Page 20 of Caught By Menace

Her clipped reply unsettled him. Her gaze skipped from his face to his chest. What was she hiding? Perhaps she was afraid to tell him just how much she disapproved of weapons. “I keep weapons in my—our—quarters but they’re safely secured. You’ll never have to see or touch them.”

Her expression turned to one of amusement. She touched his jaw. “Menace, I’m not your typical Calyx human, okay? Connor’s Run is a tricky place to live, so I owned weapons of my own for protection.”

His chest tightened. “That’s illegal.”

“It’s a gray area,” she said carefully. “It’s illegal to possess any kind of firearm in The City and the smaller villages like Harper’s Well and Willow’s Tears. Connor’s Run has its own set of city ordinances that make possession of weapons legal if they’re registered.”

“And were yours registered?”

This time she held his gaze. “Most of them.”

The startling realization that he knew almost nothing of Naya’s history hit him right on the chin. “When we’re done here, we’re going to have a talk.”

“Are we?” She didn’t seem very thrilled by that idea. Instead she pushed up on her knees and straddled his leg. Her hand moved to his cock again. She grasped him a bit tighter and stroked him slowly. “I don’t think we’re close to being done here yet. Do you?”

Clearly she had something in her past that she wanted to hide. He wanted to know what kind of trouble she’d encountered that necessitated owning multiple weapons for protection but he was willing to overlook it for the moment. Her stalling tactic felt too damn good. “No, not even close.”

She smiled. He was taken aback by how stunningly beautiful she was when her lips curved and her eyes lit up with amusement. Making her smile just like that would become his new mission—and he never failed a mission.

Placing his hands on her waist, he tried to sit up so he could capture her sweet mouth in a kiss but she pushed on his chest and kept him flat on his back. He frowned up at her. “What?”

“Have you ever been cuffed?”

His eyes widened. “During sex? Absolutely not!”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not submissive.”

“Neither am I.”

He wasn’t so sure about that. The way she’d responded to being under his control couldn’t be faked. She’d been highly aroused by his orders. There was also a touch of the masochist about her. The careful application of discomfort and slight pain had enabled her to orgasm so easily. Discovering the depths of her submissive nature would surely provide the two of them with years of pleasure.

But that kind of sensual journey required trust. It was clear Naya’s trust was hard to earn. Unless…

“Do you see that second column of drawers? Open the top one and grab the green cuffs. They’re the only ones with enough adjustable length to fit me.”

She reeled back in surprise. “Are you serious? You’re going to let me cuff you?”

Menace caressed her side. “I trust you.”

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Why?”

He laughed at her cynical response. “Is everything a conspiracy to you?” Shaking his head, he explained, “I’m not stupid or naive, Naya. I’m quite aware that you’re still unhappy about our circumstances, but I trust you not to hurt me. You’re not a malicious person.”

Her expression softened. “I would never hurt you.”

“I know.” He cupped the back of her head and pulled her down for a deep, lingering kiss. “Now get the cuffs before I change my mind.”

She grinned again and nuzzled their noses together. “Be right back.”

He enjoyed the view of her bare bottom as she climbed off him and took the couple of steps to the cabinets. With her short stature and small arms, she didn’t have nearly the range he did. She retrieved the green cuffs and returned to the couch with a bounce in her step. His appreciative gaze moved to her perky breasts. He couldn’t wait to get his hands and mouth on them again.

She knelt between his legs on the couch and waved the cuffs. “Now what?”

He took the cuffs from her and showed her how they worked. The hook-and-loop closure strips made a tearing sound as they ripped apart. “You just press these two pieces together.” He tapped the shorter straps on the undersides of the cuffs. “Connect these to the loops on the top of the couch.”

She nodded. “Got it.”

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