Free Pleasure's Edge by Eve Berlin Page A

wouldn’t be doing my job if you don’t, at some point.”
    She looked at him, her mind emptying out at an alarming speed.
    She didn’t like this distinct melting sensation in her arms and legs.
    The sensation of weakness.
    “Do you hear me, Dylan?”
    “Yes. I hear you.”
    “But?”
    “But . . . I don’t know if I can do this.”
    “You can. I can feel it in you, Dylan. I have since the moment we met. And I am not being arrogant. I’ve spent a number of years learning to see these things.”
    “I know. It’s not your abilities I’m doubting.” He put a hand on her thigh, and she felt it down to her bones, that electric tingle.
    “Why do you doubt yourself?” he asked her.
    His gaze was hard on hers. Solid. The blue was dark, deep, his pupils wide in the dim light.
    “I’ve always considered myself to be sexual y sophisticated. I’ve had plenty of experience. I’m not . . . bragging. But . . . I thought I could handle this. That it would be easy. But now that I’m here . . .
    God, I can barely admit this to you. To myself. I feel like an idiot.
    And I don’t like that.”
    She was real y shaking now.
    “There’s no reason to feel you can’t admit to being scared or uncertain.”
    “But I do. Even if this is a normal response for other people who come here for the first time. This is . . . me . And I don’t know if . . . I don’t think I can stay.” As she said it her heartbeat thundered, and she wanted to flee. Needed to. “I real y have to leave, Alec. I can’t do this.”
    She got up, her knees so liquid she could barely stand.
    Alec got to his feet beside her. His arm went around her and he pressed his cheek close to hers. She tried to pul away, but he held her tight.
    “Dylan, calm down. You can do this. You’re fine.”
    “I’m not.”
    She felt like crying. But she wouldn’t do it. She would not cry.
    “You are. You’re with me. I’l take care of everything.” When had any other man said that to her? When would she ever have trusted it if they had? But she trusted Alec, despite the fact that she hardly knew him. Despite herself. Despite her need to be in control. She couldn’t figure it out.
    Maybe she didn’t need to.
    “Come on, Dylan. You’re okay,” he said, his voice a low murmur.
    She let him help her back onto the sofa. This time he kept his arm around her waist, holding her close to his side. And after a few moments, the scent of him, the feel of him, went to work on her. Her senses fil ed with him, and the rest of it—her fears, her need to be in charge of everything—began to fade, and desire began to take over.
    “Look at what the others are doing,” he said in her ear, his breath a warm whisper on her skin. “See how beautiful they are, al of them. It doesn’t matter here what anyone looks like. What matters are the gifts of trust and energy they exchange. That’s the beautiful part. That’s what it’s al about, Dylan.” She looked directly across the room, to where a naked woman was bent over one of the spanking benches. Her blonde hair hung down around her cheeks, and the man standing next to her brushed a lock from her face, leaned in to kiss her before moving behind her and running his hands over the curve of her ass. There was tenderness in the way he touched her, even as he began to spank her.
    Desire quivered between Dylan’s thighs.
    Was this what she wanted?
    She turned to look at Alec. His eyes were glittering. There was hunger there. But there was also absolute control.
    Yes, she could trust him.
    She stil wasn’t sure she could trust herself. But she was going to do this.
    She swal owed the hard lump in her throat.
    “Okay. Okay. Can we . . . just get started?” Alec’s face was perfectly serious. “You can always decide to stop, Dylan. That’s the beauty in this. The ultimate safety in it. It’s up to you.”
    She nodded.
    He smiled.
    “Then we’l begin.”
    Alec took her hand and felt her trembling. He didn’t want her to be