章 171: Chapter 171: Triad, Part 14

James

Charlotte smiles, but the smile is a bit wan, made more so by her nose which is bright red in the cold, close to matching her hair.

How do I explain to my emerald-eyed wild-child that Beth, for all her beauty, her polished manners and her elegant ways, holds not a fraction of the attraction for me that she does?

Beth’s a true sub….

You’re a sub when it suits you to be….

…. and only for me….

My flame-haired mermaid has already proved she is a survivor. Could Beth have done the same?

I wrap an arm around her shoulder. “If I wanted someone like Beth, I would be with someone like Beth.”

“But she’s so beautiful,” she protests. She looks close to tears.

Can it really bother her so much?

“You’re beautiful too. And not just on the outside. The things I want from you, Charlotte, all come from the inside. And no amount of expensive clothes or nail polish can replace that.”

She looks doubtful but sucks her lower lip and nods.