BDSM Checklist: A, B, C

They were only a few feet apart, but it felt farther. They hadn’t explicitly acknowledged that they wanted this relationship to continue. That was the issue they were skirting as they talked about all the reasons it couldn’t work.

“Why?”

“I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

Mae’s hand itched to slap him again. Each word was like the jab of a knife telling her that she wanted him more than he wanted her.

“No, you don’t, Master Xavier.” She made sure her tone was completely neutral, the words flat.

“Don’t do that, Red. Don’t hide from me.” There was pain in his voice.

She wanted to comfort him, she wanted to scream at him for making her feel this way only to turn around and tell her that he wouldn’t be her Master in the truest sense of the word.

“I can’t be the only one who’s vulnerable.”

At that he looked up, eyes stark behind the mask. He held her gaze just long enough for her to detect a hint of resignation.

Pushing away from the wall, Xavier turned his back to her. In the candlelight he was all smooth gold muscles that she longed to touch, to mark with her nails the way he’d marked her with a whip.

He reached up, and Mae sucked in a breath as he began to undo the hidden zipper along the back of the mask. Inch by inch the leather parted, until he’d opened it all the way to the crown of his head. With his back still to her, Master Xavier pulled the mask off.

His hair was plastered to his head, but a few combs with his fingers loosened it. At first she thought it was blond, but he shifted slightly and she realized it was more silver than gold. For a moment she wondered if he was far older than she realized, and he’d gone gray.

Xavier turned to the left, just enough so she could see his profile and Mae sucked in a breath. He was gorgeous with a classically handsome profile—arched nose, high cheekbones, and strong jaw. There was a faint line along his cheek where the edge of the mask had pressed against him.

“You’re the only one I would break that rule for.” He didn’t look at her as he spoke.

“Why do you wear the mask?” He was being so deliberate about not facing her, not letting her see him, that Mae began to wonder.

wear it because I prefer it. I am a better Master with

his handsome face.

turning toward her before he caught himself. “Why

your identity. That makes me think movie

didn’t smile or laugh.

examined his profile again, wondering why he was behaving so oddly. “Yes, I

turned to face

she noticed was that he looked like a Disney prince with his classic features. He was younger than his graying hair led her to believe. There were faint lines around his eyes and brackets around his mouth, and at a guess she’d say he was in his early

second it took her brain to process that information, she also picked out what was wrong with the picture. Mae scrambled off the bed,

head was clearly visible. A massive scar marred his face from his right temple all the way down the side of his cheek to his neck. His ear was mangled, the lobe missing. He pushed his hair up, showing that the scar tissue continued back from his temple and cheekbone,

trembling fingers, but didn’t touch. “Does it

It’s been a

were things she wanted to say, but they could wait. Mae gingerly placed a palm on each of his cheeks, pulling him

when she traced the seam of his lips with her tongue he came alive. Between one heartbeat and the next they went from standing to lying on the bed with Xavier’s big body over hers. Mae spread her legs, cradling his hips. He covered her jaw and neck with hot open mouthed kisses as she reached between them to fumble with his pants. Together they got them off, shoving them down to his knees. His cock was long and hard,

thrusting into her, and it was familiar. She looked into his

you fucked me,”

“It wasn’t a dream.”

ah—” She had to stop as one particularly strong thrust hit

lip. “No one comes that hard while they’re really asleep, but

and submissive. It was just two people, looking for something, someone, to

moment they found that peace with one

* * *

of

pulled from the envelope labeled “C.” When the overseers of Las Palmas Oscuras, LA’s most exclusive BDSM club, called all members together, a club-wide sex game was the last thing he’d imagined they’d announce. Each Dom, Master, Owner, submissive, and slave was assigned a letter of the alphabet and everything that went with it. They had to work though each kink, toy, and fetish on the BDSM checklist, which all members filled out when they joined. It was a rather intriguing idea,

BDSM play pleasure-focused and never engaged in scenes that lasted too long, or took either player too deep into that dark place

Xavier, a Master with a reputation