Her cheeks turned an even darker shade of red. Maverick could tell the difference in her blushes, and it wasn’t embarrassment driving this one. Nope. This was her aroused face.
“I’ve never been with someone I trusted enough to explore. I mean, not since you.”
Ever since discovering it was her father who’d dictated that letter, and Ella hadn’t been scared or hurt by their sexual experimentation, he’d been consumed with the thought of continuing it.
He hadn’t brought it up before now, because even the basic positions with Ella were fucking unbelievable. Like her, he hadn’t continued to explore his own kinkier desires, because trust was hard to establish with one-and-done lovers. Plus, after Ella, he’d been too reticent, unwilling to ever hurt someone the way he’d thought he had her.
“You still haven’t answered my question,” he pointed out.
Ella leaned closer to him, her voice so low and sultry, his dick thickened within seconds. “With you, I want everything.”
“In the book I’m reading right now…” he started. Ella knew the book, because she’d seen it. “The hero chases the heroine through the forest, captures and claims her as his own. We dipped our toes into that when we were younger, but I was wondering if role-playing a chase scene in the woods is something you’ve ever considered trying?”
Ella’s eyelids grew heavy as she looked around at their surroundings. It seemed as if this was the first time she truly realized the potential of their new home. Maverick had beat her to that realization days ago.
“I…” She turned to face him. “I’d like that. A lot.”
Maverick rose, taking her coffee cup from her, placing it on the deck next to his. When he offered his hand, she took it, and he noticed it was trembling slightly.
“Ella. We don’t have to?—”
“I’m not shaking because I’m scared. The truth is, I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited in my life,” she said, cutting him off.
Maverick realized in that moment he was the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet. Every word she said, perfect. “I swear to God, you were ripped straight from my dreams.”
Ella smiled in awe, just as she always did whenever he told her how much she meant to him.
“We’ll use a safe word,” he said. “If we’re going to do this, I want to do it right. Part of the fantasy is the idea of running and resisting, right?”
She nodded.
“So I want you to be able to say things like no and stop as much as you want, while knowing I won’t.”
Ella shivered. “Jesus, this is so hot,” she breathed.
He cupped her cheek, amused. “We haven’t even started yet.”
“I want to fight back,” she added. “I like when you spank me, when you put your hand…” She reached up, lightly wrapping her hand around his throat. “I guess you can tell from the books that I like sex with a rough, slightly scary edge.”
Maverick’s cock thickened just thinking about it. The things she’d described in the book he was reading…the idea of capturing her, bending her to his will…it spoke to a part of him he hadn’t let himself acknowledge in well over a decade.
“If it goes too far or if you change your mind, all you have to say…” He paused, trying to think of a word.
Ella supplied it. “Firefly,” she suggested. “I’ll say Firefly.”
“That works.” Maverick gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then pointed toward the woods surrounding the cabin. “I’ll give you a sixty-second head start. Make sure you keep going in that direction because the other way will lead you toward the winery and the road. Might be awkward if my family catches us.”
Ella’s expression told him that was an understatement. “I’ll be careful.”
Maverick ran the back of his fingers along her cheek. “You’re really sure?”
She nodded.
“Good. Because the next time you see me,” he gave her an affable, playful grin, “I’m not going to be this guy.”
Ella’s eyebrows wiggled suggestively. “That’s what I’m hoping.”
He laughed, then swatted her ass, the action reminding both of them of the light bit of spanking they’d indulged in last night.
