Page 41 of Her Michigan Mob Boss

“Beetroot.”

I’d have to ask her later why on earth she came up with that.

“Do you want to know my hard limits?” she asked.

“You listed them in the forms you filled out earlier, remember?”

“Oh, yes, of course.”

Her nervousness was clearly on display. I reached out and stroked her cheek in that way I’d learned she liked.

“Remember, sweetheart, you have the power to put a stop to this whenever you want. I will push you, but never past what you can endure. Okay?”

“Okay.” She nodded.

“In that case, I want you to remove your clothes and lay yourself across the bench.”

ChapterFifteen

Annie

As I wriggled out of the tight black dress I’d bought with seduction in mind, apprehension crept in. It wasn’t because I thought Ciaran was going to do something awful to me. I trusted him not to push me too far from my comfort zone and even if I didn’t, I had faith in the club’s protocols. Even in the private rooms, activity was monitored to ensure nobody was being forced into situations they were uncomfortable with. My nervousness came from a place of insecurity that always hit me in unfamiliar situations. What if I made a fool of myself? What if I needed to use my safeword after a single stroke of the paddle? Would I leave Ciaran dissatisfied and rethinking his attraction to me?

Standing there all night wouldn’t make my anxieties go away. I dropped my dress onto the bed and stripped off my bra and panties. Eyeing the spanking bench as if it was a challenge to be conquered, I walked to it. There was nothing complicated about the apparatus. Two metal A-frames were joined by a long, padded rectangle. Leather cuffs with chains were already in place on each of the four legs of the frame. As I lowered my upper body into position, I was surprised by how soft the red leather was. Unsure where to put my arms, I let them fall by my sides as I laid my cheek on the bench.

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you look laid out like that?” Ciaran asked, as he walked up beside me. “But I think we can make you prettier still.”

Crouching next to me, he took my left hand and pressed a kiss on the palm. Then he drew my arm forward and wrapped a leather cuff around my wrist.

“How does that feel, Annie?”

My arm was stretched, but not to where it hurt. The cuff was tight, but I liked it. “It feels good.”

“It’s not too tight?”

I wriggled my fingers. “No, it’s fine, Ciaran, uh, Master?” I couldn’t help grimacing.

Ciaran chuckled at my obvious discomfort with that word. I knew it was common for submissives to use it, but I hadn’t reconciled myself with that role yet. Calling him Master felt like a step too far.

“Sir would be fine.”

“Thank you, Sir,” I said awkwardly.

“Try not to overthink it.” Ciaran fastened the other cuffs, binding my wrists and ankles to the bench, spreading my legs in an obscenely wide stance. “This is a journey we’re taking together. We have to learn each other’s likes and dislikes. Everything is negotiable. Remember that.”

Relief drained some of the tension from my muscles and I sagged against the bench. I didn’t have to know it all on day one. There was no right and wrong to this. This was just me and Ciaran. However we chose to build our relationship was up to us, not some rule book.

I tracked Ciaran’s movements as he crossed the room to a small wooden cabinet. He opened a drawer and retrieved a piece of black fabric. It wasn’t until he approached me I realized it was a blindfold.

“I’d like to put this on you.”

“Yes, Sir.” I replied without hesitation. Being blindfolded wasn’t an issue for me. I knew being deprived of my sight would create a sense of anticipation and heighten my other senses.

“Good girl.”

I raised my head as Ciaran placed the padded black silk over my eyes and tied it securely. Being plunged into total darkness gave me something I hadn’t expected. Why was it that being bound and blindfolded like this made me feel free?

Ciaran’s footsteps told me he was moving across the room. Drawers opened and closed and then I heard something being wheeled toward me.

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