Is that what he is? I haven’t let myself consider the possibility that there’s any chance we can have something outside this crazy situation. It’s been tearing me to shreds thinking that once this is over, he’ll be gone, and I’ll be left with nothing but memories of the one time in my life when I found a man who was my equal.
My man.
A shiver zips down my spine, and it doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that we’re stepping into a room that is completely foreign to me.
Kane lowers me to my feet and cups both my cheeks in his hands. “That’s right, princess. Your man. That’s what I am. You get that?” He locks me in place with his intense stare. “I’m gonna need you to tell me you understand and that you want this.”
I press my lips together, overwhelmed by the massive wave of emotions rolling through me.
“You with me? If you’re not, you say the word and we walk back out that door.”
I tear my gaze from his and scan the room. “Where are we?”
“A BDSM room.”
A rush of excitement hits me, and my thighs clench together.
“Yes or no, Temperance. Make your decision.”
It’s already a foregone conclusion what I’m going to say. It always is with Kane.
“Yes.”
As soon as the word leaves my lips, Kane releases my face, picks me up, and bends me over some kind of bench.
“What are you doing?”
“Making sure there’s no fucking confusion about who you belong to. Have you ever been restrained?” he asks.
“No.”
“You’re about to be. If it’s too much, all you have to do is say no, or stop. You don’t need a fancy safe word to get me to quit if you’ve had enough.” He pauses with his hand on my ankle. “You good with that?”
“Yes.”
“Good girl.” He wraps restraints around my ankles and wrists, then buckles them.
I tug at the softly lined cuffs and my heart beats faster, this time not out of anger, but anticipation mixed with a small dose of fear. His hands wrap around my waist, and I soak in the warmth of his body. This man has unleashed something wild in me. Something that needs his brand of dominance to be satisfied.
Kane makes quick work of the button on my jeans, and he tugs them down over my ass, along with my thong, and wastes no time delivering the first light smack to my right cheek.
My spine arches, as if seeking more.
“You think I don’t know you need this? You think I can’t tell when you’re feeling unsure and scared and don’t know how to ask for what you need to make it all go away? I see you, Temperance. I see every single part of you—even the ones you don’t want to see yourself.”
How does he see that part of me when I’m afraid to admit it exists?
He lands another strike, and I push into it. He rubs my heated skin, soothing the burn and intensifying it at the same time.
“This ass? It’s mine. I will spank it, plug it, fuck it, and do whatever else I want to it.” Another blow connects and I moan. “And you’re going to love every single goddamn minute of it because ...You. Are. Mine.” He punctuates each blow with another slap, lighting up every nerve ending under my skin.
I’m aching for him. If I weren’t strapped down, I’d be climbing him and begging.
“Please—” The word comes out plaintive.
“What, princess? You need more?”
“Yes,” I whisper.