That being the case, why did Terrence look so angry? It wasn’t as if it was anyone’s fault they were stuck on a beach outside Portland for the night.

  Was it?

  There was only one way for someone to be responsible.

  “You think Andie sent us here on purpose?” Veronica asked, not believing it was possible. “Knowing we’d be stuck for the night?”

  “I don’t think so. I know so.”

  Veronica tilted her head. “Really? You honestly think she concocted a plan to keep us on the mainland together for a night?” He remained silent. “Seriously? What could she possibly think would happen?”

  He looked at her, a combination of you’ve got to be kidding me and something else she couldn’t quite put a name to, but the sight of it made her insides quiver with need.

  In an instant, the look was gone. Terrence stood and took his phone out of his back pocket. “I’m going to call her.”

  Moving faster than she thought possible, she stood and ripped the phone from his unsuspecting hand. “No. You can’t call her. It’ll ruin everything. Look at it this way. If we spend the night here, it adds more credibility to our plan to make them think we’re into each other.”

  His expression didn’t change. It was as if she hadn’t spoken at all. “Give me my phone back.”

  She held it away from him, like he was a child and couldn’t just reach over and take it back. “No,” she said with a haughty lift of her chin. “Not until you promise you won’t call anyone on the island.”

  “I’m not going to negotiate with you for my phone. Hand it over.” He paused to level his gaze. “Now.”

  The heat in his eyes, the commanding tone of his voice when he spoke that one word—that was all it took. Her knees threatened to go weak, and the flicker of something she’d tried desperately to ignore ignited and threatened to burn her completely.

  She said the one thing she could. “No.”

  “Did you just tell me no?” He kept his gaze leveled at her.

  Uncertainty wound around her, but she refused to let it win. More determined than ever, she replied, “Yes.”

  “Tell me why.”

  What?

  He tried again. “Did you tell me no in order to get a response out of me or to see what I’d do?”

  She felt her cheeks heat and her eyes drifted to the floor.

  “Look at me and answer.”

  For a second, she thought about telling him to go straight to hell, but instead sighed deeply, lifted her face, and whispered, “Maybe a little of both.”

  Chapter 15

  Terrence

  The entire exchange reminded him of his thoughts the first and only time they’d played. He’d had an inkling she’d be a fun submissive. Even though he’d later been shocked by her age, he often wished they’d had more time to explore the dynamic between them.

  But that was then. He could see the Ronnie of five years ago teasing and tempting him the way she currently was. What he couldn’t do was reconcile the behavior with the Ronnie of today. What sort of game was she playing? Or did she simply want to keep him from making a phone call?

  “Why?” Terrence asked.

  “Why what?”

  “Why were you interested in my reaction?”

  “It was your use of the word now.” She shivered as if remembering, and he swallowed his grin, not wanting her to see how her reaction affected him. “It was similar to a trigger, I guess. Back when I was in the lifestyle, whenever I played with a new Dom, I’d always test him to see what I could get away with. It’s something I wanted to find out up front.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because a Dom who lets me take control isn’t worth my time.”

  He was silent at her reply for a long moment, letting her words sink in and thinking back to the time they played. “I don’t remember you testing me.”

  She tilted her head and gave a knowing grin. “Don’t you?”

  Had he missed something in his remembrance of their time together? He shook his head.

  “We clearly defined the scene before we started, remember?” she asked.

  “Princess,” he said, allowing himself to flash her a smirk. “Since finding you on the island, I remember that scene damn near every day.”

  She surprised him by not reacting to him. “And in the negotiation of that scene, there was one item I took off the table.” She lifted an eyebrow.

  Was she testing him? Seeing if he actually did remember?

  Like he could ever forget.

  “Yes,” he said. “You said no sex.”

  “Right.” She nodded. “And during the middle of the scene, I changed my mind.”

  “That was you topping from the bottom as a test? I’m crushed.” He pressed his hand to his chest in mock outrage. “And all these years I’ve been thinking it was as a result of my superior domination skills and dashingly good looks. Now you tell me it was only a test?”

  That actually got a chuckle out of her. “Yes, and you passed. You proved you didn’t let your dick make decisions for you. You realized the middle of a scene wasn’t the time to redraw the already-agreed-upon lines. That doing so would not be in the best interest of either of us.”

  Because in his mind that night was the first of many, and that meant they had plenty of time for sex. “Had I known next time would have never happened, it’s possible I’d have acted differently.”

  “Really?” She asked in disbelief.

  “Nah, you’re right,” he admitted. “I probably would have done the same thing.” He hesitated for a second before adding. “Which I have to say, looking back, was probably the best for everyone involved.”

  She moved to get up. “I know. Heaven forbid you have sex with a nineteen-year-old, perfectly able to give consent.”

  He blocked her departure with his arm. “You have to admit there’s something questionable about a man in his midthirties sleeping with a nineteen-year-old. No matter how much consent she gave.”

