Page 4

Dessie

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.

Tyson fucking with Austin about not knowing what safewords were wouldn’t fade from my mind anytime soon, but I didn’t think he realized it was the way he’d rolled his eyes and barked out his description of our date that would stick with me the longest.

He really was just like Silas…but not quite as gruff-looking.

Tyson looked every inch the businessman Austin had said he was and I had to remind myself that it wasn’t appropriate to climb all over him like a monkey. That had to wait until he’d decided he wanted a second date with me. Yes, that seemed very reasonable.

Man, he was big.

No, had to stay focused and ignore what he was doing to me.

And I had to stay grown-up.

Yes, I was an adult.

“I understand there will be an exchange of limits lists at some point soon, but is it safe to assume spankings are on the fun side of things?” He was grinning as he casually asked the question, but as he went over to grab himself some sparkling water, he didn’t look uneasy.

“Yes.” I could do this. It was information he needed to know. “I enjoy mild to medium pain in sexual play, but I have a low tolerance for it in everyday life.”

He cocked his head as he walked back and sat down beside me at the small, round table. “So, expect drama if little Dessie stubs his toe but not if you get a spanking over my lap?”

That had images of being bent over and my ass bared firing through my head, but I managed to swallow back the needy moan that tried to escape. “Yes. That would be the right way to see it.”

Smirking, he leaned back, looking proud of himself for already figuring out how to fuck with me. “Another way to see it would be that if little Dessie stubbed his toe and was upset, I could use a spanking as a nice distraction for a sad boy?”

I had to swallow several times for that example.

“That…that would be another good way to see it.” He was going to be much more dangerous than Silas. “As…as long as it feels right to you too.”

Ugh.

His expression shifted to something firmer and he raised one eyebrow again. “What am I going to say about that?”

How was he this good at being a Dom already?

“I…” Sighing, I slouched and took a deep breath. “You’re going to say that you don’t have any preconceived notions about what I like.”

The implied part was that I shouldn’t worry, but I didn’t think that was reasonable at all.

“That’s correct.” Stroking his fingers around his glass, he looked more thoughtful and less disappointed. “I’ve never thought about being a Daddy, so my experience is limited. But how about if I make a promise to let you know if there’s something that would be crossing a line for me. Um, a no on my limits list.”

The tightness in my chest eased a bit and I found myself nodding. “What…what would be a no right off the bat? What’s just something you’ve read or talked to Austin about?”

That was the stupidest place to start but I had to know if we were incompatible and Austin just hadn’t figured that out yet.

He wasn’t usually wrong but shit happened.

“Hmm.” Tyson looked like I’d asked him about an interesting business problem and got a studious look on his face as he took a sip of the nasty bubble water. “Going back to the point where I tell you I have limited experience…I guess I would have to say the blog post I found buried in a very interesting part of the internet would be crossing my limits.”

He’d found the fun part of the internet.

Had Austin shown him where it was or had he already known there were naughty parts but he hadn’t been curious?

“The little in question was in a long-term relationship with his Daddy and he used his diapers in a way that I don’t think I’d be comfortable with.” Tyson paused as his gaze shifted and he tuned back into me. “Part of what they were doing was reasonable to me. I’m not squeamish. But there was another aspect I wasn’t comfortable with.”

Got it.

“I understand.” My quick response had his lips barely curling up into a smile. “That’s on my no list too.”

“We’re on the same page then. Good.” Looking more at ease again, he took another sip and gave me a curious look. “But the other part?”

He was very confident about asking me questions but I hadn’t missed that we hadn’t talked about him yet.

“The other part isn’t something that I need, but I like feeling helpless sometimes. That’s the…” I wasn’t sure how to say it, but luckily I didn’t have to.

“Austin described it as being an intimate bonding activity and one that is the ultimate caretaker act.” His words were so relaxed, I almost forgot we were talking about diapers. “I hadn’t thought about it like that but I did some research and it makes sense.”

He liked looking things up online.

Did he really understand I thought we were talking about me peeing in a diaper?

“You’re…you’re very accepting, and I know this sounds stupid, but it’s making me nervous.” Yep, it was stupid but it popped out anyway.

