“Stop thinking and move, Beautiful. My plans for tonight do not include punishment, so get your lovely ass in gear.” Israel looked forward to seeing her bare derriere lying over his lap, cheeks blushing under his hand. He hoped Bristol would be brave enough to skate along the fine line between pleasure and pain. Not all submissives understood the sensations were two sides of the same coin, but for those who got it, their sexual pleasure was magnified exponentially. In the future, he wouldn’t allow her to dawdle, but tonight, he was having fun watching her pull strength from within to face her insecurities.
Blowing out a breath when she was finally undressed, Bristol kept her eyes on her pink-tipped toes. Refusing to look him in the eye was just another way to hide, and he wasn’t going to allow it. Bristol needed to see the appreciation he knew was shining in his eyes. Damn, the woman was a fucking goddess, and she had no clue.
“Eyes on me, Beautiful.” Bristol lifted her face so slowly, he swore he needed photos to be sure she was moving. Nodding his approval when she finally met his gaze, he was grateful he’d forced the issue. Her quick inhalation was all the reassurance he needed—his mate had seen herself through his eyes for the first time. When she blushed, he shook his head.
“I love the way your expression tells me what you’re thinking. As tantalizing as I find the pink flush on your cheeks, I won’t tolerate you being embarrassed about your body. I want you to see yourself as I see you.”
Their telepathic connection was growing stronger by the hour. The deeper he could forge the bond between them, the sooner he’d be able to claim her. Israel could hardly wait for the moment she tilted her head to the side, signally she was ready to be his. The two puncture wounds from his bite would heal under the lap of his tongue, sealing closed immediately, leaving behind small round scars most people would never notice, and even fewer would correctly identify.
The exchange of their DNA would bring significant enhancement to both of their magical skills. He’d be able to track her anywhere in the world and would instinctively know if she was in danger. Mating affected shifter pairs in different ways, some more significantly than others. He couldn’t wait to find out what changes were in store for them.
“Turn around, face the window, spread your feet as far apart as you can comfortably, and lace your fingers together at the back of your head.” She moved into position quickly, but the alcohol made it difficult to move her feet as far apart as he suspected she would be able to manage without Jose’s help.
“Gorgeous.” Using his finger, he traced an invisible line from her shoulder down, curving around to her upper ribs, continuing slowly to her waist. Israel opened his hand, pressing his warm palm over Bristol’s silky skin, letting the pads of his fingers press firmly against her as he fanned her lush curves.
“I love your curves. You are real and perfect. The thought of holding a stick in my arms holds no appeal. Most of the men I know prefer women who are rounded and pillowy soft as we push ourselves in as deep as our cocks can go. Feeling your breasts flatten against my chest when my cock is buried to the hilt will be one of my greatest joys. Knowing those breasts will one day feed our children adds more to the attraction than you know. I guarantee, my brother watches Charlotte nurse their child every chance he gets. It’s an intimate pleasure he won’t want to share with anyone else, not because he is ashamed or embarrassed, but because it’s his alone.”
Moving his hand to cup the underside of her breast, Israel brushed his thumb over the tip of her nipple.
“Look at how your body responds to my touch. There is nothing better. Bristol, you have no idea how perfect you are for me. Fate doesn’t make mistakes. I know the timing doesn’t always make sense to us—it isn’t always convenient—but it’s always right.”
Bristol’s thoughts had been spinning so fast, Israel had barely been able to catch a word here and there. Her mind was bouncing ideas around like a steel ball in the old-fashioned pinball machines he’d enjoyed so much as a kid—every thought remaining unfocused until he mentioned timing. One word brought it all to a halt. Bristol zeroed in on his comment, trying to find a way around his observation without success. He could tell she wasn’t convinced but couldn’t come up with a valid argument.
“Why me? You could have any woman you wanted.” Technically, her comment wasn’t that far off the mark. He’d had plenty of women over the years. Israel could walk into any bar in the city and leave with the woman of his choice. He shook his head and smiled.
“You may be a shifter, but you seem to be awfully naïve about the way things work. You and Denali are cut from the same cloth, baby. She’s been thrown into the deep end of learning, too. It’ll be a remarkably interesting conversation, but we’re saving it for another day.” He didn’t plan to waste this time with her, chit-chatting about his newest sister-in-law.
“Come.” Taking her hand, Israel led Bristol around the end of one of the designer sofas in the living room. Who on earth thought that thing would be relaxing to sit on? He’d enjoyed sitting on park benches more than the uncomfortable, overpriced piece of designer furniture. Picking up the chair he planned to use, Israel deliberately set it, so his right side was toward the large sliding glass doors leading to the deck.
“What is your safe word, Bristol?” To her credit, she didn’t pretend the question had been unclear.
“Red, Sir.” She’d answered with enough bravado to make him wonder if it was sincere or alcohol-fueled. I guess we’ll see soon enough.
“I don’t believe you’ll need it, but it’s an important reminder for both of us. People sometimes have triggers they aren’t aware of, things that send them reeling physically or emotionally. If you find yourself approaching one of those points, say yellow. I’ll stop, and we’ll talk about what’s happening, giving you an opportunity to tell me what part of our scene you’re struggling with. I may completely stop, or change things up, or in some cases I will simply continue on. But, I promise to listen to your concerns with an open mind. If the situation is too much for you and you know it will be impossible for you to go forward, say red. Your safe word will always work.” Always.
“Tell me you understand, Beautiful.”
“I understand, Sir. Yellow for slow down and red for stop.”
Israel loved the airy tone her voice had taken on. Getting her in the right headspace was critical to the success of the scene he planned. Brilliant women were both a joy and a challenge to their Doms. Helping them escape their racing minds, even if the reprieve was brief, was described by subs as the greatest gift they ever received. Dominants lucky enough to top those women cherished the gift of their sub’s trust. Making your way into those gifted minds wasn’t easy, but the rewards were enormous.
“I want to try an experiment, Beautiful. Let’s see how your body responds to erotic spanking.” Without giving her time to protest, Israel pulled her over his lap, peaking her bare ass in position for his palm to land in heated strokes. She sucked in a breath, preparing to protest when he cut it off with two solid swats, designed to get her attention but not hurt. “Before you complain, stop and think about what you’re feeling. Don’t listen to your head—tune out the voice telling you what you should be feeling and listen closely to what your body is saying.”