Page 25 of Take Me, Sir

“But when he said that...she snapped. Started in on him about how she'd made extra money before they'd started dating, and it turned into a big fight.”

Shit. It was suddenly hard to breathe. Neither Juliette or Dalton had ever mentioned that Juliette used to work at the S&M club, but when Cross told me how he and Hanna had met, he'd included that Juliette had been a well-known dominatrix. Had Dalton told Kyndall that particular detail?

I knew I should be thinking about the big picture here, but that question wouldn't go away. What did Kyndall know, and how did she feel about it? It was self-centered of me to be wondering in the context of how she'd see me rather than her sister-in-law, but the thought was there, and I couldn't shake it.

“I'm trying to wrap my head around all of it,” she admitted. “My sister-in-law used to supplement her income by being a dominatrix, and based on the last thing Dalton said to her before I left, he's a Sub. I might not know everything about what that means, but I'm not so naive that I don't know at least the general gist of it.”

I sat down next to her, close enough to smell the baby shampoo she must've used to bathe Anthony a few hours ago, but I still didn't touch her. I needed to know where this was going first. I wanted her, but if she couldn't accept Juliette and Dalton, I wouldn't press any further. A fling without venturing into that aspect of my life was one thing. This was different.

“They said they were at a club tonight. A club that Dalton freaked out about when I mentioned maybe wanting to go sometime.”

My fingers tightened on my knees at the thought of her at the club. With me. Wearing something sexy, but not so revealing that others could see what was only for my eyes. Watching her take in the sensuality, the decadence, of my world. The jealousy from every other Dom there because they knew they couldn't have her.

“At the time, I thought he was just being a typical big brother, but now, I think he didn't want me there because of the kind of club it was.”

I waited to see if she'd put the last piece of the puzzle together, my heart pounding against my ribs.

Her eyes met mine. “If I ask you a question, will you give me an honest answer?”

I could feel us walking a fine line here, and one wrong move would tip us over the edge. I was determined that it wouldn't happen, not if I could prevent it. “I will.”

“Do you and Dalton and Juliette belong to an S&M club?”

“That's the general term for it, yes.”

She didn't say anything at first, but I let her have the time she needed. I wasn't sure what moving forward with her would be like, but I knew that if she was open to it, I wanted to keep seeing her, and the idea of being able to include her in this part of my life was too appealing to deny.

“What does it mean?” she asked finally. “I mean...what are you...what does...oh, fuck, I have no clue how to ask any of it.”

“I'm a Dom.” I kept it simple. “Dominant, like Juliette.”

“And my brother's a Sub?”

I nodded. “Submissive.” A line creased between her eyebrows as she frowned. I guessed at what she was thinking, “It's not a male / female thing. It's just who a person is. In the time I've known Dalton and Juliette, I've seen how they're complete equals in everything else. Their Dom / Sub relationship is sex only. Some couples take it further than that, but they don't.”

A faint blush stained her cheeks. “Do you?”

I allowed myself a smile. “I can be a bit...alpha male, but I don't enjoy controlling all aspects of a Sub's life. I don't even have to have it all the time in sex.”

Her flush deepened. “But you like it.”

“I do,” I answered honestly.

“What parts of it?” She shifted so that her knee brushed against mine. “What are the things you like to do?”

I swallowed hard. I wasn't sure I could have this conversation with her like this. I was all too aware that I wasn't wearing a shirt and my pants were already unbuttoned. My self-control was already stretched thin.

“I'm not hardcore, if that's what you're asking.” I could hear my accent getting thicker. “I like a little pain to intensify things, but I'm not a sadist or a masochist. Some bondage, but nothing too extreme.”

“Is that why Dalton said you were too experienced?”

I nodded. “I believe so.”

Her gaze turned inward, as if she was coming to some sort of decision, and then she looked at me. “What if I said that didn't scare me? Any of it. Not your experience, not what you like.”

Then I was fucked.

“Your brother told me to stay away from you.” I let the statement hang between us. She deserved to know before she made any sort of decision.

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