Colleen pointed her fork at Bridget. “You’re great at small talk. You can charm anyone at those fundraisers and mixers for the college.”
“That’s different.” Demanding stuff from her Dom felt wrong even if it was information she’d be entitled to if she were his girlfriend. Her limits in bed were clear, but Colleen was right. Most men loved to talk about themselves and what they wanted. This guy only wanted to play, but they understood each other. No relationship had ever moved this fast in bed or in her heart.
“If he doesn’t want you or a relationship, you deserve to know. You’re not afraid to be alone. Don’t be afraid to walk away because you’ve got a guy you like. If he doesn’t want you for you, you’ll be sorry in the end.”
Bridget chuckled. “You need to stop watching so much Dr. Phil.”
“I’m right,” Colleen said.
“I know, but it’s like there’s a wall. He wants me around but doesn’t want to share that much yet. It all happened so fast!”
“True, but when it’s right, you know. If you know how you feel, for sure, tell him.”
“Scare him away fast?” Bridget laughed.
“Scare him! Make him face stuff or lose you. Play on those ancient hunter instincts in men. They love to claim and conquer. That’s what sports is all about—or war. He’s into war, and if he’s smart, he’ll negotiate a treaty before you blitz him. He strikes me as the blunt type. Who won the war and who lost? I’ve heard he doesn’t give pluses or minuses. A grade is a grade.”
“A lot of professors do that.” She shrugged. “I’m not sure he’s even interested in me. Whenever I tried to talk about my paper for publication, he changed the subject. I don’t want to look weak.”
“You’re not weak. You’re not going to stand by and let him do things his way and string you along. Relationships take compromise. He has to negotiate, or you walk away from the table. Nudge him and see.” Colleen smiled. “I bet he caves, but make sure there’s nothing bad in his history before you get too serious. No jail time or anything. You never know these days.”
“He’s harmless, Colleen. Maybe something bad happened when he was a kid that made him afraid of a relationship?” Bridget hadn’t thought about that, and she should have. Her appetite returned, and she dug into her food. “Thanks. I needed this.”
“Now about your tenure. Word is good right now!”
Bridget’s mood picked up. She couldn’t change Scott’s history or what he might say, but she could give him her heart and safe space to share. If he refused, that was a problem.
Chapter Six
Honesty. Scott could do that. He simply didn’t know how to explain what he felt. She’d be there any moment and having the dinner at his place was a calculated move by her. At first, he relished the home court advantage, but she’d made him cook for her.
Not one to take the easy way out, he’d avoided takeout and made pasta instead. As the oven dinged, so did the doorbell. He turned off the heat and headed for the door. Letting Bridget in, he saw her friendly yet determined expression.
“You look very nice,” he said.
She lifted an eyebrow and walked inside. “Thank you. Are you feeling more talkative today?”
He took her coat and noticed her black slacks. Was that a power move or just because there was some snow on the ground with a prediction for another six inches overnight?
The message was clear. The ball was in her court. She hadn’t dressed for him.
“Would you like something to drink?” he offered.
“Not right now.” She sat at the table, and her expression was impossible to read. For a moment, he understood what his subs had felt. He had no clue what was coming.
Mulling things over last night had made him vulnerable. He tried to stay on a task. “Dinner is ready.”
She shook her head. “I’m not hungry. We should talk first. I thought we were getting along well. It seems we’re compatible in the bedroom. If there’s something you need to tell me about your past, just put it out there. If something happened to you, please tell me.”
What she was worried about clicked in his head. “Nothing happened to me. I didn’t ask about your past because I was abused,” he said.
“Good. I’m glad. So why is there a huge wall whenever I try to treat you like a boyfriend? We can be Dom/sub or friends watching TV and having dinner, but I want everything merged. A relationship.”
He sat across from her and deflected. “You don’t think we’re moving too fast?”