“Juliet,” he murmured, the word a promise and a claim.
I trembled beneath his gaze, but the uncertainty of earlier weeks was gone. There was nothing left but raw, urgent want. “I’m ready,” I breathed, and it was as much a plea as a declaration.
“Turn around, mate.”
My breath caught as his fingers grazed my back as he gently braided my hair. He expertly added an elastic to tie it off. He then reached around and loosened my robe and slid it from my shoulders.
“Exquisite.” His breath was on my neck.
Still standing at my back, he placed his rough hands on my shoulders. “I don’t know your limits, Little Wolf, so we will use the traffic light system. Green if everything is fine. Yellow if you’re feeling unsure but want to continue. Red is full stop. If you use the word red, I will stop what I’m doing and we will not go back to it. So, be sure you mean red and not yellow. Do you understand?”
I nodded.
Bronc swatted my rear, and not gently either. “Words, Juliet. Do you understand the traffic light system?”
“Yes.”
Another thing he continued. “You will address me as Alpha in this room. Do you understand?”
I could feel moisture growing between my legs. “Yes, Alpha.”
“Good Little Wolf.”
His praise made my stomach give a little flip.
“Look around this room. You can see there are several pieces of equipment that I will use on you, Juliet. If we go toward something that causes hesitation, use your colors.”
There was only one thing in this room I wanted to avoid. He had one of those cross things.
“May I speak, Alpha?”
He tipped my face to his and gently kissed my lips. “Yes, my love. You may speak.”
I pointed to the big X. “That. I don’t want to use that. I’d rather never see that. If you don’t mind. Alpha.”
He left my side and walked past me. I just noticed he was wearing only a pair of tattered jeans that sat low on his hips and nothing else. His broad muscular chest and arms covered in ink made me want to do unspeakable things to him. God that man.
He then took the X that had wheels, wheeled it into a large closet and closed the door. He came back to me and gave me another sweet kiss.
“You’ll never have to see that again.”
“Thank you, Alpha.”
As no-nonsense as ever, he continued.
“Let’s get started. Give me your hand, mate.”
He led me to a long padded bench with four lower areas that were also padded.
“Climb onto the spanking bench on your stomach, Juliet.” My knees and elbows settled on the lower padded areas. Bronc maneuvered me until my butt was just off the back edge. Then he secured my thighs and arms to the bench with leather straps.
“How does that feel, Little Wolf?”
“Green Alpha.”
I shivered with anticipation as his hand ran up my back.
I could feel the bruises forming on my wrists from where he’d tied me down to the bench, leather biting into my skin like a lover’s desperate grip. My heart was pounding like a war drum, my breath coming in shallow gasps as he stood behind me, his presence heavy and commanding.
