“What’s your favorite color?” I question randomly.
A giggle slips from her lips, and her brows furrow in confusion. “You’re asking me that now?” she asks incredulously, and all I can do is shrug. With a roll of her eyes, she responds, “Blue.”
“And what’s your favorite food?”
Another laugh before she tells me, “Sushi, with extra wasabi.”
“I wouldn’t have pegged you for a raw fish kind of girl,” I tell her playfully as I pull her over me and roll over. Once she’s straddling me, I watch as her body trembles when I slip from her. I’ve softened for now, but if she keeps wiggling her pert little ass on me like that, I’ll be hard in no time again.
“I like avocados, rice, and I love salmon.” She shrugs. “What’s not to love about sushi?” She scrunches her nose, leans in, and presses a kiss to the corner of my mouth.
“And what about your favorite drink?”
“Mm…” She thinks about it for a moment before responding, “Iced caramel latte with an extra shot of espresso.” Her words are breathy along my ear, and my neck and I feel blood coursing down toward my dick.
“If you keep sitting on me like that, I’m going to have to fuck you again,” I warn her. All thoughts of asking her questions have evaporated from my mind.
Clover swiftly tumbles to the mattress beside me before she asks, “Who broke your heart?” The question comes out of nowhere, and the moment she asks it, I have to fight the need to run. I’ve never spoken to anyone about what happened. I didn’t want to force myself to think about the pain I felt seeing my ex with someone else.
All the while I was with her, she was mine, all mine, and then she gave herself to someone else. Another Dominant who offered her what I couldn’t. She wanted a ring, and I couldn’t give her that. I believed I could never be that.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“No, come on, Gideon,” Clover says as I push off the bed. Sitting on the edge, I lean my head in my hands.
I want to tell her, but I don’t want her to see how weak I am. I’m meant to be in control, but right now, with her asking me about my past, I feel like I’m spiraling out of control. Not in a bad way, but more like the need to give her all of me.
“If you want me, I want you, all of you, so please, allow me to learn who you are,” Clover pleads with me, and I can’t fight her. I can’t deny that she’s right. I came here tonight to finally take a chance again, on my heart and on a relationship.
Turning to my pretty little Clover, I sigh, knowing I’m giving myself wholly to a girl and taking a chance. The same thing Oliver had told me to do when I first asked for his advice. And I know there’s no going back now.
Chapter 13
Clover
When I open my eyes, I find myself alone in bed. I don’t hear a sound in the apartment, and I wonder if Gideon left for work, or if he’s decided this wasn’t a good idea. The latter makes my chest tighten, so I force myself up and attempt to shake it off.
He told me he wanted me. He didn’t sound like he was lying, but I’ve been stupid with guys before. I grab a pair of shorts and slip them on, along with a tank top before I pad through the apartment to find it empty.
On the coffee table is a note lying in wait for me. Picking it up, I note the scrawl that I recognize as Gideon’s.
I had an early meeting. I’ll send a car for you later. Have lunch with me.
That’s all it says, but I can’t help but smile at him leaving me a note. He didn’t have to; he could’ve sent me a text message. Which reminds me of my phone. Heading back into the bedroom, I find my mobile on the nightstand, but there’s nothing waiting for me.
Setting it back down, I make my way to the kitchen and grab one of my favorite mugs, placing it on the drip tray of my Keurig machine, before tapping the button for a large coffee.
While it whirs to life, I open the window and take a long, deep inhale of the fresh morning air. It’s only eight, and I don’t have anything to do today since the sound technician is mixing what we recorded yesterday.
I need a day off to rest my voice, so I plan to vegetate on the couch with a book. Since Gideon only wants to have lunch, I have the whole morning before I have to be ready. Once my mug is filled with steaming liquid, I make a beeline for the couch and settle on the cushions, grabbing the remote to turn on the television.