I lift her hand and drag my thumb over her knuckles. The same knuckles responsible for the way my jaw still aches. “Is it Genevieve in particular or the thought of sharing that bothers you?”
“None of it bothers me because I’m not jealous. I simply don’t like the way you treat people.”
“Mmhmm.” I tug her toward the low table. Spindle uses cushions instead of chairs, and I urge Aurora down onto one before taking the seat next to her. She’s tense enough to shatter, her long legs curled beneath her. The position makes her dress ride up to truly indecent heights, but I push away the lust that rises in response. There will be plenty of time for that later.
I don’t know why I can’t let it go. This assignation is about fucking, and she’s only mine for another twelve days. But that’s the stumbling block in my head. Temporary or not, she is mine for this duration. I can’t deny the instincts demanding I take care of what’s mine. Even this prickly woman bristling next to me. Especially her.
I prop myself back on my hands and watch her. “I have no problem sharing, but I’m not particularly free with my charms when I’m with someone.”
Aurora very carefully doesn’t look at me. “What are you saying?”
“I may invite someone to scene with us and play with you, but for the duration of this, I won’t be with anyone else.” It’s not a reassurance I’ve ever had to make before. Oh, I’ve dated here and there over the years, but my position of power complicates things to the point where it’s barely worth it. Either people look at me and assume they can use their proximity to me to boost their own power, or if they answer to me in some way, there’s too much power imbalance for a true relationship to thrive. I may be a Domme, but I have no desire to do it all the time.
People don’t worry about these types of negotiations overmuch when it comes to a single scene, but I find myself wanting to reassure Aurora. “Unless you don’t want to be shared.”
She manages a faint smile. “I think you’ve watched me enough to know I really like being shared.”
“Yes.” Against my better judgement, I can’t help wondering what it would look like if she were mine in truth. I’m possessive, but I’m not jealous. A strange distinction, maybe, but an important one. If she wanted to stay on in the Underworld, I’d hardly stand in her way…
What am I thinking?
Keeping Aurora?
Absurd. This woman isn’t for keeping, not for me. She doesn’t even like me. I may admire her in a strange sort of way, but she’s more of a handful than I want to take on when I’m already dealing with so much on any given day.
Aurora stares at the table for a few seconds. “You’re the one who organized this contract. If you want to bang your way through Carver City during it, that’s your right.”
But she wouldn’t like it. For someone normally so skilled at hiding her true self, she’s shit at it right now. I resist the urge to take her hands, but only barely. “Like I said, I prefer to take my partners on a singular basis.” It’s how I’ve always been. Group play is one thing, and fun for spice, but I’m not polyamorous. It’s just not how I operate. “I won’t be with anyone else while you’re here.”
She exhales slowly. “I really dislike how I feel around you.”
“Are you surprised by that?” This conversation feels strange and almost stilted, but I’m reluctant to move on. Aurora is still off, but I can’t tell if it’s because she doesn’t believe me or for some other reason. I’m not like Ursa, able to use kindness and a soft touch to coax even the most stubborn person into doing whatever she wants. I am a blade, sharp and cold and just as likely to kill as to protect. “Though I didn’t expect you to be jealous.”
“I’m not jealous.”
I give her the look that statement deserves. “No lies, Aurora.”
She huffs and crosses her arms over her chest. “Look, I don’t get it, either. I’m not normally the jealous type. I really, really resent it when other people get jealous when they’re with me, too, so this feels really hypocritical and I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
“You know better.” She can’t just drop a line like that and expect me to move on without comment. I idly nudge a knife that was slightly out of place until it lines up perfectly with the spoon beside it. I know she’s dated over the years. Rumors fly in Carver City, especially when one spends time in the Underworld. Which is how I know that, in a fit of jealous rage, Aurora’s last boyfriend tried to barge his way into the club one night when she was working. “One would think that anyone who dates you knows what they’re signing up for.” Not being her exclusive partner.