Page 35 of Masked

“The first night we met… yes that night… I was captivated by the tone of your voice. It was shocking, given the circumstances. But it was also calming. I’ve never expressed how much I appreciated you being there.”

Her heart ached for him. She could hear the grief he still experienced even though he didn’t show it. Perhaps because she still dealt with her own grief after eleven years of her family being gone.

“I had the same reaction to your voice. It’s so deep but soothing. Usually, I find deep voices jarring. Yours relaxes me.”

His smile was tender, and he leaned forward and cupped her face. “You’re fucking gorgeous, Reva.”

“Can I ask you something?”

He nodded. “Of course.”

“Why these kinks?”

He sat back in the chair and folded his arms over his chest. “The humiliation and degradation? I could get psycho-analytical and tell you it probably started because of some childhood trauma. Nothing devastating. Just some things I witnessed from my father. And all of that would be true. But ultimately, I enjoy making pretty girls do dirty things. I like making powerful, successful girls beg to come. I like seeing them surrender to me behind closed doors and be whatever dirty toy I want them to be. Not because I think that’s what they really are, but because that dichotomy between the filth and the powerful person you are in public is extremely satisfying. And neither of us know which version of you is the mask.”

“The mask?”

“Everyone wears a mask at some point. And we wear them for different reasons. Usually as protection. So is the mask you wear being my fuck toy and you’re really a powerful bad ass woman. Or is the powerful woman the mask and deep down you’re a slut that craves being used by the one who owns you? Or maybe they’re both masks and the real you is something else entirely. The answer doesn’t matter. It’s a delicious way to play.”

The way he described it was erotic, for lack of a better word, and he was right. It was a delicious way to think of it. She wanted to ask again why there had to be a time limit on it, but she was enjoying this conversation and she suspected that would shut it down, given his previous response.

“What masks do you wear, Noah?”

“You’ll have to see if you can figure that out. Enough talk unless you have more questions. We have more things for you to experience.”

She nodded and straightened her posture. “Yes, Sir. What’s next?”

He stood and looked around the room. “I don’t have my toy bag with me, but I can improvise. What are three things that interest you the most?”

She thought about it for a minute. “Impact play, helplessness, and gags.”

He raised an eyebrow. “The impact play and gags are pretty straightforward. Elaborate on the helplessness, please.”

She shrugged. “The idea of being tied down or put in some position that leaves me vulnerable to whatever someone wants to do to me is arousing. I enjoyed you tying me up in the shower.”

He sat in the chair again and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and his fingers steepled together.

“Tell me, Reva. When you’re fucking yourself at night with that dildo and you imagine yourself in that helpless position, what is being done to you?”

Fuck. That was the hottest question ever.

“Lots of fucking. Spanking, various sensations. Sometimes the fantasies are very abstract.”

“Define abstract. Give me an example.”

She squirmed under his intense gaze. Most men she invited into her hotel room would already be asleep after an orgasm without bothering to make sure she had one. Noah was not most men. And though his questions were off-putting, she was eager to answer. As an academic, she knew questions were often the best way to sort something out and learn.

“There’s more of a sensation of being… used… objectified even. I don’t imagine a specific man doing a specific thing to me. It’s more like an idea that hasn’t fully formed. Maybe that’s because of my inexperience.”

“Possibly. Or perhaps it’s because the fantasy is to not have to think about what happens to you and to not have a say in it, so you’re struggling to come up with specifics because that ruins the fantasy.”

Her mouth fell open. “How did you do that? How did you psycho-analyze my masturbation fantasy in ten seconds?”

He laughed, and the sound warmed her insides. “You forget I have several degrees in psychology. The work I do for the government requires me to be skilled at profiling people.”

“I didn’t know.” Parker wasn’t the most informative when it came to his stepfather’s career. But she wouldn’t say that out loud because she was tired of talking about her ex. Especially with his step-dad. The man she knelt naked for. “That was really impressive and makes sense.”

“That’s one more reason we’re going to get along, Reva. It’s not that I don’t want you having fantasies and desires. Just the opposite. I want to hear them all. If there’s anything you want to try, we will make it happen somehow. But the ultimate arousal for me is a woman who wants me to decide what happens to her body. Not only does she want it, but she’s happy with whatever choice I make for her, whether that’s pleasure or pain or something else entirely. Now, no more talk. Stay there. When I come back, I want to see your hands on your head with your elbows straight out.”

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