Free Lucia Jordan's Four Series Collection: Chosen, Whipped, Lick, Risk by Lucia Jordan Page A

“You have all the power, my sweet sub. Remember this. I only wield the power for as long as you give it—and I consider it a gift and will only take what is freely given. This is our personal Power Exchange. You have only to tell me to stop.
    She frowned. “So if I say stop, you’ll stop?”
    “In the BDSM world, we have what we call safe words between participants. Once used, all play comes to an immediate stop. The words stop or no are not safe words because there is a lot of fantasy and role-play. Most couples use the word red, yellow, or green. Green is go, yellow is slow down, red is stop. If you use the word red, I will stop and we’ll discuss what you don’t like and why, and then decide if we’ll proceed or not.”
    “I don’t want to seem weak or be a baby, Gio.” Right now, she was talking to the man, and she needed his assurance before the Dom resumed control.
    “You are not a weak woman, Karyn. In fact, you’ve surprised the hell out of me by being submissive—at least sexually. You’re so controlled and in charge in the office.” He smiled ruefully. “You can’t know how shocked—and pleased—I was to find the heart of a submissive deep inside all that control.”
    Taryn relaxed slightly. “You’re not the only one,” she muttered. If anyone had told her she’d submit to a man in any circumstance, but especially sexually, she’d have laughed her not-so-silly ass off.
    “You are so different from the woman I met outside the office. Even at work, you seem much more controlled and in charge—more confident.”
    “I—”
    His finger to her lips stopped whatever she’d been about to say. Her deception weighed heavily, as did the guilt.
    “No more talk. We’ll deal with the future later. Right now, there is only us. Here and now, you and me, and a chance to see what there is between us. Agreed?”
    Last night, it had bothered her greatly to think that Gio would sleep with his brother’s fiancé without a thought, but staring into his eyes, she saw guilt. And pain. She knew what he was doing with her weighed heavily on his conscience. It eased a tight knot inside her. She knew he wasn’t stealing anything from Stefano and it made her feel better to know that he was not as in control of himself as he appeared.
    There was something between them, something strong and demanding, something she couldn’t control and neither could he. That thought alone had her nodding. “All right.”
    “Good girl. Now, before we get back to our roles, do you understand what I said about safe words?”
    She nodded. “I’m still not sure I want you to cuff me though.”
    He ran a thumb over her lower lip, swollen from her biting it. “Remember, pet—Safe, Sane, Consensual. I’m asking you to trust me to know what will please you. I’m asking you to relinquish all control so that I may pleasure you and take you on a wild, sexual ride.”
    Remembering how she’d felt like was on a roller coaster before, Taryn drew in a deep breath. “I trust you, Gio.” Her heart hammered when he stood and held out his hand.
    “Then give yourself to me, pet. Body and mind. You belong to me—you are mine to do with as I please.”
    Shaking, despite her attempt to remain steady, she lifted her hand. “I’m yours, Sir.” God help her, she wanted him badly enough to shove her fears aside and offer what he wanted—trust.
    Gio felt both humbled and honored as he cuffed first one wrist, then the other, unsnapping them so her hands were free. He did the same for each ankle, then pulled out a leather thigh cuff. Her eyes grew wider as he belted it around her thigh. He stroked the soft flesh of her other thigh and waited until her eyes closed on a moan of need before fastening the last cuff.
    “Look at me, pet.” He waited until she met his gaze before arranging her ankles close to her body. He snapped the thigh cuffs to the ankle cuffs. Her chest rose in panic as she tried to move her legs and couldn’t.
    “Steady,