Page 83 of Enthrall
“When you squeezed my thigh.”
“Oh, that. I released endorphins into your blood stream.”
“By causing pain?” I sunk lower, burning with embarrassment but fascinated at the same time.
“It’s what we do here,” he said. “We control with pain. Bring pleasure with pain. Balance pleasure with pain.”
“Huh.”
“We banish pain with pain.”
I tried to understand how that might work.
“So you don’t hate me?” I said.
“Never.” He stretched his arms out wide across the back of the bench. “Pain leads to the secretion of endorphins which in turn leads to euphoria.”
“That’s why it made me relax?”
He flashed a smile. “Amongst other things.”
I broke his gaze, not daring to admit another part of me liked it too. “How did you know I wouldn’t scream?”
“I’d profiled you,” he said matter-of-factly without even a flicker of an eyelash.
My stare stayed on him, trying to see if he’d caught the weight of what he’d revealed.
“You’re submissive,” he said. “Which makes you a perfect fit for Enthrall. There are more than enough dominants in this place. You provide a form of repose. Perfectly so, in fact.” His eyes locked with mine.
“Do you like dominating me?” I said.
“Nothing brings me more pleasure.” The corner of his mouth turned up. “If you were my submissive you’d be sitting on the ground right now with your head on my lap. I’d be running my fingers through your hair.”
Invisible sparks flew out of my chest; the tinglywhat just happened therekind.
“But potentially you’re Richard’s,” he said.
“What about the ants?”
He looked amused. “I like feistiness. It’s a trait I take pleasure in vanquishing in my submissive. Richard, however, desires someone more malleable. Sexually that is.”
“Are you saying this to help me or warn me?”
“Trust me, submissives are honored. You’d be spoiled rotten. Encouraged to reach empowerment. Given every opportunity to fulfill your potential on every level. We encourage our women to flourish.”
“So I’d be allowed to be me?”
“Goodness, yes.” His gaze swept the garden and settled on the pond. “Do you like these little suckers?”
I swallowed, hard. “They’re very relaxing to watch.”
“From what I hear it looks like you’ll have a few fish of your own soon. Along with a new address.”
My head snapped round to look at him.
“Lotte’s friend needs a house sitter and apparently you’re about to become Malibu’s newest resident.”
“Really?” Excitement flipped in my stomach.
