Page 121 of The Facilitator 1

We sat and chatted as we ate. He told me about his home in America. He hated LA and wanted to sell it, he had a dream of living somewhere less populated but still on thebeach.

“I’ll take you to my mum’s, you’d love Cornwall,” Isaid.

“That would be nice. I’d like to meet her and yourbrother.”

I sipped on my cold white wine. “Can I ask you a question?” Isaid.

“Sure.”

“Is that the hardest you’ll hitme?”

“I wish you wouldn’t use the wordhit,but yes, fornow.”

“Is that the hardest youspankedVeronica?”

“No. She liked it a lot rougher. Which is why I stopped all that a long time ago,Lauren.”

“What does she donow?”

“You remember the hooded guy? That’s herpartner.”

“What was he doing to that woman?” I remembered her being tied up with intricateknots.

“Kinbaku, it’s called. It’s Japanesebondage.”

“What does she gain fromthat?”

He shrugged his shoulders slightly. “I guess it’s the ultimate restraint. She can’t move one muscle unless he allows it. He’s a master at what he does. He doesn’t speak and other than tying them, then comforting them, he doesn’t touch themeither.”

“So what does he gain fromthat?”

“Control. He’s in complete control of her. I guess that’s where he gets his kicks. It’s not all he does, of course. With Veronica, he’s more intense. It would frighten you if I told you what theydid.”

“I think you might be right,” Isaid.

“I know it would. It’s not something I’d be willing to let you experience, and I’dneverwant to watch you with another man, Lauren,ever.”

“I don’t want to be with another man. What I want is with you. It’s because of you. I’d have never thought of any of those things had it not been you putting the question in my mindinitially.”

“Do you regretthat?”

His question took my by surprise, “Not for one minute. Like I’ve said, I’m scared that I won’t know when to stop, how far I’ll go, and what happens when it’s allover.”

“What happens is entirely your decision, it always has been. You read about your Doms, which is all bullshit by the way, and you’ve seen a very, very small part of that life. But you need to understand, women are the ones in control, Lauren. You say how far you go, you decide what I can and can’t do.Youcontrol every aspect of what I do, whether you realise that ornot.”

“Are you aDom?”

He laughed; in fact he nearly choked and had to take a sip of hiswine.

“God, no. It’s a lifestylechoice, Lauren. I might be a dominant male but that’s through being a businessman and genetics, I guess. I’m a very sexual man, and there are elements of it I enjoy. I like to control your body, I like being the one encouraging you to explore. Maybe I am the way I am because of what I’ve beenthrough.”

“She hurt you, didn’t she?” I said softly, as I laid my cutlerydown.

“She did. It was the ultimate betrayal. Daniel and I were best friends, Lauren, when we were young. If she’d fucked a stranger, maybe it wouldn’t have hurt as much, but to have an affair, something that lasted a while, with my best friend? That’s unforgivable in mybook.”

“Was she going to pass off the child asyours?”

“I guess so. I should have been honest with her in the beginning, but like I said before, I hoped something would have happened, medically, and it would all beokay.”

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