Chapter 5

Weston

I’ve never had a girl wake up before me after a one-night stand. Hell, I never even brought them to my house. I didn’t like them knowing where I lived, didn’t like them thinking they could come back or that there was anything more to it. But there was something about her that pulled me in that night. I’d had several eyes on me, women who would’ve gladly followed me out of the club, but she was the only one who caught mine.

It was clear she’d never been with a Dom before. The way her body responded to me…uncertain but eager…was almost too much. She was like a puzzle that didn’t know it could be solved. Watching her body obey even without knowing why sent something through me I didn’t expect. It was supposed to be a one-night thing, like every other woman I’d fucked and left behind. But she felt too damn good, too real, too responsive. I’d hoped maybe we’d meet again, though I didn’t want to admit that even to myself. Then she was gone by morning.

She was fucking smart. I couldn’t stop thinking about that. When did she memorize the pin to my lock? I’d been half-drunk, trying to get the door open, and she was tipsy herself. Yet somehow, she remembered it. She must’ve watched closely. That’s what stayed with me, the fact that she noticed things even when she seemed lost in the moment.

She’d vanished before sunrise, no note, nothing missing, no trace except the faint smell of her perfume on my pillow. I’d checked. I even counted my things like an idiot, but everything was there. So, it wasn’t theft. She just ran. From me. The idea twisted something sharp in my chest.

Did she think she could just leave and that would be it? Like I wouldn’t remember? She really thought she could run from me?

I’d been ready to find her to the ends of the earth. But I didn’t need to. The universe threw her right back in my face.

When I saw her again, standing beside my little sister, I swear my brain stopped for a second, for the first time I appreciated having a little sister. Kathryn? Damn! The name was perfect for her. The same woman who’d slipped out of my bed without a word. The same woman I’d thought about more times than I’d admit.

She wanted to act like nothing happened. Like we’d never met. Like she wasn’t the same woman who had trembled under my hands. I almost laughed.

She wanted to hide? Fine. I could play that game too. Let’s see how long she lasts.

Lexi’s voice snapped me out of it. “How could you not visit once?” she barked, eyes glassy with anger. “Even if you hated Mum and Dad for giving you away, did I do something wrong too?”

“Lexi, you can’t say that,” Kathryn said softly, trying so hard to keep herself together. Her voice had that tone again… gentle but strong. The same tone she’d used that night when she begged right before she came undone.

“Kat, we were so poor, barely feeding, so Mum and Dad sent him to a distant relative, and I lived with them,” Lexi went on, voice rising. “But Weston hates everyone for sending him to live a better life.”

I clenched my jaw, staring at her. She had no idea what she was talking about. I was angry at what it did to me, what I became.

I was getting tired of her chatter, the endless guilt trip. She’d had all their love, all their attention, all the years I didn’t. Why was she angry? I couldn’t understand her. I sat there, trying to keep my calm, hoping Lexi would just give us some space because my patience was slipping.

I want my hand around her neck, make her look up at me…her round mouth begging me.

Then her phone rang. She sniffed, wiped at her eyes, and checked the screen. “It’s Mum,” she muttered, already standing. “I need to take this.”

Perfect.

As she disappeared down the hallway, the room went quiet except for the soft hum of the air conditioner. Kathryn was still sitting there, stiff as a board, staring at the floor. She looked so uncomfortable that it made me want to mess with her even more.

“Come here,” I said, my voice low but steady.

Her head snapped up. “What?”

“You heard me.”

Her mouth parted like she wanted to argue. “Weston, don’t. Lexi’s—”

“I don’t want to repeat myself,” I said, watching her eyes flicker.

Her body tensed. I saw the way her breath quickened, the way she bit her lip like she didn’t know what to do. She remembered. Her body remembered me.

Slowly, she got up, hesitating before stepping toward me. The air between us felt heavy, thick with something we both were pretending not to feel. She stopped in front of me, arms crossed like she needed to hold herself together.

“You should get on your knees, Kathryn,” I said, leaning back on the couch, my eyes locked on hers.

Her eyes widened. “What are you doing?” she whispered, her voice shaking. “Lexi will be back soon.”

I smiled faintly. “Baby girl, I thought I just said I don’t repeat myself.”

Her throat worked as she swallowed, eyes darting toward the hallway. “Please,” she said quietly. “I don’t want Lexi to come and see this.”

The way she said it…made something twist deep inside me. No, she should be worried about what I could do to her here, not Lexi.

“Don’t make me warn you,” I said.

She froze, her lips parting slightly, and for a moment we just stared at each other. Then, slowly, she lowered herself down until her knees touched the carpet. Her soft sigh echoed in my head.

Fuck. Seeing her there again made my chest tighten. The one woman I never thought I’d see again, and now she was kneeling in front of me, in my sister’s living room of all places.

I leaned forward slightly, resting my elbows on my knees, watching her. “Good girl,” I said quietly.

Her eyes flickered up at me, confusion and anger fighting for space in them. “Look, please,” she whispered, her voice barely steady. “Don’t do this.”

“Then don’t make me want to,” I said, my tone dropping lower.

She looked at me like she didn’t know whether to hit me or cry. “You can’t do this here,” she said, shaking her head.

I reached out, my hand sliding up until my fingers brushed her chin. She flinched a little but didn’t move away. I tilted her face up so she had to look at me. Her lips trembled, and her eyes softened, just like that night.

“You ran,” I said quietly. “Did you really think I’d forget?”

Her breath hitched. “It was a mistake,” she whispered. “I shouldn’t have—”

Before she could finish, I closed the distance, pressing my lips to hers. The moment I felt her gasp, I deepened the kiss, tasting her again. She stiffened, her hands coming up against my chest as if to stop me, but she didn’t push, not at first. I could feel the way she hesitated, torn between wanting and resisting.

Her lips were warm and soft, her taste exactly how I remembered, sweet with a hint of whatever she’d eaten earlier, familiar in a way that made my pulse race. I cupped her face, pulling her closer.

She tensed again, muffling a sound against my mouth. I could feel her heartbeat, fast and uneven, as my tongue slipped past her lips. I couldn’t stop the low sound that came from my throat. She tasted like trouble, fucking addictive.

She tried again to push me away, whispering against my lips, “Stop, Weston… please.”

But I couldn’t. I didn’t want to. Not with the way my name fucking sound in her mouth. Her hands pressed harder, but I held her still, deepening the kiss until she gasped again, giving me more.

Damn, I’d missed her. Every second of this, I’d missed it.

I heard the faint creak of the hallway floorboard—Lexi was coming back. Kathryn froze completely, realizing it too. Her eyes flew open, panic flashing across her face.

She tried to pull back, pushing harder this time, but I didn’t let her go. I caught her mouth again, kissing her harder, swallowing her gasp before she could speak.

Lexi’s voice echoed faintly from the hallway, her tone casual, getting closer.

Kathryn’s hands were shaking now as she struggled against me, her breath coming in short, desperate bursts, but I kept her there, just one more second, my lips still pressed against hers …