Page 23

Thorne, Silas, and now Ronan had all pushed me to be more vocal and ask for what I wanted. It had felt impossible at the beginning of the night, but the way Ronan watched me patiently had the words slipping easily off my tongue.

“I want you to suspend me.”

His answering smile had warmth rushing under my skin. I really liked pleasing him.

“You’re so good at listening. Do you want to be a good girl for me and let me teach you more?”

My mouth went dry, then watered. “Yes, I want to be your good girl.”

His movements stuttered, and he closed his eyes, taking a long breath before opening them. Then he removed my dress completely. He palmed the back of my neck and tugged until I was unbalanced, arching like a bow into his palm. His mouth descended on my breast, sucking in the tender tip, while he kneaded the other one with his free hand.

“You have no idea what you look like right now.” He kissed me, fingers tightening on my neck before releasing me.

He clipped the strap to the silver ring and let the fabric hang down. “Get on your knees.”

I shivered, rotating myself on the bed so that I was positioned on my knees behind the strap. They seemed simple enough, but I didn’t trust myself to figure out how to get in them. My fingers curled, and I bit my bottom lip, unsure how to proceed.

“Come here.” He caught it with his thumb and gently freed it. “I want you to relax for me, Gwen. I’ll guide you through each step.”

His arms slid beneath me, and he easily slipped me into the straps, positioning me so that they were circling my middle.

With careful movements, Ronan adjusted a loose strap so that it lay flat high across my chest and just below my armpits. He adjusted the other around my waist, the edge brushing against my thigh.

A clicking noise from a crank came from above me, and I stiffened as the straps began to tighten, lifting me so that my fingertips barely grazed the leather cushion.

I swallowed hard, and hesitation crept in.

Ronan drew calming circles above the strap and lifted my chin so that he could see my face.

“You’re safe. I’m right here,” he said in a reassuring, steady tone. The kind that made you feel like you could trust them with anything.

My heart still pounded as the straps constricted my breath, but his voice became the safest place in the world.

The warmth of Ronan’s palm stroked from my neck down to the small of my back, up and down, repeating the soothing movements until my heart rate slowed, and I could inhale normally.

I swallowed hard and allowed his touch to soothe me. He waited patiently as I adjusted to being suspended. Finally, I relaxed completely and let the straps take all of my weight.

“That’s my girl. Breathe for me.”

I took another deep breath, and the smile he gave me sent tingles beneath my skin.

The clicking of the crank sounded again, but this time, it was excitement I felt, not fear. I wanted him to keep looking at me that way, like he took pleasure from everything I did.

Nobody had ever said I was good at anything that wasn’t useful to them.

But the way he looked at me washed it away until only he mattered. And he wanted me to be myself, ask for what I wanted, and accept the pleasure he offered without worrying about what others would think.

My knees and fingers could no longer touch the bed, and I began to sway slightly.

Ronan held my hip, bracing me as he pushed the stand I was hanging from several feet away. The narrow cot vanished from beneath me, and I hung in the air. I didn’t realize how comforting it was until it was gone. Suddenly, the suspension felt all the more real, like the bed had provided a false sense of security.

Without it, I felt completely exposed.

Ronan lowered himself so that his face was level with mine, then stroked my hair and tucked it behind my ear.

I leaned against his palm, nuzzling it, and basked in the contented sound he made.

“Nothing has ever looked better than you right now.” His fingers dug into my jaw, and he kissed me hard.