Page 118 of Their Fairy Princess (Office Intrigue Duet 7)
“Nothing. And I think that’s the problem.”
Feeling defensive, I glared at him. “What does that mean? What have I not done that I was supposed to?”
“Nothing,” he said firmly. “And that’s the problem.”
“Okay, PB, you’re making absolutely no freaking sense here.”
“I know. But that seems to be the trend.”
“I was thinking it had to do with Heaven,” I admitted. “Maybe Ian misses her.”
“Nope. Definitely not the problem.”
“So you don’t think he loves her? That he was disappointed when she left?”
“No.”
“You sound so sure of yourself.”
“Because I am,” he declared. “Ian does not love Heaven.
For whatever reason, that made me feel better.
It wasn’t that I was necessarily insecure, but the thought of Ian loving someone else … well, it bothered me.
“Do you love him?” Dante prompted.
“Who?”
“Ian.”
I propped my chin on my arm. “Of course I do.”
“The way you love Isaac?”
Okay, now I sensed he was fishing for something specific.
I met his blue stare. “Yes.”
“Heart, soul, and everything in between?”
“What are you getting at?”
He looked away. “It’s just that … well, you spend so much time with Isaac.”
“Because I sleep in his bed?”
He was silent for a minute and I thought he was going to drop the subject.
He didn’t.
“Back before I met them,” he began, “when you’d talk about them, I got the impression you were interested in both of them.”
“I am.”
“Equally.”
I floated for a minute, thinking back on when I’d first met Ian and Isaac. “The first time I played with them at the club,” I explained. “It was during submissive training class. I was attracted to both of them. But there was something in Isaac’s eyes that captivated me, drew me to him. I felt a connection.”
“But you kept your distance.”
“I did.” God, I remembered how anxious they’d made me. “You would’ve done the same thing in my place. They were larger than life when I met them. Submissives at the club practically throw themselves at their feet, worship the ground they walk on. I figured they had more than enough to fill their time. And you know me, I’m not the sort who can let emotion in without embracing it. And with them, I knew I would lose a piece of myself anytime I was with them, so I tried to avoid them as much as I could. But if they asked me to play, I couldn’t say no. Didn’t want to.”
“Do you think any of this would’ve happened if…?”
He didn’t finish, but he didn’t have to. He was referring to that man attacking me, and I knew he had a hard time thinking about it.
“I do.” I turned my head, locked my eyes with his. “I’d been invited to Zeke’s that day and I was going there no matter what. I knew they would be there, and I’d been hoping for a chance to see them outside the club. I think it would’ve progressed from there.”
“I do, too.”
“What about you? When did you know?”
“The instant my eyes met Ian’s in front of my house. I knew right then that I could trust him, felt the pull. My inner submissive connected with him.” He grinned. “I sound corny, huh?”
“No.” I grinned. “You sound like a man in love.”
“I am, but not just with Ian.”
Though he didn’t elaborate, I hoped he was including me in the sentiment. Dante and I had a connection all our own. The few times I’d been with him had been amazing, and though I secretly wished for more, I didn’t feel it was my place to pursue him. The dynamic had shifted once we’d become involved with Ian and Isaac.
For the next half hour, we floated in the pool, the warm breeze floating over my skin, rustling the trees.
“Time to come in,” Isaac called from the patio. “I’d bet money neither one of you thought about sunscreen.”
I lifted my head, smiled, but it disappeared as soon as I saw Isaac’s face.
Though his tone was light, his eyes told a different story. He was worried.
The question was: about who?
TWENTY-NINE
Dante
Friday, June 14, 2019
The house was too quiet.
Had been for the past few days. Ian wasn’t talking about whatever was on his mind, and no one was asking, either. Certainly not me. I didn’t know what had happened to prompt his attitude, but deep down, I knew exactly what it was about.
Now he was withdrawn, brooding. Acting more like Isaac than himself.
Every now and then, I would catch him looking at Everly with a pained expression on his face. One I couldn’t interpret. I knew he felt something for her. He had admitted as much. But from the looks of it, his feelings for her were coming to the surface and he wasn’t all that happy about it.
Having wanted someone to talk to, I’d reached out to Heaven via text. Turned out, Ian had admitted to her he had feelings for Everly, too. It seemed everyone was in the know except Isaac.
