She trembled. “Don’t I get a safeword?”
“We’re just having a little talk, sprite. If you want me to stop, just say so and I will. Is that what you want?”
God, no, it was the last thing she wanted, and he knew it.
Damn him.
He kissed her ear, his warm breath brushing against her sensitive skin. Her clit throbbed in reaction. She’d never reacted to a man like this.
Jesus. He should come with a warning label. Might cause lust-filled self-combustion.
“Your mind is wandering, sprite. We can’t have that.” He cupped her breast, squeezing lightly.
She gasped in a breath.
“Now that I have your attention, where was I? Oh, yes, a submissive’s power.”
“I don’t understand how they have power. The Dom is the one in charge.”
“He is. But only because of the submissive. She has the ultimate power. To say yes. To safeword out. She or he gives their Dom permission to dominate them. And that is their choice. If the submissive doesn’t like something then they can use their safe word. A good Dom should be watching for signs that a submissive is uncomfortable. Not that that necessarily means he will stop.”
By this stage he was cupping both of her breasts with his hands, squeezing them gently. With her arms trapped around his neck, she was completely open to him.
“He might keep pushing. Might press her past those boundaries she didn’t think she could cross. But any real discomfort or fear will always be addressed.”
“You speak like all Doms are good people, that will abide by a safeword. Or will keep a submissive’s wellbeing uppermost in their mind.”
Saxon reached up and released her hands. Shit. Damn. Hell. What had she said? He turned her around so she faced him.
“I-I’m sorry. What did I do?”
“Sh. Nothing wrong. I just wanted to see your face.” He cupped her face and ran his thumbs over her cheeks. “Aspen, there are bad people everywhere. Are there Doms who don’t follow the safe, sane, and consensual rule? No doubt. Just like there are corrupt cops and politicians. Bad parents. But in my club, everything is monitored very closely. I meet with everyone before I allow them in. I have people coming from all over the state to play in my club. It’s as safe as I can make it. And I’ve never disrespected a safeword. You can trust that.”
For some reason, she did.
Then she shook her head. “You’re talking like we’re going to play together.”
“Oh, it’s coming, baby. It’s just a matter of how soon.”
“No, I . . .” she trailed off. It was hard to argue when her body was still awash with arousal and all she wanted was to feel his hands on her breasts once more.
“Aspen, look at me.”
She raised her gaze to his. “Don’t worry so much. I’ll take care of you.”
“I don’t understand you.”
“Sometimes you don’t need to understand something to know it’s right.”
She snorted. “Do you ever not think you’re right?”
“Now, why would I go and do something stupid like that?”
The mood immediately lightened, and she took a deep breath, stepping back out of his touch. Her body felt bereft. Longing for his touch.
Quit it, Aspen.
He’d woven a spell over her. He was a master at reading someone. At divining what they most desired and finding a way to offering it to them. What she wanted most was security for her boys and herself. Somewhere safe to live. To not worry all the time.