Page 70 of The Restoration Program

“Someone’s cocky,” Nicole scoffed. Her smirk wavered. “I just don’t know how exciting I can be as your birthday present this way.”

He leaned down and pressed a comforting kiss to the side of her neck. “Is it okay that I like some of the new differences between us?”

“I… I think so.”

“You’re so delicate. Soperfect,” Ryan whispered. “I like holding you in my hand. It feels good.”

Nicole kissed him back with her eyes open. Her gaze drifted to the edge of the pillow, where the red yarn was still wrapped around his fingers. Even with the nervous fluttering in her stomach, denying him was difficult when he had that glimmer in his eye. With a dramatic sigh, Nicole held out her arms in front of her.

“Alright, just a little cops and robbers bullshit,” she sighed.

His bright smile was all the balm she needed—for now.

Ryan pinched her wrists together, guiding them over her head. Nicole was stiff and slow with his guidance, feeling like an action figure being posed by its curator. His expression hardened with focus as he wound the yarn around her wrists and tightened it into a knot. She found herself lying on her back, stretched out and vulnerable in the chill of the vast bedroom.

“Too tight?” Ryan asked.

“I don’t think so.”

“Okay. Try to get out.”

Nicole gave him a strange look.It’s for his birthday,she told herself. The least she could do was play along. She squirmed and strained against the coarse threads to his satisfaction. The knot wouldn’t budge. She shivered, wishing she had at least a little wiggle room to get out if she really needed to.

But she wouldn’t need to. This was just a game.

His eyes were charged as they roved her body. She scarcely recognized that look—it stole her breath. “You have no idea how amazing you look,” he said, as if able to hear the nervous stammer in her pulse. “So fucking amazing, Nicki.”

He stroked her long hair across the pillow, letting his fingertips dance over her trembling fists before sitting back.

Bringing her bound hands in front of her, she started to rise, too. “Why didn’t you tell me before this was on your mind? We haven’t done bondage since those handcuffs—”

Quick as lightning, his hand returned to tug her wrists back into position over her head. Nicole’s back hit the pillow. His voice drowned out her yelp.

“I don’t recall giving you permission to get up,” Ryan said.

The shift in his tone of voice, the rough smirk tugging on his lips... Nicole recovered with a sultry tilt of her head.

“Sorry,sir,” she drawled.

The fire in his eyes blazed appreciatively. “You’ve been caught red-handed, but I need a confession.”

“Oh, really?”

He tugged the yarn taut, putting a slight strain on her shoulders. “You’re a slippery one. I’ve been chasing you down all night, but finally—” He leaned in close, warm breath washing over her. “You’remine.”

She gave a chuckle that was meant to belong to a smug, sexy criminal, but what came out instead of close to a nervous giggle. Now she remembered why they quit after the handcuffs—she couldn’t do this roleplay with a straight face.

But tonight, perhaps she could find the strength. One night—for him.

Forcing herself to meet his gaze, she lifted her eyebrows. “You’ll never get me to talk.”

“Is that so?” Ryan’s lips brushed over her right nipple.

“That’s right.”

“You’re out of luck. Challenges make me hard.”

His voice roughened so much that she had to snort, breaking character. “Christ, Ry. Where’d you pull that one from?”