A soft smile flashed over his face before it vanished and he was back to looking casual. “I think it’s a very reasonable emotion but think of it this way. My desire to find someone who can accept my differences is more than my hesitation over exploring something different.”

Okay, that made sense.

“And to be a dick about it.” He shrugged like he didn’t mind being the bad guy. “For the most part, you’re not asking me to do anything stressful. I take care of making sure you have food and we play together. I possibly change diapers and get to make you orgasm. I do not have the angst-filled side of the equation here.”

As far as the usual stuff went in a Daddy-boy relationship, he wasn’t wrong. My side was usually more humiliating if the relationship went badly, but as long as things went like I was imagining, our relationship wouldn’t be like any I’d experienced before.

And that was scary and arousing at the same time.

“I get it.” For the most part that was right, but I was still going to wait and see about his part in our relationship. “I’m going to do my best not to assume the worst, but you…you have to be honest with me.”

And with himself, but we weren’t at the point where I could say that yet.

“I will.” It was his turn to take a breath and look like he was pushing something down. “And in that spirit, I’m going to vaguely say that I will do my best to approach the other issue with the same honesty.”

Well, that sounded like he was making progress at the very least.

Taking a sip of my drink—Austin was definitely the best at remembering what everyone liked—I tried to think of how to phrase what I was thinking. “I’d also like you to remember that in the same way you understand my desires, I don’t see anything wrong with you. Quite the opposite.”

I really hoped that hadn’t come out in a fetishy kind of way, but I didn’t want him worrying about what I thought.

Tyson barely nodded as he took another drink, but he wasn’t silent long. “I will admit that I never expected anyone to…to enthusiastically appreciate my issue, so I might have a few mental roadblocks with it.”

If we’d been in an old cartoon, a flashing neon sign that said understatement would’ve been going off over his head.

“I think that’s understandable. No one thinks about something like that differently in the blink of an eye, and…and I think if I were in your shoes, it would take seeing my partner’s reaction to really accept it.” I hadn’t intended that to come out like I was propositioning him, but I knew that was what he was thinking when he flashed me a wicked grin.

“So you’re saying you want to prove you’re into me? Well, I’m not going to argue about that. You’re very attractive and very sweet.” He was much more comfortable aiming his teasing at me, so I let him and didn’t change the subject.

“Well, if we’re talking about being attractive, let’s talk about you.” I’d have never said anything like that on a first date with anyone else, but Tyson wasn’t like anyone I’d ever met. “A big, strong alpha. Muscles everywhere.”

And he filled out the front of his pants like no alpha I’d ever seen.

They were so perfectly tailored I was pretty sure I’d seen a hint of his knot.

The sexy grin he was wearing just got wider. “Everywhere, huh?”

Maybe my glance hadn’t been as subtle as I’d thought.

“Everywhere.” Brazening it out since he seemed to like that, I didn’t hide what I was thinking. “In all kinds of fun places.”

His bark of laughter filled the yard and eased another layer of stress inside me. When he finally shook his head and grinned, he looked years younger. “Well, I guess you’ll just have to make an effort to get to know me so you can find out. But you’ll have to work for it.”

Because he wasn’t looking for anything casual.

Austin’s words about how lonely he thought Tyson was floated to the back of my mind as I returned the sexy alpha’s smirk. “I don’t know. My Daddy would want to take care of me and not make things hard for his sweet boy.”

And the sexy smirk was filled with curiosity again.

“But if my Daddy took good care of me, I’d be a good cuddler and I’d be very sweet.” The last time I’d tried to tease a Dom like that he’d shut down fairly quickly after it, but as I did my best to smile and not hold my breath, Tyson chuckled.

“I think I’m going to be the type of Daddy to be very easily bribed.” He frowned and pretended to look serious. “I wasn’t expecting that and I think it’s your fault.”

Enough to spank me?

Oh wait.

He’d been thinking about what kind of Daddy he’d be?

“What…what had you been imagining?” Swallowing, I tried to sound flirty still but I wasn’t sure it was working. “What did you think your Daddy side would be like?”

