Page 8 of Love’s Patient Journey (The Relinquished #2)

She rushed into the ladies’ room and thanked God that no one else was in there.

She braced her hands on the sink counter, feeling short of breath.

She needed to just call a cab and go home, but she didn’t have the extra money to spend on a taxi.

Calling her sister or Drew would have been too embarrassing.

Yeah, how would she start that conversation?

“Yeah—um, hi, it’s me, Jenna. I need a ride home because your brother just wants to use me for hot sex.

” That was not going to happen. Her only option was to face Ryan head-on and tell him that she wasn’t interested in him for just sex and that he should just take her home.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror, willing herself to have the courage to do what needed to be done.

She started to fix her lipstick when the ladies' room door swung open.

“Jenna, please—you just need to hear me out. Give me a chance, please.” Ryan stood in the ladies’ room, shutting and locking the door behind himself.

“Ryan, you can’t just lock the door. What if someone needs to use the bathroom?

You’re not even supposed to be in here.” She started for the door to unlock it, but Ryan stopped her by stepping in front of her path.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

Jenna just froze. She wanted to be in his arms so badly.

It was all she had thought about for the past two years. But she wouldn’t be used and discarded.

“No, Ryan. I won’t let you just use me for sex,” she said, trying to push him away, but his hold tightened.

“See, honey, that’s what happens when people don’t listen to the whole story. They jump to conclusions and get everything all wrong.” He kissed the top of her head, rubbing his big hands up and down her back.

“I got it wrong? Because, at the table, it sure sounded like you were talking about what you wanted to do with me, sexually. Throwing in what you did with other women was a nice touch, by the way.” She smacked his chest with a hard thump.

“Well, I have to admit that I didn’t quite say things properly. I am nervous about screwing this up, baby. I just want to say the right things, but they came out all wrong,” Ryan admitted.

Jenna nodded against his chest, “Yes, they did.” She agreed with him, causing him to laugh.

“Fair enough, honey. How about we go back to the table, and we can talk this out?”

Jenna pulled away from Ryan. She knew she had messed up her makeup crying, but she didn’t care.

She was so relieved to hear that he didn’t want to just use her.

Ryan pushed away her tears, using his thumbs.

“Why are you crying, honey?” He pulled her close and kissed her lips, concern etched on his handsome face.

“I cry at everything, don’t mind me. I am just so happy that you don’t want me for just sex,” she admitted with a hiccup.

“Oh, baby, I definitely want you for sex. But that wasn’t what I was trying to say.

” He had her attention, now. “I like things a certain way,” he continued slowly.

Jenna just nodded, trying to keep silent so he could get it all out.

“I like things pretty—well, um, kinky in the bedroom.” Ryan actually blushed.

“Define kinky,” Jenna whispered.

“Well, I’d like to tie you up sometimes.

I, um, I’d like to spank your ass—but only if you want me to,” he quickly amended when Jenna’s eyes went round with shock.

Who knew that polite, pull the chair out, hold the door open, bring a girl flowers, Ryan liked to spank women?

Jenna actually laughed so loud that the walls in the ladies’ room echoed back to her.

Ryan’s arms dropped to his side as if defeated by her laughing.

“Ryan,” she tried to touch him, but he backed away from her.

He unlocked the door and walked out. Jenna grabbed her purse and chased after him, finding him talking to their waiter, gesturing like a crazy man.

A few minutes later, Ryan had two “to go” bags and was taking her by the hand, pulling her along to his truck.

“So, the date’s over?” She could hear the anger in her voice. How dare he just end their date, like he was dismissing her. He started his truck but didn’t put it in gear. He was breathing hard and trying not to look at her.

“What else do you like, Ryan? Besides spanking and tying women up, what else do you want?” She was staring at his profile, and he looked ashamed of her questioning.

That was the last thing she wanted him to feel.

If she was going to go into a relationship with Ryan, she needed to know exactly what she was getting herself into.

“Ryan?” She waited him out, giving him time.

“I don’t know how to explain what I like, or need, Jenna,” he hissed.

“I just need control. I like to be in complete control when I have sex. I guess I didn’t have much control over my choices in the Navy, but being in control in the bedroom gave me some comfort.

