Page 38 of Master My Love

She averted her eyes again, but only because, with his hand firmly beneath her chin, she couldn’t pull away—he wouldn’t let her.

“I’ll understand if you don’t want to stay. I’m sure with all your experience, you would get bored pretty darn quick with someone like me.”

“You’vegiven this a lot of thought.”

She nodded.

“You know my mind well enough to decide for me, it seems. Maybe you’d prefer to dominate instead?”

“Oh no. I didn’t mean—” She glanced up, saw his smile, and stopped short. “You’re laughing at me.”

Her mouth tightened into a cute little moue as she tried to pull away.

“I’m not laughing, baby, but I can’t keep from smiling. You have an air of innocence about you, yet boldly walked into a sex club determined to find what’s been missing in your life. We had a good first night and an excellent first scene days later. There was a definite spark neither of us can deny. Between then and now, you let your insecurities build and came up with a lot of reasons this won’t work.”

Eric slid his hand from her chin to the nape of her neck. When his fingers threaded in her hair, then fisted, she let out a gasp he felt in his dick.

“Let me assure you, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to take this further. Is that clear?”

Wide-eyed, she wet her lips. Then, in a soft voice barely above a whisper, she answered, “Yes, sir.”

His hand slid higher, cradling the back of her head. “You surprise me, Valerie, which isn’t something that happens often these days. That you’re also beautiful, sweet like candy, and tempting as hell, doesn’t hurt matters, either. Exclusive won’t be difficult with a woman who fascinates me, keeps me on my toes, and is the opposite of boring. It would be a pleasure, in fact.”

Her eyes flew to his, searching.

He knew she was looking for mockery, but she’d find none there.

She had so captivated him, he would have to be careful she didn’t wrap him around her little finger. Incredibly, he was ready to commit to a woman, and he had only known her for a week.

“You don’t mind that I’m new to all this, and you’d have to teach me everything?”

“Most doms enjoy training. I am no exception.”

“Really?”

He brought his mouth to hers in a deliciously sensual merging of lips and tongues. It started out slowly, building in intensity, becoming a firestorm of passion. When he raised his head minutes later, they were both breathing hard. Eric took in her dazed expression and smiled while giving her his belated answer.

“Really. Now, I think we should put this on hold and eat before our dinner gets cold.”

She blinked, her kiss-swollen lips parting in surprise. “You want to stop?”

“Yes. We have more to discuss, and you have two more classes before we take this further.”

Clearly at a loss for words, she stared at him. “But why?”

“I’m turning over a new leaf.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Before you walked into my club this past week, I had already realized short-term relationships and one-night-stands were a path to a solitary old age. Those emotionless encounters satisfy a specific need. That may be fine for a twenty-something dom, but it’s not for me, not anymore.”

Her smooth brow creased as she puzzled this out. “You mean you play, like we did the other day, but don’t take, uh...your, um...own satisfaction? Ever?”

She was adorable, especially when flustered. “I’m no altar boy, Valerie. Never have been. But my needs have changed. I’ve taken over mentoring the new doms, which means I help with scenes, demonstrating techniques and giving pointers, but I haven’t been involved beyond that for a while.”

“All those gorgeous, young, half-naked women throwing themselves at your feet and begging to serve you isn’t a temptation?”

“No. I want more.”

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