Page 81 of The Forbidden Trio

His tone made her shiver, but she did as she was told, heading for the bathroom, trying to imagine what would happen later. But this was Max, and he’d already proved that anything he wanted to do to her was going to be good. Plus, she had breakfast to look forward to.

Life with Max was so good.

It’s not life. It’s just a weekend.

Could it ever really be more? She didn’t want to think too much about it—she couldn’t bear to set herself up for disappointment later. And there was still the whole stepsibling thing to deal with, if it even could be dealt with.

Stop.

She didn’t want to worry about what anyone would think, whattheywould think. She wanted to simply enjoy this time with him. If necessary, this would be enough.

Wouldn’t it?

Chapter Five

“You make a wicked French toast,” she told Max, wiping her mouth and putting her napkin on the table.

“I’d be a pretty lousy chef if I couldn’t manage a simple breakfast,” he said, pushing his plate back and leaning his elbows on the granite counter.

“There’s definitely something unique about it, but I can’t pinpoint what it is.”

“I add a little orange zest, but the real secret is using a really good challah bread and slicing it thick.”

“Well, whatever you do, it’s amazing.”

“More coffee, baby?”

“Shouldn’t I be pouring your coffee?” she asked. “I mean, there’s a definite D/s dynamic here. Should I be… I don’t know… Performing acts of service?”

“Would you like that?”

“I think I would, to some degree, anyway. It’s not something I’ve ever done with anyone else. I’m more of a sensation junkie. Or I have been. But being with you makes me feel more… submissive than I have in the past.”

He took her hand in his, peering into her eyes. “Is that okay with you?”

“It is. It’s not something I’ve wanted before. I’ve never felt safe enough with anyone else to offer true submission to them. Is it okay that I’m telling you this?”

“It’s crucial that you’re as honest as possible with me, Aster. You know that. I need to know your desires. Your fears. Your history with kink.”

She nodded. She knew he was right. She’d simply never had a need to negotiate that deeply with a play partner. But Max was far beyond a play partner. Their emotional connection ran deep, which scared her on some level. She was actually surprised the fear wasn’t more prevalent, that she wasn’t scrutinizing every moment, but she was trying to let things develop organically with him. It all felt too good to question it too much.

“So tell me,” he began, refilling her coffee cup and adding a spoonful of raw sugar without even asking her. The man certainly paid attention. “Have you come down enough from last night to start negotiations? Or do you need more time?”

“I’m ready.”

He set the coffee pot down and took her chin in his fingertips, staring into her eyes. “You’re certain? Any subdrop? Post-play spaciness? We can do this another day.”

“I’m good, I promise. I never really go through drop. I know a lot of bottoms who do, but it’s not something I’ve experienced. But I appreciate you being so responsible with me, Max.”

“Any Dom worth his salt would be. I need to be certain you’re grounded or I can’t be sure you know what you’re consenting to.”

“I understand. I’m fine, truly.”

He answered her smile, then sat back down on the stool next to her. “Let’s begin, then.”

She nodded.

“Alright, we’ll go topic by topic, then we can get into more detail later, or as we go if need be. If you want to stop and discuss anything, let me know. You’re going to tell me what you like, what you don’t, and if something is off the table for now, but might be up for discussion down the road.”

---