I undressed. My movements were slow and careful, because my pulse was already thrumming too quickly. I was practically panting, the anticipation painfully acute. I hung my clothes on a hanger in the small closet, then climbed gingerly onto the raised bed. I was holding the restraints in my hands, doubting and second-guessing myself, when Gideon walked in.

“You’re not lying down,” he said gently, closing and locking the door behind him.

I held up the restraints.

“Custom made, just for you.” He approached, his nimble fingers already freeing the buttons of his shirt. “Crimson is your color.”

Gideon undressed as slowly as I had, affording me the opportunity to appreciate every inch of skin he exposed. He knew the rippling of his muscles beneath the rough silk of his tanned flesh would be an aphrodisiac to me.

“Am I ready for this?” I asked softly.

His gaze stayed on my face as he removed his pants. When he stood in just his black boxer briefs, his cock a thick bulge in the front, he answered, “Never more than you can take, angel. I promise you that.”

Taking a deep breath, I lay back, setting the cuffs on my belly. He came to me, his face tight with lust. He settled on the bed beside me and lifted my hand to his mouth, kissing my wrist. “Your pulse is racing.”

I nodded, not knowing what to say.

He picked up the cuffs, deftly unhooking the strip of crimson silk that held the two suede wrist pieces together. “Being bound helps you surrender, but it doesn’t have to be literal. It just has to be enough to get you in the right headspace.”

My stomach quivered as he laid the strap across it. He set one cuff on his thigh and held up the other.

“Give me your wrist, angel.”

I extended my hand to him, my breathing quickening as he fastened the suede snugly. The feel of the primitive material against my fluttering pulse was surprisingly arousing.

“That’s not too tight, is it?” he asked.

“No.”

“You should feel the constriction enough to be constantly aware of it, but it shouldn’t hurt you.”

I swallowed. “It doesn’t hurt.”

“Good.” He bound my other wrist similarly, then straightened to admire his handwork. “Beautiful,” he murmured. “Reminds me of the red dress you wore the first time I had you. That was it for me, you know. You devastated me. There was no coming back from that.”

“Gideon.” My apprehension left me, chased away by the warmth of his love and desire. I was precious to him. He would never push me further than I could go.

“Reach up and grip the sides of the pillow,” he ordered.

I did, and the tightening of my wrists made me even more aware of the cuffs. I felt bound. Captured.

“Feel it?” he asked, and I understood.

I loved him so much in that moment it hurt. “Yes.”

“I’m going to tell you to close your eyes,” he went on, standing and taking off the final bit of clothing he wore. He was heavily aroused, his thick cock bobbing under its own weight, the wide crown shiny with pre-cum. My mouth flooded, hunger pulsing through me. He was so hot for me, so hungry, and yet you’d never know it from his voice or the calm he radiated.

His perfect restraint made me wet. Gideon was the best of everything for me, a man who wanted me ferociously—which I so urgently needed to feel secure—but with enough self-possession to keep from overwhelming me.

“I want you to keep your eyes closed if you can,” he continued, his voice low and soothing, “but if it gets to be too much, open them. But say your safeword first.”

“Okay.”

He picked up the satin strap and ran it lightly over my skin. The cool metal of the fastener at one end caught on my nipple, making it pucker. “Let’s be very clear about this, Eva. Your safeword isn’t for me. It’s for you. All you have to say to me is no or stop, but just like wearing the cuffs makes you feel bound, saying your safeword will put your mind in the right place. Do you understand?”

I nodded, growing more comfortable and eager by the moment.

“Close your eyes.”

I followed the command. Almost instantly, I became sharply aware of the pressure at my wrists. The vibration and dull hum of the plane’s engines became more pronounced. My lips parted. My breathing sped up.

The strap glided over my cleavage to my other breast. “You’re so beautiful, angel. Perfect. You have no idea what it does to me seeing you like this.”

“Gideon,” I whispered, desperately in love with him. “Tell me.”

His splayed fingertips touched my throat, and then began a slow slide down my torso. “My heart’s beating as fast as yours.”

I arched and shivered beneath his slightly ticklish touch. “Good.”

“I’m so hard it hurts.”

“I’m wet.”

“Show me,” he said roughly. “Spread your legs.” His fingers slid through my cleft. “Yes. You’re slick and hot, angel.”

My sex clenched hungrily, my entire body responding to his touch.

