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In truth it was beautiful. He treasured a woman who gave herself to him, trusted him. Wasn’t that what I wanted, at the crux of all of it? A man who treasured and cherished me?

“I’m not a sadist. I’m a Dom and above all, a man. I’m not a monster, Rebecca.”

But there was the conflict.

“Yet you don’t get off unless you’re bossing a woman around.”

“And to follow is always your choice. That’s why there are safe words. You’ve heard of them?”

“Miranda’s is Buffalo.”

I felt his gaze on me and twisted to meet his. His eyes twinkled. “Buffalo?”

“A trip to South Dakota gone wrong apparently and she’s terrified of them.”

His shoulders shook and his quiet laughter filled the car. “Understood, I suppose. But for the sake of this conversation and tonight, have you heard the terms yellow and red?”

Miranda had explained them all to me. Along with the story of stampeding buffalo that had made me laugh so hard I’d almost peed my pants. “Yellow to pause and red to stop.”

“Use them. Nothing that will happen once we reach your house will occur if you have any hesitancy. Tonight is for learning, exploring, assuaging your curiosity you refuse to admit is there.” His hand settled on my thigh just above my knee. Due to the shortness of the dress, I felt every inch of his hand on my tingling skin. “If you have any questions, ask them. Any fear, pause.”

Again, so reasonable. So backward.

“What will you do to me?”

His hand on my thigh tightened, shifted higher and pushed up my dress until his fingertips were nearly brushing across the seam of my upper thigh.

“Any wicked thing you’ve ever wanted, and some you’ve never considered.”