Page 28 of Marked

“Not that I’m yucking anyone else’s yum, but that’s a hard stop for me.”

“Hardlimit, Little Lamb.”

“Same difference.”

“Go to sleep. We’ll talk more in the morning.”

“Bossy.”

“Now you’ve got the idea.”

Noah

Waking up wrapped around Lanie for the second morning in a row was nothing short of a miracle. Especially after my revelation last night had the potential to go sideways. I knew as long as she kept her mind open, we’d be perfect together. And I was right.

Lanie was a confident, kick-ass FBI agent; a fierce protector with the smile of a siren and the right hook of Mike Tyson. I was inexplicably drawn to her from the day Waverly introduced us, all those years ago. Initially, I blew it off and when that didn’t work, I switched tactics to actively ignoring the building attraction. For a while, it worked, until a little too much alcohol led to our night that never was, where I crashed and burned spectacularly.

But it wasn’t until Lanie went undercover that my Dom instincts roared to life. My thing had always been about control in the bedroom. What surfaced when she put herself in danger was akin to control on steroids or maybe, control two-point-oh. It threw me for a loop, to say the least.That was when I knew for certain Lanie was the only one I’d ever want. Problem was, I was an idiot. I might have two college degrees, but it took a come-to-Jesus chat from Duncan to show me what I’d be missing if I didn’t get my head out of my ass.

“Morning.” Her sleepy greeting snapped me out of my head.

“Good morning,” I returned, skimming my hand along her hip, under the edge of my T-shirt, which had ridden up during the night, until I found her bare breast.

“Yes, it could be.” She arched her back, grinding her superb ass against my morning wood.

“You are every temptation I wasn’t prepared for.” I massaged her ample flesh between my fingers. “And the only one I’d slay dragons to keep.”

“Jesus, Noah.” She twisted in my arms, dislodging my hand and our blankets in the process. “There’s no need to harm mythical creatures. I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere.”

Tucking several strands of her golden hair behind her ear, I asked, “Even after last night?”

“What part of me coming like a freight train made you think I didn’t enjoy the hell out of what we shared?”

Lanie was a straight shooter. She didn’t mince words—which I appreciated—but this was about more than an orgasm. Even though part of me wanted to put off this conversation, a bigger part was desperate to know where we stood.

“I’m talking about the Dom stuff.”

“So am I.” She pressed her palm to my cheek. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, but only because I don’t want to disappoint you.”

“Not possible.” I leaned into her touch. “Last night wasspectacular, but it was just a small taste of what it’ll be like between us. We’ll figure out what works for us and what doesn’t. There’s an obvious learning curve since this is all new for both of us.”

“Does that mean my ass is safe from your hand for the foreseeable future?”

“Spanking isn’t strictly for punishment, you know. Some people enjoy a little pain mixed with their pleasure.”

“Not me,” she huffed.

“How do you know?”

“I…um…”

She stumbled over her words as I slid a hand down her back, cupping her bottom over the top of her panties. I grinned as an idea took shape. The images in my head were enough to make my dick stand up and pay attention.

“Do you want me to show you how enjoyable it can be?”

When she didn’t immediately scoff at the suggestion, I went a step further. Sitting up, I scooted to the edge until my feet touched the floor.

“Come here, Little Lamb.” I patted the mattress beside me, watching her closely to gauge her response.

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