“A little,” she admitted.
Tucker wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her tight against his frame. For a moment he reveled in the softness of her body. He breathed in the barely there scent of her perfumed skin and savored the gift she’d already given him. Most people forgot to savor every moment. Once upon a time he too had been guilty of that. No longer. Her arrival at his door offered him a taste of the trust he’d been eager to receive.
God, it’s been so long.
“Come inside and I’ll see what I can do about that.” He led her toward the small living room where he took a seat on the sofa and pulled her into his lap.
She squeaked in surprise.
“Relax, I only want to talk for a few minutes.” He brushed his thumb across the tender skin between her thumb and forefinger in a steady pattern. He needed to soothe and reassure as much as she needed to receive it. The significance of small touches was never lost on him. In fact, it was the little things that always made a scene stand out in his mind.
“There is nothing to fear. We won’t do anything that really frightens you,” he assured all while he continued to stroke her.
When her rigid muscles started to relax under his ministrations, he began. “Have you tried BDSM before? Maybe in your marriage?” He didn’t relish bringing up the subject of her past but he needed to know how much practical experience she had versus book knowledge. They were worlds apart in his eyes and with Maggie, he was determined to avoid any potential minefields. Or at least plow through them now, so he didn’t end up surprised by a sudden detonation mid scene later.
She shook her head. “Not at all. I—uh—” She bit her bottom lip.
Tucker leaned back on the couch and watched her reactions. She interlocked her fingers and held them in her lap, her eyes darted around the room looking anywhere but at him, and her foot began a barely noticeable tapping on the hardwood floors. There was definitely something she wasn’t telling him and from the looks of it she wasn’t eager to spill her secrets.
“The more I know before we get started the better the experience. Nothing would hurt me more than to do something that hurt you. I’d much rather spend my day giving you pleasure.” Even if the route to pleasure happened to be through some aspects of pain. He longed to experiment with different levels until he found her threshold.
“I—I— don’t think I would like spanking,” she blurted.
Interesting. “Because…” he prompted. Maybe if he dug deeper he could move her beyond her hesitation.
“Because it is not erotic to be treated like a child who has done something bad. And I don’t think reenacting that is romantic or sexy.”
Tucker nodded but filed that information away for further discussion. There was no need to rush and he certainly wasn’t going to belittle her feelings. “What about flogging? I’ve been told by many subs they find it almost therapeutic during a scene.” He rubbed his hand down her thighs and back up again. Her lush figure entranced him.
“No hitting.” She twisted in his arms to face him. “Believe me, I know how weird that sounds to someone into BDSM. And I understand if that’s a deal breaker for you. I’m very aware it’s one of the most popular activities practiced in the lifestyle and can only imagine how disappointing my limit must be.”
Her voice rose an octave and her spine straightened. He might not yet understand her objections but he certainly found her getting her back up about it quite arousing. Mentally he scratched off the rack of floggers and whips as appropriate implements for the day. He’d have to get more creative until he was ready to push her further.
“Anything else you don’t like?”
She shrugged. “I don’t think I’ll know until I try something.” To her horror, her voice cracked on the last part. She’d expected him to be canceling their plans by now. It had been easy to knock on the door knowing full well he’d reject her issues.
“I would bet that in your research, you’ve either read about or seen more than the average newbie. What turned you on?” He reached for the edge of her long skirt and hiked it up to her thighs.
Maggie tried to keep her thoughts on his question but he made it really difficult to concentrate when his fingers connected to the bare skin of her inner thighs. What would he think of her when he discovered she’d skipped underwear? “I’m fascinated by a woman tied up.” She felt the heat of a blush creep up the front of her neck. There was no reason a seasoned professor such as herself should be blushing like a ridiculous schoolgirl.