He wanted to be able to read her expression. Her head was pillowed in the crook of his arm, and her hand curled against his chest. “That phone call,” he said. “It was my boss.” She frowned. “Master Marcus? But I thought you were partners.” “We are. Marcus, AJ, and I are equal owners. It was a call from my other job.” “I see.” Her eyes were open wide, and her mouth was slightly parted. As he watched, the frown became a scowl. She pretended to be tough, but she wasn’t. She knew the call changed something. He saw she wasn’t ready for that; neither was he. What had happened between them was beyond anything he’d ever known. He saw she’d gotten lost in subspace. Despite the pain, in fact, from the pain, she’d slipped deep inside her own head. After the first few brutal hits, she’d barely responded to his flogging, except to sigh with pleasure and murmur her gratitude. Her body had been completely relaxed as a result of the endorphins flooding her system.
