Six Signs of Submission (Desire Island 6)

“That’s the cool thing about BDSM,” he replied, smiling. “You can skip past the circling rituals of vanilla dating and get right to the heart of things. And I have to say, I was impressed with your responses, Lainey, and I’m not talking just sexual responses. I’ve been in the scene a long time, and I’m pretty good at picking up on submissive cues. Our earlier conversation, your reactions, your body language—it all leads me to believe you’re a sub. Could it be you were just afraid of the consequences of breaking the rules I’d set out for you? Might this be a case of denial, pure and simple?”

Lainey pulled her hand from his and stopped walking. She turned away, facing the dark ocean. Taking her cue, Cooper came to stand beside her. He lifted the cup and took a long drink from his beer, deciding to let her respond in her own time and her own way.

“Look,” she finally said. “Sorry I didn’t go along with your little game there at the end.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry. That didn’t come out right. I don’t mean to be insulting or dismissive. You’re super sexy and I loved what we did together. And yes, I’m still interested in exploring the concept of erotic pain. Maybe I’m a sexual masochist. I honestly don’t know.

“But I think maybe you’re confused about who I am, because I work on the island. It’s just my day job. No way am I some slave girl who accepts whatever her so-called Master metes out, no questions asked. Yeah, I get it that it’s really intense and wonderful for Abbie and the other staff slaves who are owned by their partners. But I could never do that.”

She turned to meet his eye, lifting her chin. “I’m way too bossy and controlling to ever relinquish that kind of control. No way. No how. Got it?”

The lady doth protest too much, methinks.

He could see she wasn’t posturing—she really meant what she said. But he also understood it was her fear talking. What they’d shared during that scene had been not only intense, but real. Her reactions left him with no doubt as to her submissive orientation, no matter how she tried to spin it afterward. He would need to tread carefully, however. Too direct an approach at this point might scare this sexy, intriguing young woman away for good. And that was the very last thing he wanted.

“Got it,” he said aloud.

They had walked a fair distance from the lights and action back by the main resort building. The only sound was the steady ebb and flow of the omnipresent waves lapping the sand, the only light the silvery moon and sparkling stars overhead. Cooper set down his bag and unzipped it. He pulled out the large beach towel and shook it open, spreading it flat on the sand.

He sat down facing the water and patted the space beside him. He waited while Lainey got comfortable beside him. They watched the mesmerizing waves, the crests tipped in silver as they crashed against the shore.

Eventually, Cooper said, “I get it that you don’t identify as a submissive.” He left off the word he’d wanted to add—yet.

“I think maybe you’re a little confused about what BDSM is,” he continued. “Or rather, what it’s not. D/s—dominance and submission, isn’t about one person accepting whatever the other metes out, to quote you. A healthy BDSM dynamic is a dance on the edge of power and surrender. When the connection is right, it has the potential to be one of the most intimate and profound ways to connect with a partner—as well as with yourself.”

“That sounds so poetic and pretty,” Lainey replied. “I’m just not sure it applies to me.”

“Okay,” Cooper agreed, deciding not to press her. “That’s cool.” He would put things in terms she could relate to more readily. “I’d still love to explore your interest in erotic pain, if you think you’re up for the challenge.”

“Sure, I’m always up for a challenge,” she replied instantly.

Cooper repressed a smile, pleased she’d taken the bait. He would capitalize on her naturally competitive nature and desire to win, rather than focus on the sensual submissive he still believed lurked inside her.

“Let’s up the ante a little,” he continued, thinking back to their earlier conversation at the juice bar. “You said before you could take me down in a match with skill versus brute force.”

“Without question,” she confirmed with a toss of her hair.

“Okay.” He glanced at his watch. “Why wait until tomorrow? How about right now? It’s still early yet. Let’s go back to the gym and you can show me how it’s done. Whoever pins the other first gets to set the parameters of a BDSM interaction and the other one has to go along for the duration of the scene. We can negotiate that in advance so there are no surprises.”