Cai had a lot going on in his head, and while a part of me wished he’d only be here with me, in this moment, I knew that wasn’t something I could ask of him. We’d agreed to sex, and that was somewhere I could ask for his full attention, but anything else was extra.

Besides, I would’ve been lying if I’d said other things weren’t catching my eye. When I’d come before, I hadn’t been prepared for it. Tonight, however, I saw things through different eyes. I looked past the clothes and looked for the people. I began to categorize them as Doms and subs, mentally filing away things like collars and leashes; if they walked side-by-side or one trailed behind. I knew that not everyone fit into nice little boxes, but these lists and commonalities – finding patterns – helped me understand, and that was ultimately what I wanted to do.

“What are you thinking?”

Cai’s voice barely carried over the music, and I took a step closer to him before answering, “I’m finding the patterns.”

He nodded, and I could see in his eyes that he wasn’t trying to placate me. He understood exactly what I meant. His hands slid around my hips to my ass, and he pulled me tight against him.

“Would you like to check out one of the rooms?”

Like I’d ever turn down sex with Cai. I nodded eagerly, placing my hand in his, and then following him over to a sign in sheet. We filled it out, checked the appropriate boxes and then headed to the closest empty room.

It wasn’t the same room we’d been in the last time, but I was glad to see that it wasn’t a chains and leather dungeon, but rather a tastefully decorated room. It wasn’t over-the-top lavish, but it wasn’t the sort of place that made me feel like I was in a cheap porn either. A bed and a few chairs were the only pieces of furniture, but the walls held a dozen different toys, some of which I recognized from Cai’s playroom. The color scheme was red and gold, and for a moment, my mind immediately thought of Harry Potter, making me laugh.

Cai gave me a sideways look. “Not exactly the response I’d been going for.”

“I couldn’t help it,” I admitted. “I saw the colors and thought ‘X-rated Gryffindor common room.’”

For a moment, he stared at me, and then he burst into laughter. He pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me in a tight embrace. I buried my face in his chest, and his scent surrounded me. He kissed the top of my head, and I thought that I could be happy right here, with him, this way.

“I have a confession to make,” he said as he released me. “I’ve always had a thing for Ginny Weasley.”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head, laughing along with him. “I’ll never be able to watch those movies the same way again.”

He raised my hand and brushed his mouth against my knuckles. “There’s something I want you to do for me, Little Red.”

The mood in the room shifted instantly.

“What is it?” I asked, my stomach clenching in anticipation.

“Have a seat.” He gestured to a simple wooden chair that sat at the foot of a double bed.

I sat on the edge, unsure of where he was going to take this.

“Are you wearing a bra?”

I flushed despite the fact he’d already seen me naked more than once. “No.”

“Panties?”

“Yes.”

“Pull down your top until your breasts are exposed.”

Somehow, the matter-of-fact way he gave the order made it that much hotter. He folded his arms across his chest and watched as I slipped the straps from my shoulders and tugged at the top until the neckline was under my breasts.

“Scoot back.” After I did, he gave another command. “Spread your legs as wide as is comfortable. Pull up the skirt if necessary.”

The dull thudding of the music from the other side of the door was nothing compared to my heart slamming into my ribs.

“I’m going to watch you masturbate,” he said, pulling another chair into the middle of the room. When it was directly opposite me, he sat, his posture laid-back, even if the vibe in the room was anything but. “Make yourself come for me, Little Red.”

Somehow, being exposed the way I was, with him fully dressed, made the Dom / sub dynamic of our relationship clearer than ever, and I found that I wasn’t simply curious about it. I liked it.

A lot.

I knew enough about this sort of thing to know that meeting Cai’s gaze wasn’t what a good sub would do, but I’d never agreed to be good.

When my eyes met his, he didn’t scold me. He didn’t say a word at all. He simply raised an eyebrow, as if he had nothing else to do but wait for me to obey.

I pulled my skirt higher, then dropped my hand between my legs. The crotch of my panties was wet, but that didn’t surprise me. Not being aroused when I was around Cai was unusual.

The first touch made me shiver. Despite having been a virgin until recently, I hadn’t been inhibited when it came to my sexuality. I’d tried different things, discovered the ways I could bring myself to climax quickly, as well as the things I could do to draw things out.

