Page 23 of Good Girl

I followed him back through to the lounge where Derek dropped onto one of the sofas and leaned back against the armrest. With one arm draped over the back and his legs loosely crossed, he looked incredibly attractive. Once again, dryness swept up my throat. I instantly took a few large gulps of wine, disturbed only when a soft chuckle rose from Derek.

“Sit down, Charlotte.”

I obeyed instantly. Sitting on the edge of the opposite sofa, I tucked my bag against my hip and clutched the glass between both hands.

“I am... more comfortable,” I agreed.

“I prefer when you look like this.” Derek lifted one dark brow as his eyes slowly skimmed down me.

“You like my clothes?”

“I couldn’t care less about your clothes,” he scoffed lightly, “but how you act when you’re wearing what makes you comfortable is infinitely more attractive. Comfort brings confidence, and even if you’re nervous... you seem more like you.”

The compliment increased the heat of the flush swimming about my body, and I nodded, ducking my head to stare down at my wine. Taking a sip, I forced myself not to down the drink like every tremble of nerves was coaxing me to do. The berry tartness swept over my tongue, bringing a taste distraction as it sat in my mouth. I’d gulped it down so quickly earlier that I hadn’t had time to taste, but this tasted like good wine.

And focusing on that was nothing more than a distraction.

Come on, Charlotte. You came here for a reason.

“What did you mean when you asked me here to ‘play’?”

Derek’s dark eyes studied me over the rim of his glass as he drank. He reminded me of a sleek cat seconds away from pouncing on its prey, and in this scenario, I was highly willing prey.

“Are you familiar with the core concepts of BDSM?”

“Yes,” I replied with more confidence than I felt. “Mostly.”

“Bondage and Discipline,” Derek purred. “Domination and Submission. Sadism and Masochism. Some would say they’re the dark arts of sex and where the heights of real pleasure can be reached.” Another sip, and deep red droplets stained his lower lip. He swiped out his tongue to catch them and briefly closed his eyes as if savoring the taste.

Each word amped up the pattering of my heart. I knew a little from movies and hearing people talk, and I’d seen things online, but Derek seemed to be talking about a hidden layer only he could see.

“That is what I enjoy.” He opened his eyes and fixed me with a dark look that froze me to the spot. “I want to tie you up, Charlotte. I have ever since I saw you. I want to bind you up into a beautiful toy. I want to wring obedience from your pretty little mouth. I want to dominate and own every part of your body, lay claim to your beauty as mine and mine alone. I want to hurt you a little, but within the safe confines of play.”

He wrote poetry and I was hooked, even though I didn’t fully understand exactly what he was getting at. I took another drink to try and calm my pounding nerves.

“I want to bring you to heights of pleasure you’ve never reached, have you squirm and cry and beg for more to the point that you will do anything just for thetasteof an orgasm.Thatis my pleasure.”

My next breath escaped in a groan, and Derek’s dark eyes narrowed.

“Does that scare you?” he asked.

“Yes,” I admitted. “I mean... I’m curious, and if I’m honest, I’m a little excited even if I don’t understand why you would want that with... with someone likeme.” Derek’s lips parted abruptly, but I carried on. “But I’ve never... I’m a virgin. I’ve never been with someone before, so I... well, it sounds like a lot.”

“It is.” Derek nodded. “But rest assured, I don’tfuck. I play. Fucking is for people with feelings in here.” He placed one strong hand on his chest, and I became distracted by how his fingertips caressed the slip of bare skin revealed there.

“What if I’m not good enough?”

“I will teach you to be good,” Derek replied, “if you want me to.”

He was offering meexcitementand yet that anxious, nervous part of me still had tendrils chained to the ground. I hesitated.

“You’re still a virgin,” Derek said. “Why? Never found the right guy?”

“Oh, I, uh... I had a guy, but he wasn’t a nice guy. And growing up, my mother was also incredibly strict on theno sex before marriagething.”

“Religious?”

I nodded.

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