Chapter Thirty-Nine

“I’m sorry, so sorry,” Ian whispered hoarsely. He didn’t quite know what to do, so he stayed where he was.

Tori mumbled and moved about restlessly in his arms.

Holding her close, he hoped his body heat would warm her and stop her trembling. He regretted many of the choices he’d made with this special woman, but most especially he wished he’d never left the club tonight.

Eventually she quieted and stopped shaking. He should probably leave, but he didn’t want to leave her alone and unprotected.

So he sat there and watched her sleep. And cataloged all the mistakes he’d made from the very beginning. Rather than baiting her in court, he should have found another way to attract her attention. His second error had been keeping his identity a secret once he realized it was her behind the mask. But his biggest mistake had been believing even for a minute what that psychopath had told him rather than asking her for the truth.

Would she ever trust him again?

Regrets big and small overwhelmed him, but the one thing he would never regret was wanting her in the first place. The very proper and intriguingly mysterious Justice Victoria Whittingstall had allowed him into her life and permitted him to meet the sexy, delightful, adventurous woman behind the sedate and prim facade. He would cherish those memories, no matter what happened next.

An hour later, she stirred.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

At the sound of his voice, she scooted away into the corner of the sofa, curling into a ball. “I believe I asked you to leave,” she whispered woodenly.

“I wanted to make sure you’re okay. I’ll go now if you want.”

But, after rising, he instead knelt down before her, bringing his eyes in line with hers. She refused to look at him, her gaze glued to her lap.

“I wish you’d talk to me,” he said. “I understand now about Rupert tricking you with that slave parade, and I wish with all my heart I hadn’t left you there without asking you for the truth.” He couldn’t say the rest aloud. Couldn’t say he’d left the woman he cared for to be abused by a creep because he let his pride rule. “I’m so sorry, Tori.”

She slowly raised her gaze to his. “I heard that Rupert tricked you, too. But what I’ll never understand or forgive you for is…” She swallowed, looking like she was holding back tears. “For hooking up with another woman and going off with her. How could you?”

The truth of what she believed finally became clear. Pain lacerated him like a knife slicing his emotions into jagged pieces.

“Oh, Tori. No! It wasn’t like that.” He reached for her, wanting to comfort her, but she jerked away. It hit him like a physical blow, and he dropped his hands. “Please understand, Emmy is an old friend. Just a friend. She’s my club sponsor, nothing more.”

Tori scoffed. “I’m supposed to just take your word—”

“Please let me explain. I didn’t believe Bridlington at first when he told me you two were back together, but I couldn’t find you anywhere to ask. Then I looked up and there you were, reclining like a princess on that litter. I was still going to try to talk to you, but then you started saying how great the sex was with him and—”

“Oh my god! You thought I was talking about Rupert?” She leaned toward Ian and reached for him but then dropped her hands.

Nodding, Ian said, “You looked so excited about going to Bridlington. So happy. It hit me like a ton of bricks falling on my chest. I couldn’t breathe. There was nothing I could to do but leave the club. Emmy saw how gutted I was and went with me. But just to keep me company. That’s it.” His voice cracked, anguish searing him.

Compassion momentarily softened her expression before her eyes narrowed. “If you believed all that, why did you come here tonight?”

“After I dropped Emmy off, I drove around and around, and I couldn’t wrap my head around you being with Bridlington again. The whole thing just didn’t make any sense. I went back to the club to confront you, and everyone was talking about how a member was thrown out after assaulting a woman. The staff wouldn’t tell me anything, but I worried it might be you, that he’d deceived you. Things started to make sense. So I rushed here to make sure you were all right.”

She looked like she wanted to trust him, her face registering both astonishment and sorrow. “What a mess. I guess I do believe you.”

“I’m telling the truth, I promise. Emmy and I have never been involved. Ever.”

“But I—I don’t know what to do now,” she said, looking uncertain.

“I do.”

After hours of languishing in confusion, he reclaimed his strong and decisive nature. Still kneeling in front of her, he took her hands again. This time she didn’t pull away. “Let’s start over,” he said. “Let’s take our time getting to know each other as friends and give you time to heal. Then we can see where things go.”

She gave his hand a little squeeze. “I’d like that.”

He wanted to pull her into his arms and hug her, but he settled for holding her hands. “Thank you. I’m proud of you for being able to put this terrible ordeal behind you. I’ve always thought you were mysterious and fascinating, but you’ve got courage and inner strength, too, and many other amazing qualities.”

“Ooh. And here I thought I’d been making progress in the femme fatale department. I guess I’ll have to settle for inner strength and amazing qualities.” She grinned, and it reassured him that she was able to tease again.

“Of all your amazing qualities, your sexy allure is the one that brings me to my knees.” He waggled his eyebrows and pointed at the floor. “See. I’m on my knees for you. Again, I might add.” He gave her his cockiest grin.

She laughed. “Well, don’t just kneel there. How about you sit up here next to me and warm me with your hot bod?”

He climbed back onto the sofa, ridiculously excited to be near her.

Carefully, he drew her against him, and she rested her head on his shoulder. He kept his hold loose, nonthreatening, trying to show her she was safe with him.

“This is nice,” she murmured, snuggling deeper.

It was definitely nice, but he found the proximity to her was doing what it always did. Too bad. His jolly John Thomas would just have to wait until she was healed, emotionally and physically. For now, it was more than enough that this incredible woman wanted him in her life as much as he wanted her in his.

He settled her closer and rested his cheek against the top of her head.

Then she turned her face toward him and gave him a severe look. “Barrister, on second thought, I find your proposal completely without merit. Unacceptable.”

“What?” Confusion mixed with anxiety made his face fall.

“I don’t want to be just friends. Not even temporarily. Further, the court is finally willing to concede that your brief does contain a full load, so hefty it requires two hands. And I think you must concur that this high court judge has proven herself capable of exploring every inch of it.”

He couldn’t suppress the massive smile that grew on his face. “My Lady, you have, indeed. But may I approach with additional evidence?”

“You may, barrister, and be quick about it.”

Joy lit him up. He pulled her onto his lap and into his arms, loving the way she melted against him.

She tilted her face up to him, placed her hands on each side of his head, and drew him closer. “Kiss me, Ian King, barrister extraordinaire, sexy Dom, and submissive par excellence. And don’t ever let me forget that it’s you who heals me.”

“And you, me.”

He put his lips to hers and explored her mouth, and they were lost in each other, two lovers finding each other once again.

And this time, they wore no masks of any kind.