Crossing Lines
Chapter 16
Alden
I emerges from the kitchenette with a cup of teams of course I was Dut chich rates, in content, sinds fing the Test Tere mo mental vault.
Noah was still sitting there.
Still flushed. Still hard, I was willing to bet.
I lifted my brow and took a sip.
“Are you still here?*
His jaw clenched. That embarrassed expression alone was enough to make my night.
“I thought you were leaving,” I added casually, walking past him.
“L… You didn’t tell me to.”
I turned, letting my gaze settle on him–long, slow, and deliberate.
“You need my permission now?” I asked softly. “What happened to your usual storm–outs after a tantrum?”
That made him bristle. Good. He was alive in there.
But he stayed seated. Silent. Still.
Interesting.
“I told you,” I said, lowering myself into the chair across from him, “if you weren’t ready to follow through, you could leave.”
“And I told you,” he snapped back, redder than ever, “you can’t expect me to sign my soul over without knowing what the hell I’m doing. That would be unprofessional.”
Unprofessional.
That almost made me laugh. The irony was delicious.
But instead, I gave him a slow nod.
“Absolutely. That’s why I don’t expect much from you.”
That hit.
Harder than I thought it would. His shoulders tightened, and I saw the flare in his nostrils as he tried to process the sting.
Good. Let him feel it.
1/3
IVE
Chapter 16
“You think this is some kind of kink? I said, voice low. “A game to spice things op between gym sessions?”
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “I don’t just train anyone, Noah This isn’t about attraction, of curiosity. It’s not that ride you can hop on and off when it suits you.”
“I never said-
“You don’t have to say it. You think you’re here because you chose to be? No. You’re here because you need it and I allow it. This is out youre derinin alone.”
He was quiet. Angry. Embarrassed. Still turned on.
“Training is a privilege. A commitment. A submissive offers their Dominant complete trust–blind, uncompromising trust–and in return, they’re se known, and protected in ways most people can’t even begin to comprehend, I don’t take your freedom, Noah. You give it to me, Freely. And that level of surrender can only be matched by someone who takes on the responsibility of your deepest well–being and truest happiness.”
Noah’s lips parted, his expression caught somewhere between disbelief and something far more dangerous–longing.
“That sounds like a hell of a lot of responsibility on your end… and way too much trust on mine. More stress than peace, if you ask me.”
I chuckled. “Only if it’s done poorly. But I don’t do poorly. What I offer is excellence–and I don’t settle for less.”
He shot me a look. “Ha. And I’m the cocky one? You’re so damn full of yourself.”
“Maybe,” I said, letting the corner of my mouth lift. “But I’m honest.”
Another pause. He glanced at the floor, then back at me.
“What does… training actually involve?”
I tilted my head. “Rules. Tasks. Structure. Lessons in obedience, control, service, pain, and pleasure. You’ll learn how to communicate without words. How to kneel. How to breathe through submission instead of fighting it.”
“And if I suck at it?”
“Then I’ll stop.” I shrugged. “This isn’t a punishment. It’s not about hurting you or breaking you. It’s about teaching you to let go. And if that’s not something you want? Then it ends.”
He stared at me. Long and hard. “…You make it sound like a damn religion.”
“Discipline often is.”
He let out a breath, softer now. “So… there’s a trial?”
“There’s always a trial,” I said. “Before any contract. Before any collar. We take time to find out if there’s compatibility. Chemistry. Connection.”
2/3
4:25 pm P P P M
Crossing Lines
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
