Page 15 of Claim

It looked as if I’d made the correct assessment.

Moving in front of her, I set the handles of the flogger and the paddle in each of her palms.

“Two different instruments of pleasure with unique sensations and experiences to discover. Both can push you if done well. One will take you further faster. How far do you want to go, Only Sophia?”

Without a second’s hesitation, she wrapped her fingers around the hilt of the flogger and offered it to me. “All the way, Damon Pierce.”

Heat filled her dark gaze, and the confidence I’d seen when she’d entered the lounge had returned in full force.

Interesting.

The uncertainty of moments earlier had disappeared, and she’d won whatever battle plagued her mind.

Was it the flogger that snapped her out of it?

Whatever it was, it looked as if she was ready to explore.

“All the way, is it? It all starts with following orders.” I waited for a few heartbeats and then commanded. “Strip.”

A smile touched her lips, and she asked, “Is the mask part of the stripping?”

The tinge of humor in her question had me shaking my head.

Of course, Sophia Morelli fell into the category of a brat.

“Keep it on. It’s part of the experience. Pretend you’re preparing to walk the runway. I’m sure you don’t even notice if anyone sees your naked body there.”

She pursed her lips for a quick second before she schooled the emotions away, making me realize I’d treaded onto a tender subject. So she wasn’t as free with her body as it would seem.

“Then is it everything except for my mask?”

“Leave your underwear but take off everything else.”

Without another word, she removed her clothing bit by bit, hesitating every so often before inhaling deeply and then continuing.

The enigma of this woman confused the hell out of me. One second she oozed pure feminine self-assurance, and the next, a vulnerable innocence made me want to protect her and keep her safe from the world.

The craving to dive into the deepest part of her and peel back all of the layers until I understood why she pretended to be so many different things all at the same time pushed at every fiber of my being.

Neither of us could afford to cross that line. This was not only due to the cost to our respective relationships with Lucian but to the toll a claim meant to our lives.

She knew nothing about the devil she played with tonight.

The facts or fiction of the rumors about me were all relative based on the person telling the story. My ability to engulf a submissive’s senses during a scene was legendary in the club. The patrons could only imagine what a submissive I took for my own would feel. Therefore, no matter what, I accepted that I was guilty for what happened.

Now here I was, watching this goddess strip and reveal her tall and slim model’s body. Well, except for that curvy ass, which wasn’t typical runway material at all. Those were beautiful Italian genetics at their best.

I couldn’t wait to see her skin glow red with my marks or hear her cries.

When she was bare except for her tiny thong, I moved behind her, setting my hand on her waist.

Immediately, goosebumps prickled her skin. Then, leaning down, I grazed my stubble along the column of her neck, and a low whimper escaped her lips.

So responsive, and we’d barely started.

I walked her toward the padded table where she had previously sat and turned her, putting her voluminous ass against it. “I’m going to lay you back. You will hold onto the bar at the top. Your job is to hold on tight without letting go, no matter what I do to you.”

Her breath came out in unsteady pants as I positioned her the way I stated, and her nipples pebbled to stiff peaks, making them a distracting temptation for my plans.

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