Gareth scooped me up and carried me over to the couch. My legs were pushed back and his head was between my legs before my brain had time to register it. A hand was wrapped around the chain between my breasts and he tugged as he licked me. He never gave me time to mentally catch up to what he did to my body. It was fucking great. My pussy was soaked from a combination of his saliva and my juices as he sucked my clit. I had no choice but to come. The throbbing pain from my nipples only served to add to the sensation, the overwhelming rush that exploded from me, obliterating everything that lay in its path. For a few blessed moments, I wasn’t Liz. There was nothing but the sensation or heat, pleasure and pain reducing me to my base elements. It always took me a while to mentally reassemble myself after Master Gareth took me apart. He never once rushed me, knowing that coming down in my own way had become a part of my process, moving from my sub headspace to my Liz headspace. I didn’t move when I felt him get up from the couch. Couldn’t bother to open my eyes when I heard him zip up his pants and gather the blanket from the floor. The soft warmth was a welcome feeling after our session and I had to fight the urge to burrow into it and drift off to sleep. “Let me get those clamps off you.” Yeah, I whimpered. No matter how many times he used those damn things on me, getting them off sucked. Maybe I’m more sensitive there than some subs. I’m not sure. I just hope I’ll get used to the sensation soon. Oh, but he did use his mouth to soothe me when he took off first one, then the other. There were perks to the pain. The aftercare was wonderful. “Are you warm enough?” He pushed my hair from my face. I really should open my eyes, but I had something I wanted to ask him and I knew I wouldn’t be able to if I had to look him in the eye. “I’m good.” “Liz?” “Don’t you want to have sex with me?” Somehow asking that simple question hurt more than the flogging. I really didn’t want to consider why. “I believe we both had orgasms.” I did open my eyes at that. Was he purposely being obtuse, or just trying to get me going? “That’s not sex. Not the kind I’m talking about.” Gareth sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was a sexy nose. I wished I had the energy to kiss it. “Liz, we’ve talked about this. I’m not ready for a relationship. Not yet.” Now, I know I’m still new to the whole Dom and sub thing. I know that doing a scene isn’t the same as having a romantic relationship. Connie and Stephen know lots of people who are professional Doms who never once sleep with their subs. But what we share isn’t that. We’ve done coffee. Gone to movies. Hell, I’ve been known to chat with him on the phone just to shoot the shit or bitch about how one of my coworkers is an idiot. That’s a bit more than a professional relationship. I really want him to fuck me. I want him to find the courage to take the next step with me. I really don’t want to be alone anymore. But I’m not willing to push him. I don’t want to risk being that girl who becomes so needy that the man is forced to flee to Mexico and hang out on the beaches, half drunk on tequila. I know we’ve only known each other for a few months, but there is this connection between us that I can feel whenever we’re together. I’m not willing to accept he doesn’t feel it too. Not without a fight. Until he’s ready, I’ll wait. So I nodded and did my best to keep my disappointment off my face. “Are you still marking exams?” For a man who prided himself on his control, his face was an open book when he wasn’t in Dom mode. His relief was apparent. “Only a few more essays to go then I get to relax for a bit.” “Maybe we can do a movie then. There are actually a few good ones I’ve been itching to see.” He smiled at me then and I’m pretty damn certain if I’d been able to have a