Free The Sextet - Entanglements [The Sextet Anthology, Volume 4] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) by Cheryl Brooks, Mellanie Szereto, Bethany Michaels, Elizabeth Raines, Niki Hayes, Morgan Annie

her he loved her, thanking her profusely for saving his life. It seemed strange that he had singled her out from the others who’d been on hand to help, though Trish had been the one operating the defibrillator. She understood that. But why Aidan had been so sexually excited was a mystery. Even he hadn’t known the reason—or if he did, he was keeping it to himself. Part of her assumed it was due to the kinky nature of their task, but another part wished for something a little more personal.
    Like having a man who’s so crazy about me that he’d shoot his wad just because I tied him down and plucked his pubic hair. That was power—something she’d never felt in any relationship with a man. If only it wasn’t so unlikely. Trish tried to imagine what it would be like to have someone feel that much passion for her. Then she realized she already knew.
    The idea was heady but frightening. Aidan was so much younger than she—and by more than simply the difference in their ages. Whether he truly felt any desire for her wasn’t as important as not hurting him. She didn’t care for the way his previous girlfriends had treated him at all. She didn’t want to be guilty of the same thing.
    Girlfriends? Was she actually considering herself in that role now? She was quite certain he didn’t, but the need to comfort him was so strong. Then she realized that she needed comfort from him as much as he needed it from her, perhaps more. The bleak loneliness of her life was like an open wound that no amount of commiserating with her friends could heal.
    Trish set down her glass, biting her lip as she felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. Lowering her head, she attempted to shield her face from his view, but an involuntary sniff gave her away.
    Aidan’s glass hit the counter with a bang. “Trish?”
    She took a step toward him, her knees suddenly weak as she broke down completely.
    Aidan’s arms were around her in an instant. “This is because of what I did, isn’t it?”
    Trish shook her head, unable to stop sobbing long enough to speak. When was the last time she’d had a shoulder to cry on? Had she ever?
    His hands caressed her back the way a lover’s should—warm, gentle, and filled with understanding. The girls who had laughed at him were fools. Not every man was capable of such kindness—certainly none that Trish had been involved with. “I wish—” She stopped short of saying the words. Rejection at that moment would have been too painful. The absolute last straw.
    “You wish what?”
    Sniffing again, she straightened up, wiping away her tears. She had control of herself now. “That this love thing wasn’t so damned hard. You shouldn’t have to resort to having your hair pulled, and I shouldn’t have to feel like I’m surrendering my life to any man I hook up with. It’s getting old.”
    Aidan’s eyes widened with surprise. “Surrender your life? Really?”
    “Really.” Reaching for a napkin, she wiped her eyes and blew her nose. “I always seem to wind up with control freaks. It may not show up in the beginning, but it always comes out in the end. Guys telling me I have to sell this house and move in with them. Telling me what I should wear, what I should eat, and when to have an orgasm. I’m sick of it.”
    “I never—”
    “I don’t mean you, Aidan. God knows, I don’t mean you.”
    “Does that mean you’ll still do this for me?”
    “Sure.” She paused, giving him the best smile she could manage. “And I won’t hold it against you if you come in my face.”
    Aidan grinned. “Now, there’s something to put on a coffee mug.”
    He was so adorable. The impulse to kiss him was nearly impossible to suppress, but somehow she managed it. “I’m sure it would sell millions.”
    “So when do you want me to come?”
    Trish snickered. If he was trying to defuse the situation with humor, it was working. Sort of. “You might want to rephrase that.”
    He made a face at her. “Ha, ha. Very