From Sanctum with Love (Masters and Mercenaries #10)(55)

His words cut through her. “What are you saying, Kai? Is this about you being my boss or acting as my play partner?”

She thought they’d worked it out last night.

His hands cupped her cheeks, forcing her to look up at him. “I’m acting as your Dom, Kori, and you know it. You can pretend all you like. You can call it whatever you want to, but you know how this ends. This ends with you and me.”

She shook her head. “Kai, yesterday we were nothing more than friends.”

“Yesterday I didn’t understand you. Today I do, and I want you more than I want my next f*cking breath. I’ll go slow. I’ll give you all the time you need to wrap that gorgeous brain around the idea. I’ll be indulgent as hell with the exception of two things.”

“Do I dare ask?”

“You play with me and only me. I won’t play with anyone but you. And when something goes wrong, you call me. You give me the chance to protect you, to shelter you.”

“I thought we agreed to keep it to the club.”

“I didn’t agree to that and why should we?” He sounded so reasonable. “What does scared Kori say?”

“Scared Kori thinks this is all moving too fast, but she’s kind of drowned out by Wants to Kiss You Kori.”

His lips curled up in the sweetest smile. “I know who I’m voting for. Come on, baby. We’ve been dancing around this since the day we met. I’ve put up stupid boundaries because I was scared, too. I’ve pushed away a lot of good in my life because I couldn’t trust it. I cuddled you last night and all I could think about was the fact that I trust you. Of all the people in the world, I trust you most. I want to be with you. When I’m with you I’m not lonely.”

The man knew exactly what to say to shut Scared Kori up. When she was with him, she didn’t feel the hole in her soul the way she did before. Somehow even simply being friends with the man had filled her in a way no one had before. Was she going to let him go because Morgan had been a giant massive *?

If he hadn’t been, she wouldn’t have found Kai.

She went on her toes before she could talk herself out of it and brushed her lips against his. Warm, soft. Those lips were plump and sensual and he somehow made them masculine. They were like the rest of Kai. Utterly beautiful and on someone else perhaps a bit feminine, but Kai was all man.

He was still as she kissed him, her lips moving softly over his. It wouldn’t last long. He was giving her this time. He would take over and her whole body thrilled at the idea. He was right. They couldn’t go back after last night. They’d connected in such an intimate way that she didn’t want to. Yes, she was still afraid, but this man was worth the risk.

When she eased back down, he was smiling at her. “Do you know how long I’ve waited for you to kiss me?”

“Probably since last night.”

His hands smoothed back her hair, making her feel so wanted and cared for. “Since the day I met you. I was too stupid to understand that. Now, we have the issue of your infraction.”

Yes, they did. Why had she ever thought they should keep this to the club? She turned, her hands shaking as she shoved the pajama bottoms and bikini panties off her hips and down her legs. Leaning forward, she found the position he’d asked for, palms flat on the bed, her ass in the air.

“Look at that,” he whispered. “I thought I’d been rough with you but this morning your backside is fresh and perfect. It’s like no one spanked you. Just this one tiny mark here.”

His fingers brushed over a spot on her left cheek that made her gasp. He might not have left marks, but damn she was sore. She was about to be sorer. God, this was going to hurt. Her whole body softened at the thought.

She’d denied herself for so long.

“I’m going to give you the choice this time.” Kai’s fingers scraped lightly along her flesh, sending shivers up her spine. “Normally I love hearing you scream for me, really the more the better. Some tears and pleas and I’ll be a very happy Dom, but there are still people out in the living room. It’s not going to bother me at all, but I want you to be comfortable.”

“Please gag me, Kai. Please.”

“With pleasure, baby.”

She could hear him moving around behind her, and when he came back he had a fresh pair of her undies in his hands.

“Unlike a lot of Doms, I personally enjoy pretty panties. They make such good gags when we need to keep our games private. Open. Since you won’t be able to talk through this spanking, all you have to do to get me to stop is hold up your left hand.”

He was giving her a way to safe word without speaking. She had to admit that the idea that her friends were right down the hallway and Kai was about to do dirty things to her aroused her unbearably. “I can do that.”

“Stand up and ask me to gag you again. Does my sub need a gag in her mouth so she won’t cry out?”

Her nipples were rigid against her tank top. “Yes, Sir. I need it.”

“Open your mouth.” His right hand caught her, forcing her head up. “And I damn straight meant what I said about stopping me if it’s too much. I know you like it, but I won’t damage you for anything. Take it.”

He was rough as he shoved the panties into her mouth. She would never be able to look at those the same way again. He pressed them, filling her mouth and making her jaw ache. It was the right side of pain, exactly enough to start up the chemical reaction in her brain. Some people got runner’s high. She found such peace in this place.