Page 29 of Desperate Measures
“Apparently so.” She doesn’t shift away, but I feel her withdraw all the same. “Put on your show. I’ll play the good girl.”
She, better than most, knows the importance of appearances. I open my mouth but shut it because I don’t know what I’m supposed to say. Comfort her? The very idea is laughable. I want her. She’s under my care and control, which means her safety reflects back on me. That’s all it’s supposed to be.
I know better than to lie to myself, even if I’ll lie to everyone else as the situation calls for it. Yasmina draws me in a way no one else has. It started the moment I laid eyes on her, and everything I’ve learned about her since has only reinforced the truth.
She’s mine. She was mine long before I ever claimed her.
I take care of what’s mine. It’s the only quality I possess that might keep me from the flames when I die, though it’s a long shot by anyone’s standards. I could break Yasmina. Even though she surprises me in different ways, I know her well enough to make it happen. It’s just the matter of applying the appropriate stressors.
I won’t do it.
I don’t want her broken. I want her strong and fierce and to see what she’s capable of without unwanted bonds chaining her to the ground. That makes her dangerous in a way I’m not prepared to deal with.
“Jafar?” The way she says my name makes me think this isn’t the first time.
I give myself a shake. “Let me give you a tour.”
Her skeptical look almost makes me smile. Almost. I feel eyes on us as I press my hand to her back and guide her through the lounge to the door guarded by a Black woman with dark-brown skin, her long black braids pulled back from her face. She gives me a once-over. “Look what the dog dragged in.”
“Alecto.”?3 She’s one of the three women under Hades responsible for running the Underworld. Megaera is my favorite because she likes to get down in the dirt with the rest of us. Alecto and Tis—Tisiphone—are hard asses. The real thing that counts against them is that they hate me. Always have.
Alecto turns that dark gaze on Yasmina and raises her brow. “She’s not your usual type.”
I silently curse as Yasmina tenses. “Hades already gave his approval. Stop swinging your metaphorical dick around, and let us through.”
“You’re the only one worried about dicks, metaphorical or otherwise, in this conversation.” She rolls her eyes. “Have fun. Don’t break the rules, or I start breaking kneecaps.”
I can’t say for certain that her threat is empty. I’ve been a member here five years, and I’ve never seen anyone step out of line in a way that required Alecto to step in. The worst have been a couple lovers’ spats and one memorable fight between two Doms who didn’t want to share a particular partner. The lovers were strongly encouraged to fight in one of the private rooms, and the idiot Doms had their memberships revoked.
“You don’t have to worry about us.”
“Mm-hmm.”
I nudge Yasmina through the door and exhale slowly.
She glances at me. “She makes you nervous.”
“Anyone with the tiniest bit of common sense is nervous around Alecto.”
A small smile pulls at the edges of Yasmina’s full lips. “I think I like her.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
She stops short, and her gaze ping-pongs around the room we’ve entered. The lounge we just left is designed for a place to socialize as desired. This is the public playroom. It’s early yet, so there are only two scenes going on. “See something you like?”
Her attention narrows on the pair on the spanking bench. The man is bent over it, his forearms braced on the shorter blocks. The woman at his back wields a paddle with ease and familiarity, each smack of contact slightly overlapping the one before it, leaving his ass and upper thighs red.
“I—” Yasmina swallows hard. “This is a lot to take in.”
Protectiveness surges, nearly taking me out at the knees. Before I can think better of it, I hook an arm around her waist and pull her to the corner closest to us. It’s got a handful of deep chairs that are excellent for fucking, but that’s not what I have in mind. Not at the moment anyway.
I drop into the chair with her in my lap. Yasmina immediately tries to stand, but I band my arm across her waist. “Relax, baby girl. We have all night.”
“I thought you wanted to set the tone.”
I do. But not at her expense. Damn it, I don’t know what’s happening to me. I always wanted Yasmina’s consent—I’m not a complete monster—but her emotional state never factored into my plans. Not until we walked into the Underworld and it truly hit home how fucking sheltered she’s been. I knew, of course. Part of the reason I was so damn sure she’d choose me was because of that fact. I just hadn’t bargained on the downsides of it.?4
“Breathe.” I hold her tight to me until she relaxes against my chest. “There’s nothing going on in this place that isn’t completely consensual.”
