“Why not?”
She yawned. She should probably work on building those shields back up. “Don’t like to be on my own. I feel more helpless. And I get cold.”
Her bed was uncomfortable. The air-HVAC system never worked in her apartment. Most of the time she was hot as hell, but, then, at night she got so cold. It was kind of weird.
His arms tightened around her then he sat and held her on his lap. She leaned back against his arm. She should sit up, move her weight from his legs. No doubt she was squashing him.
“You’re used to sleeping with someone?”
Not with someone. “Butch was always like an electric blanket. Snored a lot though.”
“Did he? Butch, you say? A friend?”
“My best friend.”
“How long was Butch in your bed for?”
“All his life.”
Until she’d had to leave. Poor Butch, he hadn’t understood why he couldn’t come. But she knew he’d be better off with Freddy. For all his faults, her brother would never harm Butch. And she could barely take care of herself, let alone him.
All his life?
Connor shook off his jealousy, trying to work that one out. He had no right to feel jealous. Everyone had a past. So what if she’d missed having that Dom in her bed? It didn’t mean anything.
“Butch was your Dom?”
“What?” She laughed and tried to sit up. He held her down, his hand on her chest. “Of course not. Butch was my dog.”
Okay, that made a lot more sense.
“Where is he now?”
“I had to leave him behind.” Sadness filled her gaze. Leave him behind? With whom? When? The questions burned on his tongue then his attention was stolen by the way she started fiddling on his lap, trying to climb off.
“Stay still,” he growled. The blanket he’d wrapped around her came down a little, exposing the top of one breast. Fuck, her wriggling was really making it hard for him to keep his vow of not fucking her tonight.
“You should let me get off. I have to be squashing you by now.”
Oh, hell no.
“Those there are spanking words,” a deep voice growled. He glanced up as Joe took a seat in the armchair across from him.
Ria turned with a gasp. “What?”
“Any sub of mine talked like that and she’d be over my lap before the words were even fully out,” Joe promised in a dark voice. He gave Connor a look of censure.
“Ria already knows how I feel about her talking down about herself,” Connor told him. “I’ll be dealing with it.” In my own way.
Joe nodded in satisfaction.
“Are you two seriously discussing me like I’m not lying right here,” she said with disbelief.
“We are still in the club, sub,” Connor told her sternly. “You’re going to want to watch the way you talk to either of us. In here, I’m in charge.”
She bit her lip. “Sorry, Sir.”
“And just because I’m a friend doesn’t mean you get to disrespect me,” Joe told her.