"I know this might surprise you," Riley started, "but I wasn't always thissmooth."
I couldn't see his face but the slight distraction in his voice, the extended pauses between words told me he was busy with the task at hand. The one on my lower back. "If you tell me the dungeon rounded off your rough edges, I will laugh.Loudly."
"Like I said, I wasn't always this smooth. I used to have obnoxious pickup lines I'd lifted fromMaxim. I sent cosmos and appletinis to women at bars. I kept flavored condoms in my wallet." He shifted, reaching for another marker. "One day, I met a woman in a deli. I dropped an obnoxious pickup line, and she laughedatme."
"Oh, you poor baby," Imurmured.
Riley hummed in agreement. "She said she could tighten up my game and whip me into shape," he continued. "Turns out, she was a Domme and whipping actually meant whipping." He capped one marker, tossed it to the quilt, and then snagged another. "Now, I'm not going to bore you with the details because it was a lot of kneeling and boot-licking, and getting my ass beaten. But I learned a lot from the experience. I learned what I like and what I don't, and how to ask for those thingsopenly."
"I'm deeply appreciative of all that you learned while you were with her,"Isaid.
"It wasn't a relationship, though. I was never 'with' her," Riley said. "Mila and I, we were not dating. I was just another one of herslaves."
"Hmm." There was nothing strictly sensual about this, but the smooth drag of the tip was both electrifying and hypnotic. I was keyed up and aware of his every touch, breath, movement. But I was also floating along, relaxed to the point of drowsiness. "How long did that last? I can't imagine you enjoying the slaveroutine."
Riley shifted, moving to the other side of the bed, and turned his attention to my shoulder. "It was about three months," he replied. "There were a few things I didn't enjoy, but I couldn't handle all the rules." He laughed as he gathered my hair. "Sweet tiny Jesus. The rules and restrictions, and the planning. It was more of a process than anything else. Like, an oilchange."
"Does that mean you don'tmissit?"
Minutes passed before he responded, and in that time, I worried that the answer was yes. He missed it all. He wanted the boot-licking and the ass-whipping, and he was hoping I wanted thosethings,too.
"No, I don't miss it. I can see how some folks really enjoy it, but it wasn't my scene." He capped the marker and tossed it aside, then wrapped my hair around his hand. "This is the sexiest honeycomb I've ever seen," he murmured, leaning back on his haunches. "Don't move. I want some pictures of you justlikethis."
I shivered with those words and the rapid clicks of the camera. It was like someone was seeing me for the first time. Not my brother or my parents, my profession, my mistakes...me. Every photo was a reminder that he wanted to keep some piece offmetoo.
"You have a honeycomb and a honeybee," Riley said, trailing his finger over my back and shoulder, "and if I come all over you right now, it's definitely your fault." He gripped my ass, squeezing and separating my cheeks as he growled. "Can I haveyouhere?"
I choked back a laugh-moan as he pressed his cock to my crease. "I've seen what happens when that doesn't go as planned," I said. "You forget what I doallday."
"I'll make it good for you," Riley promised. "I'll make everything good foryou,Aly."
"I know you will," Ireplied.
And I knew hewould.
ChapterTwenty-Two
Riley
Alex:Well, ithappened.
Alex:I started rambling about Henry Bates and his journey through the Amazon during surgerytoday.
Riley:That movie wasfuckingepic.
Alex:Sofuckingepic.
Riley:We should go back to the Museum of Science and see itagain.
Alex:I don't know that I can go again. I was in surgery for 6 hours today. My residents heard a lot about the Amazon. They'd revolt if they had to hearmuchmore.
Riley:I can't do anything for 6 hours straight. I don't know how you do that. I'd nevermakeit.
Alex:I'm sure there's something you can do for 6hours.
Riley:Nice, Alexandra. Nice. Way to make it allaboutsex.
Alex:I was not referringtosex!
