From Sanctum with Love (Masters and Mercenaries #10)(56)

And it was better this time because she could trust Kai.

Because Kai was the one.

“Back down,” Kai ordered.

She turned again, placing her hands down on the bed. She could scream as much as she liked now. For the first time in forever, she could actually let loose.

“Have I ever told you how beautiful you are? I like having you gagged because you can’t talk back and argue with me. Did you think I didn’t notice that every single time I give you a compliment, you negate it somehow? When I told you that dress was lovely on you last Monday, you told me you had borrowed it from Sarah and I should see how she filled it out.” His hand smacked on her ass, fire skimming her skin. “I don’t care how Sarah fills it out. I care about you. I watch you. I fantasize about you.”

They were not words she’d ever expected to hear from him. Not once. She’d dreamed about him, but she’d convinced herself that nothing could ever happen between them. Tears pricked her eyes, sweet and pure emotion running through her.

He rained down on her skin, the soreness from the previous night making every strike more visceral. She groaned around the gag.

“So that’s a new rule. When I tell you how pretty you are, you’ll thank me. Maybe if you hear it from me enough, you’ll start to believe it, though I think you should know that while you’re gorgeous, it’s not the thing that attracts me to you the most.” Another long volley where all she could hear was the sound of his hand hitting her flesh and then the flash of heat that sank into her bones.

Fuck but she felt alive.

“No, what attracted me to you was the fact that you are the single kindest person I’ve ever met.” He smacked her on the underside of her ass, making her jump slightly, the sensation so close to her rapidly moistening *. “You try to hide it, but I see you. I see how you treat people, how you protect them and take care of them. I also see how you never ask for anything yourself.”

He made her sound like a martyr, but it wasn’t like she could defend herself. There was nothing to do but take Kai’s discipline and listen to his words. Over and over her skin lit up and she took in the pain before shaking it off and letting the sensation change deep inside her body. Metamorphosis. It was how she always felt when playing. Like she began as one person and changed somewhere in the middle into someone else—someone stronger, more at peace.

“I’m going to take care of that because I’m going to take care of you and you’re going to let me. You’re going to trust me to take care of you emotionally the way I’m taking care of you physically. I know that’s hard, but I promise I won’t let you down. After last night, after the connection we had, I can’t let us go back to what we were.”

She could see that now. How had she thought for a second that she could breeze back into the office and pretend nothing had happened between them? What happened the night before was more meaningful than simple play. They’d needed each other, filled something that had been missing deep inside.

The pain focused her, helped her to push aside those voices that always seemed so close to the surface. All her nasty doubts and self-loathing melted away when tested against Master Kai’s discipline. She knew so many people who would judge her a freak for needing this, but she’d learned long ago that smart people accepted who they were, what they needed.

She needed Kai and in more ways than one.

Her backside was on fire as he continued, his rough voice keeping a count. Ten and then fifteen. Twenty and more. Somehow he knew exactly what to give her to make her ache for more.

“Thirty.” His hand moved over her skin, holding the heat in as he stroked her flesh. “I don’t want to be finished with this, Kori.”

Neither did she. There was no reason to hold him off. They’d had years of friendship to build a trust like nothing she’d known. She wiggled her ass against his hand because she couldn’t talk and hadn’t been told she could move yet. Rubbing against him was the only way she had to communicate that she wanted him.

He hauled her up, turning her to face him. “You know what I want. I believe I told you the first rule I wanted to change.”

Kisses. He’d claimed he wanted kisses. He gently pulled the panties out of her mouth, tossing them to the side. He lowered his mouth to hers, lips pressing down. He didn’t allow her to control this kiss. His hands sank into her hair and tugged her head back, giving him full access to her mouth. His tongue plunged deep, rubbing along her own in a silky glide. He kissed her over and over again, sinking deeper. She didn’t give a crap that her pants were still around her ankles. All that mattered was the feel of his lips on hers, the way his hands gripped and dominated her. There was power in how he held her, how he moved her, and it made her submissive and willing.

“Please, Kai,” she whispered. She’d spent years without and it had been all right. She’d survived and not even thought about sex. Now she couldn’t stand the thought of him not being inside her. Not one second more. She needed him.

“Tell me you want me.”

“I want you.” She could feel how much he wanted her. His erection rubbed against her belly, long and thick and so enticing. Her whole body hummed in anticipation. He was her Master, her natural match.

He kissed her one last time. “Get naked.”

He turned and walked out the door.