Page 54 of Desperate Victory

Moving back to her, I dangled the mask before I teased it against her cheek. She tilted her head back, letting me see her throat.

“On your knees on the bed.”

She swung her legs up and moved gracefully to her knees. It brought her head level with my chest and I let out another sigh. The obedience sanded off the jagged and broken bits that threatened to stab and cut me.

When I covered her eyes, I kept my attention on her face as I secured the mask behind her hair. It would block out everything in her vision. I’d tried several until I found the perfect one.

This was cut from the softest silk, it wouldn’t chafe or leave marks. It would sit like a kiss over her eyes.

“Good?” I asked once it was in place.

She swallowed once then she took a deep breath, the sharpness of her inhale audible.

“Excited,” she admitted and I almost wondered if she’d flushed. She did that sometimes. For all her pragmatic spirit and daring nature, she was still new to many different things. I hadn’t forgotten her reactions at the club or the museum.

I’d never been more grateful for her openness than I was right now.

“Good,” I whispered, stroking her cheek with one finger then trailing it down her throat to her breasts. I didn’t quite connect with the nipples and when she swayed toward my finger, I gave that breast a little slap.

Nothing damaging, but the sharpness of the sting caught her off guard and she let out a hiss.

“Stay still,” I told her. “I get to touch. I get to decide. All you do is get to feel.”

Another small test. I had faith in her. She could do this. She said I could have whatever I wanted.

She was what I wanted.

Wetting her lips with a swipe of her tongue, she nodded once. “I’ll stay still…”

I closed my eyes, soaking in the moment. “Remember,” I whispered. “If you are ever uncomfortable, uncertain, or frightened… just say stop.”

“I’ll just say stop,” she promised and I returned to gliding my hand down her body. I stroked and petted her, soothing myself as I made plans. The hooks were sturdy and I had everything I needed.

“Good,” I whispered. “Because I’m going to make one of my fantasies come true.”

Chapter

Seventeen

LAINEY

“Stay still,” Bodhi told me. “I get to touch. I get to decide. All you do is get to feel.”

The heat in that order sank into my bones. There was a fragile intensity to Bodhi in this moment. An intensity I wouldn’t shy away from for anything in the world. He rarely asked me for anything. I found I would deny him nothing.

At the same time, the liquid desire in his voice held dark promise. One I wanted to embrace and ride until we were both spent. I licked my lips, even if my mouth had suddenly gone dry. “I’ll stay still…”

“Remember,” he whispered. “If you are ever uncomfortable, uncertain, or frightened… just say stop.” The words looped around me like an embrace, fastening me securely to him in a way I didn’t pretend to understand. The only thing important here was that he needed me.

“I’ll just say stop,” I repeated the earlier promise as he stroked his hand down my arm to my side, then over my hip. Softness marked his touch, the gliding contact familiar, and it offered comfort. Whether it was for him or for me, I wasn’t sure and honestly, I didn’t care. If he needed this then it was his.

“Good,” he whispered finally and goosebumps erupted over my skin. My nipples went taut. “Because I’m going to make one of my fantasies come true.”

One of his…

Heat flooded me at that declaration. His fantasy. He wanted his fantasy to come true. Tears filled my eyes as emotion clogged my throat. At the same time, liquid need unfurled within me as he continued to stroke his hands over my skin.

Everywhere he touched me turned electric. Bodhi never failed to delight me. With each and every interaction, he opened the door into himself wider. Nothing hidden. No place forbidden.