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He picks up the cuffs and waits, patiently for me to offer my wrists.

I offer him the left.

He slaps the cuff around it then the other cuff around the chair. It’s a big improvement over losing both hands, but with my legs tied too, and him staring at me, I’m pretty limited in my options.

Words are my best weapon.

“Wouldn’t it be more fun if we did something else while we waited?” I ask.

“Oh, a little prisoner- warden roleplay. No. I wouldn’t want to step on your boyfriend’s turf.” He pulls something from his pocket. My cell phone. “The videos on here… They even made me blush.”

I don’t like where this is going.

“If you’re pretending…” He shakes his head what could that mean for the rest of us? “How did you get that good at faking it?”

“Practice.”

He smiles what a silly thing to say. “See. This. Let me find my favorite.” He unlocks the phone with his thumb—he’s already reset my passkey—and opens my dropbox. The one filled with videos of me and Matteo.

My groan flows from the speakers. “Oh, not this one, though it is good. You really are pretty when you come, Jamie.”

Am I supposed to say thank you?

He taps the screen and the sound ceases. He searches for a moment and finds what he wants. A low background noise flows from the speakers.

Then Matteo’s voice. He says something in Italian.

I reply in English.

One of the only roleplays we recorded. That wasn’t our usual thing.

Honestly, I only suggested them to see if he’d agree. I thought he’d say no. But he always said with you, diavolessa, I’ll try anything.

Of course, I never suggested any form of humiliation. I never asked to penetrate him. Or share him. Or share myself.

But just about everything else was fair game.

“This is my favorite part.” He turns the screen to me as I take off my dress and offer Matteo my wrists.

Matteo slips his belt around them and cinches it tightly.

“The way you ask him to dominate you and he does. I can’t tell which of you is in charge. I love it.” He turns the screen to himself and watches for another minute.

I only hear the sounds of our groans and the creak of the bed.

I don’t remember the details. That’s not one of my favorites. I didn’t fully lose myself.

He could tell. So he held back too. He saw through me so well. Maybe that’s why I suggested role play. To give him an explanation for my artifice.

It worked, in its way. He tried. We enjoyed pretending. Maybe that’s why I enjoyed playing prisoner. Because it felt more honest than anything.

“I like the one we took in my apartment better,” I say. “It’s simple. The white sheets and background. The two of us, exploring each other.”

“It’s very romantic,” he agrees and sets the phone down on the bed. “So tell me. When did you fall in love with him?”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“It’s obvious in these videos, Jamie,” he says. “Maybe not the first few. You’re holding back. But these last few… whew. No wonder you said no to me. You still had a candle for him.”