Page 93 of High Seduction
They hovered on the edge of a knife blade. Could he help her understand? “Think for a moment. Think of what you said I do when it comes to the control you grant in our sex lives. What if, and I’m not asking you to become my full-time sub, but justthink. What if you did give up control to me in all places, and all times? What do you think I would do with that power?”
Erin pulled back as he spoke, her expression changing rapidly. A second of shock, followed by bewilderment, confusion, then finally frustration. “I... Dammit, Tim, I don’t know. I want to say one thing, and then images of what I’ve seen over the years invade, and I lose my mind and can’t spit anything coherent out.”
He soothed her, stroking her arm carefully. “You’ve been to clubs, I take it, and... what? Read books? Seen full-time subs at their Master’s feet, naked and on display during dinner parties?”
“Collared and controlled,” she offered in a whisper. “The thought gives me shivers for all of three seconds before it nauseates me. I don’t want that, Idon’t. And yet... I do.”
“Oh, love. You’ve got the right idea headed in the wrong direction.” He pulled her across the short distance separating them to give her the hug she so clearly needed.
She clung to him, curling her legs up and nestling in like she was craving the contact.
They sat in silence for a good five minutes. Her breathing remained rapid, and she twitched at times while he stroked her back and caressed her softly. Their positioning wasn’t sexual, but in many ways the contact was intimacy of a far greater nature than full-out sex.
His hopes rose.
“Explain. What wrong direction am I headed?” Erin asked, firmness reentering her voice.
“Your admiration for the Doms and their subs—it’s the depth of the relationship that you’re craving. The commitment to caring, the complete connection. However, you’ve also got a bit of an exhibitionist streak, if you’re willing to confess to it.”
She snorted. “Fine. I like to be watched.”
“When you see subs on display, you like what that represents, but, Erin”—he tilted her head back to stare into her eyes—“you’re right—you don’t want that all the time. You have other needs that rise stronger when you’re in public. If you were twenty-four-seven with a Dom who really paid attention, you would still not end up like those subs. That’s not your fantasy—and a relationship that intensely controlled isn’t right for many people. In fact, there are as many different variations as there are couples.”
“So you’re saying I don’t have to worry about losing my will by being involved with you?”
“I’m saying you’d never make a full-time sub of the naked variety, even though you do like to be watched. It would make it damn near impossible to pilot the chopper on rescues. You’d distract everyone.”
“Smart-ass.”
The tension was there still, but she was smiling again.
Tim went for broke. “I have a proposition. I think it will make things clearer for you.”
“Go on.”
He twisted her to face him. “I suggest that for the rest of the day, you be in charge.”
An adorable frown creased her face. “Of sex?”
“Of everything. Unless you intend to spend fourteen hours fooling around, which... okay.”
Erin hesitated. “Me being in charge in the bedroom doesn’t do it for us. If I’m being honest. We did that for the past few months, remember?”
“Well, it didn’t suckthatbad.”
She smiled.
Tim went on. “I know what you’re saying, but the experience could still be educational, if we approach it from a new angle. Don’t think about the kink, consider the mind-set.”
A momentary flash of delight broke free. “I get to order you around for the entire day?”
“I’ll be putty in your hands. Everything you desire from me. I’ll be your magical genie, and your wish will be my command.” He waited, absolutely sure she would get the full picture without him prompting her.
The truth of what being in charge actually meant.
When her amusement rapidly faded, Tim waited to see what she’d do.
It was either the smartest thing he’d ever done, or the stupidest. The next few hours would tell.
