The Commitment(17)

I frowned.

"I tried, Kate," he said, his expression pleading. "It did nothing for me so I didn't do it with any conviction. Sunita had a bit of a crush on me. She was upset when things didn't work out between us and tried to stir up trouble."

"What did she do?"

"She tried to force me to do what she wanted. Lara finally hooked Sunita up with a new Dom, but she's always made me know how she feels. I've seen her a few times at dungeon parties and she's tried to get back with me. I've always refused her politely."

"Then you intentionally hurt her."

"Only as part of my training," he said, a note of protest in his voice. "Once I discovered my own hard limits, I never did S&M again. What is it with Dawn?" he said, leaning over to kiss my shoulder. "Why can't she understand?"

"She was traumatized as a young girl. It's her blind spot."

"You're very generous with her." He shook his head. "If she were my friend, I'd have ended it with her by now."

"She's only trying to help. She really believes I'm in danger from you."

He pulled me into his lap, so that my arms threaded around his neck. "I hope you know you're not. I'd never purposely hurt you, Kate. I love you."

"I know," I said, but a creeping sense of unease spread through me. Dawn had to go and ruin a very nice evening with Drake.

Part of me hated her.

Part of me wanted to block her from my life, block her emails, her phone calls. But she truly was acting from a place of concern.

"Look, if you doubt me, Lara can tell you."

"No, that's all right," I said, feeling bad now for even asking about Sunita. "I don't need to call her. You've never done anything to make me question you. I've never been afraid of you."

He nodded. "We have to trust each other for this relationship to work."

"I know. But maybe before we leave, I'll meet with Dawn and have it out. Try to reason with her."

"Why?" he said. "What do you owe her? She tried to break us up. She tried to harm me professionally."

"She did." I cupped his cheek with my hand. "But she's like family. I've been her friend forever. I owe her one last chance to make her understand. Or at least, accept."

He sighed and pulled me closer, his face in the crook of my neck. "You're too good."

"She's been there for me through so much of my own stuff. When my mother died. Flyboy. Problems with my father. Africa. I can't throw her over without one last try."

He nodded, pushing my hair away from my shoulder, which he bit softly then kissed.

"Sweet forgiving Kate." He pulled me down on top of him so that I lay with his arms around my waist, my head resting on his chest. "If you really want to see her, go ahead, but at some point, you'll have to decide if keeping her as a friend is worth the aggravation. You go to sleep. I have to zip to the hospital and check on a case."

I nodded and watched as he dressed and left me alone in the apartment.



When I was done washing my face and brushing my teeth, I crept beneath the coverlet, missing the warmth of Drake's embrace, unable to get the image of him hurting Sunita – whoever she was – out of my mind's eye. I lay awake for a very long time before sleep finally claimed me, so tired that I didn't even hear him when he returned later that night.



In the morning, Drake was up very early and I could hear sounds of the bath running. He came back into the room, naked, watching me from the doorway.

"Would you like a nice bath? I feel like a soak."

I smiled, glad at the prospect.

The bath was hot and soapy and smelled good – of something masculine – Drake's cologne. I stepped in and sighed as I sank down beneath the bubbles. Drake naked was a thing of beauty, with his narrow hips and wide shoulders, the trim stomach and muscular arms and thighs. When he was dressed, he looked wonderful of course. Clothes fit him so well, and even in his scrubs, he looked entirely fuckable.

But naked…

I thought about drawing him naked some day, or photographing him in black and white. Something really artistic.

He entered the bath, his eyes riveted on mine.

"What's that look, Ms. Bennet? What's going on in that mind of yours?"

I smiled. "Drawing you naked. Or photographing you naked."

He raised his eyebrows as he sat down, the water rising, threatening to overflow the rim.

"I don't want photos taken of me, but you could draw me, as long as you kept my face out of it…"

"If you want. I'd love to draw or photograph that delicious body of yours. I've never drawn a male nude before or photographed one. I might get so aroused doing it that I'd need you to…" I said and raised my shoulder, my cheeks hot.