Page 51 of Under His Command

“I know. Because here we are.” He turned his head and placed a kiss on her palm, surprising a whimper from her when his tongue came out to tease with a lick. “As far as kink and D/s go, we’ll play. And I’ll ask you to try new things. But I’m not into anything scary, and nothing too extreme, no blood, knives, or breath play. I like toys, restraints, and rope, lots of rope. Most Navy men do.”

She didn’t need to tell him she did, too. He’d learned earlier she came fast and hard when bound and vulnerable to all the tantalizing things he did to her body—and tonight was only the beginning.

“I already know you enjoy the attention I pay to your luscious backside; it gets you wet, and I love that. I’ll spank you often, with or without an excuse, and I won’t only use my hand. But no matter if we’re here at the club, or playing at home, and when you’ve earned a real punishment, you’ll always be safe with me, Cassie.”

“I trust you, Flynn, and feel safe with you. So my backside is all yours.” She dipped her head and buried her face in his neck the next instant as she murmured, “I cannot believe I just said that.”

“Ah, but you did, imp, and I plan to take the most of it.”

He couldn’t keep from laughing when she moaned, which sounded more from excitement than dread. The sudden movement of his chest jostled her from her safe perch and she slid sideways. He saved her from a dunking, but she clutched at his shoulders, sending more water sloshing onto the floor.

When her head came up, they grinned at one another.

To make his last point, he grew serious. “There is one more thing.” He pulled her up his body until they were nose to nose, her eyes on him. “I expect honesty, Cassie—always—whether in day-to-day issues or here at the club. And I’ll give you the same respect. I’llbe more upsetif you hide something from me rather than owning up to a mistake.”

“I can do that, Flynn. I don’t want secrets between us, either.”

His mouth came down on hers hard, rife with both happiness and possession, but he pulled away before he wanted to. He needed to address something else she said before he lost control. “Since we’ve settled the D/s ‘stuff,’ let’s talk about dating. How many picnic lunches or morning coffees have we shared?”

She blinked. “What?”

“We went to the see the Padres play twice and to that Wine and Canvas Art Show you dragged me to downtown. We also went to Sunday brunch at least once a month, and to the mall. I’m a man, Cassie. I don’t do malls, but I went because you asked me to help you pick out a new driver for your dad’s birthday.”Her eyes widened as what he was saying sank in, and he wasn’t done. “We might not have been romantically involved, but we grew to care about each other without it, which puts us at an advantage starting out. Today proved intimacy between us sure as hell isn’t a problem. After all of that, do you really have to ask if moving in is too soon?”

“We’ve been a couple for months without the sex,” she observed, sounding as dazed as she looked. “It’s like I had blinders on.”

“It seems we both did, but thank fuck they’re off now.”

The tiny lines between her brows appeared again as her pretty pink lips puckered.

“What?”

“It’s nothing.”

He caught her chin in his hand with a stern reminder. “No secrets, Cassie.”

“I just wondered, since we’re together now, and you’re my big bad bossy dom, does it mean you won’t want to do any of those things anymore? We had fun, or I thought we did.”

“Did you hear me complaining?”

Her mouth fell open. “Uh, yes!”

Flynn frowned, trying to recall when but couldn’t. “I don’t remember—”

“The Nouvelle Artiste Exposition,” she reminded him.

“You mean the abstract crap that looked like a two-year-old threw paint on a bunch of canvases, and not well I might add.”

She burst into giggles. “It was pretty awful, wasn’t it?”

His thumb swept over the fullness of her lower lip, charmed by her easy smile and the lovely glow in her cheeks. “I want you to be happy, Cassie.”

“You make me happy, Flynn,” she whispered, her lovely blue eyes glistening.

“Good, but I’m just getting started.” She beamed at him through her tears. “I assume you want the same for me.”

“Of course! I live to see the dimple in your cheek, sir.”

“Are you getting sassy with me, imp?”

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