“An Om symbol.” I showed him my other wrist. “And this is a mantra,Ommanipadmehum. I follow the Buddhist religion and these represent it to me. I use them when I meditate too.”

“They’re beautiful.”

He ran his fingers over the tattoos, tracing the Sanskrit letters. “So, Ana, can I make you dinner tonight?”

“Make me dinner?”

“Yep. I love to cook and it would give me the greatest pleasure to cook you a meal.”

“Oh. Well, in that case you can, but I should warn you I rarely eat meat.”

“That’s fine. I can easily work around that.”

We lay comfortably together in silence. The storm was finally easing off. Now it was just a light shower although the wind was still strong. It was cozy to lie in bed and watch the outside world in comfort and warmth.

“Ana.”

“Mm.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t make love to you properly”

I smiled to myself at his concern. “I told you it didn’t matter.”

“There’s something else. I get off on controlling a woman. I like to dictate what she does.”

“Okay. I have no problem with that as long as it’s only a bedroom thing.”

“It is. There’s more. I like to inflict a little pain.”

Shit!

“Pain? I… I don’t know.”

I kind of shivered fearfully, my skin getting all goose-bumpy.

“No, no, nothing dramatic. No, um … like when I bit down on your nipple. Maybe use nipple clamps, spank your bottom.”

“Oh. You mean nothing major like making me hurt so much that I’d be in a lot of pain?” I squeaked in fear.

“Hell no! Just enough to make you more sensitive to the things we do. And I certainly would stop if you said it was too much. I thought I should let you know what I enjoy.”

“I guess I could see. I…” Hell, this was embarrassing. My cheeks were hot when I ran a hand across my face. “I did like it when you bit down. It kind of blew me apart.”

“That’s what I mean. Nothing you couldn’t handle and I’m certainly not one of those men who loves to see a woman in pain, if you understand.”

“I kind of think I do.”

“I also like to tie you up.”

“Tie me up? As in, I don’t know, tie me up.”

Duh! How dumb was that?

Sometimes I surprised myself with how stupid I could be. Fortunately, John only laughed.

“Yes. You know, maybe tie your hands to the bedposts, use some handcuffs. I like it when you have no control, when you have to accept the things I do.”

“I’m not sure,” I said warily, although part of me was kind of excited at the things John was suggesting.