Page 78 of Five Days to Be Mine

“No,” Mara says, squinting her face.

We dig into our sandwiches, watching a woman play catch with her german shepherd.

"Is there any kink you want to try that you haven't?”

Her shocked expression is so adorable.

“I…what about you?”

I tilt my head to the side, giving her a sly grin. “More role play. Your turn.”

Mara blushes, takes a sip of her coffee, throws her shoulders back and meets my gaze, unflinching. Damn, she is so beautiful.

“I went to a few play parties but didn’t have great experiences. I kind of want to play in public.”

Mara is friendly and outgoing. She has a way of putting people at ease even if she doesn’t see herself as being that person, I do. It surprises me that she wants to try playing in public because I know she’s self-conscious of her body and a little anxious in crowded settings.

“Even if I didn't have good experiences, I liked how I was part of something and it made what I was doing feel more acceptable because everyone else was doing it too.”

“I get that.” I rack my brain, thinking over tonight’s bookings at Sinful Bites. "Anything else?"

She glances away and spins her coffee cup on the table.

"Mara, there's nothing you can say that will make me not like you. I like you a lot."

I like her so much I can't imagine her not being with me.

"I have always been interested in primal play, like being chased by a predator and then taken down and captured."

She gushes the words out, staring at the inside of her cup.

All the blood rushes to my cock, imagining chasing Mara through the woods. I don't think she’d easily give in, and I'd love to wrestle control from her. But that fantasy dissolves and I shudder. Because primal play often involves clawing… scratching.

It doesn't have to. The thing about kink is that it's customizable. The scars Hannah left run deep and I hate that.

She used to chase me around the bed, daring me to come and get her. If I refused, she'd tell me I wasn't man enough.

“Are you all right?” Mara reaches for my hand.

“Yeah. Thinking of my ex.” I push away those bad memories because I've worked for the past decade to heal that damage.

“If you don’t want to do primal, I understand. We don’t have to.” Mara squeezes my hand. The woman across from me is good, and she’s honest.

“I’d love to capture you by taking you down, princess.”

Mara smiles and the light in her eyes makes my wounds close

Mara has never lied to me. I know she ran out on me, but I trust her not to hurt me, to be honest with me.

“Tell me, why did you run out the morning after?” There the words are out on the table.

I’ve wanted to give her time. I didn’t want to push her, but I feel that if we are going to go forward, we need to sort this out.

Mara stands. For a moment I'm frozen, thinking she’s going to bolt on me, right here, but she comes to stand in front of me.

“I wish I had an actual reason. You’re going to laugh at me.”

“Mara, come here.” I place my hands on her waist, and help her to sit on my lap. “Have I laughed at you so far?”

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