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She offers another polite smile and hands me the flogger. It looks like what they use on horses.
“It’s a crop,” Dmitri clarifies as he steps into the room and undoes his top two buttons.
“Oh?” I say, stepping in behind him. Despite its appeal from the outside, the room is rather spacious with dark grey leather walls. A dimly lit gold chandelier hangs above, but my eye gravitates toward the imposing cross at the back of the room.
“Saint Andrews Cross,” he clarifies as he removes his shirt, and my gaze inevitably trails down his chiseled abs, and I lick my lips with anticipation.
“Right now? With the door open?” I whisper shout. Anyone could walk past. The pounding of the club music might be enough to cover noise, but anyone who walks past can see. And yet my gaze still trails his body, admiring it’s sculpted beauty. I stop on the bullet scar on his shoulder, and guilt floods me from that night months ago.
I’d even pointed a gun at him myself. I thought it was one of The Lion’s men, but even when I registered that it was Dmitri, I had all the more reason to point it at him. He was meant to stay away. I blamed him for my circumstances and entrapment, in denial about my own hand that played in it.
The dominatrix wolf steps back into the room. She walks with the confidence of a concubine serving their master.
She’s beautiful with bronze skin and curves that men would die for. I’m the complete opposite, with my pale complexion and almost embarrassingly thin figure, bordering on being underweight even.
They were better matched. “If you both change your mind. Let me know.” Her gaze lands on me, and she comes to a stop. “You two really do look similar, don’t you?”
I furrow my eyebrows. “Sorry?”
“Your sister, Layla. She talks about you often. I guess I should be saying, welcome home.”
I’m shocked at the mention of my sister. Even envious to know she’s been by his side all this time and a part of his world for so long.
“Out,” Dmitri grits. She doesn’t seem offended by his tone and saunters out casually. Dmitri hits the blue button near the door; it shuts the glass and the room darkens. The room is still dimly lit, but we’re in compete silence now. Soundproof. Interesting. “Sit,” he instructs toward the unique looking leather bench that looks like it’d break someone’s back.
“It’s a tantra chair,” he explains absentmindedly. Nervous energy erupts in my stomach as I approach him and look at the equipment he’s playing with. My eyebrows furrow at the clinical equipment.
“What is that?” I ask as I prop myself up on the edge obediently. Somehow, I don’t think this is part of the usual service.
“I’m going to pierce those taut little nipples of yours before I flog the shit out of that tight cunt of yours.”
“What?” My back straightens attentively, still shocked by the way he says things.
“I don’t ask twice.” He carefully refrains his lethal edge.
“You weren’t asking,” I bite back.
His gaze hits me like a wild fury, and his jaw tics. “Do you know how much it kills me to see his bracelet on your wrist? That I can’t remove his shackle in the blink of an eye. That all I can do right now is secretly call you in the middle of the night and blow a load into a towel.”
My breath hitches. “I’m sorry.” And it’s such a conditioned response that I regret it immediately. His expression shifts, and the subtle change in his posture changes to that of defeat. “Please take the mask off.” I don’t want there to be another barrier between us. I need to see him.
My heart sinks, the reality clicking back into place. “I can’t risk my family any more than I have, Dmitri. I’m sorry.” I remove my mask first and allow that vulnerability to surface.
He removes his and stands between my legs. “Which is the only reason why I haven’t. But it kills every part of me not being able to protect you.”
My heart breaks because I have let Dmitri in as much as I’ve fought it. Fought him. He and my sister are the only ones I have to depend on. Something I tried so hard to deny. Hope. Something that I can’t so easily swat away now. Because I want there to be another side to all of this—a happily ever after, and it was a dangerous notion.
I place my hand on his jaw and feel the tic run through it.
“I told you that I wouldn’t let you go once I had you. And what you ask of me goes against every fiber of my being. I’m not a good man, Elanee. Some might even say I’m cruel,” he confesses. And I doubt that because I know what cruelty looks like, and no, no matter his aggression or shortcomings, he would always fall short of the monsters I’d seen. Well, I hoped so for Dmitri’s sake and mine. Finally, he admits, “I’m possessive, dominating, and an asshole. But only for you.”
“I never knew you were so self-aware.” I joke, but he doesn’t laugh. As much as I want him entirely, no matter what, I will always have to refrain, to keep whatever distance between us to soften the blow that was certainly soon to come. I didn’t do it for my own self-preservation but his.
I look over at the box and pick out the sapphire gemmed bars. I can’t help but notice they’re almost the same color as his eyes. “Okay. But I draw a hard line at your name or face being tattooed anywhere on me,” I say in a second attempt to try and lighten the mood.
“Not anywhere obvious, anyway,” he teases, pulling down my strapless dress and blatantly stares. “Mine.” And then his gaze meets my eyes. “You are mine.”
“Yes,” I whisper encouragingly.
