Page 13 of Betrayed

His fingers tightened on her chin. She was out of practice to defy him so.

“Um, rather, I have limits, sir. I have played with Master Reyn before and didn’t think to bring my list.”

“I rarely push the extremes during a first session. Since I haven’t had a chance to look at your file, we must negotiate,n’est-ce pas?”

“Yes, please, sir,” she replied, some of her tension easing with her apparent relief.

“Just so, there is the matter of my question first. And when I ask for a third time, which is unprecedented, I urge you to recall our discussion on disobedience and reciprocal punishment. Since further delays, avoidance, and prevarication will be deemed as defiance, I urge you to answer carefully. Why have you avoided me,belle Mari?”

“Because I didn’t think we had the same interests. You’re a known sadist, sir.”

“Yin and yang, a good match for the masochist that you are,non?”

“Not anymore,” she blurted out, but then her eyes darted away. “I don’t want that; I don’t want pain. Bondage and perhaps a light spanking are what I’m after. Nothing more.”

“So you say. Then why list it at all? Which you did, at first.”

“But—” She blinked up at him wide-eyed. “I thought you said you hadn’t read my file.”

“Master Dex mentioned your uncertainty.”

She shook her head, her delicate brows gathering in a frown. “I was confused when I joined, but not anymore. I come for light to moderate play, that is all.”

“And sex.”

Again, she glanced away, her fair skin unable to hide the slight blush that colored her cheeks. “Yes.” Her affirmative response was little more than a whisper of breath.

His hand moved for the first time since they’d begun this discussion, which was proving both awkward and uncomfortable for her. In a slow sweep of his thumb, he brushed over the rosy apple of her cheek, watching with interest as her pupils dilated.

He pushed on, glad that she responded to his touch.

“What about submission? Is that also something you don’t want anymore?”

The beginnings of a smile tipped her lips, but it was fleeting and never quite took hold. “In this place, I doubt if that’s an option.”

“Ah, but there are sadists who aren’t dominant and by the same token, masochists who chose not to submit. Before we move forward, I’m asking you what you want.”

She closed her eyes as his thumb grazed along her lower lip.

“Eyes on me,” he ordered, whisper soft.

As her lashes flew up, her rapid response, the rush of indrawn breath, and the flutter of the pulse in her throat told him more than any words possibly could. Yes, indeed. His little masochist in denial was submissive as well.

“C’est vrai, ma jeune fille, I prefer that you not hide anything from me.”

Her brows gathered for a moment. “My schoolgirl French is twenty years old. I didn’t catch that.”

“Pardon, Mari. I called you my good girl.”

He smiled slightly as she flushed with pleasure at the slight praise. He almost hated to take that away from her.

“I should qualify that withparfois, which means sometimes, when you aren’t stalling and forgetting your manners. As an experienced sub, you know how to address your dom, even one for a night.”

Her mouth rounded prettily as she realized her error. “I’m sorry for the disrespect, sir.”

He nodded in acceptance of her apology before stroking his fingers down her cheek. He felt her tremble as she leaned into his tender touch, as though starved for affection. It stirred the protective side in him, as well as his indignation, that such a gentle soul was going without something so basic as a caring touch. That wasn’t something she’d find lacking in a scene with him.

But the unguarded moment passed, as her brain seemed to switch back on. She tensed, and with great reluctance, pulled away.

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