Page 199 of The Dragon 2
I set the glass down. “Ume.”
“That’s Japanese?”
I nodded slowly. “It means ‘plum.’”
“Aww.”
“It of course reminds me of your scent. Ripe. Sweet. But sharp beneath the skin. The kind of fruit that bruises beautifully.”
She held my gaze.
“And the word itself. . .ume. It’s delicate. Feminine. But old. Resilient. Plum blossoms bloom in the dead of winter—when everything else is too afraid to rise. That’s what you feel like when I kiss you, something sacred, soft, sweet, yet strong.”
Her lips parted just slightly and then she whispered. “Ume. That’s beautiful.”
“Could it be too beautiful for a safe word?”
“No. I think there’s beauty in telling someone to stop and knowing without a doubt that they will because they never want to hurt you.”
My heart ached. “Then, that is our safe word.”
She placed her hands on the table. “And in addition toume, we’ll use the traffic light system too.”
“The what?”
“So. . .apparently this is simple, but effective—especially in scenes that may involve pain, power, or psychological edge play.”
I widened my eyes.
She said it like she was listing ingredients for chamomile tea—not ways to dismantle a man’s soul.
But I blinked and my mouth went dry as my cock pulsed under the table.
A scene? Pain? Power? Mind-fucking edge play?
She wasn’t preparing me for pleasure. She was preparing to burn me clean.
And then I saw it.
Her standing over me in some shadow-drenched room, dressed in black leather and gold rings, a riding crop dangling from her fingers.
I saw myself on my knees, bare, sweating, head bowed while she walked slow circles around me.
I imagined her whispering things I wasn’t ready to hear.
She’s going to shatter everything I thought I knew about myself.
I straightened in my seat. “Explain the. . .traffic system.”
“It’s just like regular traffic lights. During your. . .surprise, I will do a quick check with you. So, for example, if you say green that would mean keep going. Everything is good.”
What? How much time has Hiroko had with her?
I turned in my seat and glanced at Hiroko. She had been watching in the shadows and had the biggest smirk on her face.
Hmmm.
Surely, Hiroko was proud.
