“Giving up control is always scary, Seychelle. Trust is essential in a sexual relationship like ours. What you’re giving me is a power exchange, and I’m not going to lie to you, sweetheart: for me, you handing me that kind of control, that kind of power over you, is a rush. For a man like me, it’s better than any drug ever manufactured. Having you submit to me, seeing my marks on you, knowing you’re giving me that willingly, that’s the ultimate.”
He nuzzled the top of her head and then held her eyes, needing her to see that he was more serious about this than anything else. “For me, babe, that rush can get out of control when I’m in a bad place. It’s absolutely essential that you know your limits and that you call me on my shit. You stop us when you’re done. You put your entire trust in me, Seychelle, but I have to put mine in you. I have to know that when I’m in that black hole you’re going to be the one to keep both of us from going to a place we can’t get back from.”
Her gaze moved over his face, and then one hand came up and cupped his jaw. She was so gentle his heart felt like it might burst in his chest.
“I’ll get us out, Savage. You absolutely can count on me.” There was utter resolve in her voice.
Savage wrapped his arms tight around her and just held her for a long time, even though he knew he still had to apply the lotion to the faint stripes on the front of her. Right at that moment, he needed the closeness between them as much as she did. She was strong. She was courageous. He believed her. She would pull them both out of the fire when it was needed.
“Babe, wake up, just for a minute.”
Seychelle groaned. She refused to open her eyes. She had no idea how many times he’d already woken her up, but it had to be a million. She wasn’t moving. Savage might be the hottest man in the world, but she was exhausted. And her body was super sore. If he wanted her, she was going to be a lifeless rag doll.
“Go away, Savage. If you don’t, I’m going to find Sabelia and have her teach me some kind of hex to put on you to make body parts start dropping off.”
She could have sworn he laughed, but then there was cold air on her body. He flipped her onto her belly, and the flat of his hand smacked her very sore bottom several times. Hard. Very hard. She yelped and threw her hand back to cover her bottom.
Savage caught her wrist and easily brought her arm to the small of her back, all the while peppering her bottom with more slaps. It felt like fire raining down.
“Asshole,” she muttered into the pillow. “You are so going down.” She was visiting Sabelia today. If she could ever move again.
“Are you seriously going to pretend you don’t like this?” He leaned down and pressed a kiss into the small of her back. “If you didn’t like it, your adorable little pussy wouldn’t be wet and ready for me.”
“Savage, I like you too, and my adorable little—um—vajj likes certain parts of your now-not-so-adorable, er … oversized and overactive … um … thing, but I’m too exhausted. Go away. And don’t spank me anymore, please. Whether I like it or not, I don’t honestly know, because I don’t honestly know if I like you or not. I just want to sleep. So go away.”
He burst out laughing, the sound rich and masculine. She loved the sound, and she couldn’t help opening her eyes just enough to look at his face as his weight settled on the mattress right next to her.
“My thing? It’s my cock, baby, and you’re very, very fond of that particular portion of my anatomy.” He took her limp hand and stroked her palm over the swollen denim of his jeans.
She groaned, her eyes on his. “Are you always hard? Maybe that thing is broken. There’s no turn-off button. That’s the trouble. I need a remote so I can just turn that bad boy off when it gets stuck on.”
He rubbed her bottom gently. “You have to learn to actually say cock, Seychelle. Thing is not going to cut it, although I have to admit, it’s cute as hell. And makes me hard.”
She gave an exasperated groan. “Everything makes you hard. Whatever wasn’t working before I came along is totally fixed now.” She brightened. “I fixed you. Now go away. I’m sleeping. I don’t even think you’re real. I’m just dreaming.” Deliberately, she closed her eyes.
His hand kept rubbing her bottom gently. “Your car’s in the garage. The keys are on your dresser. Tank is full, the oil’s been changed, new fluid and windshield wipers.”