The Dom With a Safeword (10 page)

I am very careful. I’ve never injured anyone in my five years of experience. But just in case, I keep a pair of scissors nearby and a first aid kit. Anything else, Sabrina?

Sabrina?
No, he couldn’t know. A door slammed shut behind her. She startled then swung around. Q stood behind her, wearing baggy cotton pajama pants and a white tank top. Wet hair swung in front of her face. She looked from Sabrina’s face to the computer screen.

“What are you up to, trouble?” she asked suspiciously, walking toward her.

Shit. “Nothing. I was about to log into my online chat account is all.” She tried to turn the swivel chair back around but Q caught it with her legs.

She looked down at Sabrina, her eyes narrowed, as if trying to read her thoughts. Sabrina did her best to look innocent, which seemed to only make Q more suspicious. Q broke eye contact and read the screen.

Embarrassed, she tried to get up. But Q straddled her, pinning her to the chair, Q facing the computer and Sabrina facing away.

“Q,” she whined, trying to rise.

“Hush.” She continued to read the screen, ignoring Sabrina’s half-assed attempts to get free.

Sure, she could’ve fought more, but she kind of liked the feel of Q there, so close. She smelled good, like herbal shampoo. Her body felt warm and comforting. And she knew Q wouldn’t let her up easily. The last thing she wanted after getting hot and bothered by that book was a wrestling match. Q’s breasts were at eye level and she hadn’t put on a bra yet. Her nipples stuck out like tempting little peaks. How easy it would be to nibble one while Q was distracted.

That thought caught her off guard. She sighed.
You’re slipping, straight girl.

“
Hm
,” Q said, arching a brow. “I see you’ve been up to no good.”

“Are you going to tell Jude?” she asked in a small voice. She did kind of feel guilty about deceiving him.

“I don’t think I need to. Smart man. He already guessed.” She started typing on the keyboard.

“What are you writing?” Sabrina tried to turn toward the computer but with Q sitting on top of her, and her feet pinning the chair in place, she couldn’t move enough to see.

“That’s none of your business, nosy. But since you’re here, you can answer a few questions.”

Why didn’t she like the sound of that? She groaned.

Q looked down at her. “That’s what you get for interfering.” The printer came to life beside the desk, spitting out two pieces of paper. Finally Q stood. “Stay,” she commanded when Sabrina tried to rise.

She flopped back down with a huff. Q grabbed the papers and two pens then set them on the coffee table. What the hell was she doing? Taking notes? She smiled devilishly at Sabrina then grabbed the arms of her chair and rolled her across the hardwood floor, stopping in front of the couch. Q sat down, tucking her legs under her body.

“Jude wants us to fill this out.” She handed Sabrina a pen and paper.

Confused, she looked over the paper.
BDSM Interest Checklist.
Below the title were dozens of kinky activities with boxes marked “yes,” “no,” and “maybe.”

She shoved the paper back at Q. “I’m not filling this out.”

“Why not?” Q asked, her brow creased.

“It’s weird. I barely know him. What does he need to know all this private stuff for?”

Q sighed. “He wants to play with us. I know you barely know him, but he and I have been talking non-stop since we met.”

“About what?” She couldn’t help but feel a little left out.

She shrugged. “Everything. He comes from money, which is a little weird considering my background. But he’s not like other rich people I’ve known. His whole family is doctors. I can tell he loves them very much. But,” her forehead wrinkled, “I also get the impression there’s something going on there. Something big. He changes the subject whenever it comes up.” Her eyes brightened. “He’s very well-travelled. You should hear some of his stories about hitchhiking in Europe.”

Jealousy speared her. Why weren’t they including her in these chats? Deep down inside, she knew the answer. She guarded herself too securely. Trust was hard earned when it came to her. Maybe she’d let Jude and Q seduce her physically this summer but she wouldn’t give away her heart. Long-distance relationships didn’t work. Temporary romance was for love-struck teenagers.

