“The same one as yesterday?” Knowing he kept the window closed should’ve been a letdown. At the very least, it should’ve dampened the sexiness. It didn’t. The experience itself was unbelievably hot on its own, and I’d been relieved to learn we’d had it without an audience. The taboo aspect of being watched was infinitely better in theory. If he wanted to take me back in there, though, I would go. Hell, I would go into almost any of the rooms with him.
He shook his head. “A different one. I’ll get a text when it’s ready.”
Another surge of giddy anticipation filled me, tempered only by the daunting unknown of what I was stepping into and the even more daunting conversation we needed to have first.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long for his phone to vibrate. Like he was just as anxious, he immediately lifted me to stand before doing the same. He kept his arm wrapped low around my hip as he steered me down the hall. Each time we neared an open door, my breath caught in my tight lungs only to whoosh out when we continued on. When he finally turned into one of the rooms, there was no breath to catch.
I wasn’t sure I would be able to breathe again.
Like the windowed room, there was a bed and a padded bench. But there were also foam wedges, something that resembled a gymnastics pommel horse, wall mounts, and the same lush armchairs as out in the bar.
And all of it had restraints attached, including the wall. Thick leather cuffs with shiny metal buckles.
I jolted as the door closed behind me with an ominous finality, but I couldn’t drag my focus away from the metal buckles.
Not easily undoable latches.
Not flimsy Velcro.
Not fake containment with a simple clasp to undo like the fluffy gag handcuffs sold in the back of naughty novelty stores.
I jolted again when Tripp gripped my jaw to tilt my head back as he ordered, “Talk.”
“Is this just a bondage room?” I didn't even think to be self-conscious before admitting, “I read about them when I was researching.”
“Of course you researched. Did you color-code your findings?”
It was a teasing question, but there was no derision in his tone or on his face. If anything, his gray eyes were dark and heated.
Like he found my type-A nonsense sexy.
I shook my head. “Not this time.”
“Disappointing.” He released my face and dipped to span one of my thighs in his large hand before trailing up, dragging my short dress with him. “And what did you think of your research?”
“It was interesting,” I whispered. “In theory, at least.”
As much as I liked when Tripp held my arms, the idea of being restrained was on a completely different level that I wasn’t sure I could get behind—and that was with the easily removable bindings I’d seen in online examples.
He made a murmur of acknowledgement before sliding his hand farther under my skirt until he encountered lace. He leaned back to look at the delicate black fabric that I’d had to dig through my underwear drawer to find. “Pretty. But I think I prefer the ones from yesterday.”
I started to laugh because there was no way that was true, but the noise died in my throat at the sincerity on his face.
His shoulders pushed back, making him seem even taller and more intimidating. I was used to the way he focused in until I felt like I was the only person in the world, but it was ratcheted upto infinity with the dominant intensity in his stare. “I told you to talk.”
“Okay,” I agreed instantly, though I didn’t say anything more. While I’d gotten ready, I’d formulated a precise conversation, including rebuttals for a variety of responses he might have. All of it seemed to have flown out of my head. I scrambled to remember the bullet points. “I have another hard limit. At least, I think it’s a hard limit.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t want to be called mean names. I saw that some people like that, but if you call me a bad girl, I think I would have a panic attack.”
His lips twitched like he was fighting a smile. “I couldn’t do it even if you wanted me to. You’re too perfect.”
I couldn’t stop myself from swaying into him.
“What else?” he prodded when my thoughts again scrambled.
“I said last night was a one-time thing.”
