for.”
“And what, exactly, are you looking for on this one night?”
Definitely. Not. A. No.
“I want to get kinky. Maybe a little rough.”
“I don’t do kinky. And I sure as hell don’t do rough.”
“Not into it?” With me? She wanted to ask the second part but she just couldn’t get the words out.
“I didn’t say that.”
“Then, what? Are you on the other side of the slash?”
“Huh? And what side would that be?”
He was as dominant Alpha male as she’d ever seen and she’d seen him enough on this trip to know which way his door swung. Knowing what the answer was, she still wanted to hear it. “The receiving side? As in…receiving from someone else.”
Didn’t take him three seconds to catch her drift. “Oh, hell no,” he growled. “I’m not taking anything from some dude.”
“Could be some woman. A Domme. That dynamic is definitely a thing.”
“Man or woman, doesn’t matter. Still not my thing.”
“There’s nothing wrong with it, if that’s what you like.” She knew he was telling the truth. “I’m not judging you.” But she just couldn’t help poking the bear.
He leaned in her direction and seemed to grow several feet taller, even though he never stood. Wanting to kneel beneath his glare was a living, breathing fire in her gut.
“No one handles me, sweetheart. If anyone is doling out punishment or pleasure at this party, it’s going to be me. But I’m not. I can’t.”
Can’t. The word seemed distasteful in his mouth.
She tried a different tact, knowing it was probably a long shot though. “Haven’t you ever wanted to be someone else? Put on the clothes of someone else?”
A thoughtful look crossed his face. “On occasion.”
“Haven’t you ever wanted to live in a bit of a fantasy world for a night? With a stranger?”
“Which is me?”
The “duh” went unspoken. Barely.
He said nothing and her shoulders fell. She stood, ready to flee and wallow in a pint of ice cream. “You aren’t interested. I got it. I’ll just let you—”
His fingers slid up her thigh, beneath her dress, making her inhale. Hard. He used the palm on his hand closest to the bar, keeping everyone but them in the dark about what he was doing. Where he was touching her.
The touch was soft but it promised…more.
“Abusing women does not get me off.”
“I never said I wanted you to abuse me.”
“Then what do you call it?” He stood to his full height, staring down at her.
Need raced beneath her flesh and her clit quivered, directly connected to where his hand was kneading the small of her back. Where he was pulling her closer so she could feel exactly what their conversation was doing to him.
“One word changes what you’re describing into what I want.”
“Which is?”
Answering his question would change everything and Aslan knew it. She could leave. She could refuse to own it and convince him she just wanted to have sex. She could play it safe and vanilla and continue to deny what she wanted…what she needed.
Staring into his eyes and seeing the hunger she’d only glimpsed before breaking free, answered her question for her. Denying what she ached for would do no longer.
So she relaxed her shoulders, bit her lip and then leaned forward to whisper in his ear. There was no going back and that was exactly what she craved.
Deep breath .
“Consent.”
Chapter Two
An eternity. That’s how long it took for him to move even a muscle after she’d lobbed the consent bomb in his direction.
Too bad what moved was a vein in his neck, throbbing.
He stared down at her and finally spoke. “Consent. How do you even know what you’re consenting to? I could be an ex-axe-murderer, just looking for the right victim to turn into my next crime scene.”
“Well, you aren’t on the TSA’s No Fly List, or you wouldn’t have gotten on a plane to board the ship. Nor are you an FBI or CIA most wanted, since your passport cleared to embark on the
“And what, exactly, are you looking for on this one night?”
Definitely. Not. A. No.
“I want to get kinky. Maybe a little rough.”
“I don’t do kinky. And I sure as hell don’t do rough.”
“Not into it?” With me? She wanted to ask the second part but she just couldn’t get the words out.
“I didn’t say that.”
“Then, what? Are you on the other side of the slash?”
“Huh? And what side would that be?”
He was as dominant Alpha male as she’d ever seen and she’d seen him enough on this trip to know which way his door swung. Knowing what the answer was, she still wanted to hear it. “The receiving side? As in…receiving from someone else.”
Didn’t take him three seconds to catch her drift. “Oh, hell no,” he growled. “I’m not taking anything from some dude.”
“Could be some woman. A Domme. That dynamic is definitely a thing.”
“Man or woman, doesn’t matter. Still not my thing.”
“There’s nothing wrong with it, if that’s what you like.” She knew he was telling the truth. “I’m not judging you.” But she just couldn’t help poking the bear.
He leaned in her direction and seemed to grow several feet taller, even though he never stood. Wanting to kneel beneath his glare was a living, breathing fire in her gut.
“No one handles me, sweetheart. If anyone is doling out punishment or pleasure at this party, it’s going to be me. But I’m not. I can’t.”
Can’t. The word seemed distasteful in his mouth.
She tried a different tact, knowing it was probably a long shot though. “Haven’t you ever wanted to be someone else? Put on the clothes of someone else?”
A thoughtful look crossed his face. “On occasion.”
“Haven’t you ever wanted to live in a bit of a fantasy world for a night? With a stranger?”
“Which is me?”
The “duh” went unspoken. Barely.
He said nothing and her shoulders fell. She stood, ready to flee and wallow in a pint of ice cream. “You aren’t interested. I got it. I’ll just let you—”
His fingers slid up her thigh, beneath her dress, making her inhale. Hard. He used the palm on his hand closest to the bar, keeping everyone but them in the dark about what he was doing. Where he was touching her.
The touch was soft but it promised…more.
“Abusing women does not get me off.”
“I never said I wanted you to abuse me.”
“Then what do you call it?” He stood to his full height, staring down at her.
Need raced beneath her flesh and her clit quivered, directly connected to where his hand was kneading the small of her back. Where he was pulling her closer so she could feel exactly what their conversation was doing to him.
“One word changes what you’re describing into what I want.”
“Which is?”
Answering his question would change everything and Aslan knew it. She could leave. She could refuse to own it and convince him she just wanted to have sex. She could play it safe and vanilla and continue to deny what she wanted…what she needed.
Staring into his eyes and seeing the hunger she’d only glimpsed before breaking free, answered her question for her. Denying what she ached for would do no longer.
So she relaxed her shoulders, bit her lip and then leaned forward to whisper in his ear. There was no going back and that was exactly what she craved.
Deep breath .
“Consent.”
Chapter Two
An eternity. That’s how long it took for him to move even a muscle after she’d lobbed the consent bomb in his direction.
Too bad what moved was a vein in his neck, throbbing.
He stared down at her and finally spoke. “Consent. How do you even know what you’re consenting to? I could be an ex-axe-murderer, just looking for the right victim to turn into my next crime scene.”
“Well, you aren’t on the TSA’s No Fly List, or you wouldn’t have gotten on a plane to board the ship. Nor are you an FBI or CIA most wanted, since your passport cleared to embark on the
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