” He was gripping the steering wheel of his truck like he wanted to choke it and staring out the front windshield.

Jenna couldn’t stand it anymore; she slid over next to him and crawled into his lap.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips, softly.

“Ryan, I just want to be with you, and anyway I can have you is fine with me. I don’t need to be in control, but I don’t know that I can let you spank me.

Jake liked to be in control by slapping me around.

Even when I was pregnant with Zac, he still smacked me when he felt that I wasn’t listening to him.

I can’t let you do that to me. If you want to control me, like Jake tried to, then I can’t do this.

I won’t ever let another man hit me or my son.

” She was looking into Ryan’s eyes; his gaze was so intense.

“I knew that he hit Karlie. I wasn’t sure if he hurt you like he did your sister.

Honey, I would never do that to you or Zac, ever.

” He smoothed her hair back from her face and kissed her lips.

“I won’t ever do anything to or with you that upsets you, baby.

I just need to know that you can handle me when I get a little demanding. ”

“I have a feeling that you get a lot demanding, and I can handle you, Ryan. I am strong enough to raise a child on my own; a sexually demanding man will be a cakewalk compared to a two-year-old.” She shivered with anticipation.

If she were being honest, a man taking control of her body in the bedroom made her hot.

She was wet just thinking about Ryan taking her while she was tied to her bed.

Yeah, she liked a little kink too but had only heard about it from a book or watched it in the movies.

“Honey, about me using you for sex and then leaving—I’m not going anywhere.

I have taken a civilian job and I’m staying.

I want what Drew and Karlie have. I want a family of my own.

” He looked into her eyes, and what he said gave her so much hope.

She didn’t want to believe that he meant that he wanted those things with her, but her heart leapt at the possibilities.

“Just give me a chance, Jenna. I know that I have a lot to prove to you and Zac. All I want is a chance. Walking away from you both, two years ago, was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I know that I don’t deserve you, either of you. Let me show you that we can be good together.

She turned in his lap, straddling him in her miniskirt, and sealed her mouth over his. Ryan’s hands went right to her ass, under her skirt, and squeezed, causing them both to moan. He kissed his way down to her breasts and bit her nipple through the fabric of her shirt.

“Ryan,” she cried out his name, so needy.

“Not here, honey. Let me take you back to your house,” he asked breathlessly, silently pleading for her to agree. She didn’t even have to think about it.

“Yes,” she whispered. With her agreement, he set her over in her seat, helping her with her seatbelt. He couldn’t seem to get out of the parking lot fast enough.

∞

Ryan couldn’t believe that Jenna had agreed to give him control.

He knew, good and well, that she’d fight him at every turn, but he liked a challenge.

They pulled up to her cute little house, and he couldn’t wait to get her inside.

He wanted to take his time with her, but he had been waiting for this for so long.

Since he left her and Zac, he hadn’t wanted any other woman.

He couldn’t bring himself to even date while he was away.

He threw himself into his work and knew that if given the chance, he was going to get out of the Navy for Jenna.

Watching Zac being born was it for him. Once he held him, he knew that he wanted Jenna and Zac to be his—forever.

But the timing sucked. Jenna was still married to Jake, and Uncle Sam had called Ryan back to duty.

He knew that walking away from them would be taking the biggest risk of his life.

God, if she had found someone else, he would have lost everything.

He just hoped that he hadn’t waited too long.

He hoped that Jenna would still want him after she saw, firsthand, what he wanted.

“Honey, now would be a good time to tell me to leave.” He couldn’t even look at her. He wanted her to turn him away, to tell him that she didn’t want him. He was so afraid that he would do something to hurt her. He couldn’t live with himself if he did.

“Ryan, take me inside and show me what you want. You won’t do anything to hurt me. I trust you.” Jenna reached over and took his hand in hers. He looked over to her, and she was smiling at him so sweetly. God, she trusted him.

“It’s been a while for me, too, Jenna. I heard you tell Karlie that you haven’t been with anyone since you got pregnant with Zac. I—well, I haven’t been with anyone since Zac was born.”