  “The age difference is still here between us,” she said, as if he needed her to remind him of such things. “It doesn’t change just because we grow older.”

  “True,” he said. “The difference between our ages will always be constant. However, there’s a difference between the maturity level of a nineteen-year-old and that of a twenty-four-year-old woman.”

  She didn’t move to walk away, but she didn’t sit down, either. She crossed her arms. “In your mind, a nineteen-year-old shouldn’t be into kink?”

  “Now you’re putting words in my mouth. I agree a nineteen-year-old is able to give consent and be into kink. I’m saying, for me, I’m not comfortable exploring those things with a nineteen-year-old.” He paused for a second and gave her a knowing smile. “You’re doing it again, aren’t you?”

  “Doing what?”

  “Attempting to be in control of the situation. This time by steering the conversation to where you want it to go.” When she didn’t argue or say anything in return, he smiled in victory. “It appears I was correct.”

  Her cheeks heated, and she tried to turn her face away from him, but he was having none of that. On high alert and ready for her to yell red at any minute, he gently cupped her chin and turned her face back toward him, but instead of looking at him, her eyes were downcast. And his voice, when he spoke, was anything but gentle. Even to his own ears it sounded rough and coarse. “Look at me.”

  She did. He almost praised her, but changed his mind at the last second. He was both walking on thin ice and toeing the line at the same time. He had to proceed not only with caution but also slower than he’d probably ever moved before in his life. If he managed to pull it off though, he was willing to bet the end result would be worth everything.

  She could try to deny her wants and needs as loud and as vocal as possible, but when she was in a position the way she was currently, with nowhere to look except straight at the truth, there was no denying her submissive nature or the resulting desires.

  “There now,” he said in a softer tone. “That’s better.”

  Surprisingly, she didn’t attempt to free herself from his hold, nor did she demand he release her. Her eyes shone with an acceptance and desire he hadn’t seen in her expression before. Feeling more confident he was on the right path, he continued, still moving slowly. “Let me try to figure out what topic you were trying to steer the conversation away from.”

  She opened her mouth to speak, but he placed a finger over her lips. “Shh. This is not the time for you to be talking.”

  He’d expected her to push back and test any Dom she played with, even for her admission moments prior. What he did not expect was for her to suck his finger inside her mouth. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from moaning and forced himself to pull it out.

  “More distraction techniques?” he asked, surprised with how even his voice sounded. “It must be a topic you really don’t want to discuss with me.” He hummed. “Now what were we discussing?”

  Ronnie remained silent.

  “I had asked why you told me no, and from there the conversation turned to how you tested Doms. A topic you knew I’d find interesting.” He paused. “But before that, tell me why you didn’t want to talk about your reaction to my command?”

  Chapter 16

  Veronica

  Veronica didn’t know how to reply to the question Terrence asked. How could she answer him if she didn’t know the answer herself? She’d given the only reply that made sense in her head. She both wanted to see what he’d do and to find out if it was possible for her to push his buttons.

  She assumed she had pushed them since he no longer appeared interested in his phone. And frankly, that only seemed fair since he’d pushed damn near every button she had when he told her to give him his phone and then added that now the way he had.

  Just replaying the word in her head was enough to make her shiver.

  It brought back to mind the heady emotions of being under someone’s control. Although not just anyone’s, but a Dom who knew what he was doing and wouldn’t let her get away with shit. Because she’d sure as hell try.

  But she didn’t admit any of that to Terrence because most of it was secondary to the real reason she didn’t want to dive too deeply into how his command made her feel.

  “I can’t,” she managed to get out in a whispered response to his question. “I’m afraid if I admit it, acknowledge it, everything will change.”

  His voice was lower, but still held the tone that made her all warm inside. “And by everything, you mean you’ll no longer be able to claim you’re not a submissive or to be convincing when you say it was just some phase you went through years ago?”

  He’d never bought into her declaration that she had no interest in submission or that their night together was only a bit of exploration on her part. She could admit to herself now that of course he hadn’t believed it because it wasn’t true. The question was would she admit it to him?

  The hold on her chin tightened. “The truth, princess,” he growled, and any thoughts she had of being less than honest disappeared.

  “Yes. You’re correct,” she said.

  But he wasn’t about to let her get away that easily. “Say it. I want to hear you speak the words.”

  Part of her wanted to dislike the easy way he commanded her, his manner appearing to imply there was no possible way she wouldn’t do what he asked. But that didn’t make sense at all, did it? Not when she’d just admitted how much she liked it when a Dom wouldn’t let her get away with anything.

  The truth of her current situation struck her at once.

  He was a Dom. He was commanding her. Commanding her as a submissive.

  And it was better than any fantasy she’d come up with on her own over the past several years. The sad part being he hadn’t done anything other than talk.

  Yet with those few words, he’d managed to break down the wall she’d been hiding behind for years. The wall that let her say she had no interest in kink, and because she was alone behind the wall, no one could say otherwise.

