She was stiff with shock, unable to believe that he was embracing her in such a public place. They had always been affectionate with each other, but not like this – not in such a blatantly open environment.
Even without looking around her, she could feel all gazes on her – on them, and those gazes did not feel friendly.
“Jason, let go of me,” she said unconvincingly.
His arms only tightened. “In a moment.”
She looked up at him, bewildered.
“I want everyone here to see that you are mine.” His voice became chilly. “And so anyone who hurts you…hurts me.”
It was a great line, enough to make her want to cry, which she didn’t want to do in a public place. And so she said almost waspishly, “You sound like a bad actor playing the role of a Mafia lord.”
He slowly loosened his hold, just enough for him to step back so Keanne could see him smirk. “And I know you well enough to understand those words are merely your way of not wanting to appear weak in front of these idiots.”
Her fingers curled against his chest. “Tell me it will be okay.”
Her words wiped the amusement from his lips. She was truly afraid, and it hit him raw. He didn’t want her to be afraid of anything. He couldn’t bear seeing it. He needed her to be strong.
“Remember your promise, Keanne?”
Her eyes shot up to him. “Y-yes?”
“Then I command you to not be afraid.” His voice was again that strange and irresistible mixture of steel and silk, a velvety order that promised the sweetest pain and the most agonizing pleasure.
Finally, the word came to her.
Dom.
Oh my God, Jason Christakos was a Dom.
When Jason saw her eyes widening in surprise, her fear completely forgotten at the realization that hit her, he answered the questions in her gaze with a razor-sharp smile, one that did not promise gentleness or tenderness. No, his smile promised Keanne everything of him – every damn possessive and dominant cell that made up the real Jason Christakos, the one he kept ruthlessly hidden beneath his charming and easygoing persona.
She swallowed convulsively. “You’re…” Oh my God, she just couldn’t believe it.
He answered silkily, “Yes.”
Her mouth opened and closed several times.
“You said you loved me, Keanne.”
His purring voice made her wet, embarrassingly so. They were in the middle of a public parking lot, surrounded by hundreds of college students – most of whom probably recognized both of them. And yet somehow none of it made any difference to her.
Merde.
Jason Christakos. A Dom. It was so freakishly sexy she could barely contain herself just thinking about what that meant.
“Do you? Do you love me, Keanne?”
“You know I do,” she whispered.
“Then you will do what I ask you to?”
“Yes.”
“You will no longer be afraid.”
“Yes.”
“You will only think of me if you start to feel fear crawling back into your heart, and you will not be afraid anymore. You have me in your corner, Keanne.” He was not being boastful and she knew it. He was Jason Christakos, after all. If she had him in her corner – and it did seem she had – then there really was nothing to be afraid of.
“Do you understand, Keanne?”
“Yes,” she whispered again. The way Jason was staring at her with such blatant possessiveness made her feel faint. She knew he wasn’t in love with her yet – or at least he didn’t think he was. But even so, there was something in his gaze that made her hope. He had never looked at her this way in the past – like he wanted to own her and keep Keanne under lock and key forever.
Oh, if only.
“Later,” he said quietly, “I will fetch you.”
“Yes.”
“I will take you home. My home.” He paused, his eyes holding hers captive, brilliant blue eyes demanding acquiescence from her, and she surrendered to him without a struggle.
She said simply, “I will do anything you want, Jason. I love you.”
Chapter Seven
Merde. Did he really mean this?
She gazed at Jason’s message in consternation. What kind of idiotic game was he playing?
Keanne: Do you really mean this?
Jason: Yes.
His curt answer made Keanne want to strangle him. She was pretty sure it was deliberate, too. Jason had always been like that, acting like it was his God-given mission to pull her down a peg or two and make sure her feet were firmly on the ground.
Silly old man, Keanne thought. Didn’t he know that his indifference to her love all these years had always kept her humble? It was hard to be proud when the man you loved didn’t really see you as a woman.
Her finger moved down the screen of her phone to pull up Jason’s earlier messages. She knew what he had written, but she just found it too incredible that she needed to read it again.