“Can I ask you something?”She nods, mouth full of pancakes. She looks like a chipmunk, and it makes me want to kiss her again. “I’m going to sound like an absolute idiot, and you can laugh at me, but uhm, what did you mean when you said you were a dominatrix? Like what do you do?”
“I, uhm.” She swallows down the food and takes a big drink of coffee. “Basically, I like dominating people. That’s the short story.”
“So, like, pain and torture?”
“No, not torture. Pain only when it’s agreed to and done correctly so that it intensifies the enjoyment.”
“What got you into that?”
“I was a dumb kid with an ex who I thought loved me; he didn’t. My life spiraled out of control and I almost lost myself. I knew someone in the scene and they convinced me to go with them to a club, so I did. It changed my outlook on life and taught me a new dynamic.” She reaches over and wipes the syrup off the side of my mouth before licking it off her finger. “I don’t think I would have fully escaped that relationship if I hadn’t found this lifestyle. It gave me back a part of me that I’d lost. My confidence, self-respect, and my life.”
There’s more to the story, there always is, but that’s what she’s comfortable sharing right now and I don’t want to press her for more. She didn’t press me about Pongo, so I’m returning the favor. She snuggles against me and I kiss her head, catching that smell of a warm summer afternoon just before the sun becomes unbearable. Friends with benefits, I remind myself.
“Would we, uhm, be able to try it? I mean, if we ever, you know, if we’re exploring the benefits side of this friendship?”
“Like what?”
I have things I want to say. Things I’ve seen on different porn sites or read about, but I’m too nervous to list them off.
“You know, whatever.”
“We need to work on that answer first.” I watch her eyes as she takes in the room. There’s not much in here besides a few pictures, some baseball awards I won as a kid, and a dresser with the basics inside. She spots on the suitcases by the windows and her eyebrow raises.
“Ah, yeah. Those. I, uhm, I leave Monday for a three country press tour slash filming, catching my buddy’s wedding, and an award ceremony thing,” I mumble, hoping I’m not coming off as bragging.
“Wow, that’s…a lot. What countries?”
My mind blanks.Friends. Just friends.
“Chase?” she asks in a way that tells me I checked out for a minute there.
“Sorry, uhm, Romania first. It’s pretty, you’d like it. Maybe you could come with me sometime.” I lean against the headboard, crossing my arms to keep me from fidgeting. “After that, I head to Canada, Italy, and back over to Germany. I’m, uhm, going to be gone for three weeks, which I’m now regretting a little.”
“Come on, it will be fun!” I only answer with a grunt and a shrug.
She shimmies to the edge of the bed and stretches. I can’t pull my eyes away as my clothes hug those hips the way I want to. My shirt is a dress on her, and it’s a beautiful sight. When she raises her arms over her head, the hem slips up enough to let her round ass peek out.
“So, you probably want me out of your hair so you can finish packing? Mind if I take a shower first?”
I suck a breath in through my teeth and shake my head. “Mmm, no can do. The shower has a strict two-person minimum occupancy. So sorry about that. It was like that when I got the house.”
“Oh, my,” she smirks, throwing me a cute little side eye. “So, what? You shower with your brother?”
“Ouch!” I laugh. “Okay, you got me. It’s only a two-person minimum when a queen like you spends the night in my bed.”
A door opens somewhere downstairs and my brother yells, “C?”
“We’re up here. You’re okay, man,” I yell back.
“Cool, catch you in Italy. I’m off to practice!”
When I turn to face Ren, she’s leaning against the bathroom door. She’s got the smile of a siren, calling to my soul as she motions for me. I jump out of the bed and as I round the corner; she stops me in my tracks.
“You need to earn this one.”
“I didn’t earn it last night? Or by making breakfast?”
“Don’t be a cocky brat or you won’t get anything. Get on your knees and come get me.”
