Tied to the Billionaire(61)

Maybe she was safe with him. Maybe she wasn’t.

Or maybe she didn’t want to be.

“Okay. Tell me what you know about me.”

Jade’s fingers involuntarily clenched around the stem of her glass.

“Wait.” Will picked up his own glass, holding his other hand out as though calming a spooked horse. “Scrap that for now. Let me tell you what I’m getting from you.”

Oh really? Jade raised one pierced eyebrow at him.

“What’s your full name?”

“Jade Bleecker.”

“Nice. Jade Bleecker.” Will took a sip from his glass. “You’re a strong woman. You clearly know how to handle yourself. You’ve got at least three tattoos and two piercings that I can see, and probably more that I can’t, so you’re not afraid of pain. And you know what BDSM is, right?”

Jade nodded slowly. Where are you going with this?

“Right. And you’re curious about it.” Will was watching her very closely as he spoke, and Jade held herself very still. “But you think it means all the worst things people say. You think dominants beat their submissives down, that we don’t give a damn about their pleasure, that we expect them to give up everything for our benefit. Right?”

I’m not telling you anything. Jade could feel her face falling into a mask. If Will noticed, he made no comment.

“Are you single?”

“Mmm.”

“‘Mmm’? Okay.” Will’s eyes were dancing, and Jade’s jaw set in annoyance. “What would you say if I told you that BDSM is nothing like that, Jade?”

Silence fell between them.

“What would you say if I offered to—?”

“Wait.” Jade held up a hand, cursing inwardly as she realised it was trembling.

What the hell am I doing?

You want this, a voice taunted in her head.

I don’t even know him and he’s talking about BDSM. I can’t do this. I can’t.

But the image from the bar of herself held down, tied down, putting all her trust in one man, still flickered in her head, and something inside her was urging her forward.

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” Will said, breaking into her thoughts, and Jade found herself answering without thinking.

“I couldn’t do it.”

“Do you want to?”

“That doesn’t matter. I couldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t trust any man with my body.” Jade snapped her mouth shut abruptly, hating the look that had come into Will’s eyes at the words.

Because I’ve been f*cked over before. Because I’m a screw-up. Because I don’t need your f*cking pity. Go to hell.

“That’s actually a very good reason why you could.”

Jade looked up at him, torn between curiosity and defiance.

“What does that mean?”

Will tilted his head to one side, looking her up and down. “You look like a person who might like dangerous sports. Think of bungee jumping. The danger is what attracts people, but any reputable company has a thousand regulations in place before they let anyone do it, precisely because of that danger. Right?

“BDSM works the same way. You’re right not to trust just anyone—but in the community—in my club, for instance, relationships are tightly controlled. Every Dom has rules to follow, as does every sub. Break the rules and you’re thrown out. We protect our patrons.”


Jade nodded slowly.

“Not everyone uses contracts, but even without them, limits and boundaries are agreed beforehand. So are safewords. The universal word is ‘red’, but many people choose their own. If I did anything to you that you didn’t want, you would use your word and I would stop—no questions asked. The trust is absolute.”

“I see.”

Jade reached for her drink, but her hand was shaking, and hastily she put it back on the table. As if he could tell what she was feeling, Will’s voice took on a seductive quality, and Jade bit down on her lip as a rush of desire flashed through her body.

“It’s all about needs. Ours are different, that’s all. You take pleasure in doing what I want. I take pleasure in fulfilling your needs. It has to be reciprocal.”

I take pleasure… You take pleasure… He’s talking as though we’re going to—

The thought made her catch her breath. Immediately Will’s eyes were on hers, and Jade found it impossible to look away.

“Do you still think you couldn’t do it?”

“No.”

Will arched an eyebrow. “Would you like me to show you?”

I want…

“Yes,” Jade heard herself saying, unable to drag her gaze away from Will’s. He smiled.

“Then let’s begin. Let me see you. Take them off.”

Jade stood, narrowing her eyes at him. “Just me?”

“For now.”

Okay. I can do this. Maintaining eye contact, Jade drew up the edge of her sequinned vest, slowly lifting until it was over her head. The glittering material dropped to the floor at her feet.

Her black trousers were more difficult—close-fitting, they refused to simply fall. She unbuttoned the top and crouched to lower them, standing again as they pooled around her ankles before kicking them aside. Her boots slid off at the same time.