Page 90 of The Serpent's Bride
A lesson he would teach her soon enough.
But he had morepressinglessons to address first.
He had ordered her to kneel. He never used his hypnotism to coerce his partners. It was what gave him the greatest joy in the world—not having to use his gifts to get others to obey him. Watching them choose to do it instead, for whatever reason, gave him such pleasure. And their reasons were as varied as the broken souls he had collected.
Often it was physical lust. Either for him or for what he could make them feel.
Sometimes, it was from a need to make their bodies hurt the way their minds did. To feelsomething,anything at all, even if it was only pain.
Or, perhaps, it was the need to feel like the center of someone’s universe—even if it was as a plaything and a toy.
More than one of his former “lovers” had come to him, knowing that they wouldn’t survive the ordeal, mentally or physically. He was just a very elaborate form of suicide to them. He despised them for it, every time.
But this one?
It was precisely as he had said. Neither of them chose this. She hadn’t come to him. And he had not sought her out. It would require them both to adapt. And if she was willing to bend for him? He would do the same for her.
“What if I wanted to be the one in control?”Her words to him the other night echoed in his mind. He had never once in his life surrendered control to another. Never let someone have their way withhim.Even in a menial, superficial sense, let alone anything close to what he was about to try to do to her.
The thought should have revolted him. Or made him laugh, perhaps, at how ridiculous it sounded. Him? Blindfolded andshackled? Please! But this woman—this creature before him—staring into his eyes, searching for something? Was surprising him at every turn.
Including, it seemed, by uncovering things about him that even he didn’t know.
Because he had a hard time remembering when he had been so instantly turned on by an idea in a very long time. The idea of her, knife tip pressed against his throat, his blood staining her hands as she rode them to completion, made his already painful erection twitch inside his pants.
He had replied “I wouldloveto see you try.”And he had meant the words. They hadn’t been a threat. They had been an invitation.Catch me off guard with a gun to my head, my little murderer, and I will kiss your feet and obey your every word.
But that was if destiny allowed them to last that long.
Now, he was the one in command.
The one that she warred with.
Would she surrender? Would she cross the point of no return? Or would she back down?
It wasn’t a matter of whether she would enjoy it. They both knew she would, deep down.
It was a matter oftrust.
Did she trust him?
Not in politics. Not with his family. Not with her life. The answer there was a clear and understandable “no.”But in some way,thistrust was more important than that, wasn’t it? This kind of intimacy?
The moment stretched on for another beat, and he was certain she would retreat. But she had one more surprise in store for him. The tension fled from her shoulders as she committed to her choice. And slowly, cautiously…his little murderer knelt at his feet.
Nadi couldn’t believe what she was doing.
Had she lost her mind?
She was kneeling at the feet of Raziel Nostrom. Naked. Trembling.Eagerfor what he was going to do to her.
His hand stroked the top of her head, gently, almost soothingly. “We will take it easy on our first time truly playing together. Sorry if that’s a disappointment.” He walked behind her and out of her field of view.
The floor of the suite was carpeted, which made his footsteps silent. She had no idea where he was. That made her more nervous. And made it so, so much more intense. She was almost shivering in need.
“Spread your knees. Sit on your ankles.” He was standing right behind her.
She did as she was told.
