Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 76603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
“There is no right or wrong way to play pretend as long as someone isn’t getting hurt.” I remembered that much from when I was young.
Austin’s groan and the way he scrubbed his hands over his face said he agreed with me. “I know. It’s ridiculous. I can’t even figure out where the stupid idea came from. But some Doms are dead set on not giving their sub an orgasm when they’re in their playful headspace. It’s not just a preference. They’re kink shaming them.”
That was not acceptable…even I knew that.
“I don’t have enough information about this lifestyle to understand the specifics people might get judgmental over, but I will not stand by and let anyone in the club be shamed for something like that.” Just in case he hadn’t realized I’d be a pain in the ass about it, I wanted to make it clear.
“I’ve already made sure there is no question about what I’ll do if something like that happens again.” Standing straighter and moving his hands to his sides, he let out a deep breath and must’ve signaled to Silas because the man stopped growling at the window.
He was just frowning again.
“But Dessie is still dealing with the emotional fallout from that, so you’re going to have to be careful.” Austin wasn’t quite as frustrated but he was still giving me a look I didn’t like. “Which brings us to something else he’s worried about.”
Fuck it all.
“You told me to be here at six and him to be here at six thirty, didn’t you?” I was the one growling as Austin nodded, not looking guilty at all. “Damn it, Austin.”
He threw up his hands and glared at me. “I had to make sure we were all on the same page.”
“Stop manipulating me and just let me meet my fucking date. He’s a little and I have to be nice. This isn’t that complicated.” I was not the one at the club he needed to be giving the lecture to.
I was, however, the only one standing in his backyard not-so-patiently waiting for my date to arrive so we could have a poolside picnic.
“He’s worried you’re going to be upset if he likes what you think of as an issue.” Crossing his arms over his chest, he struck a dramatic pose. “Can you see why I’m a tad bit worked up?”
Possibly.
“No.” I wasn’t going to admit he might have a point. It would go to his head. “I will not be mean. I will not tell him he’s doing it wrong because I don’t know how to do it to begin with. I will get to know him and we’ll talk. That’s what people do on dates.”
Even weird ones where they were going to eat dinner in a mutual friend’s backyard.
“This is an audition to see if you want to date and you know it. He knows it. I know it.” Gesturing wildly around the beautifully decorated yard, he was wide-eyed and looked a bit nuts. “I just don’t want you to fuck this up by getting defensive.”
I wasn’t going to admit he had a point about that either. “You’re just making up worries to keep obsessing.”
I wasn’t going to sabotage myself, though, no matter what he was afraid of…especially now that I realized I might’ve done that out of self-defense.
Dessie hadn’t been the only one to have a few bad apples in his past.
I just had to remember not to be an ass and it would be fine.
“You’re an idiot if you think any of that was believable.” Huffing, he squared his shoulders and gestured more rationally to the table that had been set out. “You’re going to have a nice dinner. You’re not going to assume he’s thinking something bad. You’re not going to get weird just because he wants to do stuff to you that no one else has ever done. You’re going to ask questions about what toys he likes to play with when he’s little and you might even get to ask him about grown-up stuff if you think the chemistry is moving in that direction.”
So far, it wasn’t an irrational list.
But then he started losing his marbles again and his hands started swinging. “You’re also going to keep your clothes on in my backyard and you’re going to make good fucking decisions. If you need privacy, make sure you know his safeword and then lead him to the pool house. Make good fucking decisions.”
I shouldn’t have.
I really shouldn’t have.
But I did.
“What’s a safeword?”
Hmm, I hadn’t realized his face could go that color purple.
Before I could decide if I’d killed him or not, because he was standing there the color of an eggplant and gaping at me, Silas saved him by charging out of the house.
Or maybe he’d saved me?
It was hard to tell.
“For fuck’s sake, I’m not leaving you two alone again.” Sweeping Austin up in his arms, Silas threw a frustrated glare in my direction as he headed back into the house. “Don’t hurt Dessie.”