Page 45 of A Lesson In Beginning

“I’m glad you reached out to me. I know that this is all very new to you.”

“I am glad you were so open to meeting with me. I spoke with Ruth and Levi about it all, to make sure I knew what to ask and what things to focus on.” My eyes fell to my hands, unable to maintain his gaze. I couldn’t seem to squash the awkwardness or nerves that fluttered around in my belly.

“That’s good. I’m glad you have the two of them to help guide you as well. Safety is key.”

“You sound like Levi.”

“He and I were both trained similarly, and hold the safety and procedures of the kink world high on our standards lists. Honestly, it’s one of the first things that drew me to him and Ruth.”

“I have to be honest. I’m very nervous about this.” Chuckling nervously, I tucked an errant strand of hair behind my ear.

“I know it can be nerve-wracking, but I want to make you feel comfortable. Are you ready to begin?” I immediately looked around the coffee shop, having barely noticed the dissipating crowd.

“Where did everyone go?”

“The lunch rush is through. It’s why I had us meet at this time. The place can be a zoo for a bit during the lunch hour, but it slows down pretty quickly.” Joel was the picture of relaxation as we sat at our quaint little table in the corner. Regardless of the lack of patrons bumbling about, I still felt the need to keep my words soft, my voice low. I would have been absolutely mortified had someone overheard us.

“Well, then I suppose let’s get to it. No time like the present.”

“Perfect. The first thing I want to discuss is intention. What are you hoping to get out of this? Do you have any goals in mind?”

“I suppose I want to have a better understanding. My experience is extremely limited. It’s taken me some time to come to terms with the stark difference between the world I grew up in and life here in the modern world, but as I have put more distance between myself and my past, I feel more comfortable taking this step now.”

“There is nothing wrong with where you come from, Adah.”

“You wouldn’t say that if you knew about Zion.” I huffed under my breath, rolling my eyes.

“I know very little, only the overarching storyline, really. But your history, where you’ve been, is what brought you here. So you can’t regret it. But what I want to talk about now is what you want moving forward. Are there certain aspects, or specific things you’d like to gain knowledge of?”

“Well…” I trailed off, realizing I didn’t want to say the words that hovered on the tip of my tongue.

“You can be honest.”

“You say that like it’s easy.”

“It is easy. When you realize that there is no judgment in this place, no one to scold you, correct you, or chastise you, honesty becomes much easier.”

“Isn’t correction and scolding a key element of kink?” I couldn’t keep a tiny grin from tugging at the corners of my mouth as I teased him.

“There’s that sass again. I like it. And yes, correction and scolding can be a large part of kink, but only when it is desired by all parties involved. The purpose is to add structure and finesse to something you wish to learn and know. So, what is it you’d like to learn, Adah Price?” His eyes roved down my face and lower, his suggestive tone sparking desire into a glowing ember within me.

“I think, perhaps, it’s less of a matter of learning, and more about the process of unlearning that I’m most interested in.” I had no idea what to do with my hands. Keep them on the table? Move them to my lap? To say I was distracted would have been a gross understatement.

“Explain.”

“I was raised to believe that se — well, intimate relations — were for only a husband and wife. And moreover, that for the wife, it was something one had to endure. I think I’ve heard and been witness to enough now that I know that doesn’t have to be the case all the time. I suppose I’d like to unlearn that falsehood.” He stared at me, his chin resting on his clenched hand, elbow on the table, with a look of avid fascination on his handsome face.

“I think that’s an excellent place to begin. Are you wanting to — hmm, how do I say this? Are you wanting to learn more academically, or more… practically?”

“I’m not sure I understand your meaning.”

“Are you wanting to learn through books, source material, and such? Or are you wanting a more hands-on education?” The faint blush that appeared on his cheeks only added to his charm.

“Oh! Well, I suppose both, to some extent. It would be good to learn more in general, but I guess a hands-on approach is what I had in mind. If that’s alright with you. I suppose, oh goodness. I shouldn’t have —” My words fell out one after another in a nonsensical manner, stumbling and jumbling together in my utterly flustered state.

“Adah.” His hand covering mine stopped any further rambling, and my eyes lifted to meet his. “Breathe.”

There it was again. That simple command that held no authority over me in the traditional sense, and yet the relentless urge to comply was simply too great to ignore. I took a single, deep breath, and my nerves calmed almost instantly. Whether by his touch, his command, or the simple act of deep breathing, I wasn’t sure, but there it was.

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