Page 45 of Learning to Change

He liked having answers and I wasn’t going to be the one to tell him that I had no idea why I wanted to do it…that would just make him nervous.

Chapter 13

Dean

Tate was explaining it because Joel knew he usually didn’t make sense?

Tate was explaining it because he was the only all-the-time Dom?

No. I didn’t want to know.

“Joel is going to jump in at any point if I’m wrong about this, but generally speaking, I think he likes the idea of being played with like that only because we’re with him. That’s what makes it actually erotic enough for him to want to do. Without us…let’s call it breathing the fantasy to life…he’d just walk into the store, buy a cage, and walk out slightly confused about why the guy wanted to flirt with him.”

The way Joel’s eyebrows went up said he thought that would be confusing and probably awkward. “He’d want to flirt with me by myself? Why would someone do that?”

Huh?

“Does he not know he’s sexy to people other than us or is this a why would the guy flirt with a stranger thing?” I probably shouldn’t have asked but it came out anyway.

Tate laughed. “Um, both?”

Somehow, Joel managed to look offended. “I know I’m cute but he’s not supposed to want to do stuff. I’m a very pretty painting in the Louvre but he doesn’t get to touch me unless my Doms are there to make it sexy.”

He honestly seemed to think that was a reasonable response, so I nodded and treated it like it was normal. “Okay.”

Huffing and looking slightly frustrated with me, for fuck knew what reason, Joel gave a curt nod. “Good. So we’re all on the same page? You’re going to control the situation. I get to be used to do naughty things and I get a cage?”

Glancing between us, his brain jumped again. “And I’m fine with you showing my penis because it’s cute and I need an appropriately sized cage to make it even cuter.”

Wow.

Tate’s brain was really good at keeping up, though. “What about orgasms? Am I allowed to tell him we’re trying to make you look tiny? Am I allowed to use non-traditional words for your body parts? What about spankings?”

For fuck’s sake.

How did they do this so quickly?

“Am I allowed to ask what his designation is? Is he just into toys or is he a Dom or a sub?” Joel frowned but it was more thoughtful than frustrated. “Would that be impolite to ask?”

“No.” Tate seemed very sure of that. “He’s open about his sexuality. He’s in a serious relationship with another guy. He’s into toys and the lifestyle. I think he’s a switch, but he mostly just likes to tease and fuck with his customers.”

They knew the weirdest people.

And I was never going to get tired of pointing that out.

“I like orgasms. That’s fine.” Joel said it like he was listing off dinner ideas that he liked and even started counting things he needed to remember on his fingers. “And I think I look cute messy. I like the words we’ve used for body parts so far. Oh, and I think I’m going to keep spankings between us for the time being.”

Frowning down at his fingers, Joel sighed. “I’m missing something.”

“Um, calling you little.” I glanced down at his lap. “Down…your penis, I mean.”

As I gave myself a talk about using the right words for body parts, Joel perked up and gave me another manipulative kiss that I liked too much to call him out on. “You remembered. I was worried that you were too worried to be keeping track of the conversation.”

That was actually a reasonable fear.

“No, I’m not zoning out or getting overwhelmed.” Not yet anyway. “And…and I’ll do my best to tell you if we get to that point.”

Joel’s cute pat to my head was the nicest bullshit call anyone had ever given me. “Yes, you try.”