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She slowly rose to her feet and Simon guided her to a bench that sat next to the cross.

I stiffened when she knelt in front of it and then bent over it.

“It’s a spanking bench. He’ll bind her with the cuffs,” Bennett said, low in my ear. “He’ll flog her after. Chloe likes it rough, so you’re prepared, but tonight I believe they’ll go easier. Consider this like the demonstration you saw at Luminous.”

“It’s nothing like the night at Luminous,” I whispered. It wasn’t. Nothing was the same.

In this bedroom, large enough to hold all of this gear, the room had grown hot. My own cheeks flushed in a way that burned to my chest straight to my toes harsher than what I’d seen weeks ago.

This was so, so entirely different, but just like that night, I couldn’t look away.

The way they moved was beautiful, like a dance. More erotic than perfunctory and now I knew the difference.

We continued whispering. I didn’t want to disturb them, but I also didn’t want to miss anything.

My God, this was beautiful.

“Why is it different?” Bennett asked. Slowly, his hands began moving. Across my stomach, up the sides of my ribs and down to my hips. His erection pressed against my backside, and my goodness, it was glorious.

“New Year’s Eve compared to this was cold and clinical. You respected that woman—”

“Kaila.”

“You respected Kaila. But Simon doesn’t respect Chloe, he treasures her.”

“Yes,” he whispered. His voice had gone gruff. His fingertips dug into my sweater, searing heat to my core.

Simon had cuffed Chloe to the bench and went to the wall. He never looked at us. He didn’t look at Miranda or Shawn. His entire focus was on Chloe even while he chose something with dozens of strips hanging from a handle.

A flogger. Miranda had explained.

So did Bennett. “It’s a flogger, thin leather strands. They’ll make a sharp sound. They’ll turn her skin red, but it won’t cut through. Simon’s careful with her, I promise you.”

I must have tensed in his hold because his movements of his hands became softer, more calming. I couldn’t respond.

I was too lost in Simon. He was strong yet graceful. He was going to whip her and I was going to watch.

And my panties were soaking wet, my nipples tightened points, aching against my bra.

As Simon stepped behind Chloe, I braced myself for the first swing of his arm and Bennett held me against him. “I can smell you, sub,” he whispered in my ear. “You’re turned on and they’ve barely begun. Can I touch you?”

He couldn’t. I’d come. But God, I wanted it.

I shivered and glued my focus on Simon as he swung his arm. The whip of the flogger through the air made a hissing sound and then a snap as it landed against Chloe’s backside.

“One, sir,” she counted. And my goodness, her cheeks were flushed. She was facing us, but she wasn’t seeing us. Nothing except rapture bloomed on her expression. “Thank you, sir.”

“Bennett,” I whimpered. I pressed against him, my ass against his hips. “I can’t—”

“You want them to stop?”

“No. I shouldn’t like this. Why do I like this?”

“Because they love each other and trust each other on a level most don’t understand.” I jumped at another two quick hissing sounds of the flogger, but I was barely seeing them. My vision went hazy with lust and every word Bennett spoke spiked my need for him. “Because this is beautiful. It’s trust and honor at its most base level.”

“God,” I moaned.

His hands went to my jeans and he flicked the button. “Let me touch you. No one here will notice or care.”