Michael smiled. “But Eleanor didn’t die.”
“Shh…” Nora covered his mouth with her finger. “Don’t tell.”
For a few moments they both sat in silence. The sun had set and the lawn had come to life with a thousand yellow fireflies.
“Do your regret it?” Michael asked, his voice no louder than the lightning bugs.
“What? Not having Junior Kingsley or not marrying Søren?”
“Both?”
Nora sighed heavily and shook her head. Leaning forward she pressed her lips to Michael’s and gave him a deep, long, slow kiss. He moaned into her mouth and Nora smiled as she pulled back.
“Neither,” she whispered.
Michael gave a rueful laugh.
“So you don’t even wonder?”
“Sometimes,” she admitted, possibly for the first time ever out loud. “Junior Kingsley would be about seven years old now.”
“That’s how old Owen is.”
Nora ran a hand through her hair and tucked it behind her ear. Owen Perry—wavy black hair like hers, smart, weird—every time she saw him, she remembered.
“Yes, it is, isn’t it? But like I said, no regrets. Life’s too short for regrets.”
“Do you regret anything?” Michael asked and Nora’s stomach tightened.
Turning her head she saw Wesley standing before her, his big brown eyes rimmed with unshed tears as she told him goodbye.
“Nothing,” she lied.
She stood up and patted Michael on top of his head. “But that’s not what we were supposed to be talking about. Didn’t bring you up here to talk about all the gruesome shit in my past.”
“Better than talking about all the gruesome shit in my future when my father finds out about Griffin. Nora, if Father S doesn’t want me and another guy together, then maybe—”
“Angel, Father S has no problem with you being with a guy. He’s worried that Griffin won’t take care of you the way he thinks dominants should take care of their subs. Griffin’s a well-trained partier, an ex-drug addict. He put the play in playboy. And he and Søren hate each other for no reason either of them will tell me....”
Michael looked at her with guilty eyes.
“Michael…you know, don’t you?”
He didn’t answer. Nora cupped his chin and forced him to look at her.
“Angel, tell me. This is an order from your mistress.”
“It’s not fair that you can do that.”
Nora grinned at him. “I know.”
“Griffin…” Michael began and stopped. “He…and you…”
“Oh, Lord Almighty,” Nora groaned. Michael didn’t have to say another word. So Griffin had actually been in love once upon a time. With her of all people. Maybe one of these days she’d figure out why every man in her life had such terrible taste in women. “Griffin went to Søren about me, didn’t he? I should have known. Søren and Kingsley don’t believe any dominant should lay a hand on a submissive until he or she has experienced pain. And apart from bar fights, tattoos and hangovers, Griffin hasn’t. I guess that’s about to change tonight.”
“Father S is going to hurt Griffin?”
“Don’t worry. He loves you. He can take it.”
“You think Griffin loves me?”
Nora cupped his face and caressed his bottom lip with her thumb.
“I’m certain of it. After tomorrow, I think you will be too.”
Michael blushed crimson. “Oh, God. Me and Griffin… We’re going to be…” He couldn’t even finish the sentence.
“He’s going to f**k you blind the second he gets a chance. Hope you’re okay with that.” Nora grinned fiendishly.
Groaning, Michael collapsed down onto the window seat. Nora could only laugh at him.
“Don’t pretend you aren’t dying for it,” Nora said. She picked up her laptop bag and pulled a folder out of it, a folder that contained the single most beautiful photograph she’d ever seen in her life. No matter where she went, she always took the photo with her. She’d been given a copy with the express orders to show it to no one ever. And she’d followed those orders to the letter…until now.
“Nora…me and Griffin? Seriously? I want it…I do. I want it so much it hurts. But I just can’t. Father S—”
Nora opened the folder that contained the photograph and held it out in front of Michael’s face without a word. Silently Michael stared at the image in front of him. Watching his eyes, Nora saw his expression change from curiosity to understanding.
Michael finally wrenched his eyes from the photograph and looked at Nora, who stood subtly smiling at him.
“Feel better now?” she asked.
Michael nodded wide-eyed at her.
“Much.”
23
The sound of falling water roused Michael from his sleep. Rain pelted the roof above him and the window next to him. Usually he loved the sound of rain, especially a morning rain in the summer. But now his first thought upon waking was of Griffin on his motorcycle, wet roads and screeching tires.
So this is love, he decided. Love was f**king terrifying.
Even awake Michael kept his eyes closed, not wanting to face the morning yet. He’d spent all night asleep in the bay window seat curled up in Nora’s lap like a kid. Last night he’d been certain he’d never fall asleep, but Nora had started running her fingers through his hair and humming softly, humming the quietest of lullabies. The song and her soothing touch had calmed his racing mind and finally allowed him some rest.
