Page 23 of At His Beck & Call

“You can definitely ask those questions.”

“Doyoulike using them? Toys?” I ask.

“I do. Quite a lot as long as the other party is okay with it. I do have one rule, and it’s an important one,” he says. “I ask that you don’t touch me. At all. Unless I invite you to.”

I stare at him, surprised by the way he says it as if it’s such a normal thing to request.

He doesn’t want me to touch him at all? How are we going to have sex?

“That’s the only absolute rule,” he continues. “There are other, smaller things that I may ask of you if needed. But I’m open to trying new things with you if you wish.”

“But I can’t touch you?”

“No.”

I fidget, feeling confused as to how this will work, but going with it. This is his rodeo, after all; I’m just along for the ride.

“Have you ever used safe words?” he asks casually.

“No.”

“Do you understand what they are?”

I must be the color of a tomato at this point. “Yes. I mean, I’ve heard of them.”

“Would you like to choose some or have me do so?”

“Are we going to use them?” I ask, amazed.

“Possibly. It’s an important part of the process for me. I never want to do something that makes you uncomfortable, and sometimes it’s easier to have a word we both agree upon in case things need to stop immediately.”

“Does ‘no’ not work?” I blurt out, and the curve of his lips is almost devilish for a second.

“Some women like to say that, even when they don’tactuallywant me to stop,” he responds, his voice deeper than normal.

A shiver runs up my spine. “You can choose them,” I say quickly, hoping he doesn’t detect the panic in my voice.

“Very well. We’ll just keep it basic. Yellow will mean to slow down. Red to stop. That means everything stops for the remainder of our time that day. If at one minute past five you say ‘red’, we will stop and talk through what happened. Is that clear? However, I would ask that you never leave the room without us talking through what has happened. It’s very important to me to understand your needs as well as mine.”

“Okay.”

There’s a heat in his eyes now that wasn’t there before, like a switch being flipped. It’s an intoxicating transformation and to my total amazement, sends a sizzle of pleasure through my whole body.

“Lissa, I would like you to remove your clothes if you are comfortable doing so. Just to your underwear if you prefer. Or keep whatever items you wish on your person.”

He has a funny way of speaking sometimes, as if he’s a Lord in a huge English manor house. I feel the absurd urge to laugh.

Maybe he’s a vampire.

Then I realize what he has just asked me to do, and my insecurities rise to the surface like a snake.

What is he going to think of my body? I’ve only ever been with one man, and by the end, James couldn’t stop reminding me how inferior it was.

I stand up, grateful to remove my uncomfortable shoes, and place them neatly by the chair.

“Do you… Do you want me to hang my clothes up?” I ask, wondering if I should leave them in a pile on the chair.

“Whatever you prefer, Lissa.”