Free Little Tease by Amy Valenti Page A

kneeling up without a word. I obeyed the unspoken command instinctively, and as he tilted up my chin with a finger I closed my eyes, trembling a little.
    Take me. I’m yours.
    Something brushed against my lips—his thumb, not his mouth, and I opened my eyes after a moment, confused. His smile as he drew back made me melt, and I tried to remind myself that if hadn’t kissed me yet, he had a reason for it. “About damn time, little tease.”
    Dimly, I registered the applause and whistles of spectators I hadn’t even realised had gathered, but I couldn’t bring myself to look away from Josh until he glanced away first. He was half amused and half irritated at the small crowd that had gathered—word travelled fast, it seemed—and I followed his gaze with a self-conscious smile.
    Smurfette grinned unashamedly, and Danny and Tamara seemed to be suppressing laughter at a shared joke—probably because they were used to kneeling for me. Izzy raised a good-natured eyebrow at me, and I caught Heidi doing practically the same thing to Josh. Set back from most of the crowd, Matt looked on with a rueful smile, and I returned his nod with one of my own, grateful for his distance from us.
    My decision had been easy, when it had come down to it. When I’d begun negotiating with Matt, attempting to put myself into a submissive mindset, something had just felt wrong. I’d wanted Josh’s hands on me, Josh’s whispered voice in my ear, and regressing whole years to how things had been with Matt just hadn’t been an option.
    I’d explained the situation, and he’d been gracious about it. After all, it would have only been a casual scene. I’d hugged him and headed outside for some fresh air, considering my next move.
    And less than thirty minutes later, there I was, kneeling at Josh’s feet. Where I should be. Where I’d longed to be.
    Smurfette stepped between us and the rest of the crowd, making shooing motions with her hands. “Okay, folks, let’s back off and give them a little privacy. This isn’t a soap opera. A little respect for boundaries, please?”
    Resisting the urge to point out her blatant voyeurism over the past few months, I shot her a quick grin, thanking her for the gesture. People began to disperse, but Josh beckoned Tamara over, leaning over to murmur something to her that I couldn’t catch.
    Tamara nodded and disappeared around the corner, but before I could spend too much time wondering where she’d gone or why, Josh tugged on a lock of my hair, commanding my attention again.
    “ Not gonna demand that I tell you I love you, little tease?” he asked softly.
    I bit back laughter, shaking my head. “I know you hate to state the obvious, Sir. Can I demand that you kiss me, though?”
    “ Nope. Not yet. Not until I’m ready.” The look in his eyes reassured me that it wasn’t because he didn’t want to, and I settled down to wait for his next move, trying to puzzle him out, forgetting Tamara, forgetting everything but him.
    Tamara returned and handed Josh something, and he nodded his thanks, then held it up as she retreated out of my sight.
    A collar, practical yet elegant, all black leather and gleaming silver studs and an O-ring that was just the right size… “Play collar. Just for the scene. Yes, or no?”
    “ Yes,” I whispered, unable to take my eyes off it until he pulled it out of my line of sight. I’d never wanted to wear anything so much before.
    “ Turn around and hold your hair out of the way, then.”
    I obeyed, and after undoing the chain I was wearing, he fitted the collar with gentle fingers around my throat. As he tightened the buckle, a final grain of resistance inside me dissolved, and with a sigh I gave over control completely. Every time I’d resisted him, turned him away, kept him at arms length… none of that mattered any more.
    “ You know, this is brand new. I bought it with you in mind, little tease. Knew it’d look good on you.” His fingers lingered once the