Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
No…
If he knew, he wouldn’t be able to contain his rage right now. No way would he be able to.
The silence stretched between us as we both took sips of our coffee. Wondering what was going on, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.
We ordered our breakfast, and then Locke finally broke the silence. “I want to talk about the other night. When I spanked you for coming to my club.”
My face heated and I suddenly wished I could climb under the table and hide in embarrassment. Why for the love of god did he have to bring that up? I had hoped we would never discuss it again.
Locke leaned in closer to me, his eyes boring into mine. “I did that because I care about you, you know that.” His voice was low and husky, sending a shiver down my spine.
“I know,” I whispered, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks again.
“But I also did it because I wanted to make sure you never try to come back to The Vault. You’re better than that place. You’re not a heathen like the rest. You shouldn’t be part of everything… dark… that’s on the island.”
“You are,” I said, sipping my coffee. “Are you saying I’m better than you?”
“Yes. Most definitely.”
“You’ve always made The Vault sound so dark and depraved. It’s not. It’s just a club where people have sex. Sex isn’t bad, you know.”
He smirked. “No, far from bad. But still, I don’t want you part of that. I’ve always made a point to shield you from that part of my life. I’d like to keep it that way.”
“It’s part of you. A big part.”
“Yes,” he said with a nod.
“Well, the way I see it, anything that is that big a part of your life can’t be that bad.”
Locke grinned at me, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “Is that so? You think that just because it’s a big part of my life, it can’t be bad?”
I shrugged. “It’s just an observation.”
Locke leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. “Okay, let me ask you this. Would you ever go back to The Vault if I allowed it?”
I hesitated, unsure of how to answer. “I don’t know. I mean, I guess it would depend on if I’d have you and your partners watching my every move.” I gave him a smile. “My guess is you’d all attach a chastity belt on me the minute I walked through the door.” I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. “I don’t know, Locke. I mean, it’s not like I’m dying to go back or anything, but… I don’t know. There’s something about it that’s… exciting. Maybe a little adventurous.”
Locke’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Adventurous? In what way?”
I shrugged again, feeling suddenly self-conscious. “I don’t know. It’s just… different, you know? Like, I feel like I’m exploring a part of myself that I never even knew existed. And that’s kind of scary, but also… kind of amazing. There’s something enticing about the shadows that lurk there.”
Locke was silent for a moment, studying me carefully. Finally, he spoke. “Is that why you participated in The Hunt last night?” His expression changed instantly, his eyes narrowing and his jaw clenching.
He knew.
But of course he knew. How could he not?
I fidgeted in my seat, feeling exposed under his stare. I didn’t want to have this conversation, but I knew Locke well enough to know there was no getting out of it.
“I don’t know why I did it,” I confessed. “Curiosity, I suppose.”
“Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?”
“I know, I know,” I said, holding up my hands in surrender. “But I wanted to see what it was like. I wanted to experience it for myself.”
“And how was it?” he asked. “The experience?”
Before I could respond, our food arrived, and we both took a few bites, the tension between us still palpable. Finally, I spoke up, “It was intense.”
My pussy and ass were still sore from what happened to me last night, and yet… my body felt more alive than it ever had before.
Locke’s eyes darkened, and I could see the tension in his jaw. “Promise me you won’t do it again. I don’t want you to ever put that red light back on.”
I hesitated, feeling a twinge of rebellion rising within me. I didn’t want to be told what to do. I didn’t want to be… parented.
“I’m not a fragile little flower, Locke. I can handle myself. I know that may be hard for you to accept but—”
Locke cut me off, his voice hard and commanding. “I never said you were fragile. I won’t allow you to put yourself in danger like that again.”
I felt a surge of heat between my legs at his words. The possessiveness in his tone always did that to me.