Slave to Love by Nikita Black Page B

dreams , hombre.
    “Despite outward appearances, these women all enjoyed being dominated by the men in their personal lives, and there is no doubt it was a key factor in why the killer chose these particular couples. Something in that submissive behavior may be triggering his rage. Enough to make him track them down and kill them.”
    Frowning, she thought about her own mysterious reaction to Mick's not-so-subtle domination last night, and said, “I just don't get it. These were all smart, strong, professional women. One was a lawyer, for crying out loud! Why would any sane, intelligent woman like being bullied and abused by a man? Especially her own husband?”
    Tim chuckled. “You wouldn't think so, would you? However, you have to bear in mind, this is not bullying or abuse. Rather, it is intimate, sexual behavior, which is bound up with fantasy. Sexual fantasy has vastly different rules than reality, ones that are often far from politically correct. This is certainly not behavior these women would have tolerated from anyone other than a trusted sexual partner.”
    “I still don't get it. Why would she take it from him? What's the attraction?”
    Tim considered. “Lots of things. The more a person must be strong and in-control in the real world, the more seductive the fantasy is just to kick back, so to speak, and let someone else make all the decisions in one's private life. Provided it is a loving, trusted partner, on whom the person can rely to make good decisions for them both.”
    Caro thought about that. Reluctantly she admitted it made a certain amount of sense. It had been so easy last night, once she had made the decision to sleep with Mick, to let him take over and direct things how he wanted them. She'd been so caught up in what he was doing to her she'd never even noticed her own acquiescence.
    Uncomfortable with that bit of inner revelation, she couldn’t help thinking about her own background.
    Was that how her mother had been roped into her passive, subservient role with her father? Had it started in bed and simply mushroomed from there? Lord, she definitely didn’t want to think about that visual.
    “But still, we're not talking about deciding which restaurant to go to,” she said. “We're talking about being tied up and having sex in front of a stranger! There is a huge difference.”
    Tim smiled. “Not really. These women were living out their deepest, darkest sexual fantasies. It's all about letting go, relinquishing control and giving power to your partner. Bondage is the ultimate act of trust—trusting your partner to know you well enough to fulfill your fantasy, but not to hurt you.” He leaned forward earnestly. “Surely, you've fantasized about being tied up by a favorite lover, Caroline?”
    She blanched. Mick's posture was casual, but she felt his eyes laser in on her. Okay, so maybe she had fantasized about being tied up and helpless with a man. Once or twice. So what?
    She crossed her legs. “Lots of women fantasize about that. It doesn't mean they'd actually do it in real life.”
    “And why not, do you think?”
    She shifted under the profiler's serious gaze and Mick's calculating one. “Well, because...because being tied up and taken against your will is rape .”
    “That’s a strong word, Caroline. Is it rape even if it’s a willing, consensual act with someone you love and trust?”
    She swallowed. Jeez, how had they gotten into this discussion? “Well, no, I guess not,” she conceded.
    “Exactly. The difference is the love and the trust. In a Master/slave relationship, the slave loves the Master and trusts his decisions in all things. She willingly relinquishes her will and her control. Sometimes just over her body, sometimes more—over her emotions, her intellect, even over her very life. Those are the choices she makes when she becomes his slave. Our victims had obviously not gone that far in their Dominant/submissive relationships as to become a total lifestyle.