Tormented

“That doesn’t sound like a good deal for me.”

“You take your punishment well, you’ll get rewarded. I do have one caveat for the punishment, however.”

“What’s that?”

“No. Safe. Words.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

Her eyes lit up with fear. Then came anger. Ben could imagine the words she wanted to throw at him but had enough restraint and smarts to withhold. He knew women who would rant and rave or call him names. He usually found them immature and lacking in self-control.

He wasn’t a gambler, despite gambling’s popularity in his culture. But this was a big gamble.

Kimani wasn’t as hardcore as her answers to the questionnaire had suggested. How much she had exaggerated, he wasn’t sure, but he would find out. He had seen the tentative look she had given the door, seen that she had contemplated going through it. A part of him would be relieved if she did. He wouldn’t have to worry about returning her to Jake and making sure the wanker didn’t give her a black eye or something like it.

If she stayed, he wanted her complete and total submission. He wanted to know how badly she wanted this. And even how much she might want him.

Leaning against the sofa, he let her think it over in silence. The seconds passed by slowly, and he found himself on edge. What would she decide? There were upsides to whatever she chose, but did he truly want her to walk out that door?

For several seconds, she glared at him.

“Go on,” he said. “Call me a jerk, an asshole.”

“I’m looking for a better word.”

He couldn’t resist a small smile. “Stay or don’t. It’s your choice, pet.”

The wheels were turning in her head. She was trying to find a way to turn things in her favor.

“Going without a safety word requires a lot of trust,” she considered aloud. “And I can’t say you’ve inspired a lot of confidence in me.”

He acknowledged her point with a nod. “Like I said, I wouldn’t trust my sisters with a guy like me. You have you

r warning.”

“How likely are you to return me to Jake?”

“I really can’t say.”

“If I take my punishment well, will you reconsider letting Jake have me back?”

“Maybe.”

She should take his offer to compensate her and walk out the door. That would be the wise thing to do. But something compelled her otherwise, and he didn’t think it was all him.

She was quiet for several minutes more before saying softly, “I’ll stay.”

He closed his eyes and let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

“No safe words,” he reminded her.

“Yes, Master.”

He nearly groaned. The word Master sounded so bloody sweet on her tongue. He swept her off her feet and, throwing her over his shoulder, walked down the hall to his playroom. He wanted to get the punishment underway before she changed her mind.

Once in the playroom, he set her down.

“Strip,” he told her.