Page 66 of Full Mountie

He’s grinning when he turns around, and I don’t hesitate to give him awhat the fuck is your plan, manlook.

Because seriously, a lot has changed in ten years. And he’s never used a crop on me.

“Relax,” he says evilly. “Where’s the trust?”

“It fled as soon as you picked up that crop. Have you turned into a sadist in your old age?”

“Liar,” he say softly as he crosses the room and stops right in front of me. “You still trust me.”

I do, but we should just double-check we’re on the same page. “What are my limits?”

“No marks. Lube and go slow for anal. Edging is cool. You like to say no and not mean it, so we’ll need safewords. And your favourite part of bondage is straining against the ropes and not being able to go anywhere. That gets you so hard you start drooling come down your leg like a teenager. Did I miss anything?”

My face is so hot it must be beet red. “No. That about covers it.”

“Safewords, then?”

I can’t look over at Beth. I feel more naked than if I were actually nude.You like to say no and not mean it. Fuck me. He hasn’t forgotten a single thing.

Hugh taps the crop against the inside of my denim-clad thigh. “Should we use ten codes like we used to?”

A hot rush of memory slams into me. The first time we kissed, Hugh had shoved me back against a wall. The tension had been growing for weeks and we were both pissed off.

“You want me to back off, Ross? Really? I don’t think you do.”

“I don’t know what I fucking want, asshole, and you aren’t helping.”

“You want me to help you sort out your precious feelings?” He was closer, all of sudden. Right in front of me. “I’m going to kiss you now. 10-4?”

10-10. Negative. 10-3, Stop Transmitting. He was giving me an out, and all I had to do was tell him clearly this wasn’t what I wanted. Instead I stared at him in stony silence. Unable to say yes, please fucking kiss me. I need that more than I need my next breath, you fucking asshole who’s gotten under my skin.

But we’d used those because they were second nature to us, and a nod to that weird and wonderful start to our affair.

I shake my head. “Beth doesn’t know them well enough.” I lick my lips and finally look at her. “We should pick new safe words we all agree to.”

“Cupcake,” she offers. “Lemon drop. Ice cream.”

“Now I just want dessert,” I say weakly. She isn’t freaking out about what Hugh said. And from the way her nipples are hard, tight little peaks, she’s enjoying this idea of safewords.

What have we tumbled into?

“Maybe it should be something you don’t like. Liquorice?” She leans in and brushes her lips against my cheek. “My safeword can beolives,” she whispers. “And maybe Hugh doesn’t get one because he’s mean.”

“I heard that,” he growls. “And I get one. I like this food thing. My safe word, should I want to end a scene because Beth’s a brat, will becabbage.”

“And we should have—”

“A caution word,” Hugh says, finishing my sentence. He bounces the crop lightly up my hip and slides it between my body and Beth’s. “Lachlan likes to slow me down.”

She grins. “I can imagine why.”

He just shrugs. “I humour it. You’ll discover it’s got its advantages, too. No worry about pushing him past a limit, so I don’t have to hold back.”

“And we both like it like that,” I say quietly. Beth jerks her attention back to my face, and her expression is both curious and warm. It gives me a surge of courage I grab on to with both hands. “I’ve never submitted in front of someone else before. It’s unnerving.”

She looks at Hugh’s crop, then carefully pushes it out of the way so she can plaster herself against me, her arms winding around my neck. “When are you going to figure out that I find every last inch of you, and all of your desires, incredibly sexy? Inside and out.”

My heart hammers in my chest. “Same.” My mouth is dry, but I ignore that. “And Hugh, too. Even with the crop.”

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