Page 49 of His to Possess

He grins at me and I know right then that I made the correct choice. Pleasing Philip is like a drug I know I’m going to want more of.

“Good,” he says, nodding. “Now go get dressed. And make sure you have your wallet. You’ll need ID to get on the plane.”

I jerk a little, startled. “The plane?”

Philip’s grin turns mischievous. “Didn’t I tell you? We’re going to New York this afternoon.”

Philip

It’s everything I can do not to laugh. Lilah’s mouth is literally hanging open in shock as she stares at me. “New York?” she finally manages to squeak out.

“Indeed.”

“But…why?”

“I have a lunch meeting tomorrow. I planned to fly out in the morning and come right back after. But since I wanted to spend some time with you, I thought maybe we could go now and stay the day tomorrow. Make a little trip of it.”

Her sharp intake of breath is so quiet I wouldn’t have heard it if I wasn’t so completely focused on her. “We?”

I grin. “Yes, Lilah. We.”

My words don’t seem to ease her confusion. “I don’t understand. Why would you want me to come with you?”

“Because I enjoy your company.”

“But—”

“Lilah.” I wait until she’s fully facing me. “I get the feeling you haven’t had the easiest few months. You deserve a day or two to have a nice time. And I’d like to be the one to give it to you.”

She blinks quickly, and for a moment, I’m afraid she might cry. But she straightens her shoulders, pushing it down, and gives me a forced smile.

A lot of guys would appreciate that, I’m sure. Most men seem to completely lose all sense and reason when a woman cries in front of them. I am not one of those men. One of the most important skills a Dominant can possess is the ability to tend to all of his sub’s needs, particularly after a rough scene. I’ve wiped many a tear-streaked face, soothed and tended to more welts and reddened skin than I can count. As rough as I am with my women—and believe me, I’m damn rough—I never leave a scene without knowing that they’re calm and cared for and satisfied.

If I’m honest, aftercare is one of the parts I like best, though I don’t think I’d ever admit that to any of my Dom friends. There’s something about the closeness, the trust, that comes with caring for a sub that comforts me as well.

All of that aside, I don’t like seeing Lilah shove her emotions down because I want her to feel comfortable enough to tell me. I have no idea why she got so upset at the sight of her stepfather’s partner last night, nor am I any closer to discovering why she entered the auction in the first place. It’s starting to drive me crazy. Being clueless is a frustration I’m not at all used to—and I most certainly don’t enjoy it.

“That’s really nice of you, Philip. But—”

No. Absolutely not. There’s no way I’m going to let her refuse this.

“Have you been to Manhattan?”

She nods and I don’t miss the brightness in her eyes. “I have. It’s one of my favorite cities.” Then she frowns. “But you don’t need to let me tag along on your work trip, Philip. I don’t want to inconvenience you any more than I already have.”

I don’t bother suppressing my growl of displeasure. “You think it’s a hardship to spend time with you?”

She blinks up at me, apparently surprised. “I just mean—”

“We’re going to need to work on your self-confidence, love,” I murmur. Good god, I want to touch her. Want to press my lips against hers and pull her body in close. I could lay her out right here on the kitchen island and feast on her body, regardless of the fact Mrs Higgins could come in any moment.

Not the point today,I remind myself. So I force myself to lean back, even though every instinct I have is screaming at me not to put space between us. I want to claim her, make her mine, and then never let her go.

What the fuck, Matthews?I ask myself. Never let her go? That is not the kind of thought I have about the women in my life. Not ever.

I glance at my watch. “Let’s get going. We’ll head to the airport straight from the office.”

“But I... I haven’t packed. I don’t have—”