Read Serving Pleasure for Free Online Page B

apologies. Anything to get away from this mess.
    Out of her peripheral vision, she caught his frown. A large palm cupped her hip, the heat of it making her jump, and he drew her close to his side. He was only a couple of inches taller than her, but his large frame made her feel tiny and surrounded. “Stop it,” he growled.
    Her lips barely moved. “Stop what?”
    “Stop being embarrassed.”
    He might as well have asked grass to turn purple. Tears stung her eyes, blurring the painting. “How?”
    “Just stop it.”
    “I can’t. I’m mortified.”
    “Are you smart?”
    The seeming non sequitur distracted her from her crushing embarrassment. She side-eyed him. “I— What?”
    He lifted his massive linebacker shoulders. “Are you smart? You don’t appear to be dim, but I don’t know you well enough to say.”
    Did he mean, like…academically? Because no, then. She had barely graduated high school. Sitting still and learning had always been chores to Rana, much to her parents’ dismay. “I’m not stupid,” she finally wheezed, unclear on where the strange man was going with this.
    His lips tightened, the scar turning white. “Then what do you make of the fact I know you followed me here tonight? And I know you’ve been watching me? And I’m not angry about either of those things?”
    She froze.
    Plot twist.
    In a snap, the fog of humiliation lifted, the buzz around them returning to normal decibel levels. His hand remained on her waist, burning a brand on her skin through the thin fabric. She breathed in deep, eager to get air to her deprived brain cells.
    “You let me,” she whispered. “You let me follow you.”
    “I never drive under the speed limit.”
    “You let me watch you.”
    “I wanted you to watch me.”
    “How long have you known?”
    He looked away, but his fingers clenched, bringing her in closer to his side. They touched from hip to thigh. She tingled in every spot their bodies met. “Since the beginning, I think.”
    Bewildered, she shook her head. “You weren’t mad? Why didn’t you…stop me?”
    A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I don’t know.”
    “You don’t know?”
    The recessed lighting brought out subtle red highlights in his dark hair. “I don’t know a lot of things.”
    “I crossed a boundary. I’m not proud of…” She touched her finger to his. It twitched against her hip, sending fire racing through her. “I’m sorry.”
    He shifted. “This isn’t something you do, then. Normally.”
    “No.” Horrified, she leaned back. He twisted, keeping his arm where it was so they were face-to-face. “I’ve never done anything like this before in my life. Spying on someone. Following them places. And let me tell you, I’ve done some questionable shit. I can’t apologize enough.”
    Impatience flashed in his eyes. “I told you. I wanted you to watch me.”
    “That doesn’t make it okay.” She swayed closer, daring to rest her palm on his chest. His muscles jumped under her. “It was wrong. Especially…” A thought occurred to her, and she watched him carefully as she asked the question. “Did you know I was there last Friday?”
    Her heart pounded as she waited for him to answer. Please let him say yes. Otherwise, there was so much apologizing she’d be doing.
    “Yes.”
    She closed her eyes. The answer she’d wanted, yet it opened up a whole new host of questions. “The entire time?”
    “Yes.”
    Her eyes popped open. “You knew I was there when you—”
    “Yes.”
    She shook her head, her earrings swinging. “I don’t understand why you’d be okay with it at all, but why did you want me to see you doing that ?”
    At his silence, she opened her eyes. They were so close and tucked away, she could pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist. She would say that his gaze was controlled and enigmatic, but that was a smokescreen. She could feel the hum of volatile emotion under his calm facade. “Why did you stay?”
    She dipped her head, her guilt