Read A Shot in the Dark for Free Online

ethereal against the black cloth. It wasn’t too intimidating in size, though it had been a while since she’d used one. Closing the drawer, she went to the next and found a glass dildo. The blue and green cascading swirls could have belonged in an art show, not trapped in something that would hide them from sight.
    “See something you like?”
    Paige jumped when she realized Carter had shut the door and finally joined her in the room. “Yes.”
    “Show me.”
    She held it up without hesitation, her body relaxing as she let the power of his command wash over her. Carter walked over, reached out and held her wrist. It would have been easy enough to pull away from his grip, but surprisingly she didn’t even have the urge. Instead, she found herself watching as he pulled her hand in to better examine the dildo.
    “This could be fun.” He fingered the smooth surface. “I approve.”
    The air in her lungs grew heavy and it was suddenly hard to swallow. “Rules.”
    If her sudden change in conversation bothered him, Carter didn’t show it. “Tell me.”
    Shifting her gaze to his hand once more, Paige tried to remember all the feelings that had exploded inside her years earlier. She didn’t need the same things now that she had back then. Her emotions ran deeper than they had when she was twenty-five and discovering these things about herself.
    “No scat, golden showers, blood or breath play. Orgasm denial is fine. Pain is fine. I prefer to be bound, blindfolds are fine, but gags are hard for me. If there is sex, condoms are a must.”
    He nodded. “Any limitations on toys?”
    “No.”
    “I expect to be referred to as Sir while we’re in this room.”
    Paige sighed, unanticipated relief flowing free. “Yes, Sir.”
    “Safe word?”
    “Let’s stick with basics, Sir. Red stop, yellow slow.”
    Another nod. “I want you to get on your knees in the middle of the room.”
    Paige had to let the breath she’d been holding go before she could move. Her steps grew even more uncertain as she moved to the place he’d indicated. The rational part of her brain couldn’t believe she was doing this. She knew nothing about the man. They were only supposed to be here for coffee, not bondage.
    Bullshit.
    It was hard to still her body and fight off the urge to squirm as she lowered herself to her knees. Not sure what to do with her hands, Paige laced them behind her back and did her best to clear her head.
    Minutes silently ticked off and she knew Carter was letting her mind do its thing. He was far quieter than Rick ever was. While Rick would boss and yell from the moment they started a scene, Carter hardly twitched. It made Paige nervous, anxious and excited all at once.
    Carter finally moved to stand behind her, depriving Paige of even her cursory glances. When he finally spoke, his voice seemed to seep beneath her skin, calming her.
    “I think it’s time we got to know each other a bit.”
    The impulse to respond nearly won over her common sense. She wasn’t being asked to become an active participant in the conversation. Not yet.
    “I have a bit of a confession to make. The reason we came into the store the other night was because I’d seen you before.”
    Paige sucked a breath in and squeezed her fingers together hard to keep from moving.
    “It was after a call we had down the street last month. At Wilson’s Jewelers. I’d come out of the back, stinking of smoke and plastic, wet from head to toe, looked up and you were there. You went back into the coffee shop shortly after that.”
    She remembered watching the aftermath of the small fire, finding the scurrying of the firefighters almost hypnotic. After a few moments, she’d lost interest and went back inside where business had picked up as a result of the extra pedestrian traffic.
    “I’d figured you might’ve been a customer and that I’d have to ask around before I’d figure out who you were. Imagine my surprise when I showed up at the shop and there