Melt (Hidden Pleasures, #3) Read Online Free

didn’t tell me he owned the club, and now I find out you left out a lot of information about what you do for a living.”
    “I have a hard time trusting people with—”
    The click-clack of her nails on his glass topped table pounded out a quick rhythm. “Women. Not people.”
    The tongs dug into his palm. “Fine. Yes. Women.”
    “You do know how much trust I’ve had to put in you and Luis, right? I let you guys...I can’t believe how stupid I am. We’ve been talking a lot, getting to know each other better. And I’ve been totally open with you. And this is how you repay me? By lying?” She surged to her feet and glared at him.
    The patio door slid open and Luis stood silhouetted in the light from the kitchen. “What’s the matter?”
    “I’m tired of being lied to by you two. A lie of omission is still a lie.” She crossed her arms over her chest and ducked her head. “I want to go home.”
    His heart sped up and he gulped. Shit. She had to be feeling like she’d been fed a huge line of bullshit by them both. Like they’d been chatting her up to use her for sex, letting her fall for them so they could push her limits. BDSM play was all about trust. What if he’d totally broken it?
    “I’m sorry Ronnie. I should have told you sooner.” Cooking meat and vegetables released delicious scents, but instead of whetting his appetite, they annoyed him. “I should have said something to you a long time ago. I was scared.” Saying the words aloud eased a tension in him he didn’t know he’d carried.
    “Fuck you Gavin. You ask for a lot from me, make a lot of assumptions, and expect me to give over complete control to you. Do you understand how that makes me feel?” She pointed at her chest. “Like a goddamn idiot. Like some...whore you don’t really care about.”
    “No, sweetheart—” Shit.
    “Ronnie, we’d never hurt you on purpose. Not like this.” Luis approached her, his hands loose at his sides and shoulders slumped. About as dejected as Gavin had ever seen him. “We’ve both been burned pretty bad in the past. And things have been like a dream for us, with you. The longer you keep a secret, the harder it can be to tell it.”
    He had to touch her, but instead he clenched his fists and stayed still. “I’ve never been happier. I know that you’re new to this lifestyle, but Luis and I have been looking for a long time. We realized as teenagers we were different than most of our friends. That first time we shared you, I think I knew then you were the woman for us. It was selfish of me not to tell you the whole truth about my job. I was scared and I didn’t want to screw things up.”
    The hazel of her eyes shone with unshed tears, but the firm set of her lips told him she was still pissed. “I get it. But you ever do something like this to me again, and we’re over. Things have moved past mind-blowing sex for us. I won’t tolerate you lying to me. Do you agree that there’s more here? Something deeper?”
    “Yes.” Fear and hope slammed around in his chest like ping pong balls.
    Luis sat down in the chair she’d vacated and eased her down onto his lap. She held herself stiff and half away from him. “I’m going to squish you.”
    “No you’re not. Be quiet and sit where I want you, like a good girl.” Luis bent his head to her neck and kissed the white skin, one dark eye fixed on Gavin.
    “Stop it Luis. I’m still pissed and I don’t want to play.”
    He swallowed hard and moved across the patio to them. Luis hugged her around the waist and tugged until she relaxed back into his chest.
    “Staying angry won’t solve anything.” Luis spoke directly into her ear and she frowned, considering. Finally her posture softened until she sank into him, boneless and yielding to him.
    Gavin sank to his knees in front of his best friend and their lover. The large, cushioned patio chair held them both easily. She met his eyes and tears filled her lower lids again.
    “I’m sorry