Thankfully, the question didn’t make him nervous or uncomfortable, but he gave me a slightly sheepish shrug. “I’m generally fairly serious and a bit of an asshole. You bring out a different side of me and I like it.”

I was different?

It was the first time anyone had said that and it’d sounded nice.

“You aren’t like anyone I’ve ever met.” Slowly reaching out, he ran his fingers over the back of my hand where I was still holding the glass. “I want you to understand that’s a good thing, though.”

I did, but the words weren’t cooperating, so I nodded.

“You understand?” Clarifying my response, he waited until I nodded again to smile. “A bit overwhelmed?”

I could feel my face heating up but I managed another nod. “Thank you for answering my questions even though it was hard.”

I was so glad I hadn’t frustrated him, the relief must’ve been written all over my face. He managed not to smile but it was close. “Were you worried about upsetting me?”

Nodding again, I inched the glass over so my hand was closer to his. That got a smile out of him but he cupped both my hands to show he’d understood the silent request. “You don’t need to worry about that then. But you might have to worry about Austin because he’s looking out the window. No talking will be involved, but if you could look over your shoulder and smile, I’d appreciate it.”

Laughing, I managed a real smile and even gave Austin a silly glare and mouthed at him to go away.

He wasn’t going to agree to that.

Austin had that stubborn look on his face but then he was whisked away as Silas gave me a quick wave.

“He’s just feeling a bit protective.” Tyson seemed to think he was talking about me, but I knew for a fact that Austin was protective over both of us.

I was pretty sure that was what was making him so nuts about the whole thing. Most of the time when he played matchmaker, he was only protective over one person and he got to growl at the other. This time he liked us both.

“We’ll be fine.” Yay, words.

Tyson grinned as he turned back to me. “Yes, we will.”

I was going to keep my fingers crossed, but so far there weren’t any red flags and he didn’t think I was weird.

“How often do you go to the club and hang out in the playroom?” Tyson seemed to have decided we should jump into the get to know you part of the evening because the conversational leap was pretty big.

But since he was probably right and I knew I could talk about that kind of stuff without getting overwhelmed, I agreed with him and played along. “Lots.”

My answer got a chuckle out of him but I kept going instead of teasing him too much. “My job is kind of stressful, a mix of the work and the people, so it’s a good place to unwind and I’ve made a lot of friends there.”

Tyson’s shoulders relaxed back as he set his glass down. “Austin gave me a detailed lecture about all the toys and things that are in there. I think he was even trying to make me jealous that someone named Uncle Jarrett was giving you cookies.”

I couldn’t help laughing. “He’s got his own little and there’s nothing going on with me and anyone in the playroom. Austin was probably just getting excited. He likes coming to the playroom. He reads us books and sneaks in candy when he thinks Jarrett isn’t looking.”

Uncle Jarrett was always looking, though.

Tyson flashed me another grin. “That’s good to know.”

I hoped so.

I knew from Austin that Tyson hadn’t been dating much lately, so I tried to take the conversation in a different direction. “Did he tell you about any of the other spaces in the club? There’s a bit of everything in there.”

Raising one eyebrow, he gave me a bit of a wicked smirk. “Is that a hint that I should ask you about other spaces you like?”

His chuckle said I’d gone as red as I thought I had. “No, but I have to admit that I haven’t played in any of the other areas.”

The curiosity in his eyes stayed but the smirk faded. “Any particular reason?”

Before I could answer, he jumped in again. “Not that you have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

He was kind of cute when he worried.

“I don’t mind talking about stuff like that. I know it’s an important part of getting to know someone who’s into BDSM in any way.” I’d practiced enough that it was only slightly weird at this point. “Mostly because no one besides Austin asked me to.”

Tyson blinked a few times.

“I don’t know what to say to that. I’m sorry.”

And he was getting even cuter.

“It’s okay to say it sounds scary and confusing.” I just grinned when he nodded seriously. “Austin was just being helpful, though. I’m not his type and Silas has never even thought about making a move on me. He’ll hug me and stuff like that but his hands have never wandered.”

Even if Austin had told him to feel my ass one time.

They had a weird relationship.