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Chapter 3

Tyson

“Stop threatening me.” Once had been enough to make his point. “Even if we don’t have chemistry and we can’t find a common ground on…my issue…I’ll be nice.”

After the third threat of bodily harm, I realized the sub in question had at the very least dated a few assholes before Austin had found him.

If I’d been less distracted over my own worries, I’d have realized the problem sooner. But that couldn’t be helped, so I was going to have to fix the situation before Silas went from glaring out the window to actually coming to talk to me.

I didn’t need a black eye on my first date with Dessie.

If a regular date wouldn’t be impressed by it, a little would turn around and run.

“He’s worried.” Austin didn’t like that, judging by the way his glare was getting worse and his tone was even more clipped. “The last Dom he dated decided he was the wrong kind of little and it hurt Dessie’s feelings.”

Well, at least some of the blanks were being filled in.

“I am going to do my best not to hurt his feelings about any kinks or desires.” I couldn’t control anything else because mostpeople just didn’t like me. “I’m assuming you had a nice long talk with the Dom in question?”

Austin’s glare got fiery. “Not until after he’d joined the club. Dessie didn’t want to talk about it, so I didn’t hear about it until too late. He’s being watched when he comes into the club and he’s on a short leash with anything that pisses me off, so he’s been well-behaved so far.”

It was hard to track silence.

“That must be frustrating.” Seeing the Dom in question on a regular basis must be driving Austin insane.

“Yes, it is.” Austin was nearly rabid about protecting subs, so I didn’t underestimate his feelings on the topic. “I’ve already made provisions to ruin him if it comes to that, but he’s been mostly hanging out and not getting to know anyone specific.”

That sounded good so far.

“Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.” I wasn’t going to offer to kill anyone, he already had people for that, but I would gladly help with information gathering. “But before my date arrives, I need you to please explain one more time what being thewrong kind of littlemeans.”

None of it made sense.

Austin rolled his eyes, finally not looking lethal. “This isn’t rocket science. We already talked about this.”

“I know that, but it’s stupid.” So I had to be missing something important. “You’re honestly telling me that people who play pretend in different ways say there is a right and wrong way to play pretend? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

I understood the main points of the activity and I could grasp the whys for the most part. Austin was right. It didn’t take a lot of brains to understand that toys were fun and being taken care of was relaxing, but it was the right and wrong way to do it that didn’t make any sense.

“There is no right or wrong way to play pretend as long as someone isn’t getting hurt.” I remembered that much from when I was young.

Austin’s groan and the way he scrubbed his hands over his face said he agreed with me. “I know. It’s ridiculous. I can’t even figure out where the stupid idea came from. But some Doms are dead set on not giving their sub an orgasm when they’re in their playful headspace. It’s not just a preference. They’re kink shaming them.”

That was not acceptable…even I knew that.

“I don’t have enough information about this lifestyle to understand the specifics people might get judgmental over, but I will not stand by and let anyone in the club be shamed for something like that.” Just in case he hadn’t realized I’d be a pain in the ass about it, I wanted to make it clear.

“I’ve already made sure there is no question about what I’ll do if something like that happens again.” Standing straighter and moving his hands to his sides, he let out a deep breath and must’ve signaled to Silas because the man stopped growling at the window.

He was just frowning again.

“But Dessie is still dealing with the emotional fallout from that, so you’re going to have to be careful.” Austin wasn’t quite as frustrated but he was still giving me a look I didn’t like. “Which brings us to something else he’s worried about.”

Fuck it all.

“You told me to be here at six and him to be here at six thirty, didn’t you?” I was the one growling as Austin nodded, not looking guilty at all. “Damn it, Austin.”

He threw up his hands and glared at me. “I had to make sure we were all on the same page.”

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