BDSM Checklist: A, B, C

Xavier tugged the gag from her mouth. Mae’s only response was to snuggle tighter against him. He was trying to figure out how to move her so he could undo the breast binding when James dropped down onto the couch beside him.

“Need help?”

“If I shift her can you undo the strap?”

James nodded. Still cradling her in his arms, Xavier twisted Mae’s upper body so James could undo the buckle. There were hard red lines along her breasts where the edges of the binding had cut in. Xavier repositioned Mae, then rubbed the marks. Even in her sleep her nipples pebbled at his touch.

“Xavier, you need to be careful.” The other man looked troubled.

“Thank you for your opinion.” He made sure his tone conveyed that he in fact did not give a shit what the other man thought.

James’s jaw clenched. “You’re playing a dangerous game with her.”

“Exactly, I’m playing the game.”

“No, you’re opening her up, and I’m worried about her. About what will happen when you leave. She may have been a player in the lifestyle for years, but no one has ever gotten to the core of her, not the way you have.”

“And that’s on you.” Though Xavier liked James, he was battling a sense of contempt that James and others had dominated Mae without seeing what she really was.

“You’re not understanding what’s really happening here. I heard about the beginning of the scene.”

“What about it?”

for their Master. Their Master. I didn’t figure out that Mae needed harder play, because I couldn’t. She

“A good Dom—”

that sentence. You know that the chemistry between two people can completely change a dynamic. You two have

empty fireplace. There was some truth in James’s words. His connection with Mae, the way she responded to him and the way she made

make sure she

James sounded

doesn’t want someone like me. Yes, she needs someone who’s into more than just spankings. She needs pain play, and more extreme domination. But she doesn’t

you sure

I am sure that if she’s going to explore this she needs a regular play partner—a

shame; the two

or what she’d gone through, by denying it. “Mae deserves to

I’m sorry

the corners of her mouth. He’d never seen anything as beautiful as Mae writhing in pleasure, never felt anything as powerful as knowing that though there

to skip ahead a few steps. The sooner he started to put emotional distance between them

could wait a few hours. Right now he needed to

* * *

her eyes closed as awareness returned slowly. Her body was still heavy with exhaustion, but she was vaguely aware that

along her jaw

name was a