.
“You wouldn’t find me lacking.”
Oh, dear Lord. No, she was sure she wouldn’t. She couldn’t help but run her gaze over his body. She laughed nervously. “That hardly matters since we won’t be scening together.”
He simply smiled.
She took a nervous breath. “I need to make dinner. If you’re staying then I guess I’ll have to get some more groceries. You look like you eat a lot.”
His smile widened. Her breath caught. When he smiled, it reached his blue eyes, and they sparkled as though they were sharing something special. Something just between the two of them.