Page 75 of The Forbidden Trio

“When you scream. When you cry. When you beg me to stop and mean it.”

“I can live with that.”

She burrowed closer, and it just feltright. She felt right in a way no other woman ever had. It was more than her beauty, her submissive nature, her familiarity. He didn’t even know how to explain it to himself.

“Max? May I have some water?”

“Of course. Do you need anything else? Are you alright?” He propped himself up on one elbow, searching her face. “Did I hurt you at all?”

She laughed again, and he loved the sound, loved her smile. “I’m fine. I’m just thirsty. I think we burned a few calories—although you did most of the work.”

He grinned down at her. “Which is exactly as it should be. That’s my job.”

“Your job?”

“That’s the job of any good Dominant.”

“Hmm, I agree. Although there wasn’t much of that happening. No. I take it back. There was definitely power play there.”

“There always will be. I can’t do this any other way. Are you okay with that?”

“More than okay.” She ran her fingertips over his chest, making him shiver. “Oh, yeah. This is definitely more than okay.”

He bent for a quick kiss. “Let me get you that water. Be right back.”

He got up and moved into the bathroom to divest himself of the condom, then took longer than he actually needed to wash his hands and splash water on his face. He caught his own blue gaze in the mirror.

“Don’t get too caught up, buddy,” he told his reflection. “You have no idea where this is going, if anywhere. No idea what she wants.”

But the truth was, Aster was the woman of his dreams—she always had been—and having her after all these years, as adults with life experience under their belts, was a whole new ballgame. One he wasn’t exactly sure how to play. All he knew was she felt better than he remembered. She felt like fucking heaven. And how was a man supposed to resist falling into heaven?

He shook his head.

“Get it together,” he ordered himself, drying his hands on a soft, gray towel that matched the slate tiles on the floor and in the big shower.

He needed to get her into the shower with him, fuck her in there. Spank her sweet little ass under the water, making it really sting. It was one of his favorite ways to give a spanking.

Yes.

But first things first.

He walked into the kitchen end of the loft. It had been remodeled right before he’d moved in, and it was all sleek gray and white granite and dark blue painted cabinets, with spare, contemporary light fixtures made of brushed nickel to match the appliances. He wondered if Aster would like it, or if it was too sparse and minimalist for her?

Don’t get too far ahead of yourself.

He stopped his musing to fill two glasses with filtered water, then carried them back to the bed. Aster had pulled the soft navy throw from the foot of the bed and covered herself with it.

He handed her a glass and sat down on the bed.

“You cold, baby?”

“Just a little.”

“Drink your water, then I’ll come warm you up.”

She sat up and dutifully sipped, then handed the glass to him. He set it down on the side table.

“Okay,” she stated.

---