said.
âThatâs right.â He tweaked my nose. âOr are you teasing me? I hope youâre not teasing me.â
âI wouldnât dare.â
âI should think not. What if I promised, solemnly and faithfully, not to show anyone?â
âIt would still exist. And, some day in the future, somebody would find it in your archive and it would be exhibited as a lost treasure. Jasper Jayâs secret porn stash.â
He chuckled and kissed me.
âSo what? Weâd both be long gone. Why not brighten up somebodyâs drab future with a moment of joy, captured for all time?â
âYouâre very persuasive.â
âI know.â
We both stared up at the light patterns on the ceiling for a few moments.
âSo can I persuade you into my bed?â he asked, yawning.
âI think you just did.â
The morning was a strange time of half-light, sleeping and fucking, the swish of rain falling into the lush lawns outside. By the time the rain stopped, Jasper and I knew a great deal about each otherâs bodies, and my cunt had been fully acquainted with his cock on three further occasions.
After the last time, he went down to the kitchen to get coffee. I lay on my stomach and drowsed until he came back, sat beside me on the bed and ran his hand over my bottom.
âBruises,â he said. âI shouldnât have started you with the strop. Itâs too heavy for a novice.â
I snorted at the word ânoviceâ, thinking of nuns.
âIt doesnât hurt,â I said, and it didnât particularly, even when he pushed down with his thumb. I was more concerned about the fiery sting in my pussy.
âDoesnât it? Damn. Losing my touch. Sit up then, and have some coffee.â
I rolled over and shifted to a sitting position. Actually, when Iâd said it didnât hurt ⦠it did. A little bit. I liked the pain, though, and would have felt disappointed with a full and swift recovery. I needed the reminder, the proof that it had actually happened. I felt wild with sensuality, as if the more he took from me, the more I had to give.
He looked pale and tired but endlessly, ridiculously desirable to me. He smiled that open-mouthed, insolent, almost-sneer of a smile, and I was wet again, instantly. I gripped the handle of my coffee mug until it wore a groove into my finger and tried to keep my breathing even.
âSo how does this work?â I asked.
âHow does what work?â
âYou and me. Us. Here.â
âHow do you want it to work?â
âIs it up to me?â
âOf course.â
I was stumped for a moment. How could it be up to me?
âI mean ⦠this is real? Is it?â
He reached over and pinched me, quite hard.
âYouâre not dreaming,â he said.
âOuch! I didnât think I was. I mean ⦠this is a thing. You and me. A â¦â
âRelationship?â
âNot a one-night stand?â
âDo you want it to be?â
Oh God, stop asking me what I want!
âNo. I mean, no. I want ⦠more.â
âGood. So do I.â
âBut â¦â I paused to sip delicately at my coffee. âIâm not sure how it works.â
âSo you said. Well, Sarah, Iâll try and help you.â He leaned closer to me, whispering into my ear. âYou see, in nature, there are two sexes, one is male â thatâs me â and one is female â thatâs you â¦â
âOh, stop it.â I jogged his elbow and he almost spilled his coffee, which, I gathered from his frown, would have landed me in a whole heap of trouble. âSorry. I mean, this whole, uh, kinky thing. How does it work? Am I, like, your servant at your beck and call all day long? Or ⦠not?â
âOh, Sarah.â He raised his eyes to heaven and slid his free arm around my shoulder. âThere are no rules. There is no one way to have a D/s