Read Firebird for Free Online Page B

okay,” he said. “All I’m asking you to do is talk. If you’d like, we can talk somewhere else, a restaurant or something.”
    She shook her head and swallowed hard. “No, I couldn’t… No.”
    “Tell me why you’re so upset.”
    She looked at him in disbelief, as if the answer should be obvious.
    “Because…because…this is just…”
    “Just what?”
    “You knew.” Her gaze accused him. “You knew it was me all along.”
    “No I didn’t, not for sure. I suspected when you suggested this place. But I didn’t really know. I could have asked, I suppose.”
    “Why didn’t you?”
    “Because if it was you, I didn’t want to scare you off. Would you have come if you knew I was George?”
    “Hell no! Never. This is horrible. I actually think I’m going to die.”
    “Why, because now I know you’re kinky? I knew all along.”
    Her mouth fell open in indignation. “You did not.”
    “I did too.” He’d hoped she was, anyway, so it wasn’t a total lie.
    “Well, it doesn’t matter, Jackson. This is just—I can’t—with you—”
    “Oh, I’m quite certain you can.” He leaned closer so his lips almost brushed against her ear. “This must be something you want very much to resort to meeting a stranger through an ad.”
    “I never should have done it,” she said, shifting away from him. “I knew it was a mistake.”
    He restrained himself from touching the curls that rested on the delicate curve of her shoulder and ended just above the top button of her coat. He looked her over, checking for signs of availability and arousal. Her legs were still clamped shut, but her eyes were bright and feverish. Her chest rose and fell. Fear or excitement? He wondered if her nipples were hard. He wondered how well she would tolerate it if he tried to lead her further down the road she’d already chosen to take.
    He had to try. He was quite capable of doing a scene that would have her all wrung out without touching her once. He could win her with words, and if his instincts were right, he could be touching her, really touching her, within the hour.
    “Okay, Prosper. I’m going to speak frankly to you. First of all, I’m not embarrassed. Nor do I think this little encounter needs to change anything at all between us at the Townsend. I have no more or no less respect for you. Do you understand that, to begin with? Just answer yes or no.”
    “Yes.”
    “In fact, I’d very much prefer that what has happened here remain a complete secret.”
    “I want that too,” she said with palpable relief.
    “Okay, good. Now we’ve gotten that out of the way. Let’s talk about what to do now. Obviously I’m a dominant male. You’re a submissive female, from what I gather. Yes?”
    She hesitated, then nodded.
    “And surely you realize it was your attributes I described when I wrote that ad.”
    She nodded again.
    “So it seems that’s where we are. If fortune smiles, perhaps you found yourself, during rehearsals and class, attracted to me too?”
    Her answering nod was slow to come and subtle, but the blush gave everything away.
    “So the embarrassment, Prosper,” he said. “Unnecessary. To me, this feels a lot more like good luck. Serendipity.” He leaned an arm on either side of her head and pressed his front to her. “Relief.”
    She took a deep, shuddering breath just before his lips closed over hers. He marveled at the way she both melted to him and held herself away. Poor confused little submissive. He knew what to do with girls who needed guidance. He pulled back and stroked her cheek. “I know you’re afraid. That’s clear. But I think you’re only afraid of the unknown. Are you inexperienced? You’ve never done this before?”
    “Done what?”
    “Exchanged power. Been someone’s sub.”
    “Yes, I…I had a dom. A boyfriend—” She waved her hand and grimaced.
    “Didn’t end well?”
    She shook her head. “It didn’t go very well from the beginning.”
    “Didn’t know what he was