Page 30 of Friends with Benefits (Club Risqué)

Right here, right now, was exactly where she craved to be.

ChapterTwenty-Three

Christian was silent for a long time, just looking at the beautiful image Trinity made.

Seeing her yielding and obedient like this, like the devoted submissive he knew she was, made his chest give an odd little twinge which he rubbed at unconsciously.

She didn't move, she didn't prompt, she just waited patiently for his bidding.

Utterly damned perfect!

"Do you trust me?" he finally asked.

The small hesitation hurt him more than he could ever say, and he rapidly chose to qualify the statement, "As a Dominant, as your Master or your Sir, within the boundaries of the lifestyle, do you trust me?"

"Yes, Sir." This time, there was no hesitation at all, and the tight band constricting his chest eased somewhat. Not all the way, since it was clear her trust only went so far, and it saddened Christian to know his own negligence had engendered that doubt. But he would take what was available right now and nurture it, treasure it. The rest would come in time; he would make sure of it. He would never give her any cause to doubt him again.

But that was for later. At the moment, he had to quit being distracted and concentrate on right now.

"Good," he replied. "And do you believe in the due process which has matched us as compatible play partners?"

"Of course I do. It's part of my job…Sir."

"Okay. Do you believe we can manage to scene together without the past getting in the way?"

This time, there was a longer pause and Trinity sighed. "I guess that's the bit I'm not entirely certain about," she finally admitted.

Christian nodded, even though she couldn't see him, since her head was still averted. "Then I guess the all-important question is, do you want to try?"

"You know I do, Sir. I already told you I would honour the contract."

"Yes, but is that because you want to, or because you feel obliged?" he queried. "I am very well aware of your compliant nature, Trinity, but I want you to think very hard about whether or not you want to do this for yourself."

"I think I do, Sir," she murmured quietly.

"You think you do?" Christian pressed, still not convinced by her procrastination. They both needed to be decisive for this to work.

"I do!" she whispered so quietly he could barely hear her.

Exhilaration and relief poured through Christian, in equal measures, when she finally committed to an answer.

"Then come here," he told her, trying to keep his voice steady while his throat felt surprisingly thick. "And lay over my knee."

Trinity rose gracefully and walked toward where he had settled himself on the largest of her lounge seats. But instead of immediately complying with the rest of his command, she tipped her head to one side and asked, "Are you going to punish me?"

"Do I need to?" Christian queried, interested to see what her response might be.

"Umm, I don't think so?"

"Was that a statement or a question?" he asked with a chuckle at the way she had posed it.

Trinity frowned, and Christian took pity on her and asked another question before she could answer. "Perhaps I should change that to, "Do you want me to?"

Trinity swallowed, and her eyes darkened with latent desire. The reaction was impossible to miss when her pupils dilated in those pale, silvery eyes, turning them black.

She didn't answer straight away, her expression taking on that 'deer in the headlights' look, and Christian wondered if she was still having trouble unifying their past and present relationships.

"I’ll ask again; do you trust me?" he prompted her for the reminder.

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