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“No dessert?” he queried.

Temptation flashed, then she tapped again.

“After the paperwork, then.” Nudging his own empty plate aside, he leaned back in his chair and lifted his chin toward the first set of paperwork. “That’s a membership form. It allows you to be here and offers all the benefits everyone else gets.”

She lifted both hands out to the sides as if asking,Where is here?

Straight into the deep end, he thought. Signing the NDA was a necessity given the circumstances, but in order to stay here and not remain in the cabin, she needed to know the finer details of what Elias and Evander were creating here.

“This is Club Serenity. It’s a club for people who enjoy indulging in BDSM—a kinkier kind of sexual lifestyle,” he explained, then corrected himself. “Club is the wrong word for what Serenity is. Eli and Evander designed it as a playground, but with a higher purpose in mind. It’s a family, a safe haven, a community.”

Tamsyn visibly recoiled.

Testing her, he added, “A community for those who don’t really fit in with the outside world.” Yeah, she was reacting to the wordcommunity, but why? “They can come here and be who they are without judgement or criticism. Dream about being a pony? At Serenity, you get your own stable, a personal groom and rider if you don’t already have one, and the full pony experience. This is where fantasies come to life, little owl, whatever they may be.”

It was fascinating, watching her think. What fantasies did she have in that innocent head? Did virgins dream about anything other than missionary? He supposed that depended on what someone was exposed to during the formative years.

What had sweet Tamsyn’s mind been opened to as a child?

“Want me to read it to you?”

She stubbornly reached for the pen beside her water glass and began writing her name in block letters. Their lessons were paying off, he noted; her hand was steadier, her confidence with both the pen and the letters vastly improved. She couldn’t write cursively yet, but she’d get there with time and practice.

Merrick smirked when she pushed the signed sheet at him. “Always know the rules before you sign something, darlin’. Lucky for you, I’m a walking, talking rulebook; I’ll keep you on the straight and narrow.”

Shaking her head as though she didn’t find him funny, Tamsyn scowled at the next lot of papers. These required more effort than just a signature and she knew it.

“Come here, little owl, and bring those with you.” He shoved his chair back a few inches and patted his thigh, pleased when she did as he asked. The pants he’d bought her were slightly too baggy for her current weight, but they looked good on her anyway.

She rounded the table, standing in front of him with the limits list clutched in her hands. Her eyes bounced around the restaurant and their fellow diners for the evening, a flush of embarrassment rising up her neck.

“They’ve seen worse than a woman sitting on a man’s lap in public, Tamsyn. Hell, they’ve likely done dirtier things than that in full view. Sit down and get comfortable, this part takes time.” Another, firmer pat on his thigh.

God, her ass felt perfect as she turned and settled it squarely on his groin, leaning her back against him. His arm slipped around her waist, his chin on her shoulder. “Hold the paper up, little owl. I’ll explain it to you.”

He pointed to the list running down the right hand side of the sheet. “These are all kinks, Tamsyn. Sexual activities, methods of restraint, the toys available. BDSM works on a number of dynamics—Master and slave, Dominant and submissive, Daddy and Little, Owner and pet.” He huffed when she stiffened. “I don’t want a slave or a pet, so relax. My title here is Master Merrick, just like Eli is Master Elias and Evander, Master Evander.” He stroked her arm lightly. “Violet is Mistress Violet.”

Oddly, there wasn’t much of a reaction toMistress.So far in this one-sided conversation,communityandMasterseemed to be her triggers, which laid the first bricks for an intriguing foundation theory on where she came from.

“You should know that BDSM doesn’t have to include sex—either contact or intercourse. A submissive can use their safeword at any time, but remember that crying wolf—using that word or signal lavishly without real cause—damages a Dominant’s trust.” This was where he went from rhetorical to personal. “I need to be able to trust you every bit as much as you need to trust me, Tamsyn, do you understand? It doesn’t matter if it’s a scene or sex, or just everyday life, trust is the key. If that key is bent or broken, it doesn’t fit the lock.”

Tilting her head so she could look at him, her eyes already round and a little bewildered, she gave him a nod.

“All of this is new to you, not just BDSM. I will understand, one hundred percent, if you tick every no box on this list. The lifestyle isn’t for everyone.” Of course, if she didn’t want to be here, to explore this darker walk of sex, he wasn’t sure what future they’d have together. He pointed to the words written at the top of the page, above the three columns of small boxes. “Yes. No. Maybe. We’ll go down the list one at a time, and I’ll explain the activity. Then you choose a box. Want some advice?”

The paper crinkled in her hands as her fingers tightened.

“Don’t tick no unless it’s an absolute hard limit. Some of these sound frightening and painful, which they are, but they can be incredibly rewarding if you take the risk. Ready?”

In answer, she reached forward to snag the pen, holding it like a knife.

Merrick kissed her temple. “Vaginal sex—my cock in your pussy instead of my fingers.”

That was a quick tick in theyescolumn.

“Anal sex—my cock in your ass. It can hurt to begin with, but it’s very pleasurable when done right.” Pride flared swiftly as the pen flicked betweennoandmaybeseveral times before making a mark in themaybebox. “Brave little owl. Double vaginal and double anal penetration—two cocks or a cock and toy in the same—”

Her head whipped around quickly, mouth open wide enough to swallow a small boat.