“Yes.”
“Oxygen staged?”
“In the cabinet by the door.”
“Towels and robe within reach of a non-slip path that was clear?”
“Yes.”
“Any sign of panic coming from him beyond agreed play?”
I shook my head. “No panic. It was all edge. Lots of willing edge. There was only one thing.”
“What?”
“He would never squeeze my wrist to let him up. Or tap the edge of the tub. It would freak me out. I always had to make sure he didn’t drown. I felt like he was just going to stay under the water until I decided to let him breathe.”
“Okay.” She nodded and lowered her voice. “That means that he hastrulysurrendered to you. Which means that from now on. . .when you two play. . .you cannot trust him to be safe for himself.”
I blinked. “What?”
Hiroko’s gaze stayed locked on mine. “When a submissive is deep in subspace—especially someone like him—they lose the instinct to self-preserve in the scene. Their body might be screaming for air, but their mind says, ‘Stay. This is my Queen. I will die for her.’”
My body stiffened.
“That’s why you never let your ego get in the way. You must be the one watching every variable, because the Dragon will not tap out. Not when you’ve taken him there.”
The hum in my veins deepened. “That’s. . .a lot of responsibility.”
“That’s why not everyone cantopsafely. The power isn’t the cuffs or the commands. It’s knowing you’re holding their life in your hands and choosing to protect it while you play with it.”
Protect and play.
The words vibrated in my bones.
“Domspace feels good,” Hiroko went on, “but don’t get drunk on it. That rush you’re feeling—the high, the heat, the tremor—that’s not just sexual. That’s chemical. Your brain is lit up on adrenaline, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins. And thehigher you are, the sharper you need to think. You must push through the euphoria.”
I swallowed hard. “So I can’t just. . .float with it?”
“You can enjoy it, youshould. But you have to ride and steer it at the same time. Because when you’re this deep into someone’s psyche, you’re also deep into their safety. One wrong call? Scene over. . .or worse.”
A shiver slid down my spine, half fear, half desire. “And he’s really. . .safe?”
Her mouth curved. “You tell me. Color?”
“Good.”
“Breathing?”
“Steady between dunks. Spiked when I tease him.”
“Consciousness?”
“Very.”
“Was he able to speak full sentences?”
“He threatened me with his cock when I was leaving just now.”
