Page 53 of Mr. Scandalous

She went to her satchel, removed the velvet ropes, then returned to the bed. The tension inside her mounted. Was she really brave enough to see this through?

She wrapped the ropes around her hand, experiencing the crush of velvet against her flesh.

“Do you trust me, Alec?”

“Not Alec,” he said. “Boy toy.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good,” she said. “Becausenowit begins.”

* * *

It was as if she had peeked inside his brain and unearthed his favorite fantasy. How had Eden known he daydreamed about being tied up by a forceful woman?

But while light bondage was his secret kink, Alec had never really experimented with it. He’d always been afraid that in despite the thrill, he would panic at the loss of control. He was an active, dominant guy, and while being bound and blindfold stoked his desire, it also sent a worm of fear winnowing down his spine.

Should he protest? Should he tell her he’d changed his mind? Or should he simply surrender to the fantasy, let himself go, allow her to tie him up and have her way with him?

His skin tingled, alive with sensation, compensating for his lack of vision. His sense of smell sharpened, and he inhaled her unique scent. Her deep- throated chuckle tickled his ears. He tasted his own nervousness, strong and bitter, like over brewed coffee.

“Have you considered,” she said, while tying the final rope around his left ankle, “that maybe I’m not trustworthy?”

How well did he know her really?

There, in the darkness, with his eyes covered and his limbs bound, a jolt of terrified delight gripped his body, mind and soul.

“What do you mean?” A surge of testosterone bathed his brain and addled his senses. He was ill-advised for agreeing to this, but, man, what a way to go

“What if I just went away and left you here?”

“But you wouldn’t do that.”

She said nothing.

He strained his ears, listening for the sound of her breathing. He felt her shimmy off the bed, her fingers lightly brushing his thighs.

“Eden?” He tried not to sound panicky. He wasn’t panicking. She wouldn’t leave him like this, naked and vulnerable, tied and revved up like a rocket aching for her finger to trip his trigger.

Would she?

He tested the bindings. They held.

“Eden.”

Alec heard her feet pad across the carpet, then the unmistakable sound of the door opening and closing.

Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap. Don’t go, sweetheart, don’t go!

Okay, this fantasy wasn’t nearly as cool as it was in his imagination. He prayed she was still in the room and had only pretended to leave.

“Eden!” He yanked at the ropes. “Get back here right now!”

A minute passed.

Then two.

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