“You left.”
I flinched at the accusation in her voice. “I did.”
“You went back to your wife.”
And the lash came down again. “I did.”
“Do you still love her?”
I shook my head. “No. I won’t lie and say I didn’t think about trying to reconcile with her. There’s a lot that happened in the past month that I need to tell you about, including why I left the wedding so abruptly. I kissed her once, Maisy, and that was all it took for me to know that she’s not the woman I want to spend the rest of my life kissing.”
She studied me for a moment, her head tipped in thought. “And her daughter?”
“Isn’tmydaughter,” I responded immediately. “If my daughter’s mother will let me, I plan to claim both of them. Loudly and publicly.”
She came right up to me, and lifted her hands to cup my face. “She wants you to claim them.”
Elation filled me, and damn my dick for reacting. Now was not the time for me to get an erection. And of course, Maisy’s eyes glanced downward at the movement.
“Ignore it,” I said, annoyed at my body’s reaction rather than embarrassed. “Damn thing has a mind of its own.”
She bit her lips together like she was trying to keep herself from laughing. “Can I tell you a secret?”
“I want you to tell me all your secrets,” I told her honestly. “But for now, I’ll take this one.”
Maisy smiled, her hands moving from my cheeks to my shoulders. “I like seeing you on your knees before me.”
The shock that hit me at her confession had nothing on the arousal that flamed my blood. I’d always been the dominant one in any intimate scenario, even the kinkier ones. But if this incredible woman wanted me to kneel before her…? Fuck.
I’d kneel. I’d crawl. I’d submit.
“Then take me,” I encouraged, almost begged. “Use me. Find your pleasure, Maisy, and know I’ll love you all the more for it.”
I sawthe glint of desire spark in her sea-green eyes, but her posture and the way she bit her bottom lip betrayed her uncertainty. “You would… You would letmebe in charge?”
She truly did not understand the magnitude of my love for her, the lengths I would go to guarantee her absolute pleasure. “Take your dress off.”
Maisy blinked, clearly startled by my words. Swallowing hard, she reached for the hem of her sundress, but paused when I shook my head.
“Take it off becauseyouwant to.”
“But you’re already naked?” Though true, she voiced her statement like a question.
“I am,” I agreed evenly. “I wanted you to see all of me. It was a gesture that had nothing to do with sex, and everything to do with my love for you.”
Maisy glanced down the length of her body for a single second before tightening her grip on her dress and lifting it over her head. As much as I wanted to drop my gaze to her tits, I forced myself to keep focused on her face. She dragged her leggings down her legs,and I held a hand out to her to help her balance as she pulled them off her ankles.
Our eyes met as she straightened, and her cheeks pinkened. “Fucking beautiful,” I murmured, wanting to assure her. Still on my knees, I crooked a finger at her to beckon her closer. It only took her a couple of steps before she was nearly flush with my body. Wrapping my arms around her middle, I placed a kiss between her perfect tits before looking up at her. “We have very different experiences when it comes to sex, Maisy. I’m not saying that to compare, just an unfortunate truthful statement. And I’ll be honest right now, I’m nervous as hell.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “You are?”
I nodded. “Baby, I never want to hurt you or do anything to scare you. I love you far too much to ever risk that. When we were together before, I tried to take things slow, and I was terrified of doing something wrong.”
Maisy ran the back of her fingers down my cheek. “You were perfect. I was the one who messed things up the last time.”
I shook my head. “We’re not pointing fingers or placing blame. I would not come out on top if we did,” I added as more of a joke. “You asked me if I would let you take control. Baby, you’ve alwaysbeenin control. Everything we do, from now until eternity, is for you. If that means I take a step back in the bedroom and allow you to lead, then I will happily do so. If it means we don’t have sex for a while, then we wait as long as it takes. I want you happy, Maisy. It’s my life’s goal. You, Samantha, and any other children we may have… It’s my job to ensure it.”
The desire in her eyes increased as her uncertainty decreased. “I want you happy too. I just don’t know how.”