I snorted at the word ‘novice’, thinking of nuns.
‘It doesn’t hurt,’ I said, and it didn’t particularly, even when he pushed down with his thumb. I was more concerned about the fiery sting in my pussy.
‘Doesn’t it? Damn. Losing my touch. Sit up then, and have some coffee.’
I rolled over and shifted to a sitting position. Actually, when I’d said it didn’t hurt … it did. A little bit. I liked the pain, though, and would have felt disappointed with a full and swift recovery. I needed the reminder, the proof that it had actually happened. I felt wild with sensuality, as if the more he took from me, the more I had to give.
He looked pale and tired but endlessly, ridiculously desirable to me. He smiled that open-mouthed, insolent, almost-sneer of a smile, and I was wet again, instantly. I gripped the handle of my coffee mug until it wore a groove into my finger and tried to keep my breathing even.
‘So how does this work?’ I asked.
‘How does what work?’
‘You and me. Us. Here.’
‘How do you want it to work?’
‘Is it up to me?’
‘Of course.’
I was stumped for a moment. How could it be up to me?
‘I mean … this is real? Is it?’
He reached over and pinched me, quite hard.
‘You’re not dreaming,’ he said.
‘Ouch! I didn’t think I was. I mean … this is a thing. You and me. A …’
‘Relationship?’
‘Not a one-night stand?’
‘Do you want it to be?’
Oh God, stop asking me what I want!
‘No. I mean, no. I want … more.’
‘Good. So do I.’
‘But …’ I paused to sip delicately at my coffee. ‘I’m not sure how it works.’
‘So you said. Well, Sarah, I’ll try and help you.’ He leaned closer to me, whispering into my ear. ‘You see, in nature, there are two sexes, one is male – that’s me – and one is female – that’s you …’
‘Oh, stop it.’ I jogged his elbow and he almost spilled his coffee, which, I gathered from his frown, would have landed me in a whole heap of trouble. ‘Sorry. I mean, this whole, uh, kinky thing. How does it work? Am I, like, your servant at your beck and call all day long? Or … not?’
‘Oh, Sarah.’ He raised his eyes to heaven and slid his free arm around my shoulder. ‘There are no rules. There is no one way to have a D/s relationship.’
‘D/s?’
‘Dominant and submissive. You tailor it to your own needs. Whatever you want it to be, it can be, as long as both parties are in agreement. So, the real question is, what do you want it to be?’
‘I don’t know enough about it.’
He shrugged. ‘That’s a fair point. You’re one of those people who needs to know everything about everything, aren’t you?’