“Anyway, he’s safe and experienced with BDSM,” Q said. “I have a good feeling about him.”

Unable to hold back the twinge of hurt – even though it was her own fault – she snapped, “Well excuse me if I don’t let a stranger tie me up naked based on your good feeling. I don’t even know what half this stuff is. Tell Jude I’ll figure it out as I go.”

“Fill it out for me then. I can get a good idea of what you like and make sure Jude doesn’t go beyond that.”

“Fill it out for you? Definitely not.”

She frowned. “Why not?” She actually sounded hurt.

Sabrina winced. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Q. But this…talking about sex by filling out a checklist….it was so clinical. Like a check-up for her sex life.

Q pulled herself together and smiled. “I bet I can guess a lot of what you like anyway. This will just be confirming what I already know.”

“That’s creepy!”

Q laughed. “We’ve known each other a long time, beautiful. It was bound to happen.”

Sabrina’s stomach fluttered with nerves. Could she really do this? She let out a long sigh. Q probably sensed her acquiescence. She caved too easily when it came to Q. It was like she held some strange power over her. Sabrina ached to please her, no matter the cost. But she could trust Q. She hadn’t betrayed her in the five years they’d known each other. A bloody miracle as far as Sabrina was concerned.

“We’ll do it together,” Q declared brightly. “I don’t know what all of it is either.”

Sabrina looked at her, surprised. “You don’t?”

She snorted. “Despite what you think of me, I’m not some porno-addicted sex fiend looking to get off with anything that has legs. I’m pretty tame compared to most
kinksters
.”

Oh god. She shuddered to imagine in what world Q – her kinky, gender confused, bisexual friend – was tame.

“First section,” Q started. “Role-playing.”

Sabrina browsed the list. Family play, fantasy rape, doctor/nurse play – she grimaced at the thought of examination tables and speculums. Interrogations, prison scenes…

“Animal roles?” she blurted out loud, aghast.

Q smirked. “What? You don’t want to be my little pussy?”

She felt her eyes widen then she burst out laughing. “That’s crass, even for you.”

“I know,” she said between giggles. “But I couldn’t resist.”

“Crossing off role-playing.” She made a big X over the section. “Next up, sexual play.” Grimacing, she read down the list. No, no, no. Most of them she could guess by the titles and they triggered her gag reflex. Finally, she reached something familiar. “Vibrators!” She put a big check mark next to that one.

Q chuckled. “Figures.”

“What?” She snapped her head up to look at Q.

“I know you own a vibrator, little girl.” She winked. “But your secret is safe with me.”

She fought back the wave of heat threatening to redden her cheeks and swallowed hard. Back to the list, she coached herself. So what if Q knew she had a vibrator? Didn’t every girl own one?

“Skip down to the domination/submission section,” Q said. “That’s the stuff I need to know.”

Heart thumping, she read on. Some words popped out immediately, causing a stir to start down below. How could a mere suggestion work better than her past three boyfriends? Begging. Following orders. Kneeling. Those words called to her, making her face flame with heat. When she looked up at Q, she noticed her eyes fixed on Sabrina.

“Be honest,” she said. “Check off the ones making you blush.”

Damn her. She scowled.

Q chuckled. “Don’t be embarrassed. We’re probably checking off some of the same things.”

She looked down at the list again. “You’re not making me stand in a corner,” she told Q firmly, just to express her annoyance.

Q raised a brow. “You’ll stand where I tell you to once we start playing.”

Sabrina huffed. Sad fact was, she probably would. She checked off a few boxes, steering clear of ones like bathroom control and forced eating. Next section was the most daunting. Masochism. She was familiar with the word. It meant taking pleasure from pain. The crop in the closet had made her tingle. She’d itched to feel the flogger on her thighs and ass. But a masochist? Did she qualify?

If so, she was going straight to hell – do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars. She was pretty sure they didn’t let freaks like her – like Q – into church.

