Free Touch to Surrender by Cara Dee Page A

straw , knowing I prefer to drink without one. And that right there? It's just more proof of how eager we are to please and take care of each other. She knows my needs as well as my likes and dislikes, and I know hers. "Here. Drink. And stop— please stop beating yourself up with whatever it is you're thinking right now." Her eyes turn pleading. "You know nothing is wrong with what you feel, Brayden."
    My smile is small and forced. Taking a sip of my Coke, I try to compose my face, but it's impossible to hide around Lina. She reads me too well. We clicked so fast and perfectly when we got together that there was never a question about whether or not I should divulge my past. She pulled it out of me without effort, but she's also the only one who has managed to do so.
    "I know." I really do. "But it's easier said than done." A part of me wish es I was still confused or lived in denial.
    It would be so much easier. But now…I know exactly what I want— who I want—but I'm struggling to accept it. Setting the glass back on the table, I wrap my arms around Lina again and bury my face in her hair.
    "Do you think we're setting ourselves up for…" My mumbling trails off as I can't find the right word. Misery? Heartbreak? Failure?
    "With Mark, you mean?" she asks softly, the pounding Goth music nearly drowning out her voice. I nod and hum, feeling her fingers in my hair. "I hope not. But we knew the risk from our first weekend at his place."
    True. Maybe it's because we're so in tune with each other that we know how the other feels. My attraction for Mark—hell, Lina knew before I did. It was during our first stay at Mark's; I could see how Lina just melted into his arms, a sign of trust, comfort, and… more . More, as in she feels more. Perhaps I saw it because I felt it, too. It's just that I couldn’t show it like she did—still can't, and it's eating me up inside.
    A fter that weekend, we went home to our run-down apartment, already knowing this was becoming much more than we ever dreamed. What was once simply attraction for what he is grew into affection and care for who he is.
    There's a lot more to Mark Cooper than being a Dom. He's the kind of man's man I've always been drawn to, but he's also understanding and a wonderful caregiver. He's got a great sense of humor, he's almost as carefree as Lina is, he's accepting, and he's selfless.
    I say selfless because we recently learned that his divorce was finalized not very long ago, and he has told us about his ex-wife and a marriage that left him a little jaded. But we haven't noticed anything jaded about Mark, which can only mean he's put all that aside to be the best Master he can be for us.
    "We'll have to stay positive and hope for the best," Lina says firmly, bringing me back to the present. "We should work on getting that man to fall for us." Mischief lights up her eyes, and I can't help but chuckle at her. She's always so optimistic. "I bet he'd love it if you walked over to the bar—" she points in Mark's direction; he's currently busy mixing a drink or something "—and kissed him."
    I roll my eyes, but I can't hide my grin. "You forget that I know you, ma belle . You have more voyeuristic tendencies than Tom."
    She scrunches her nose. "Tom, who?"
    "Peeping Tom," I laugh.
    "Oh, my God!" She cracks up, too. "That was so bad!"
    I shrug, a smirk on my face.

Chapter 2
    As soon as Mark's shift is over a couple hours later, he disappears quickly to freshen up in Mr. Ford's personal bathroom upstairs, and then Master returns. Master …because now he's in his snug leather pants, a black T-shirt that clings to his body like a second skin, and his boots. Fuck me . While he's not some bodybuilder—far from it, really—he's still muscular. You can tell he lifts weights judging by his arms. He has a defined torso, too, and strong, firm thighs.
    I swallow hard, feeling my cock stir in my loose boxers. In my fantasies, I've had my hands and mouth all over his hard body,