Page 12 of Surrender

She runs over and uses the key to unlock the next room.

This one’s the storeroom. Now that she has more of an idea of what she’s supposed to do, she opens the chest to search for items, presses on a round carving in the wall, and lifts the fur rug on the floor, providing me with a lovely view of her ass bent over in those little jean shorts.

Eventually, she gets to the clue—letters carved into the lamps that, if opened and read together, give the combination to the lock on the door.

In no time at all, we’re in the third room.

The third room is neat. It has a bench to lounge on while I watch her search, a mural of cliffs and water painted on the wall as if we live by the sea.

“Why don’t you like kissing?”

Perhaps surprised by my question or the casual ease with which I asked it, she answers guardedly. “What makes you think I don’t like kissing?”

I smile faintly and look over at her. “You begged me not to kiss you.”

Her cheeks turn pink. “I don’t think Ibegged. Maybe politely requested.”

I can’t help but laugh. “Fine. Youpolitely requestedthat I didn’t kiss you with the tremoring fear of a virgin right before her first fuck.”

Her cheeks flame even more, and she looks away from me. “Did it ever occur to you that maybe I just didn’t want to kissyou?”

“No,” I answer honestly.

She rolls her eyes. “I see your ego is immense.”

I smirk. “It is, but that’s not why. I’m not the only person you’ve been tentative with tonight. I’ve been watching you all evening. You’re as apprehensive with everyone.”

“Maybe I don’t want to kiss anyone,” she says, but I can tell she knows her argument has lost weight.

“If you don’t want to kiss anyone, it stands to reason you don’t like kissing.”

Sighing, she shoots me an annoyed look. “If you’re not going to help us get out of here, could you at least stop distracting me?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Is that any way to speak to your master?”

“You have more audacity than any man I’ve ever met, and believe me, that’s saying something.”

Her comment stirs my curiosity. She has the feel of prey that’s been caught in a snare before but managed to escape. That’s why she tries to manage me instead of telling me to fuck off when I take liberties I have no right to. A woman who has never been prey wouldn’t have jumped so quickly to a soft, “Please don’t,” when encountering the danger I presented.

And then there was that near panic attack.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” I ask, even though I’m sure she doesn’t.

“Shouldn’t you have asked thatbeforekissing me senseless in the hall?” she murmurs primly.

A helpless grin splits my face. “Kissing you senseless, huh?”

She knows I’m just fucking with her, but she still flushes. “I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

“What if I do have a boyfriend?” she asks.

“Then I’ll have to get rid of him.”

“Even if I love him?”

“Especiallyif you love him.”

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