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“Well, whatever the symbol is, you have impeccable taste. I love it, Alex. Thank you.”
“I’m glad you do. That will make it easier to give you the last surprise.”
“Alex,” she said in a warning tone. “I said thank you for the necklace, not the clothes. I’m still not sure what to think about those, let alone a third surprise.”
“It’s nothing, really. This one is more a joke than anything else. Open the top drawer of my dresser.”
She eyed me suspiciously but did as I instructed.
“What’s this?” she asked after she peered at the contents.
“Replacement underwear for the ones I ripped off you. Remember?”
I flashed her a devilish smile, recalling when I’d torn the black lace from her hips. The image of doing it again caused a stirring in my groin.
“Oh, I can certainly remember! But this is more than a replacement—there must be at least ten pairs in here!”
“A dozen, to be exact.” I moved over to her and circled my arms around her slim waist. I leaned down to whisper in her ear. “So that means I get to rip them off of you twelve more times.”
I felt her shiver in my arms, and I knew I had truly won. I reached down to cup her behind, pulling her hips tighter against me.
“Twelve more times, huh?”
Her words sounded breathy already, and I hardened in response.
“Yep,” I confirmed, nipping at her ear. I trailed a line down her neck, feeling the beat of her pulse beneath her skin. My hands found the hem of her sweater, and I slid them up her back to undo the clasp of her bra.
“Well then,” she started but then paused to moan when I found one of her nipples. “We should, ah…we should get to work on that.”
“I thought you wanted to watch a movie.”
I rolled her taut peaks around between my thumbs and forefingers, flicking them softly while I did so.
“The movie can wait,” she breathed.
“Yes, it can,” I agreed, relishing every response she had to my touch. I stepped away and reached into the drawer to retrieve one of the lace thongs. I looped it around my finger and held it out for her to take. “I think you need to go put on a pair of these so we can test their durability.”
“I’ll be right back,” she promised, taking the panties from me.
After Krystina disappeared into the bathroom, I went to the stereo to select a playlist for inspiration.
Something darker, I think.
I wanted to show Krystina something new tonight, to take her to a place she hadn’t been. Selecting music I thought was appropriate for what I had in mind, I turned back to the bed. Reaching up, I began to unlock the latches holding the bars in place for the St. Andrews cross.
Once I was satisfied everything was secure, I fished keys out of my pocket and headed over to my private closet to retrieve the leather cuffs I would need. However, I stopped midstride when I heard Krystina cry out from the bathroom.
“Oh, no!”
She exited the bathroom, looking like she might cry.
“What? What’s wrong?” I asked, completely alarmed by her outburst.
“I have my period.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Krystina
