Mastered by Malone (Haven, Texas 6)

“Kitten, you need to give me more than that.”

“I want that. All of that.”

Satisfaction filled his face. Hunger lit his eyes. She licked her lips. Hell, yeah, she wanted all of that.

“Good,” he murmured. “I’m clean. I was tested six months ago. And I always use condoms.”

Um. Okay. “I was tested a year ago after my boyfriend broke up with me. I was clean. I haven’t had sex since then.”

“You said you got shots for birth control?”

“Yes, but I missed my last one.”

“So we’ll still use condoms.”

“Sorry.”

He cupped her chin. “Listen to me. Your job is to obey me. Your job is to please me. Your job is to tell me when you’re struggling, to give me your problems so I can help you. Do you know what my job is?”

“Um, to show me what it’s like to have a Dom?”

“Nope, that’s our agreement. As your Dom, do you know what my job is?”

“To give me lots of orgasms?” she asked hopefully.

“No, kitten. That’s a side-benefit. But I could be your Dom without there being any sexual component to it.”

Her mind scrambled. “Is it to protect me?”

He nodded. “My job is to protect you. If necessary, it’s to guide you, teach you, protect you and discipline you. Making certain you don’t get pregnant comes under protecting you, got it?”

“Yes, Sir.” Happiness filled her. Her cousin had always done his best to protect her, but she’d always felt like she wasn’t giving anything in return. This felt fairer. She gave Alec what he wanted, and he took care of her.

Yeah. Nice.

“I can see that pleases you,” he said dryly.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Good. It pleases me too. You should know that sometimes it won’t always be easy to do what I require of you. But I still expect you to do so, unless, you’re overwhelmed or frightened or in pain. Then you use your safeword.”

“What is my safeword?”

“We’re going to use the traffic light system. Green for everything is good. Yellow when I need things to slow down. And Red for stop. And you will use them if you need to.”

She licked her lips. “I don’t want to disappoint you, Sir.”

“Using them won’t disappoint me. Not unless you try to manipulate me. And I don’t believe you’re the sort of sub to do that.”

No, she didn’t think so either.

“But I am going to teach you how to ask for what you need.”

He thought she was a pushover. A doormat. She let people walk over her.

He grasped hold of her ponytail again, giving it a tug. Ouch. “That voice is back in your head, isn’t it?”

She glared up at him. “Are you going to do that every time I have a thought that you don’t like?”