Chapter 37
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
WE’VE GOT A NAME FOR THE MYSTERY WOMAN, BUT NOT MUCH ELSE. WE’RE NOT GONNA LIE, IT’S PRETTY UNDERWHELMING.
GREER
“You sure you’re okay?”
No.
No, I was not.
I looked at Tripp and answered his question for the dozenth time. “Yeah. Just tired.”
And impatient to get into a room.
“Do you want to go home?” he asked.
I rapidly shook my head. The panic I was working hard to choke down surged to the forefront.
Mistaking my adamant response as fueled by my arousal, his gray eyes heated as he tugged me closer on his lap. His arm wrapped around my waist with his hand positioned right under my breast. I could feel his heat through the thin fabric of my green satin dress.
I wanted to sink into him. I wanted to turn my brain off and let him take control of everything, trusting that he would take care of me.
But I couldn’t.
The peace I usually felt at Gilded was nowhere to be found. My heart rate hadn’t slowed—it also hadn’t stopped, so small victories. My stomach was such a mess, I couldn’t even drink the tequila I’d thought would settle my nerves.
Ordinarily, Tripp was enough to distract me from everything else, but each time I had a second’s reprieve, my fears would push back in to ruin it.
Tripp is going to think I’m using him if I ask for help.
A graze of his thumb across the swell of my breast.
Josh is going to share the video anyway.
Tripp’s free hand spanned my bare thigh.
My drama will blowback on Tripp.
His lips skimmed my neck.
And my connection to him will amplify my father’s case. He might lose his deal. He’ll be more than a brief sound bite that no one pays attention to when people learn his daughter is the same woman seen on the red carpet.
His teeth nipped where my neck met my shoulder.
My poor mom will get dragged into more chaos she doesn’t deserve.
A vibration rattled the table, and I nearly jumped out of my skin before literally jumping to my feet. “Is it the room?”
Tripp checked his phone before nodding.
I didn’t wait for him to wrap an arm around my shoulders or use a large hand on my lower back to steer me down the hall. I started walking, desperate to get started.
I was on the precipice of falling apart regardless. At least if I did it with Tripp, I would find calm in the pleasure-pain. And I knew he would put me back together afterward.
His long strides easily caught up with mine, and we walked silently into the room with the leather sling and pain implements. He closed the door before ordering, “Stay here.”
He kept his focus on me as he stepped backward until he was across the room. He grabbed the flogger from the cabinet.
The women.
The pictures.
The gorgeous redhead was kneeling.
Would he have made her crawl, too?
Starting at my feet, Tripp’s gaze slowly rose until he met mine. “I’m glad you listened about the makeup.”
Ugly.
No effort.
Bug eyes.
Not in his league.
Boring. Average. Plain.
Bland, bland, bland.
Josh’s threats. The online comments. The cruelty.
The truth in all of it.
So true, in fact, that even Tripp saw it. Why else would he be glad that I was wearing more makeup?
That didn’t add another blow to my cracking heart.
It shattered it.
Eviscerated it and me.
Past the heartache clogging my throat to choke me, I whispered, “I can’t do this anymore.”