Women in Lust by Rachel Kramer Bussel Page B

couple of packed cardboard moving boxes on her way down, mashing one of them significantly with her head.
    Jamie scrambled to the edge of the bed and looked down at her, wide-eyed. “Sorry! You all right?”
    She lay on her back on the rug with her arms out at her sides, grinning like an idiot. She could feel the place where her head collided with the box, but it wasn’t serious. “Yep. You?”
    “Just reflexes. Sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
    Lene peeled herself off the floor and stood. “Don’t worry about it. I’m going to hurt you a lot more.”
    He laughed. “Well, that was quick. I thought you said you never had any inclination in this direction.”
    “That was over five minutes ago. Ancient history. Why are we still wearing clothes?”
    Jamie shrugged and lay back down. She unbuttoned her shirt the rest of the way. He unfastened his belt, raised his hips a little, and slid it out of the belt loops. He offered it to her. She
took it, and understood why he’d been vague; this would have gone over poorly five minutes ago.
    He kicked his shoes onto the floor. “If you’ve had enough concussions for one day, there’s duct tape in the box we just dented.”
    She yanked the box, marked MISC, opened it without a second thought and rummaged carelessly through the clutter of toiletries and desk supplies for a few seconds until she came up with tape. Presumably he’d forgive her for spilling all his paperclips. When she turned around, he was unbuttoning his jeans, a pleasure that she wanted for herself. He hesitated when he saw her slight frown.
    Lene came back to bed wearing the roll of duct tape as a bracelet. She set down the belt and pushed his hands up over his head, pinning them at the wrists, possessive. He looked absurdly sexy wearing the bruises she’d given him, and ready for more. “Are you sure you’re up for anything short of permanent damage? Once I get you taped up, I want to take a lot of liberties with you.”
    He hesitated before he said yes. She heard the timber of fear in his voice, and her heart beat faster. Although she still didn’t entirely believe him, she believed that his yes covered anything she was likely to actually do. “Good. Hold still a sec.” She found the end of the tape, unrolled a long strip and tore it off with her teeth.
    Instead of holding still, he reached around and unhooked her bra while she was busy with the tape, and cupped her breasts with his hands. When she looked down at him and raised her eyebrows, he said, “I thought I’d take a couple liberties with you while I can.” He pinched her nipples lightly, then placed his hands back where she’d left them. That was the last coherent thing he said for some time.

    Lene rolled Jamie onto his back again, with his cooperation. She was getting efficient with the tape, and quickly had his feet secured to the footboard, keeping his legs apart. His arms ached from being bound in the same position for however many minutes or hours it had been.
    “Anything I need to know before I gag you?” she asked, holding up a small strip of tape.
    He shook his head no. He was dimly aware of a number of things that would be smart to say, but he didn’t feel like talking.
    She covered his mouth and kissed him through the tape, then drew back and regarded him with a satisfied smile. Her fingernails left pink trails of heat as she dragged them from his collarbone to his thigh.
    Pain didn’t have the same edge it did when they’d started. He basked in it instead of struggling to get away and tried to ask her for more with his eyes.
    Lene obliged him for a minute, raking fire up and down his body, but then caught sight of something and paused. She touched her finger to his forearm, and showed him the drop of blood on her fingertip. He closed his eyes and shuddered. She drew her wet finger across his cheek slowly.
    “I didn’t mean to do that, but if you could see yourself right now…” She sighed and turned his head to