Free Dom for Sale by Christine d'Abo Page A

seen. If anything, Gareth was, in a strange way, laying himself out before me much as I’d done for him.
    I took another step closer. “Connie said your wife passed away.”
    He flinched. “Car accident. No one’s fault, just slippery roads.”
    “She was your sub, right?” His hands balled up at his sides, but he said nothing else. “You feel like you let her down. That you should have been able to do something to look after her, make things better.”
    “Did Stephen tell you that?” Gareth didn’t sound angry, more akin to exhausted.
    “No. I guess it’s pretty obvious that someone like you would be dying on the inside about this.”
    “Don’t pretend to know me, Liz. I get the impression you don’t really know yourself.”
    The barb hurt more than I was willing to let on. Instead, I decided to change tactics. Holding out my hand, I didn’t bother to wait for him to take it before I began speaking.
    “Hello. My name is Liz Phillips. I’m twenty-six and work as a project manager for the OnTel. I got the job as part of their new grad program, but I’ve been moving up in responsibility.”
    He didn’t move to take my hand. Gareth frowned, but his hands slowly started to relax by his sides.
    “I’ve only had three serious sexual relationships over the years. The last one was John. He’s the one I told you about who spanked me. I got dumped the next week after we’d tried. He most definitely wasn’t a top.”
    Gareth smirked.
    “I’m not sure about how serious a relationship I want right now. I work long hours and am still trying to figure out what all this means. I do want to find a man who might be willing to help me explore my submissive streak. And possibly go to the movies with me. I love horror films.”
    Gareth took a step closer. “Horror? Not romance?”
    “Horror or action. With lots of explosions. Or those really bad B movies where even the actors know things are over the top.”
    My arm was starting to shake now from the strain of keeping it held out straight. I was going to have to let it drop soon if he didn’t take it.
    “I talk a lot, though not during movies because that’s plain rude. I love pizza with olives, getting my ass spanked and learning new things. Who wrote Silas Marner again?”
    “George Eliot.” Gareth reached out and took my hand. “Nice to meet you, Liz.”
    His fingers were warm as they wrapped around mine. The squeeze of our hands together sent an immediate shiver through my body. No, it wasn’t just Gareth’s control or raw sexuality. I knew instinctively that I’d like him.
    “I haven’t done this in a while.” He stepped a bit closer but didn’t let go of his hold on me. “I’m not an easy person to get to know.”
    “That’s fine. I’m not asking to go steady.”
    “But you are asking for a relationship.”
    Connie was right, he really could be an idiot. “I’m asking for a chance to get to know you. I might discover you’re a jerk and want nothing more to do with you.”
    Gareth snorted and then started as if the noise surprised him. “I can be. An overbearing one if my late wife was to be believed.”
    Giving him a squeeze, I turned his hand over and cradled it in my palms. “I have an idea.”
    “You don’t give up easily, do you?”
    “Nope.” I smiled and for the first time that night began to relax. “Do you want to hear it?”
    “Fine.”
    “Why don’t we go for a coffee at the little shop here on campus? I remember them making a decent banana bread too. You can tell me a few things about your wife, how you met her and stuff. I’ll tell you about my first year rooming with Connie and how that insanity happened. Then if things go smoothly, we can see about another coffee on another day. Sound good?”
    Gareth took a step back, breaking my contact with his hand. Before I could ask him what he was doing, he’d grabbed his attaché case and jacket. Instead of going to the door like I’d expected, he simply stood there. Damn,