only sound in this soft, muffled chamber.
I turn to him, my heart thumping against my ribs. ‘Where the hell are we?’
He says nothing, but I can sense his excitement. His slow smile tells me where we are, like I didn’t already know.
It wasn’t a question, it was a cry for help.
We’re in a dungeon
, or the next best thing in these safety-conscious, sophisticated times. It’s all here: the padded walls, the gleaming chains, the smell of leather.
And on the rail screwed to the centre of the floor, placed directly under the glare of the spotlights, like it’s the treasure at the heart of some temple of doom, hangs a gleaming pair of handcuffs, hard and uncompromising.
They’re waiting for me.
It starts with the bracelets. It leads me to this.
Thrill of the chase.
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘Scared?’
Amid all this terrifying paraphernalia he seems perfectly at home, but I sense he’s watchful.
He’s waiting for my reaction
.
I refuse to feel cowed, scary though this is.
It’s just a game. I can play too.
I lean up to kiss his jaw, a tiny act of submission to set the tone. ‘I’d say yes if I thought it was that simple,’ I say, softly. ‘I’m not sure what I feel.’
His slow smile sends a tremor through me. ‘Hey. That was a brave answer. You never disappoint.’
He may not know it but I could, easily. Right now I feel about as brave as limp tissue. I keep my eyes firmly off the glittering cuffs. ‘You do this often?’
He’s shedding his jacket and loosening his tie. ‘No, I told you. I lack the patience to commit fully to this. I talked it over with Freda and we thought it might –’
‘
Freda?
’
I stare at him, resentment burning.
His cousin Freda stole Ryan, my ex. She’s a techno wizard too and seems to have some hold on Darnley. What scares me is he seems unaware of it.
His jaw hardens. ‘I told you, we trained together. She’s staying here.’
‘We’re in
Freda
’s house?’ Outrage builds, but curiosity beats it back. I need to know about this.
As he peels off his shirt his honed muscles emerge into the gleam of the spotlights like an Adonis. It’s an effort to keep my rage fixed on his face as his chest swells slightly, filling my vision, reminding me he’s beautifully built and, in here, all-powerful. And on the point of proving it …
All at once he pulls me into his arms and starts reaching into my hair, removing pins, a diamond clasp or two, and sweeping my hair back from my face. As he scoops it back he finds my lips, his expression unreadable. ‘No, Ella. We’re in my house. Freda rents a small part of it. She works for me. She manages – and
occasionally uses – the facilities. And now we’re going to.’
My stomach’s tied in a knot. ‘Were you going to ask me about this at some point?’
He frowns, impatient now. ‘I did. When I gave you the bracelets. You said you’d try it. Remember?’ His face grows troubled. ‘Ella, you promised.’
I gaze at this beautiful man, at the peak of his powers, in the heart of his world, so different from mine. I’d try anything to reach him. But
this?
Take me somewhere
… ‘We’ve done this in bedrooms and in our house. You’ve worn a stud, you’ve made me ….’ I swallow at the memory of some of the things we’ve done. An instant fizz of arousal surges through me and dries my mouth. I bite my lip and try to stay focused. ‘Why here?’
Mostly I want to ask where Freda comes into this, but it’s too late. He’s already unzipping my gown and braiding my hair into a loose single coil, his fingers scarily deft, like he’s done this often.
The thought makes me shiver. It also makes me hot. ‘I hope this will be fun.’ I give him a playful look, trusting to the power of my arousal.
I can do this …
Instantly he grows silent and purposeful. With a stern look he presses a finger to my lips to ensure my silence and then slowly peels my gown away and lays it along a polished cabinet. My stockings and heels meet
I turn to him, my heart thumping against my ribs. ‘Where the hell are we?’
He says nothing, but I can sense his excitement. His slow smile tells me where we are, like I didn’t already know.
It wasn’t a question, it was a cry for help.
We’re in a dungeon
, or the next best thing in these safety-conscious, sophisticated times. It’s all here: the padded walls, the gleaming chains, the smell of leather.
And on the rail screwed to the centre of the floor, placed directly under the glare of the spotlights, like it’s the treasure at the heart of some temple of doom, hangs a gleaming pair of handcuffs, hard and uncompromising.
They’re waiting for me.
It starts with the bracelets. It leads me to this.
Thrill of the chase.
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘Scared?’
Amid all this terrifying paraphernalia he seems perfectly at home, but I sense he’s watchful.
He’s waiting for my reaction
.
I refuse to feel cowed, scary though this is.
It’s just a game. I can play too.
I lean up to kiss his jaw, a tiny act of submission to set the tone. ‘I’d say yes if I thought it was that simple,’ I say, softly. ‘I’m not sure what I feel.’
His slow smile sends a tremor through me. ‘Hey. That was a brave answer. You never disappoint.’
He may not know it but I could, easily. Right now I feel about as brave as limp tissue. I keep my eyes firmly off the glittering cuffs. ‘You do this often?’
He’s shedding his jacket and loosening his tie. ‘No, I told you. I lack the patience to commit fully to this. I talked it over with Freda and we thought it might –’
‘
Freda?
’
I stare at him, resentment burning.
His cousin Freda stole Ryan, my ex. She’s a techno wizard too and seems to have some hold on Darnley. What scares me is he seems unaware of it.
His jaw hardens. ‘I told you, we trained together. She’s staying here.’
‘We’re in
Freda
’s house?’ Outrage builds, but curiosity beats it back. I need to know about this.
As he peels off his shirt his honed muscles emerge into the gleam of the spotlights like an Adonis. It’s an effort to keep my rage fixed on his face as his chest swells slightly, filling my vision, reminding me he’s beautifully built and, in here, all-powerful. And on the point of proving it …
All at once he pulls me into his arms and starts reaching into my hair, removing pins, a diamond clasp or two, and sweeping my hair back from my face. As he scoops it back he finds my lips, his expression unreadable. ‘No, Ella. We’re in my house. Freda rents a small part of it. She works for me. She manages – and
occasionally uses – the facilities. And now we’re going to.’
My stomach’s tied in a knot. ‘Were you going to ask me about this at some point?’
He frowns, impatient now. ‘I did. When I gave you the bracelets. You said you’d try it. Remember?’ His face grows troubled. ‘Ella, you promised.’
I gaze at this beautiful man, at the peak of his powers, in the heart of his world, so different from mine. I’d try anything to reach him. But
this?
Take me somewhere
… ‘We’ve done this in bedrooms and in our house. You’ve worn a stud, you’ve made me ….’ I swallow at the memory of some of the things we’ve done. An instant fizz of arousal surges through me and dries my mouth. I bite my lip and try to stay focused. ‘Why here?’
Mostly I want to ask where Freda comes into this, but it’s too late. He’s already unzipping my gown and braiding my hair into a loose single coil, his fingers scarily deft, like he’s done this often.
The thought makes me shiver. It also makes me hot. ‘I hope this will be fun.’ I give him a playful look, trusting to the power of my arousal.
I can do this …
Instantly he grows silent and purposeful. With a stern look he presses a finger to my lips to ensure my silence and then slowly peels my gown away and lays it along a polished cabinet. My stockings and heels meet
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