Page 25 of The Inquirer

I went still, giving myself a few seconds to decide how I should ask the question. It was a delicate dance and one I’d never had to deal with before. Vanilla stuff had always been the usual give-and-take between equal partners, but I’d never been submissive in BDSM until her.

I didn’t want to say anything that might make her think I was pushing her into something she didn’t want, but I also didn’t want to assume that she wanted me to take charge and care for her the way I would a sub…no matter how much I wanted to do exactly that.

“Do you want me to take charge?” My voice was steady, but my heart had started pounding. The previous times we’d had sex had been amazing, and it hadn’t cost me anything to submit to her, but I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t ever thought about what it’d be like to be the Dominant one with her.

I’d never ask for me, though. Not after learning what she’d been through. I wasn’t that much of a bastard.

“I’m just trying to figure out what you need.” I brushed the back of my knuckles across her cheek. “Talk to me. Do you want me to take charge?”

She hesitated before offering a slow nod. “Please.”

I kissed the top of her head. “I’ll take care of you.”

Neither of us talked as I led her to my cabin. As much as I wanted her, that wasn’t my priority. Some people saw being Dominant as controlling and pushing and bossing, but good Doms knew when to push and when to hold back, when to be tough and when to care. The right ways to be tough or caring.

I sat her on the couch. “I’m going to get you something to drink.”

When I took a step away, she grabbed my wrist. “Don’t go.”

I crouched down in front of her. “Listen, little firebird, I’m going to get you some water, and I want you to drink it, all right?”

She nodded and let go of my wrist. I hated the walk to the kitchen, even though I knew water would do her some good. I grabbed a bottle from my fridge and took it over to her. I went back to my knees in front of her to put us on the same level.

“Drink.”

She did, taking half the bottle in a single go before handing it back to me. Some color had returned to her cheeks, and her eyes had lost some of that haunted look. Not enough, though. I hated seeing her like this.

I reached out slowly, giving her the chance to tell me to stop. She didn’t. My fingers traced down her cheek and then across her jaw until I cupped her chin. Heat grew in her eyes as I ran my thumb along her bottom lip.

“You remember your safe words?”

She nodded.

“Do you still want me to make you forget?”

She nodded again.

I smiled at her. “Then your wish is my command.”

As our mouths came together, my hand moved to curve over the back of her head. She made a soft sound and leaned into me. Her tongue pushed against my lips, and I tugged on her hair, a quick little reprimand, both to remind her that I was in control and to judge how well she’d listen. For a brief second, I thought she’d pull away from me, but instead, she seemed to relax, to respond rather than push.

It was my turn now, and I deepened the kiss. My free hand slid from her knee to her thigh, teasing under the hem of her shorts. My fingers moved back and forth across the soft skin, featherlight touches that made the muscles under my fingers jump and twitch. Her knees parted, making room for me to move closer.

The hand in her hair slid down her spine and then under the back of her shirt to move up again. She shivered, and her teeth scraped my bottom lip. I growled and bit into that soft flesh, hard enough to make her gasp. The time for gentle had passed, and I plundered her mouth until we were both out of air and had to stop. Even then, I didn’t let her go, just moved my lips down her jaw and throat, sucking and biting until her fair skin was marked.

A surge of possessive satisfaction went through me. She was mine, even if only for right now. I frowned. I didn’t like thinking that this would be it, but I’d messed up with her, and I didn’t know if I could fix it. Hell, I didn’t even know if things would’ve gone anywhere with us if we hadn’t argued. Still, I’d try. She’d put herself out there and had been stung. It was my turn to risk being hurt.

But not at this exact moment. I had other work to do here and now.

I slid my hand around her ribcage, and she caught her breath, making me smile. She was ticklish. I didn’t explore that more, but I did file it away for future consideration. Her skin was silk under my palm as I explored every inch of her body.

It was the middle of the afternoon, and I had another lesson before supper, but I wasn’t going to rush, even if it got me in trouble. Nyx needed more than just a quickie, and I had a feeling the Huxleys would understand that, even if they didn’t understand the exact nature of what Nyx needed.

I leaned back on my heels and pulled her toward me. If we hadn’t both still been wearing clothes, I could have slipped inside her right then. My stomach clenched at the idea of skin-to-skin contact. I’d always been careful when it came to sex, even more so after I caught my dad and Antoinette together. I honestly wasn’t sure I’d ever want to go without protection, no matter how serious things got between myself and my partner. But the idea of taking Nyx bare made my dick ache.

Fuck. What was this woman doing to me?

She rocked against me, the zipper from my jeans pressing painfully into my cock. Not enough to turn me off, but it gave me the edge I needed to keep from rushing. I put one hand on the small of her back, the other on her hip.

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