Page 74 of Filthy Dirty Dom

“And if it isn’t?”

“In that case, I can take care of myself. I’d never ask that from you. But I want you to understand this. What you’re asking for? The sting of pain and pleasure from flogging, not brutal but erotic, that’s not the same thing. And I can give it to you. I will. But you—and I—we need to take it slow. Yes, because of your history with your father, but it’s also complicated for me. I know I can give you pleasure, even as it’s tinged with pain. I want to give that to you. But I must know where the line is, and that’s going to take time for both of us.”

She took in a deep breath. “Okay. I understand. I can wait then. But…Alex…I can give you some of what you need, too. I don’t think I could make you bleed, but I think I could…you know…”

He cupped her face. “We’ll explore. We’ll find our limits together, I promise, Leslie.”

God, it sounded like he was talking about exploring their limits for a lifetime, not just for the time they’d given themselves as friends-with-benefits. She almost wanted to clarify. Question. Plead for that time.

Instead, she nodded. “Okay.”

He rubbed her knees. “Do you want to keep playing?”

She forced a smile. “No. I think we have enough on our list for now.”

“You sure? I hate that I ruined the experience.”

“It’s fine, Alex.”

He rose and stared down at her. “Okay. Instead of poker, how about Twenty Questions, instead?”

She was tempted. She wanted to ask him all sorts of questions about the life. His life. But she was feeling vulnerable now and didn’t think she could deal with another moment in which Alex shut down and distanced himself from her.

“No, it’s okay.”

“Leslie,” Alex said.

When she just stared at him, he sighed. “Okay. Game night is over. But...you still won the last hand. Pick a favor to put on the list.”

“Alex, I don’t—”

“Do it, Leslie,” he said, his voice suddenly commanding.

This time, the command in his voice didn’t overwhelm her so much as anger her. She knew it was part of their relationship, the push and pull, the forward and backward, the can’t and can’t resist, but it was suddenly too much for her. She couldn’t think.

She didn’t want to think.

She wanted to be lost in pleasure to the point where she couldn’t think about their complicated relationship, or the fact that she’d been attacked and they were hiding away on this island because even now danger could be coming for them.

“Fine,” she said. “You want me to add a favor to the list for tonight? I want to wipe the slate clean. I want to save the favors on the list for another time, an unexpected time, so we can savor the anticipation of those things just as much as the other fantasies that were mentioned, and I want tonight to be unexpected. I want you to give me the pain that you can give me, Alex, along with the pleasure. I want you to make me forget anything but those sensations. If you won't flog me tonight, I want you—I want you to edge me. For an hour. Hours. How does that sound? Do you think you can give me that?”

The words came out in a rush, louder than she intended, and there was no hiding the frustration and defiance and even anger edging them. She waited for him to question her about it. Why she was so angry. Or for him to pull back. Tell her she was too out of control, that she needed to calm herself before making such a request. Instead, he remained silent, his fiery eyes burning into her.

They stared at each other, her quest to edge her like a night flower quickly blooming in the damp heat. She could already smell its sweet fragrance between her tensing thighs. Leslie imagined seeing the sun start to rise as her body trembled uncontrollably, her sweat drenched through the mattress beneath her. Alex leaving her then coming back to push her even further.

But he wasn’t moving, and she was starting to feel foolish again, which made her want to cry, and—

Alex took her hand, pulled her out of her seat, and swept her into his arms.

He took her to their bed and laid her down.

Then he said, “Don’t you fucking move,” before he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Edge me, edge me, edge me.

The words were like drumbeats in Alex’s head.

Leslie was going to be the death of him. So sweet, so innocent. Yet her need so womanly, so lustful. It was what made Leslie so irresistible to him.

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