Page 60 of See You Sometime
He didn’t understand. Skye appeared to be staring at him, too.
“What?”
Tilly’s kind smile belied the eye-roll. “May I?” In the light from the front entrance, he realized she was barely wearing any makeup.
“May you what?”
She scowled and lowered her voice. “Dude, are you that dense or just fucking with me? Because if you’re trying to take a Dom ’tude with me and get me to call you anything but Axel, we’re gonna—”
“Sir,” Skye softly said, a hint of desperation to her tone, “Tilly is aDominanttonight. She’s coming here to teach you. She’s asking for your permission to hug me as aDominant. You’ve never given me permission to hug her.”
Now he was really confused. “But you hug other people, like Eliza and Grant, and they’re Dom—”
Tilly hooked Axel’s arm with her hand, lightning-fast, and scooted him a few feet away from the door where a family with two young children were about to emerge from the restaurant’s entryway. Even as she did, with her other hand she held out a palm to Skye and Bob, the meaning clear.
Stay.
Tilly kept her voice low and even, but serious in tone.
“Axel, here’s the 411—Skye isyours. Submissive, slave, pet, bottom, property—whatever the fuck you want to call her.Youdefine the rules. Ifyouwant to assign blanket permissions that it’s okay for her to hug me regardless of the situation, that’s fine. Inthislifestyle, in a kinky context, no person who’s really involved in it for any length of time willeverassume they have permission to talk to, much less hug her or even shake her damn hand, ifshedoesn’t initiate it. Even in a vanilla circumstance, if they know you’re kinky. If youwantto give her a rule that she’s free to initiate contact or talk with people of her choosing without your prior permission, that’syourprerogative.
“Skye comes to you, despite what a cheating bastard her ex was, as a well-trainedslave. A damn good one, from what I’ve seen and heard myself and from Lan, Cris, Bob, and Cali. She’s defaulting to what is givinghercomfort with you, and she is trying toshowyou whatsheneeds and wants fromyou.
“You wanted to learn about the lifestyle? Well, you don’t need any kind of instruction manual, because youalreadyhave the best damn one. There is a damn good teacher,rightthere on your arm. Listen to her and follow her lead until you’re the one doing the leading. You can tell she wantsyouto give her permission, because she didn’t initiate the contact with me when she could have.”
Tilly released his arm and they returned to Skye’s side. Tilly glanced around before smiling. “Do-over.” She straightened. “Hey.” She leaned in and hugged Axel, then stood back and motioned with her right hand toward Skye.
He nodded.
Tilly and Skye hugged. When he spotted Tilly’s lips moving, he realized she was whispering something to Skye, but he supposed if either of them wanted to tell him, they would.
During this whole time, Bob quietly stood watching, hands clasped in front of him, waiting. He gave Axel a smile and head nod, but didn’t speak or offer to shake with him.
When they parted, Tilly shot Axel another smile. “Oh, and this is Bob. He’s in formal protocol tonight, don’t take it personally.Nowlet’s go inside and join the others.”
* * * *
Skye had never felt this nervous before, not counting her first night with Axel. This was definitely number two on the list.
She struggled against frustration and tried to keep it firmly in her mind that a guy who’d been involved in the lifestyle for over twenty years as a Dominant was definitely not on the same engagement level as a very nervous, practically vanilla guy who’d barely had more than missionary for a decade with his first wife.
This would take time and infinite patience on her part. She absolutely did not want to top from the bottom. She hated that. Likewise, she didn’t want Axel thinking that was how things were supposed to go between them, not knowing where the education ended and his place to pick up the slack began.
Tilly led the way to the corner, where Ross, Loren, Cali, Max, and Sean were already seated.
“Hey, guys!” Tilly went through a round of what looked like extremely emotional hugs with them, like she hadn’t seen them in months.
Then again, with her work and travel schedule, maybe she hadn’t.
As the others turned toward Axel and Skye to greet them, Skye looked up at him, waiting.
He finally looked her way, before the others reached them, and nodded.
Relief flowed through her, so thick and palpable, she damn near started crying.
He was learning.
Whether or not he’d remember the lessons and keep building on them remained to be seen.
