Page 43 of Key of Kink

Max stepped back half a pace. “Come with me, and we’ll discuss what we’re going to do.”

As I followed him deeper into the club, my chest tightened as an uncomfortable thought filtered through my head.

If this were only about scenes, I wouldn’t care this much whether he chose me.

All of a sudden, this had stopped being simple.

Chapter Eight

Max

I closed the door behind us, shutting out the full force of the music and the sounds that accompanied it. Quinn stood there, hands clasped behind his back. I caught a glimpse of red beneath them.

“That Boy Scout line gave me a laugh,” I admitted.

His eyes twinkled. “Me too. I mean, could you picture me in that uniform?”

I coughed. “Not really, but then again, I don’t usually think about boys that age.”

He grinned. “Am I the right age for you?”

I narrowed my gaze. “And there you go, flirting again.”

Quinn arched his eyebrows. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember adding a No Flirting clause in our last negotiations.” That glint was back. “Unless you want to add it now?”

My pulse quickened. No one ever flirted with me.

I cleared my throat. “That butt plug tells me you’re here with something specific in mind. What are you requesting?”

Quinn inhaled, then squared his shoulders.

“Restraints—again. Edging. Orgasm denial.”

I peered at him. “Why orgasm denial?”

Quinn’s grin sharpened. “I’ve never done it in a scene. I hear the results can be… explosive.”

I huffed. “There’s more to it than that.”

“I know.”

I stilled. “Do you?”

“It’s not just about denying me pleasure.” Quinn’s tone shifted from playful to thoughtful. “It’s about reinforcing submission. You decide when. You decide if. I don’t get to shortcut it.”

I watched him closely. “Continue.”

“It deepens trust.” He looked me in the eye. “You get to push me right to the edge and hold me there. I have to believe you won’t drop me. Or break me. Or leave me hanging just to prove a point.” Quinn’s voice lowered a fraction. “I’m expecting you to make me crave release when I have no control over when it happens.”

I studied him for a moment. “You understand orgasm denial isn’t just about intensity.”

“I do.”

“It alters headspace.”

“Yes.”

“It can trigger frustration.”