Page 10 of Reckless King

He grins, his white teeth flashing in the dim light. Paired with the mask, it gives him an almost predatory appearance. Angling closer, he brings his lips to my ear. “How about spanking? Does that interest you? Do you want to be bent over while your ass is reddened?” When he pulls back, there’s a devilish glint in his eyes.

My cheeks flame, but I’m counting on the mask and the dark to hide my reaction from him. I shake my head. “I’m not a child. I don’t need to be disciplined.”

Now it’s his thumb tracing small, hypnotic circles over my upper arm. The contact is making my head hazier than it has any right to. “You’re definitely not a child, and spanking is about far more than discipline,” he says. “But moving on. What about voyeurism? Are you here to see someone get fucked? Do you want to stand in the audience and watch a woman withher legs spread and pussy on display, made to come for your entertainment?”

My breaths are uneven, and I have to resist the urge to squirm at his words. None of my boyfriends have ever spoken to me like this, let alone a stranger. But I refuse to give him the satisfaction of knowing he’s affecting me. “I’d rather do, not watch,” I say, keeping my tone as flippant as I can manage.

“Really?” he almost purrs. “You’re an exhibitionist, then? You want to be watched as you’re made to orgasm over and over?”

There’s a throb between my legs that I’m doing my best to ignore, even as it grows more insistent. I can only shake my head.

“No? Well, it’s not for everyone.” He rubs his finger over his full bottom lip and tilts his head as if he’s thinking. “How about breath play?”

What the hell is breath play?

All I can do is blink at him in response.

One corner of his mouth kicks up. “Do you like the idea of giving control of your breath to another person while being fucked? Allowing them to cut off your oxygen until you’re dizzy with pleasure and need? Is that what you’re looking for here, butterfly?”

My throat goes dry. I’m going to have to tap out. I don’t know what I was thinking taking part in this game. And a game is exactly what it is. He knows I have no idea what I’m talking about, and he’s laughing at me.

I release a ragged breath. “Fine,” I concede. “I don’t plan to partake in anything like that. I just wanted a break from real life for a night. I wanted to get away from myself, and this seemed like a good way to do it. But I doubt I’d be comfortable with the stuff that goes on back there. I have no clue what shibari is, or breath play. And I’m probably incredibly naïve compared to youand everyone else here. Happy?” I cross my arms, annoyed that I was so easily caught outandby my slightly pouty reaction to that fact. What is it about this guy that makes my temper flare at the same time as my libido?

His eyes are still intent on mine, and a spark of excitement ignites in my belly.

Anna is the one to break the simmering tension. “You know, I think I might go and dance.”

A confusing mix of relief and disappointment swirls inside me as I turn to her, ready to join her on the dance floor. But she stops me with a hand around my wrist.

“On myown.”

When I open my mouth to protest, a big shit-eating smile grows on her face.

“Don’t forget about stress relief, babe. That’s the other reason you came, right?” She gives me a quick hug, lowering her voice so only I can hear her. “Ditch him and come get me if he’s an asshole, okay? Otherwise, have some fun. Remember, it’s just one night.” Then she winks as she spins away from me. “I’m going to find someone to shake my ass with.”

I watch her go, then, almost reluctantly, turn back to the man in the mask. Not because I wish I’d gone with Anna, but because my pulse is hammering in my throat, and there’s still that unfamiliar hum in my veins. Although this interaction has me on edge, I actually feel alive for the first time in a long while. And there’s a part of me that really wants to find out how far this could go, be it another drink, a kiss, or something… more.

He’s still watching me. When I wet my lips, his focus dips, and he tracks the movement.

“Stress relief?” he asks, his voice softer. “Are you stressed, butterfly?”

I let out a little laugh, not sure how convincing it is. “The last few months have been a little rough, that’s all.” Longer than that, but I doubt he’s interested in the details.

“So that’s why you’re here? To relieve some of that stress?”

I roll my lips together and consider how to answer that question. “I told you. I came because my friend’s membership is running out, and because I needed a break, to have fun for a night.” Then I let out a breath and focus on that little triangle of skin at the base of his throat rather than his eyes when I concede. “And yes, to relieve some stress, if that’s what ends up happening.”

The corners of his mouth curl up, drawing my attention back to his face. “I’ve been told relieving stress is one of my greatest skills.”

An excited little shiver darts up my spine. “Is that so?”

He dips his chin, his mouth still curved up. A mouth that I’m suddenly staring at, wondering how it would feel on mine. Oh god, am I crazy for considering doing this? Is he even offering what I think he is, or am I getting ahead of myself? I don’t know how to ask or how to proceed from here.

I raise my glass, desperate to ease my suddenly dry throat, only to discover it’s nearly empty. I drain it a little too eagerly, then lick the remnants of the sweetly tart liquid from my lips.

Even in the low light, the way his gaze heats is visible. He takes the empty glass from me and places it on the bar. Then he gently slips his big hand under my chin and tilts my face up. He studies what he can see of it, his thumb drifting along my jaw. Tingles follow in its wake. “Come and sit with me,” he says.

My stomach falls. This time it’s definitely disappointment I’m feeling. “You want to sit down?”

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