Free Under His Command (Six-Alarm Sexy) by Kristine Cayne Page B

many times, people who like one, like them all. I’m different. I’m not into the last one. But the rest?” He stepped closer and leaned over her, boxing her in with his arm on the side of the couch. When he was an inch from her ear, he murmured, “Those are a definite turn-on.”
    He felt her shiver as much as he saw it. He stepped back, pleased to see the spark of arousal in her eyes. She licked her lips and his belly flipped. Rickie was even sexier now than she’d been when they’d met. She’d gone from a girl to a woman, and he loved every inch of her.
    “You have experience with all of that?” she asked, her voice shaky.
    Pulling one of the chairs closer, he sat, his knees touching hers. If he wanted her trust, he had to be honest with her. Bare his past. Bare his soul. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, about the time before I met you. About my… women.” He’d almost said subs, but she wasn’t ready for that. Not until he explained about the lifestyle and why he was no longer a part of it.
    “I know you had your pick of fire bunnies.” Her lip curled up just a bit at the end. Just enough to let him know she didn’t like that idea at all.
    Biting back a grin, he said, “I wouldn’t say that.”
    “Come on. You’re a hot, hunky firefighter. That’s why I was so surprised when you hit on me at that party.”
    “So you think I’m hot?” The question made her blush, and the grin he’d been trying to hide burst out.
    She bent her neck, hiding her face with her hair again. “You know I do.”
    With his finger under her chin, he raised her face. “You have no idea how beautiful you are.” He murmured the words while winding a strand of her hair behind her ear. He loved her ears, so delicate and perfect, with the little diamond studs she preferred.
    After giving him a small smile, she pulled away. “Tell me about the women.”
    “You sure you want to hear this?”
    “Well not all the gory details. Just what’s relevant to our discussion.”
    Twisting sideways on the couch, he studied her. He was going to have to tell her about Andrea. That was the only way she’d really understand where he was coming from. And his limits. “I’ve been involved in D/s relationships before. Most were short-lived. But one was more serious.”
    “D… s?”
    Step-by-step . He had to remember she was new to all of this, and the last thing he wanted was to scare her off. “Dominant and submissive.”
    “Obviously, you were the dominant.”
    He smiled. “The only time I’ve ever been even remotely submissive has been with you.”
    “Why would you do that?”
    “It’s because of what we talked about before. I felt guilty for what happened, for getting you pregnant, and I wanted to make you happy.”
    She sighed and shook her head. “I liked you just fine that night. I think our relationship would have gone a lot better if you hadn’t tried to change for me. Tried to become someone you aren’t. I know I pushed you a lot, but I expected you to fight back, to show that you cared. But you just seemed to check out.”
    “I’m starting to get that.”
    “So, about these dominant and submissive relationships?”
    “I’m telling you this because I want you to understand what I like and what I’m willing to do. After, we’ll need to talk about your side of things.” When she nodded, he continued. “I met Andrea at a club that specializes in BDSM. We hit it off right away. We agreed on some conditions and after signing the contract, I became her Dom.”
    “Hold on. A contract?”
    “I don’t know how legal these things are, but a lot of people in the lifestyle like the idea of a contract, because it forces the Dom and sub to make everything clear. It establishes a framework for the relationship that both parties feel comfortable with.”
    “Contract, framework, parties. I don’t hear anything about love in all that.”
    “D/s relationships aren’t usually about love, Rickie. They are about