Unraveled by Lorelei James Page B

us. So it’s best if I go. I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”
    Knox stormed toward her, trapped her head in his hands, and kissed the breath right
     out of her. She didn’t manage to gather herwits until he ripped his mouth free from hers. He panted against her ear, “Don’t tell
     me you don’t want more of that.”
    “I do. But you can’t give it to me on my terms, Knox.” She took a breath and a really
     big chance. “I’m very good at that one-off, one-night stand thing too. I let men think
     they’ve taken the lead when in truth I’ve directed everything to my liking. I leave
     them with a smile on their faces, and that’s all they remember. But I know differently—I
     know what I need.”
    “A lapdog. A man you can crush under your heel,” he practically sneered.
    Oh, he had it so wrong, and that sliced through her. Even being around the lifestyle,
     he didn’t get it. “I’ll ignore that remark because you’re lashing out without thought.”
     Shiori got right in his face. “But be assured if you were my submissive talking to
     me that way? I’d lash out too. With my flogger on your ass.” She held her hand up
     when he opened his mouth. “Before you piss me off further . . . the mask I wear as
     part of my public persona as Mistress B isn’t just a prop; I am that Mistress inside,
     every day. I can’t ignore that part of me. It took me a long time to come to terms
     with who—and what—I am.”
    “Goddammit. There is something between us. There has been since the first day you
     walked into the dojo.”
    “I agree. I couldn’t put my finger on it, chalking it up to us both being headstrong
     and fighting for Ronin’s approval. But the missing piece started to take shape last
     night, and today it finally clicked into place.”
    “What missing piece?”
    Just say it straight out. You can deal with the blowback
. “That you, Knox Lofgren, are a submissive.”
    He laughed. “You are a riot.”
    “I’m not kidding.” She waited. And watched for the denial.
    Anger blazed in his eyes.
    Ah. There it was.
    “Bullshit,” he spat out. “You just tossed out an allegation with nothing to back it
     up besides hope. And there’s no way you can prove it.”
    “There’s something between us because the Mistress in me calls to the submissive in
     you. You want proof of your unexplored tendency? Fine. You consider yourself a neutral
     party at Twisted. If you were Dominant, you’d identify yourself as such. No designation
     after what . . . five years in the club? That tells me you’re afraid to admit what
     you are.”
    He didn’t respond; he just maintained his belligerent posture.
    “I have to ask why you stayed until the very end of my scene with the sub. Because
     you wanted to see how I acted when the crowd left? If I was a warm Domme, or an uncaring
     one?”
    “Wrong. I was waiting to confront you.”
    Shiori wanted to toy with him. Scrape her fingernail down the V in his gi top to see
     if he shuddered in pleasure. “I asked about you after our little talk last night.
     Knox, the man who knows how to bring the pain. I find it interesting that you mainly
     participate in closed scenes.”
    “So?”
    “So that tells me that you do what the Dominant wants. Which is a submissive trait.
     And lastly?” She pinned him with her gaze. “You
asked
to kiss me, Knox. You knew there was an intimate dynamic between us that had you
     asking for permission first.”
    Those sharp cheekbones bloomed with color.
    She retreated. “Those are just my observations. You have every right to call bullshit
     on it. I imagine you’ll be cursing my name the second the door hits me in the ass.
     I understand how hard it is when self-discovery doesn’t come from yourself. But I
     want us to be able to work together. We’ll run into each other at the club too, so
     it’d be easier if we kept a civil tone to our relationship. Will that be a problem
     for you?”
    He shook his head, but she