Q studying the list, her brow creased, pen resting on her lips. Alluring lips. Sex was an expression of love. Why would God discriminate against different kinds of love?

Again, certain words jumped out, causing a stirring deep within her. The most surprising – over-the-knee spanking. Well shit. Did that mean she was into age play after all?

“What’s got you so confused?” Q asked.

She’d been watching Sabrina again. “Nothing,” she murmured, keeping her head down.

“Tell me. I might be able to help.”

She shook her head, her pen hovering above the yes box.

“Tell me, little girl,” she said more sternly.

Damn her again. She sighed. Why did she always cave when Q called her that? Like some involuntary reflex kicked into overdrive, making her submit to any dominant personality nearby. Worse with Q. “If I like…” Ugh. She couldn’t even say it out loud. Quickly, she circled the word then thrust it at Q. “That one. Does that mean I’m into age play?”

Q looked at the paper and hissed in a breath. “Um. Not necessarily.” Her voice shook and her eyes brightened with lust.

Sabrina almost laughed out loud. Well, well, well. Q wasn’t quite as composed as she thought. She was getting turned on by the list too. Sabrina hid a grin as a devious plan came to mind.

She circled another word. “What do they mean by this?”

Q kept her gaze on the paper but she squirmed in her seat the same way Sabrina had been while reading the erotic book. After a moment, she rasped, “Being beaten with a belt.”

“And single tail?” Oh this was too fun.

She snapped her gaze to Sabrina and narrowed her eyes. “Read your selections out loud.”

Shaking her head adamantly, she pulled the paper back and looked down. “I’m not done. I still have to fill out the bondage part.”

“Read what you have so far,” she ordered.

“No thanks. But you can see it when I’m done.”

“I don’t want to see it,” she said more firmly. “I want to hear you read each one.”

Sabrina flicked her gaze to her friend, feeling her eyes widen. “But –”

“You
wanna
play games with me, little girl? You should know better. Read each selection out loud and let’s see how you like being watched when you’re aroused.”

“You’re so mean!”

“You started it. Now go.”

Sabrina gulped then looked down at her list. “Um.” Her voice squeaked and she cleared it. Come on, Sabrina. Man up. Or woman up, rather. “Okay. Well. Vibrators, begging, following orders, hair pulling, floggers, biting.” She rushed through the list then stopped at the wor
ds “over-the-knee spanking.”

“Um. The other one I showed you.”

“Say it.”

“No.”

Q studied her for a moment then sighed. “Alright. We’ll work on that later. Keep going.”

Grateful to be off the hook, for now, she read the last few things on the list. “Belts, punishment, flogging.” She finished with an exhale. Torture. That was nothing short of torture. Maybe she should add that to Q’s list. She built up the courage to look at her friend. Would she laugh at her?

Q’s eyes glittered and her lips parted as her breaths came out shallow. “That was hot.”

Sabrina laughed hard. “You’re seriously disturbed, you know that?”

She gave her a sly smile. “And yet you’re going to come over here and kiss me.”

And suddenly
,
there wasn’t anything else in the world she’d rather do. As if Q had strings attached to her body, Sabrina rose from the chair and walked to the couch. Q crooked a
finger and Sabrina leaned over.

“Kiss me,” Q ordered.

“You know I’m not good at this,” Sabrina breathed, her gaze transfixed on Q’s mouth.

She grabbed onto Sabrina’s t-shirt and tugged her down. Their lips almost touched. Sabrina waited for it, but Q didn’t make the first move. She kept Sabrina hovering with a firm grip on her shirt.

“Kiss me,” she whispered again.

“I can’t.” But god did she want to. The urge to kiss was mixed up with that stupid feeling that it was somehow wrong.

Q narrowed her eyes. “I dare you.”

Sabrina’s resistance snapped. She sucked in a sharp breath and planted one knee on the couch at the same time as she lunged for Q’s mouth. Self-preservation made her slow just before
they touched. So soft and so light Q’s lips seemed, that the air stopped still and jammed up in her chest.