Free Betting on Fate by Katee Robert Page B

direct contrast to the delicious sparks already starting to spread through her body because of the vibrator. That conflicted feeling only got more pronounced as he cuffed her wrists in place and then did the same with her ankles, leaving her splayed for anyone to see.
    She rolled her hips again, and she could have sworn she heard Will curse. Maybe he wasn’t as unaffected as he acted? Testing him, she did it again. Oh, yes, he was definitely affected.
    He stepped closer, pressing himself against her back much the same way he’d done in her office. “I’m feeling generous, pet. I’m willing to allow you to choose the instrument.”
    A little shiver worked its way through her. She hated that shiver. She didn’t want to be so influenced by him when he stood there behind his mask. So she reached for the attitude to give her some necessary distance. “This is what you call generous?”
    “The crop, the paddle, or the flogger?”
    He gave her nothing. It made her want to curse and holler until he gave some kind of reaction. “Why not all three?” She regretted her words the second they were out of her mouth.
    “Very well.”
    Oh shit.
    He lifted her hair and pressed a kiss to the back of her neck, his tongue playing along the sensitive skin until her knees buckled. “Trust me, pet.”
    Easier said than done. She’d been around the block enough times to know that it was the Dom’s job to push boundaries, and she’d delighted in doing exactly that with the subs she played with. She didn’t imagine Will was any different. But she wasn’t a true masochist—or as experienced as the subs he seemed to play with regularly. He knew that. Surely he wouldn’t take things too far?
    “Breathe, Penelope.”
    The shock of hearing her name out of his mouth steadied her a little. She had her safe word, though she’d never heard of a sub using one with him. He asked for her trust and she’d do her best to give it. She let out a shuddering exhale.
    “There.” He ran a hand down her spine. “Keep breathing. Tell me your safe word.”
    “Dracula.” It was barely more than a whisper, but he heard her.
    “Good girl.” He checked her cuffs one last time and stepped back. “We’ll start with the flogger.”

Chapter Eight
    Will swung the flogger, warming up his wrist, watching Penelope tense at the whistle of the flails through the air. It wasn’t as pleasing a sound as the cane, but it was still one of his favorite toys. He’d purposefully picked a lighter variety, since he’d never used one on her before. Typically he played with the harsher end of the pain spectrum. Canes were his favorite, but…
    Not tonight. Perhaps not ever with her. Canes went well beyond the medium pain scale that she’d said she was comfortable with. It was something that he’d be willing to explore with a long-term sub—helping them find out where their limits really stood—but seven days wasn’t nearly enough time to go there.
    And seven days was all he had.
    Damn it. He was supposed to be getting them back onto solid ground—not thinking about what something past a week would look like. Will swung the flogger again, watching the way her back tensed. She didn’t know where the blow would hit, only that it would fall, but she wasn’t panicking or showing any true signs of distress.
    Good.
    He flicked the flogger out, giving it a little snap. She jerked as it hit her shoulder, but no sound escaped. Not that he expected anything else. The woman was nothing if not strong. Will kept the blows raining down on her, starting on her right shoulder and moving to her left, working down her back. Halfway through she started begging, begging him to stop, to keep going, to never touch her again.
    It was only when she sagged into her bonds that he set the flogger aside and picked up the paddle. He was careful with the first swat, because she might still be tender from the other night. On the third smack, the breath sobbed from her chest, and her entire