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time past her pink lips.
Like this, Matt?
Teeth gritted in agony, he shook his head. Being an adventurous girl, she might be excited by the
promise of a new experience, but was most likely just experimenting. Curious about the unknown. But
for how long? What if his nature dimmed her free spirit before she d had enough? He d never forgive
himself. At this point, he d stopped warning himself off with the reminder of her family name. She
was a Mason. Brent s little sister. If his best friend had an inkling of the thoughts plaguing him day
and night, he d have him in a pair of cement boots, sinking to the bottom of the Hudson. He d deserve
it, too.
Could she have meant it? Could she& accept me, just like this?
Another flashback projected itself in his mind, identical to the ones he d been having all morning,
whenever they d managed to form a crack in his thoughts of Lucy. His ex-fiancée s expression of
distaste when he finally revealed his needs. Her panicked look when she realized she d agreed to
marry a man with what she referred to as a sickness.
Back then, he hadn t yet explored his urge to dominate in bed. It had been hiding somewhere in the
back of his consciousness for as long as he could remember, but when he d finally gotten the courage
to admit what he needed, he d been shut down cold. After that, he d tried so hard to keep it under the
surface, until he d finally gotten the nerve to explore it one night, taking it just a little too far with
someone who clearly didn t understand. He d seen the emotional damage he could cause. The way
she d recoiled from him like he was a monster. That memory had been seared on his brain, only now
it was Lucy s face, looking appalled, repelled, by what he kept tied up inside. Lucy turning to another
man for comfort. A man with normal needs.
Matt pounded the steering wheel so hard it shook.
He wouldn t recover from that outcome. Not his time. Not with Lucy.
If he walked away now, it would be best for her. He knew that. It would ensure he didn t continue
to disrespect his best friend by going behind his back, too. The fact that he d let it go on this long was
inexcusable. If he walked away now, Lucy would meet someone else. A man without a truckload of
baggage and an ugly past. One who had the ability to treat her right. Brent would rib the poor guy
constantly, but he d be at peace with Lucy s choice in a way he would never be okay with Matt. His
friend who d taken advantage of his trust, pursuing his sister well past the point where he d found out
her identity.
Or he could take one more leap of faith. A shot in the dark that Lucy could allow him to explore his
needs while he took unqualified care of hers. He could trust Lucy to know her own mind, giving him
the chance to return the favor for the times she d trusted him. He could& show her. Another surge of
anticipation tore through him. To be with Lucy, guilt-free, no limits&
The light turned green. Instead of continuing down Second Avenue as his route dictated, Matt
flipped a U-turn back toward the Upper East Side, where he knew Lucy and Brent were having lunch
at Quincy s in half an hour.
&
Lucy sat on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art sipping a Diet Coke through a straw and
staring into space. Groups of students on field trips diverged around her, cabs honked, hot dog
vendors yelled into their cell phones. The multitude of sounds swept along the warm summer breeze,
barely registering. She hadn t exactly been in the best frame of mind for a job interview but thought it
had gone surprisingly well. The young woman who d interviewed her had been a Syracuse alum and
they d talked for an hour before actually getting down to business. If she was offered the job, she
might even have a lunch buddy on day one. Luck seemed to be on her side.
At the very least, the interview had distracted her for an hour, and reminded her of her objective to
become employed as soon as possible. Now however, against her admittedly weak will, her thoughts
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