I pushed aside the damp fabric and traced my lips until Cai’s attention fell, and I knew he was ready to watch. One finger slipped between, gathered moisture, then teased the tip of my clit. A light tingle danced down my nerves, and I started with small circles, easing my body into what was to come.

A second finger joined the first, and I made a V shape, rubbing either side of my clit as it swelled and throbbed. I moved my hand lower, my palm pressing down as I slid my fingers inside me. The combination of sensations made me close my eyes, and I let my head fall back.

Faster and faster. More pressure, taking me almost to pain. Slick skin against skin. Up, down, around. Alternating motions to take me closer to release.

And all the while, I was aware of Cai watching me. He didn’t speak, but it wasn’t sound that told me he was still near. I felt him, the weight of his gaze, the heat, and the energy pulsing off him.

I wanted to come for myself, but I also wanted to do it for him. My orgasm was no longer for me alone.

My muscles tightened, and a spike of pain and pleasure shot through me. I pulled up my legs without even thinking about it, my body curling forward, as if I could contain an explosion by wrapping my body around me. Then I was there, limbs shaking, breath coming out in gasps.

As the ecstasy faded, my muscles unclenched, and I flopped back into the chair, uncaring that my legs were splayed wide, my breasts still exposed.

A strange rattling sound made me open my eyes a minute or so later. Cai had returned his chair to its place against the wall, and now he was pressing a button. I couldn’t figure out what he was doing until I followed his gaze up to the ceiling and watched a pair of chains descend. On the end of each one was a metal cuff.

I had a good idea what Cai wanted to do next.

Shit.

“Are you able to stand?” He broke the silence.

“Yes,” I said.

“Do it.”

I stood and resisted the impulse to adjust my clothes. Being a sub was an awful lot like playing the kids’ game ‘Simon Says.’ I’d do nothing until he told me.

No matter how uncomfortable my panties had become.

“Take off your panties.”

I did, grateful to be rid of them.

“Set them on the chair, and then walk over to the chains.”

He joined me a few seconds later, still completely dressed. I looked up at him as he reached out and pinched my nipple. He cupped my breasts, lightly squeezing before leaning down to take my nipple between his teeth. He tugged on it, then rubbed the tip of his tongue back and forth until I could no longer stand still. I clenched my hands into fists, shifting my weight from foot to foot.

When he straightened, the smug smile on his face told me that he’d intentionally pushed me until I had to squirm. I swallowed a smart comment, more eager to move on than I was to get into a debate. He took one hand, lifting my arm until he could latch the cuff around my wrist. Some sort of material covered the inside of it, offering some padding. Still, if he wanted to, he could make me hurt.

I trusted him, though, and said nothing as he latched the remaining cuff around my other wrist. My arms were up, but not stretched too tightly. I twisted my wrists to get a feel for the restraints but didn’t try to get free.

The sound of a zipper drew my attention back to him. He still wore all his clothes, but now, his erection was free, curving up toward his stomach. He stroked it a couple times, then put his hands on my hips. He lifted me, and I pulled on the chains to balance.

“Wrap your legs around my waist,” he said.

I did, his cock rubbing against me as he worked to line us up. Then he was there, sliding inside me like two pieces of a puzzle coming together. His hands locked together at the small of my back, holding me flush against his body. My torso, however, had no extra support unless I used my arms. And with him thick and pulsing inside me, I could barely remember my name, much less how to maneuver with my arms like this.

Then his mouth covered my breast, the suction hard enough to make me gasp. His teeth scraped and nipped my flesh, leaving marks, but I didn’t care. Every sensation went straight to my core, mixing with the almost too-full feeling as he began to move.

I had an odd sense of weightlessness as he controlled every movement. He drove his hips up as he used his arms to pull me down, pushing him deeper than he’d ever been before. My legs were locked around his waist, but I had no illusions about who was in charge here. His mouth moved across my skin, but he didn’t miss a single stroke.

This time, he came first, fingers digging into my hips as he ground me down against him, giving me that last little bit of pressure I needed to follow. Even as he emptied himself inside me, I didn’t think for a moment that he would let me go. With him, I was always safe.

And I didn’t want to lose that.

One day I would, I knew, and all I could do was choose to enjoy the time I had. Which meant I had to focus on the here and now. The future would take care of itself.