He asked. He didn’t demand. He asked.
She nodded consent and sat on the porch swing at the same time he did. He put his arm around her and pulled her against his huge chest. His T-shirt pulled tight over his pecs and she remembered what his bare chest was like and how she’d longed to stare at it for hours.
“I scared you.”
“Yes,” she admitted.
“I’m very dominant.”
“Yes,” she agreed with the same response.
“Does that worry you?”
“Uh huh.” She didn’t look at him. Instead she kept her gaze on her hands as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt. She was still wearing the same skirt and blouse from earlier, not wishing to part with the scent of Gabriel all over her clothes and body.
“Let me explain myself a little better. I know I came on strong. That was probably wrong of me in retrospect. You have no experience with either domination or sex for that matter. I threw you in to the wolves. Literally.” He chuckled, his chest vibrating. She adored the timbre of his deep laugh.
She tipped her head up and smiled. “Ha ha.”
“I can’t really apologize for my dominant methods. It’s just who I am. If I thought it wouldn’t suit you at all, I would do everything in my power to change. But you have reacted to every move of mine with a level of submission I’m shocked to discover in a mate. So, that isn’t really the issue here.”
She bit her lower lip between her teeth. That’s for sure.
“I’m gonna go with your fear over your reaction to me and your insecurity about what that means for us long-term.”
She nodded. Hit it in one. Thank God she didn’t have to spell out her feelings for him. It would have been humiliating at best.
“So, let me reassure you about several things. First of all, I’m so totally going to push you sexually behind closed doors and occasionally even out in public, but not that anyone else would know.”
Her pussy clenched when he spoke and she hated that he would be able to smell her arousal. It seemed humiliating to find his words so fucking sexy.
He grasped her chin and tipped her head up to meet his gaze again. “Are you worried about losing yourself?”
“Yes,” she muttered.
“I would never let that happen. I promise. We will always have an open communication between us to ensure both our needs are being met. Okay?”
She furrowed her brow at him. She’d not really witnessed that so far.
“I haven’t made you feel like you could voice your opinion, have I?”
She shook her head, her chin still in the grip of his hand.
“I’m sorry.” He set his forehead against hers. “I guess I was so caught up in claiming you and so enamored with your body, I didn’t pause to consider your feelings. Please forgive me.”
She didn’t respond. He needed to prove himself.
“Let me take you out. Show you how polite I can be in the company of others.” He grinned. “It’s the only way I know to demonstrate my total devotion.”
It cost him to say those words. She saw it in his eyes. He meant it. This was new territory to him too.
“Okay.”
“Have you eaten?”
“No. I couldn’t have swallowed around the lump in my throat.” She smiled.
“Let’s go to dinner then. I promise to be a perfect gentleman.” He stood and tugged her up next to him. “We’ll go someplace simple so we don’t need to dress fancy or anything. Tomorrow I’ll take you someplace swankier and really make an impression.” He waggled his eyebrows at the promise.
Kathleen led him through the house toward the front door. It was the first time she’d felt like she was in the driver’s seat of this relationship. Maybe he could play nice. “Mom, Dad, we’re going out.”
“Okay. Have fun.” Her mother stood from the couch and smiled.
Her father followed the gesture, nodding his consent.
Kathleen exhaled a long slow breath as they headed toward the car. “That wasn’t awkward at all,” she mumbled.
At the car door, Gabe pulled her into his embrace and kissed her on the lips, a soft gentle kiss that made her toes curl and her neck heat. “It’ll get better soon. I’m sure all mates feel a bit out of sorts at first.”
They drove to the local pizza parlor. Kathleen told him when and where to turn, and Gabe followed her directions as though they did this sort of thing every day. She relaxed marginally beside him, hoping he could prove to be a gentleman in public as he’d professed.
What if he didn’t? What if he insisted on managing her every move for their entire lives? She shivered. She’d never survive like that. He was indeed correct that she was consistently aroused by his domineering ways when it came to sex, but her unease definitely stemmed from worrying about living with a bossy mate who controlled her every move.