Page 57 of Protected
His expression softened, and he stepped into the room past her.
When she closed the door, he moved quickly and wrapped her in a hug. The feel of his arms melted her a little more, and she relaxed into his hold.
“I’m going to say something, and I don’t want you reading too much into it because I’m still pissed at you.” Darci stepped out of his embrace as she spoke.
“I’m listening.”
“I’m glad you’re here. I’m furious at you. But I’m glad you’re here.”
He chuckled. “Your anger is duly noted and warranted, Miss Sanders. I’m glad I’m here too. Let’s get you to bed. I want to take you somewhere for breakfast.”
They quietly got ready for bed and to Bradley’s credit, he didn’t try to initiate sex with her. Turning him down would have been difficult, but she wasn’t ready to go there with him again just yet.
The next morning, Darci woke to the gentle nudging and soft voice of Bradley trying to get her out of bed. “Wake up, sleepyhead. We’ve got to get on the road.”
She groaned and tried to roll away from his nudging. “What time is it?” she mumbled.
“Early, now come on. Get up.” The commanding tone of his voice sent a little shiver of delight through her despite how sleepy she was.
Cracking one eye open, she scowled at him. “Why are you only bossy in the mornings? You could have at least brought me breakfast.”
He kissed her forehead. “I’ll be bossy other times if you want me to, but that requires a longer conversation. And you’re not awake enough, so come on before I tickle you. I couldn’t bring you breakfast, because that’s where I’m taking you.”
She frowned and threw back the covers.
“This better be a damn good breakfast.”
His chuckle at her morning grumpiness turned to a hum as his gaze swept her body.
“The things I would do to you if we weren’t in a hurry.”
“You aren’t doing anything to me until we talk,” she huffed.
“OK then, Miss Sanders. Let’s go eat, so we can do just that and get you to work.”
A few minutes later, they were both dressed and in a cab.
“It’s nearby,” he said as he casually stroked her hand. “I think you’ll appreciate the view here, and the food is pretty good.”
Bradley wasn’t wrong. The view from the rooftop restaurant was amazing, and Darci soon forgot her dislike of mornings as she enjoyed yet another sunrise with him. They couldn’t avoid this conversation forever though, so with one last glance at the gorgeous view, she turned to Bradley. “Let’s talk.”
“I’ll ask the same questions I asked last night. What happened? Why didn’t you talk to me?”
She took a large drink of coffee and composed herself.
“You forced your parents on me without even discussing it with me. It was a shit thing to do. It reminded me of the controlling, dick move things Damion used to do. There are some things you don’t know about me yet that I’m not ready to talk about, but things like this are why I ended that dynamic. That and he tried to keep me from my best friend when she was in crisis. Last night, I decided perhaps I should walk away before things got worse. If you were inconsiderate enough to force something like a meeting with your parents on me, what else might you be inconsiderate about? Especially if we add power exchange to our relationship.”
The regret she saw in his expression lifted some of the weight from her shoulders. Damion never showed regret.
“I hear you and I’m sorry. I fucked up. You’re absolutely right. I can assure you it won’t happen again. Not to stray from the subject too much, but my parents loved you.”
Her lips curled up in a small smile.
“I liked them an awful lot, too. I’m not angry about having met them. I’m angry that I didn’t get a say in it.” Her therapist would be proud of her. That thought reminded her she needed to schedule another session soon. Things had been so crazy lately that she’d missed her last one. Bradley reached across the table and gripped her hand.
“Baby, I’m sorry. How do I make it up to you?”
She squeezed his hand. “Understanding that what you did is wrong is a great start. I care about you Bradley. I miss power exchange, but I can’t do what I did with Damion. I have to be your equal even if we add kink.”