“Ah, Eva. You’ve got the greediest cunt. I’m going to spend the rest of my life keeping it satisfied.”

“You should start now.”

He laughed softly. “Actually, we’re starting with your mouth. I need you to suck me off so I can fuck you straight through until we land.”

“Oh my God,” I moaned. “Please tell me it’s not a ten-hour flight.”

“I might have to spank you for that,” he purred.

“But I’m a good girl!”

The mattress dipped as he climbed onto it. I felt him work his way toward me until he knelt beside my shoulder. “Be a good girl now, Eva. Turn toward me and open your mouth.”

Eager, I obeyed. The silky soft crest of his cock brushed over my lips and I opened wider, absorbing the shock of pleasure I felt at the sound of his tormented groan. His fingers pushed into my hair, his palm cupping the back of my neck. Holding me where he wanted me.

“God,” he gasped. “Your mouth is just as greedy.”

The position I was in, on my back with my hands gripping the pillow, prevented me from taking more than the thick head. I mouthed him, my tongue flickering over the sensitive hole at the tip, thrilled by the joy of focusing on Gideon. Going down on him wasn’t selfless for me. In fact, it was mostly for me that I loved it so much.

“That’s it,” he encouraged, rocking his hips to fuck my mouth. “Suck my cock just like that … so good, angel. You make me come so hard.”

I breathed him in, feeling my body respond to his scent, instinctively reacting to its mate. With all of my senses saturated with Gideon, I gave myself over to our mutual pleasure.

I dreamed I was falling, and it jerked me awake.

My heart raced from the surprise, and then I realized the plane had dropped suddenly. Turbulence. I was fine. And so was Gideon, who’d fallen asleep beside me. That made me smile. I’d almost passed out when he’d finally given me an orgasm after fucking me so thoroughly I was nearly incoherent with the need to come. It was only fair that he’d be a little wiped out, too.

A quick glance at my watch told me we’d been in the air almost three hours. I guessed we’d napped about twenty minutes, maybe even less than that. I was pretty sure he’d been at me for close to two hours. I could still feel the echo of his thick cock sliding in and out of me, stroking and rubbing all of my sensitive spots.

I slid carefully out of bed, not wanting to wake him, and was super quiet when closing the pocket door that concealed the en suite lavatory.

Outfitted with dark wood and chrome fixtures, the lavatory was both masculine and elegant. The toilet had armrests, which made it look like a throne, and a frosted window allowed sunlight into the space. A walk-in shower had a hand wand showerhead that looked very tempting, but I was still wearing the crimson cuffs. So I took care of business, washed my hands, then spotted hand lotion in one of the drawers.

The fragrance was subtle but wonderful. As I rubbed it on, a wicked idea entered my mind. Grabbing the tube, I took it back to the bedroom with me.

The sight that greeted me when I reentered made my breath catch.

Gideon sprawled across the queen-size bed, dwarfing it with his beautiful golden body. One arm was tossed over his head, the other draped across his pecs. He had one leg bent and fallen off to the side, while the other stretched out until his foot hung off the end of the mattress. His cock lay heavily across his lower abs, the crown nearly reaching his navel.

God, he was so virile. Stunningly so. And powerful, his entire body a study in physical strength and grace.

And yet I could bring him to his knees. That humbled me.

He woke when I climbed onto the bed, blinking up at me.

“Hey,” he said gruffly. “Come here.”

“I love you,” I told him, lowering into his outstretched arms. His skin felt like warm silk and I snuggled into him.

“Eva.” He took my mouth in a sweet, hungry kiss. “I’m not nearly done with you.”

Taking a deep breath of courage, I set the tube of lotion on his stomach. “I want to be inside you, ace.”

He glanced down, frowning, then stilled. I was close enough to feel his breathing change. “That isn’t our deal,” he said carefully.

“I think we need to revisit and revise. Besides, it’s still Friday, so it’s not quite the weekend yet.”

“Eva—”

“It turns me on just thinking about it,” I whispered, wrapping my legs around his thigh and rubbing against him, letting him feel that I was wet. The coarse hair sliding against my sensitive sex made me moan, as did the sense of being shameless and naughty. “You say stop and I will. Just let me try.”

His teeth ground audibly.

I kissed him. Pressed my body against him. When Gideon was walking me through something new, he talked me through it. But with him, sometimes talking wasn’t the answer. Sometimes it was best to help him turn his mind off.