I arch a brow, utterly confused. What in the world is he planning? My mind races, trying to connect the dots, but all I’m getting is a big ol’ question mark.
He stretches his arms out in front of him, the ties dangling from his hands. His eyes meet mine, and just like that, the playful glint in his gaze turns a little darker, a little more dangerous.
“Tie me up.”
Heat floods through me. He’s got to be kidding. Right? The challenge in his voice tells me he’s completely serious.
My breath falters. “What?” My brain’s still trying to catch up with what the hell he just said.
His response is a slow, knowing curve of his lips that always makes my heart race and my thoughts scatter. It spreads across his face as he waits for me to figure it out. “You heard me,” he says, voice smooth as honey, but there’s an undeniable edge to it. He gives the ties another shake, that teasing gesture making the air between us thick with tension.
“Tie me up,” he repeats. “You’re in charge.”
In charge?The idea is both terrifying and thrilling. What the hell am I supposed to do with that? The look in his eyes tells me there’s no backing down. The ball’s in my court.
“You’re not serious,” I say blankly.
Callan, of course, doesn’t flinch. “Oh, I’m dead serious.”
The gleam in his eyes, that look of pure certainty, makes it clear that he’s all in.
I swallow hard, heart thudding a little too loudly. My hands tremble as I take the ties from him, my fingers brushing against his briefly. The silk is cool and smooth, a sharp contrast to the heat building.
“Okay…” I say, my voice a little shaky. I’m not entirely sure I’m ready for this, but damn it, I think I want to see where it goes.
Callan grins, that devil-may-care smile of his spreading as he pulls his shirt off with a single motion, the fabric gliding over his skin. Every one of his muscles flexes in the golden light as he stretches out on the pillows near the headboard. He’s comfortable in his own skin and completely at ease with whatever’s about to happen. It’s magnetic.
I find myself drawn to the way his body moves. Everyinch of it seems to scream control. Power. But right now, he’s laid back, offering all of himself. To me.
He’s being so open and trusting with me, and it’s affecting me in ways I didn’t expect. And, well…I see what he’s doing here.
With a deep breath, I move to straddle his waist, my knees sinking into the mattress. Callan watches me with those piercing blue eyes that track my every move as I slowly inch closer. My heart pounds so hard I swear he must be able to hear it as I lean forward, gently taking one of his wrists.
The tie slides through my fingers like water, smooth and cool as I thread it around his wrist. My hands are careful, a little unsure at first, but I keep going—once, twice around his wrist and the headboard, the soft rustle of fabric the only sound between us.
His pulse thrums beneath my touch, steady and unbothered, while mine’s thundering like it forgot how to behave.
“Not too tight?” I whisper, eyes glancing to his.
Callan watches me like I just handed him every dirty secret I’ve never said out loud. His pupils are blown wide, gaze dark and molten.
“It’s perfect,” he murmurs. “Looks like you know what you’re doing.”
I can’t help but smirk a little at that. “Maybe I do.”
I lean across him, my breasts brushing against his torso as I stretch to reach his other wrist. His breath hitches, and I feel a surge of confidence knowing I’m affecting him just as much as he’s affecting me. I take my time with the second tie, deliberately letting my fingers trail along the inside of his wrist before looping the fabric around it.
I sit back, letting my eyes trail over him. Every inch of his exposed skin pulls my attention, from the rise and fall of his chest to the way his abs tighten as he shifts beneath me.
He’s completely at my mercy, and I can’t help but appreciate howdelicioushe looks like this. I should probably savor this slowly, but knowing me, I’m about two seconds away from devouring it all.
“Is that okay?” I ask.
His lips curve into a smirk, eyes gleaming with an intensity that makes me physically ache to touch him. “More than okay,” he murmurs. “I’m all yours, Sunshine.”
His words send a surge of desire mixed with a thrill of power through me. My nerves melt away, replaced by a growing hunger and a desperate need to explore every inch of him.
I trail my fingertips down his smooth skin, tracing the lines of his muscles, relishing the way his breath hitches at my touch. I can’t resist leaning down to press a soft kiss just above his heart.
