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The sound of her name on his lips startled her into responding.“Yes.Mostly.”
“Did someone hurt you?”His voice was softer now.“Did someone at the club ignore your safeword or hard limit?”
She took a sip.“Not this club.”
He considered her.“How long have you been a member?”
“Trying to decide if it’s been long enough that I’m still justified in my feelings?”
Tareq’s eyes gleamed.“No, just assessing the likelihood I can find the fucker and beat him up for you.”
Nomi’s lips twitched.“That’s a very nice offer…but I don’t need you to fight my battles.”
“No one fucks with my lab partner and gets away with it,” he declared seriously.“Me and my boys in the parking lot will take care of him.All I need is a name.”
“Them, not him,” she said softly.
“As in, this person’s pronouns are they/them, or more than one person treated you badly?”
“More than one person,” she said softly, then shook her head.“I’m not sure why I’m telling you this.”
“I asked.I brought it up.”
“True.And the game itself brought up some stuff for me.”
“Which is why you were willing to leave the club rather than play.”
“Yes.”
He finished his glass of wine.She followed suit.
“I want to ask something, but I don’t want to overstep.”
That made her laugh.Tareq was more than a little pushy.
He smiled, watching her until her amusement faded.
“Will you give me a chance to earn your trust?”
The words shivered through her, and Nomi dropped her hands to her lap, to her wide thighs made wider by the way she was sitting.
“Why do you care?You have no vested interest in my participating or not.Even if you’re really excited by your letter—”
“I’m not.It’s a boring letter.Q.”
“Okay, then you’re excited because this game is a challenge…making me and my participation part of that challenge.But it’s not really about me.I’m sure if I leave, the overseers will assign you another partner.They have to have a backup plan for people who refuse to play.”
“You’re probably right, they probably have a plan, and probably would assign someone else to be my partner.”
“Then…” Nomi raised her hands, palm up, fingers spread.
“But I want you as my partner.”He leaned in, close enough that his chest almost brushed her shoulder.
“Don’t,” she hissed.“Don’t lie, don’t patronize me.”
Tareq’s eyes narrowed.“Did you just call me a liar?”
That voice sent her submissive alarm bells ringing.Truth, like trust, was practically sacred in BDSM.
