Page 31 of Betrayed

Arturo demanded the same control that her husband had, deriving as much satisfaction in taking command of her body, and evoking a carnal response. It was the same intense pleasure she felt in relinquishing control and submitting. Until now, it had always been Derek.

That another could arouse her so fiercely, utterly dominating her, doing some of the same things to her that her master had, some of which she loved, others that she loved to hate, frightened her. Many of the things Arturo did to her, she and Derek hadn’t thought to try until being together for years and building trust and love.

Now she was doing those things, feeling those same feelings, and responding the same way to a near stranger, one who aroused what she never thought of feeling with another man, or a master.

If she was completely honest, what frightened her the most was what Arturo inspired not only rivaled what she had felt with Derek, it surpassed it. Sophisticated, charming, confident, with years of experience as a dominant, add to that knowing his way around a dance floor and a dungeon, compounded her worries. In her lonely state, she knew what would happen if he tested her limits, pushing her past her self-imposed boundaries and limitations to what she really craved; she would lose herself in him.

What would happen when he left? He wasn’t from San Antonio. She didn’t know what brought him to Texas, but Stetsons and cowboy boots didn’t suit him. Eventually, he’d leave and take her heart with him, bringing her back to square one—emotionally crushed, physically empty, and once again all alone.

Her chest constricted painfully, and she found it hard to breathe. She wanted to stop. Now!

“Yellow!” came her raspy and panicked cry.

Chapter 10

ARTURO’S HEAD FLEWup. In the mirror, she saw him twist, following the direction of her unwavering gaze. His frown reflected in the glass was rife with concern before he looked down at her again.

“What is it? Are the clamps too tight?”

“No, it’s—” Her voice broke, quivering so much it was nearly incoherent.

His face appeared directly above hers, blocking out anything else. “It’s what, Mari? Talk to me. Is it your knees? Or your shoulders?”

She shook her head, closing her eyes as tears blurred her vision.

“Non! Ouvre les yeux!”He grunted sharply with frustration then switched to English. “Open your eyes and speak to me.”

His stern command left her no other choice but to obey. As her lashes came up, a tear overflowed and rolled down her temple.

“Are you frightened of me?” he asked as his thumb swept out to collect the single droplet.

“No, no, it’s not you,” she replied hastily. “I’m afraid of myself.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You are too much for me, sir. I can’t—”Keep you at arm’s length like the others.But she didn’t tell him that. “You’re not like other doms I’ve been with,” she amended, swallowing to hold back more tears.

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