Page 28 of Carnal

Anger flares in her expression. "Look around, Tristano. What do you see?"

To appease her, I glance around the room, then refocus on her, acknowledging, "I see a kick-ass dungeon that I want to play in. With you."

She studies me again.

"What did I say now?" I ask.

"Why do you assume I'm the submissive?"

I freeze. My heart almost pounds out of my chest. I mutter, "It's impossible."

"What? That I can dominate a man?" she asks, as if I've insulted her.

"I know the men who you've taken into the dungeon. There's no way they submit," I assert.

She huffs. "You're very naive, Tristano. I never thought I'd say that, but you are."

I gape at her. Some of the cruelest, most vicious, most dangerous men I know have been in the dungeon with Pina.

She softens her tone. "Ah. Now I see you're catching on."

I step away and gaze around the room again. "So you wanted to have me come here to submit to you?"

"Yes."

"And you have men come here instead of the club? Why?"

She shakes her head. "You're the only one who's been here."

"Why me?"

She shrugs. "I don't know. But I only invited you since you agreed to my terms."

The hairs on my arms rise. I turn toward her. "You know I'm a Dom, not a sub."

"So are a lot of men I take into the dungeon."

"Yeah, well, I'm a Dom."

"How do you know?" she asks.

I grunt and tap my fingers on my thigh. "Because I know."

She puts her hand over mine. "You're nervous."

"No, I'm not," I claim, but there's a strange feeling in my gut I can't describe.

She lowers her voice. "Have you ever tried being a sub?"

"Of course not."

"Then you don't know if you'd like it."

"That's ridiculous. I know I'm the dominant one. And you loved submitting to me, so don't deny it," I argue.

She closes her eyes briefly then reveals, "You're right. I did. I don't know why and it's still confusing me, but I did love what we did and how you made me feel. But it doesn't negate the fact I also like to dominate."

Her truth hangs in the air, making me more uncomfortable. If Pina's a Dominatrix, then this will never work between us. I'm a Marino. We don't submit. We dominate.

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