Glen Cove

Chapter 6: Do You Trust Me?

Thoughts race through my mind. Sitting up on the couch, I slowly lower my feet to the floor. My heart pounds in my ears.

I touch my tingling lips with my fingertips and draw in a deep breath.

The door reopens, and I jump. A small yelp passes between my lips, and I freeze in place.

Alexandre steps into the room. He walks up to the couch, appraising me with keen eyes.

"Come," he commands, softly, extending a hand.

I place my hand in his even before I realize what I've done. My eyes widen, and I pull back.

"Wait, where are you taking me?" My voice raises a few octaves and my body stiffens. "I don't want to go back into the common room."

"Ma belle," he draws me to my feet and into his arms, "do not be frightened. Moving forward, you will not be taken into any of the rooms within the club that are occupied."

I exhale a ragged breath and my body relaxes in his arms.

"If you have questions, I will be more than happy to answer them for you, one on one. Now, breathe for me."

"Alexandre," I say, biting my lower lip. "May I ask you something?"

"But of course," he replies, his eyes now focusing on my mouth.

Releasing the hold on my lip, I resist the urge to chew on it once again - it's a nervous habit, one I need to break.

"Why do they do it?"

"Do what?" His brows furrow, but he holds my gaze with interest.

"Hurt people like that? I don't understand."

He inhales slowly, then breathes a heavy sigh.

"The erotic practices of dominance and submission vary between participants. Simply put, it is an interpersonal relationship as varied between individuals as there are flavors of ice cream in the world."

"Have you ever tied people up, I mean, women or men?"

He skims a hand up and down my back, staying between my neck and my lower back.

"Yes, I have. Why do you inquire?" The corners of his lips quark upward. "Is this a research question, or personal?"

"Strictly r-research for w-writing," I stammer, and my face flushes. "Why do you do it?"

"Sensations felt by the aroused individual are amplified when he or she is bound and tied up. It can be just as exciting for the dominant as it is for the submissive."

"And those women trusted you?" I ask, pulling away from his arms. "What about men? Have you been with men, too?"

"No, I do not find men sexually attractive," he says firmly. "For the record, I have a strong s****l preference for the female form in all its beauty. Now, to answer your question, yes, ma chere, the women did, and they still do trust me because I have never given them a reason not to trust me, nor would I ever do so."

"Did you know them for a long time? I mean, in order for them to trust you?"

"Some, no," he says, "some, yes."

He makes his way to the couch, then sits down on the middle cushion.

"Come." He pats the leather beside him. "Come and sit down next to me, so we may talk. I do not bite."

A flicker of a smile passes his lips, and he gazes at me with smoldering eyes.

Hesitantly, I walk to the couch, but I sit on the other side, intentionally bypassing the section of the sofa he's patting.

A light chuckle passes his lips, and he c***s his head sideways to peer at me.

"Okay, so, explain why the arousal state is increased or amplified, as you said, when one is restrained," I say, squaring my shoulders to take on a more professional body position. "I just don't see it. You know, for research purposes."

"Do you trust me?" Leaning closer to my face, he brushes a stray strand of light brown hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear.

"Trust you?" I stammer, pulling back as I inch away from him. "I just met you. I hardly think that's a fair question, Alexandre."

"That is a good response. However, already, we have formed some level of trust between us."

"Excuse me?"

"Do you trust me?" he asks, leaning closer to my face as he brushes a stray strand of light brown hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear.

"Trust you?" I stammer, pulling back as I inch away from him. "I just met you. I hardly think that's a fair question, Alexandre."

"That is a good response. However, we have formed some level of trust between us."

"Excuse meÑ"

"You trusted me enough not to leave the office when I entered without a shirt on today. Then, you trusted me even further by allowing me to take care of you, and let us not forget," he says, licking his lips, "you trusted me enough to let me kiss you."

"Okay, fine," I exclaim, rolling my eyes and blushing. "We've established trust can be measured on different levels. Now, answer the question. Why does bondage amplify one's arousal state?"

"It would be best to demonstrate the information you seek in a scene because the full impact will be lost in a verbal translation."

The beat of my heart speeds up, and I spring off the couch.

"I'm not going to do the things I saw out in the common room."

He quickly takes hold of my hand.

"Do not run from me. I am not asking you to do anything you do not want to do. Now, sit back down," he commands, guiding me back to the couch.

I take a seat, then shake my head.

Oh my God, I think to myself, I just let him order me around - s**t.

"Stop doing that, Alexandre."

"What am I doing, ma chere?" he asks, furrowing his brows.

"You know what you're doing. You're bossing me around," I retort, sitting up straight and squaring my shoulders. "I'm not one of your submissives, and you damn sure aren't my Dom or dominant or whatever it's called. So, stop trying to control me."

"Ma chere, you are missing the point." He shakes his head. "You have it all wrong."