Page 95 of Blush

I rise, turn her around to face me, gaze at her body.

“So beautiful,” I say.

Then she blushes. That beautiful blush that I’ve never seen on any other human being. It’s a different pink. A pink like the blush on a sweet Rainier cherry. A pink that belongs only to Amanda.

“Hold out your wrists,” I say.

She obeys instantly.

“Stand there.”

I walk to the wall, pull off a set of fur-lined handcuffs. She’s not ready for regular cuffs yet. I don’t want to take the chance of chafing her delicate wrists. I bring the cuffs to her, lock them in place so her wrists are bound.

“Okay?” I ask.

“Yes, sir. Absolutely fine.”

God, the word “sir” from her lips. It’s like she was born to say it. Born to say it tome.

“Come here.” I gesture, nodding to the leather table.

She walks toward me.

“Bend over the table, Mandy.”

Again, she obeys without question.Good little sub.

Her wrists are cuffed, but I won’t bind her to the table. Not yet.

I walk to the wall, choose a light flogger. Not a whip. I may never use a whip again after what happened with Blossom.

Instinctively, though, I know I’ll never hurt Mandy. It’s never my intention to hurt anyone, and—

Crap.

Mood killer.

I can’t do this. I walk around to the front of the table and click the handcuffs off her.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m letting you go.”

“No! You promised me. I want this, Jack.”

“I know you do, Mandy. But Idon’t.”

She frowns. And it’s not a sad frown. It’s an angry frown. As if something has opened up inside her. “You’re not playing fair.”

“To the contrary. I’m playing very fair. I’m thinking about you. Not about myself.”

“Did I ever ask you to do that? I want this. And if you want this, Jack, think about yourself.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t hurt me. You gave me a safe word to guard against that.”

She’s not wrong.