Page 78 of Key of Kink

My breathing hitched. “Yes.”

He gripped my elbow and steered me toward the far end of the free weights area. There was a recessed stretch space tucked behind a pillar, a quieter spot with less traffic.

“Hands on the wall.”

The words shot straight through me and I obeyed without hesitation, pressing my palms against the pillar’s cool surface. My heart thudded.

This is insane.

It was also public—technically—and yet completely contained.

He stepped in close behind me, not touching but there. “You thought this was funny.”

I swallowed. “A little.”

Another controlled swat, slightly firmer this time. I exhaled sharply.

“Still think it’s funny?”

I hesitated before replying. “Yes.”

“You wanted my attention.” Max let out a low growl. “You have it.”

Heat pooled low in my stomach. That landed deeper than the swat.

This had stopped being about teasing. Now it was about Max deciding to engage.

I felt his presence shift closer, the heat of him at my back, the shift in his control.

“If we continue,” he said in a voice low enough that no one else could hear, “you follow instructions.”

“Yes.”

“No clever remarks.”

I stared at the wall in front of me, trying not to smile. “I’ll… do my best.”

His hand came down again, measured, deliberate, and the air changed instantly.

Okay, not a joke anymore. He’d drawn a line, and I wanted to cross it.

A slow heat spread under my skin, sharp and bright. My breathing hitched before I could stop it.

Of course he noticed.

His hand settled at my waist, not grabbing, just there, and that did it.

This wasn’t about the swat.

It was about how close he was.

“You’re very sure of yourself,” he murmured.

I swallowed. “I trust you.” The word came out quieter than I meant them to. My pulse was ragged.

The gym noise felt distant, as though it was happening behind glass.

He stood so still behind me. His fingers pressed at my lower back, warm through the fabric. When his thumb traced lower, skating over my crack, I sucked in a breath.