Page 28 of Ward Willing
“You’re taking this class?” I ask her, sitting down in the seat next to her.
“Of course I am,” she hisses under her breath.
Why am I surprised she’s taking a class for juniors and seniors when my class is structured exactly the same way?
I lean back and watch my younger brother lead a classroom full of people.
“Good morning,” he says, voice deep. I note the light grey, long-sleeved shirt bunched up at his elbows to show off his numerous tattoos, the black jeans, and the dark hair and scruff. “I know it’s a bit early to start talking about BDSM, but here we are,” he jokes, cracking a grin.
The room erupts in laughter, and I glance over at Zoe, who, unlike the rest of the students, has her computer out and ready to take notes.
“Professor Dimas asked me to come in today and talk about BDSM, but before I begin, who here knows what that stands for?”
To my horror, Zoe raises her hand, and Orion’s eyes skirt from her to me, his lips pulling into a Cheshire smile.
Fuck.
He nods at Zoe, who sits up straighter and winks at him.
She fuckingwinksat my little brother. I mean, I know they’re friends, butwhat the fuck.
“It stands for bondage, discipline, though sometimes domination, sadism, and masochism.”
“Well done. I know you’re all here to learn about human sexuality. Most of this class is spent learning about the development of sexuality, the feelings and emotions involved with sexuality/sexual feelings, and the attitudes toward others and their sexuality. But I’m here today to discuss the kink lifestyle, which is a bit of a more applicable subject,” Orion begins, walking back and forth slowly in front of the white board.
“A few of you are probably wondering why I’m teaching this class instead of Professor Dimas. Well, simply put, I’m in the lifestyle, and I’m also very knowledgeable about the different facets of BDSM. I’m not a teacher or professor by any means, so you can ask me anything. I want you to feel comfortable with me today. Iwantyou to spend the next hour and a half dismantling what you think you know about intimacy and kink, as well as traditional gender roles.”
My comfort fades away with each second that ticks on the clock. I assumed maybe he’d be talking about his personal experience with sexuality, but the stack of papers on the desk says otherwise.
“It’s rare that BDSM is brought up as a topic of discussion in a class like this, but controversial things such as sexual assault and pornography are discussed with no problem. While no less important, it is widely known that nearly a third of Americans practice some form of BDSM in the bedroom. So why aren’t we talking about it?” Orion asks.
I shift in my seat and glance over at Zoe, who is watching Orion raptly.
“One explanation could be that most professors are not equipped to present the facts and facilitate learning around the subject of BDSM. Despite being a class where we talk aboutsex,kinks are still a taboo subject. But I believe it is deserving of visibility. Being that this class is for adults, and this is a course you’ve elected to take. The best way to grasp the nuances of kink is to self-learn. So that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
He walks to the desk and grabs a stack of papers.
“I’m going to be passing around an NDA as well as a basic kink quiz. The NDA is for your protection and safety. What’s said in this classroom stays in this classroom. Everyone needs to understand that this is a safe space, and I won’t tolerate any nonsense. The quiz is for you personally. You don’t have to share your answers, and you can certainly have fun with it. I’ll be asking for volunteers afterward to share their answers, and I’ll answer any questions you all may have.”
He starts to pass out the papers, and I shift slightly so I can stand up and leave. There’s no way I’m taking this quiz with Zoe next to me, let alone chancing a glance at her answers. I have nothing to hide. Out of all of my brothers, Malakai and I are the only oneswithouta kink. I know about BDSM and kinks thanks to Chase, Miles, and Orion. I’m not a playboy like Chase used to be, but I don’t abstain like Miles, either.
Orion hardly ever sleeps around, despite being in the lifestyle. For him, it’s more about control than sex.
But me?
It’s not like sex makes me uncomfortable. I’ve slept around a fair amount. Nothing crazy. Sometimes I date people for a week or two. Nothing ever lasts, and I’d mostly given up on relationships when I became Zoe’s guardian. I figured having women in and out of her life wouldn’t be conducive to healing from her grief.Ourgrief. Plus, it’s kind of hard to date when you’re suddenly thrown into the pits of depression and parenthood.
Even so, I’m on the straight and narrow.Vanilla.I’ve never been one for ropes or spanking—because that’s what this entails, isn’t it?
I certainly don’t need a quiz to tell me that.
Just as I press my feet into the floor to stand, Orion roughly sets a piece of paper on my desk.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asks, giving me a cocky smile. “Stay. You might learn something about yourself.”
“I need to prepare for my class,” I explain gruffly.
Orion grins at that. “Unclench for a few minutes and take the damn quiz, Liam.”
