Page 146 of Reign

He looks pleased by the answer. “Good, princesa. I think you’ll enjoy it more.”

My stomach flips.

“Today, we’re going to work with one of your yeses.” His gaze moves slowly over my face. “Praise.”

Oh.

That one word lands more intimately than it has any right to.

Praise sounded harmless when I checked the box. Nice words. Compliments. Something easy compared to bondage or impact play or every curious answer that nearly killed me from embarrassment.

But Luciano has already called me talented, beautiful, gorgeous, good.

Every single one lodged somewhere beneath my ribs and refused to leave.

And now he plans to do it deliberately.

“Would you like that, princesa?”

“Yes.”

The answer comes too quickly.

“Good. Then we’ll start there.”

He stands and walks over to the bed without another word. I watch as he reaches beneath it and pulls out a thick, padded black thigh strap with a curved, ridged vibrator attached.

Oh.

So the posture lessons really were temporary.

Heat gathers low in my stomach as he brings it back and settles into the armchair, securing the strap against his thigh with calm efficiency. The way his long fingers work the buckles should not be that attractive.

It is.

“This is a thigh strap vibrator,” he says, voice low and instructional. “It stays right here. You’re going to straddle my thigh and ride it. I’ll control the intensity. You’ll listen to my voice, give me your color when I ask, and tell me what feels good.”

My mouth goes dry.

He reaches for the small bottle on the side table and slowly coats the curved head of the toy. The slick sound sends a pulse of anticipation through me, and I shift on my knees.

“Stand up, Elena.”

I rise immediately. All I can focus on is the thick muscle of his thigh and the toy waiting against it.

“Color?” he asks, his eyes dark and satisfied.

“Green.” I smile despite myself. “Very green.”

His hand grips my hip and pulls me closer.

His gaze drops to my underwear. “Let’s leave these on.”

I glance down. “Seriously?”

“I like them.”

That makes arguing significantly harder, which is annoying. “Fine.”