For His Keeping (For His Pleasure, Book 3) by Kelly Favor Page B

sociopath on the continent, but he’s worried about my mental health. And you believed him, you actually listened to him spouting that garbage?”
    Nicole shook her head. “Please don’t do this.”
    “What else did he say?”
    “He suggested that I should talk to you about reconsidering his offer.”
    “And that was all?”
    “More or less. It wasn’t a particularly warm, friendly conversation, Red.”
    “Could have fooled me,” he said, bitterly.
    “Don’t talk to me in that tone of voice,” she said, her insides burning with fear and pain from what she knew was coming. “I don’t want us to fight.”
    “And you think I do, Nicole?” Red said. “I’m not the one who got on the phone with your biggest enemy and then planned to make you do something you didn’t want to do.”
    “I’ve apologized already,” she said. “What more do you want from me?”
    He stared out the window of the car. “I don’t know. I really don’t.”
    The rest of the ride was silent.
    Nicole was having horrible thoughts about what might come next. She pictured Red sending her directly from the hotel to the airport, imagined herself alone on the flight home from Germany. She felt emptier than she’d felt in a long time.
    Red was sitting as far away from her as humanly possible.
    Soon, the tears started, and she cried completely silently, wiping them from her eyes as inconspicuously as possible.
    And then, as the hotel came in sight, Red stretched his arm across the gap between them and his hand fell on her hand. He was warm and he gripped her hand tightly, squeezing with reassurance. “I’m sorry I yelled,” he said softly.
    She turned and looked at him, still with wet eyes. “I’m sorry too.”
    “I love you, Nicole.”
    “I love you too.” She tried to smile.
    She could see the strain behind his eyes and knew he hadn’t gotten past this completely, but she also knew he was trying very hard. Red licked his lips, took a deep breath, and smiled. “The good news is, we can go home.”

    ***
    Later that night, Red was sitting on the bed in his sweatpants and a white t-shirt, reading a book and relaxing.
    Nicole came out of the bathroom wearing garters, white lace panties, a white bra, and a pair of black stilettos.
    He looked up from his book and his eyes got wider and wider. “What’s this about?” he said.
    She bent down to her luggage and found the two scarves she’d brought along on the trip to surprise him. She hadn’t been sure there would be a time to use them, but here it was. She tossed them on the bed. “This is my way of saying sorry for earlier.”
    For a moment, his expression grew pained, as though her reminding him of what had transpired earlier was already more than he could take. But that particular storm passed, and then he was smiling again.
    “Someone’s gotten confident,” he said, eyeing her.
    She was already moist down there, and it felt as though he knew how excited she was. Everything was hot and raw in anticipation of what was to come. But Nicole didn’t know if she was allowed to start this type of game, since Red had always been the one who decided when and where the play took place.
    “I’m confident that you’ll find an appropriate way to punish me for my mistakes,”
    she said.
    Red tossed his book aside and it landed on the floor with a thud. Then he got up and took the two scarves—one red and one green—and held them in hand as he approached her.
    “Your confidence is well founded, sweetheart.” He took the one scarf and wrapped it as a blindfold around over her eyes. She felt it tied tightly against the back of her head.
    And then he bound her wrists in front of her.
    “Come with me,” Red commanded, leading her by her tied wrists. “Stop,” he told her. Then he positioned her so that her elbows and forearms were against the wall and her head was touching the wall as well. Her back was arched, ass sticking out, legs spread wide as she stood in her high