Free Arrested By Love by Kathryn R. Blake Page A

switch to me last week, and I think that's because you were afraid it might hurt me too much. Is that right?"
    "Yes, it is."
    "All the same, I want to be truthful with you, Kyle. I've occasionally had bad dreams where you've tied me down and taken a whip to my backside."
    That caused him to draw back. He never expected his actions would actually cause her nightmares. "I'm sorry to hear that, Tiff. I never want you to think that I'd ever hurt you, or do anything more than spank your butt until you had trouble sitting for a day or two."
    "Yeah, I know that. And yet it still scares me sometimes."
    Nodding, he put his glass down, then said, "Well, I think we need to do something about that. Don't you?"
    She shrugged. "What can we do?"
    "Several things, honey. First of all, I want to give you a safe word. That's a word you can use if anything I do scares or hurts you so much that you need me to stop immediately. No questions asked."
    "Okay, but why now? Why haven't you given me one of those before?"
    "Frankly, because I never thought you needed one. However, if you're having bad dreams like that, I guess you do."
    She frowned. "So, how does it work?"
    "You say the word, and everything stops. However, it is not to be used lightly. If I suspect you aren't really scared or hurt when you use it, I won't be able to trust you, which, I think you'll agree, would be a very bad thing."
    She nodded slowly. "So, what's the word?"
    "It needs to be something you wouldn't normally say under the given circumstance. So it can't be 'stop', or 'don't,' or 'please,' or any sort of expression of pain, like 'ouch.' It could be your favorite color, dessert, fruit, anything you want, but it needs to be short and easily said."
    "Apple?" she suggested.
    "Apple would work just fine. Though it has two syllables, they are easy to get out, even if you're crying."
    "That doesn't sound very reassuring, Kyle."
    "Perhaps not, but that's one of your fears, isn't it? That you are crying so hard you can't tell me how much pain you're in?"
    "I guess. Actually, it's more that I'm afraid you'll get carried away to the point that you won't stop, no matter what I say."
    He nodded. "Okay. Even though I think I've shown that won't happen, let's do this. For the next two weeks you can say 'apple' anytime you want, and I promise to stop whatever I'm doing, then we'll talk about it. When you're convinced your safe word will provide you with the security you're seeking, I'll want you to agree that you'll only use it as it's intended to be used. Is that a deal?"
    She gave a halfhearted nod. "Yeah. I'm not quite sure what it will prove, but I'm willing to give it a try."
    He smiled, then bent forward to kiss her. "Good girl."
    Then, moving very slowly in order not to scare her, he eased her down to the checkered cloth, then whispered. "I would very much like to make love with you, Tiffany Anne Morgan. Would you like that as well?"
    Giving him a soft, sexy smile, she nodded then pulled his head down to kiss him.
    Careful to take his time to bring her the most pleasure, he began by kissing the most sensitive spots on her body as he undressed her, pleased when she responded with soft murmurs of consent as she worked to undress him. He wanted her to enjoy touching and looking at him, so he encouraged her to do both as much as she wanted.
    When his shirt was off, she slipped her hands along his ribs, then ran her tongue over his nipples. He groaned as the pleasure from her hot little tongue shot straight to his groin, and raised his hips to ease the discomfort caused by the confinement of his trousers.
    "Did I hurt you?" she asked anxiously, and he smiled at her innocence.
    "Oh, no, sweetheart. Just the opposite in fact. Having you touch me is very, very pleasurable. Just like this," he murmured then lightly sucked on her breasts. Her hips instantly jerked in response and she moaned. Without her asking, he knew she wanted him to kiss her between her legs as he had before.
    Helping her