“Shh…” Nora covered his mouth with her finger. “Don’t tell.”
For a few moments they both sat in silence. The sun had set and the lawn had come to life with a thousand yellow fireflies.
“Do your regret it?” Michael asked, his voice no louder than the lightning bugs.
“What? Not having Junior Kingsley or not marrying Søren?”
“Both?”
Nora sighed heavily and shook her head. Leaning forward she pressed her lips to Michael’s and gave him a deep, long, slow kiss. He moaned into her mouth and Nora smiled as she pulled back.
“Neither,” she whispered.
Michael gave a rueful laugh.
“So you don’t even wonder?”
“Sometimes,” she admitted, possibly for the first time ever out loud. “Junior Kingsley would be about seven years old now.”
“That’s how old Owen is.”
Nora ran a hand through her hair and tucked it behind her ear. Owen Perry—wavy black hair like hers, smart, weird—every time she saw him, she remembered.
“Yes, it is, isn’t it? But like I said, no regrets. Life’s too short for regrets.”
“Do you regret anything?” Michael asked and Nora’s stomach tightened.
Turning her head she saw Wesley standing before her, his big brown eyes rimmed with unshed tears as she told him goodbye.
“Nothing,” she lied.
She stood up and patted Michael on top of his head. “But that’s not what we were supposed to be talking about. Didn’t bring you up here to talk about all the gruesome shit in my past.”
“Better than talking about all the gruesome shit in my future when my father finds out about Griffin. Nora, if Father S doesn’t want me and another guy together, then maybe—”
“Angel, Father S has no problem with you being with a guy. He’s worried that Griffin won’t take care of you the way he thinks dominants should take care of their subs. Griffin’s a well-trained partier, an ex-drug addict. He put the play in playboy. And he and Søren hate each other for no reason either of them will tell me....”
Michael looked at her with guilty eyes.
“Michael…you know, don’t you?”
He didn’t answer. Nora cupped his chin and forced him to look at her.
“Angel, tell me. This is an order from your mistress.”
“It’s not fair that you can do that.”
Nora grinned at him. “I know.”
“Griffin…” Michael began and stopped. “He…and you…”
“Oh, Lord Almighty,” Nora groaned. Michael didn’t have to say another word. So Griffin had actually been in love once upon a time. With her of all people. Maybe one of these days she’d figure out why every man in her life had such terrible taste in women. “Griffin went to Søren about me, didn’t he? I should have known. Søren and Kingsley don’t believe any dominant should lay a hand on a submissive until he or she has experienced pain. And apart from bar fights, tattoos and hangovers, Griffin hasn’t. I guess that’s about to change tonight.”
“Father S is going to hurt Griffin?”
“Don’t worry. He loves you. He can take it.”
“You think Griffin loves me?”
Nora cupped his face and caressed his bottom lip with her thumb.
“I’m certain of it. After tomorrow, I think you will be too.”
Michael blushed crimson. “Oh, God. Me and Griffin… We’re going to be…” He couldn’t even finish the sentence.
“He’s going to f**k you blind the second he gets a chance. Hope you’re okay with that.” Nora grinned fiendishly.
Groaning, Michael collapsed down onto the window seat. Nora could only laugh at him.
“Don’t pretend you aren’t dying for it,” Nora said. She picked up her laptop bag and pulled a folder out of it, a folder that contained the single most beautiful photograph she’d ever seen in her life. No matter where she went, she always took the photo with her. She’d been given a copy with the express orders to show it to no one ever. And she’d followed those orders to the letter…until now.
“Nora…me and Griffin? Seriously? I want it…I do. I want it so much it hurts. But I just can’t. Father S—”
Nora opened the folder that contained the photograph and held it out in front of Michael’s face without a word. Silently Michael stared at the image in front of him. Watching his eyes, Nora saw his expression change from curiosity to understanding.
Michael finally wrenched his eyes from the photograph and looked at Nora, who stood subtly smiling at him.
“Feel better now?” she asked.
Michael nodded wide-eyed at her.
“Much.”
23
The sound of falling water roused Michael from his sleep. Rain pelted the roof above him and the window next to him. Usually he loved the sound of rain, especially a morning rain in the summer. But now his first thought upon waking was of Griffin on his motorcycle, wet roads and screeching tires.
So this is love, he decided. Love was f**king terrifying.
Even awake Michael kept his eyes closed, not wanting to face the morning yet. He’d spent all night asleep in the bay window seat curled up in Nora’s lap like a kid. Last night he’d been certain he’d never fall asleep, but Nora had started running her fingers through his hair and humming softly, humming the quietest of lullabies. The song and her soothing touch had calmed his racing mind and finally allowed him some rest.