  No one except the man she’d known, be it ever so briefly, before she’d built the wall. The one she’d let her guard down for. And in letting her guard down for a few hours, years ago, she’d ensured he would always know the truth no matter how adamantly she attempted to say otherwise.

  Something else struck her at that moment.

  She wanted him.

  Whether it was for a day or a night or even just a few hours, she wanted to experience the freedom she’d once found in yielding to him.

  They weren’t the words he’d been expecting when he insisted she tell him what she’d meant earlier, but they were the ones she wanted him to hear.

  “I don’t want to pretend anymore.” Veronica kept her gaze fixed on his. “Especially with you.”

  His expression registered the shock she’d expected, though his voice was just as commanding. “What are you saying, princess?”

  She brought her hand up and placed it on the one he still rested on her cheek. “I don’t want to pretend I’m anything other than a submissive. I want to feel what it’s like to allow myself to be that again. To experience it again. And I want to do it with you.” She stopped, waiting to see if he’d say anything, but he didn’t, so she continued. “You know who I am, where I come from, and you won’t judge me for any of it.”

  His eyes searched hers. “No one you’re with should judge you for anything,” he said. “I don’t care if it’s a Dominant or the most vanilla guy on the planet. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  He frowned. “Yes, what?”

  Fuck, what that growl did to her insides, resulting in her words coming out in a breathless whisper. “Yes, Sir.”

  “Better.” His expression revealed nothing, but at least his frown was gone. “Now I’m not sure if it’s a pride thing or something completely different, but I don’t want my lack of judgment to be the only reason, or even the main reason, you want to be with me.”

  She swallowed. Once again faced with the knowledge that he wouldn’t allow her to get away with anything or to avoid difficult conversations and hard questions. “It’s not. It’s more than that.” She sighed. “You, more than any other man I’ve been with, Dom or not, have the ability to see through all the bullshit I try to get away with and make me admit the truth. And it turns me on.”

  He dropped his hand from her face and sat back in his chair, putting space between them. A space seemingly much colder and more expansive than before. “That’s good to know,” he said. “But you have been very vocal and exceedingly clear since we both found ourselves on the academy grounds for the summer that you want nothing to do with me. Are you certain you really want to pursue anything with me? I don’t want to be something you regret.”

  “I believe, Sir”—she lowered her head a bit and peered at him from below her lashes—“I’ll only regret what I don’t do with you.”

  Chapter 17

  Terrence

  Terrence sat in the silence of her answer, absorbing it and allowing anticipation to fill every cell in his body. Ronnie was finally going to be his. Even if it only lasted the night, he told himself that was fine. He’d wanted her when she was nineteen and felt like a pervy old man every time she came to his mind after that.

  To see her on the island as a fully matured woman brought all the old feelings back. Except this time there was no reason to let their ages get in the way. Ronnie had been the only roadblock, and now she wasn’t.

  Fuck, there were so many things he wanted to do with her and to explore with her. What if all they had was this night in this cabin?

  He stood and held his hand out to her, pulling her up to his side once she took it. Without saying a word, he did one of the things he’d been wanting to do since seeing her in the office. He put his arms around her and drew her close, pressing his lips against hers in a kiss, letting her know he was on board with whatever she wanted.

  He forced himself to end the kiss and take a step back. “We’re a bit limited tonight because we haven’t exchanged checklists. Not that it’d make much difference if we had, seeing as how I don’t have my toy bag with me. I think we can still have a good time. Do you have any questions?”

  “Do you have a condom?”

  He couldn’t stop himself from asking, “Does this mean you’re putting sex on the table?”

  Mischief danced in her eyes. “Forgive me for pointing out the obvious, Sir, but I don’t think that table is big enough or sturdy enough for us to have sex on.” She pressed a hand down on top of the wooden surface beside her.

  Her reply was so unexpected, he let out a short bark of laughter. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “I know.” She smiled and appeared, at least to him, to be more relaxed than normal. “But you mentioned a table, and I couldn’t help but look at that one, and in my brain I said, oh shit, that will never work.”

  “Have no fear,” he said. “The table plays no part in my plan for tonight.”

  “Thank goodness. I haven’t met Lennox yet. I’d hate for our first conversation to be about how I broke his furniture.” She flashed him a smile. “First question?”

  “Yes, I have condoms.”

  “Then my response to your question, since you do have condoms, definite yes to sex.”

  He nodded, grateful for the fact he always carried condoms in his wallet. “Excellent. Now to ensure we both have the same definition of sex, do you object to sucking my cock?”

  “No, Sir.”

  “Tell me in a complete sentence.”

  “No, Sir,” she replied, her voice husky while her eyes grew dark with desire. “I do not object to sucking your cock.”

  “Do you consent having your pussy fucked by my fingers, tongue, cock, or any combination of the three?”