Rohan
“You have to promise not to get offended or mad or anything like that because I’m just trying to help.” It was the innocent, I’m helpful and sweet look that made it clear she was up to something ridiculous.
“No.” Shaking my head, I knew better than to agree to anything when Melissa started a sentence like that. Of course, I was stubborn and it’d taken me a few times to learn that particular lesson. “I’m not that naïve any longer.”
“You’re being ridiculous.” Shaking her head, she looked like she knew she was right and I should just follow along. “This is going to change dating for you. I know it.”
Oh, that made it sound even worse.
Dating was…difficult.
“No.” I was hoping if I kept repeating that answer it would sink in eventually. Unfortunately, we’d known each other so long she said I was family now and that seemed to mean boundaries weren’t a thing anymore.
Trying to turn the conversation, I gestured toward the display case in the bakery where they were showing off all their goodies to perfection. “Have you decided what to get for dessert?”
It almost worked.
She was a pastry whore but it seemed like we’d reached the point where ruining my day was more fun than picking out junk food.
I wasn’t sure how we’d reached this crossroad so quickly in life but I had a feeling it was due to my last dramatic breakup. Mario screaming at me in the middle of an expensive Italian restaurant that he was going to do something drastic if I didn’t fuck him hadn’t been exactly subtle.
I wasn’t sure what he’d missed when I’d explained what being asexual meant to me, but clearly there’d been a miscommunication somewhere because I wasn’t going to do that.
Ever.
It was just…no.
And according to the internet not every gay couple did it, so I still wasn’t sure what bug had crawled up his ass and turned on the crazy, but it hadn’t been anything I’d done.
“Don’t try to distract me. It won’t work.” Completely turning her back on the desserts, she folded her arms across her chest and glared at me like she was channeling her brother when he got pissed.
It might’ve worked if it’d actually been Jackson.
He was slightly younger than her, attractive, and funny…and I was asexual, not dead, but she didn’t have any of the right parts or personality for me to give her what she wanted.
“I’m thinking about getting something for now and then something for later.” Ha, that had her itching to turn around and drool but she was stubborn enough to dig her heels in.
“Not going to work.”
She was such a pain in the ass.
“How is work going?” That was a topic that always made her crazy because her boss was weird, and she always had the best stories.
“Not going to work either.”
I was starting to remember why Jackson avoided hanging out with us and always did his own thing. She drove everyone nuts. Yep, it was her fault I’d never hung out with the guy long enough to see what he’d think of dating someone who really didn’t have any interest in intercourse.
Hoping to just wait her out, I finished up the last of my sandwich and had decided on grabbing a couple of different types of croissants before she finally lost her patience.
“Fine. I’ll just tell you without your agreement. Consent doesn’t apply here.”
She was getting weirder and weirder lately.
“What have you been reading?” Or writing. This conversation screamed that it had something to do with the dirty things she was writing about. “I thought we’d agreed that you would only talk about the innocent parts of your new hobby.”
She kept insisting she was just playing around but that sounded like a copout to me.
“This has nothing to do with that.” Waving her hands around like she was pushing the words away from us, she was perfectly Melissa and only focused on what she wanted to hear.
But since she’d been doing it since college, I wasn’t expecting her to change now.
“You need to explore BDSM.” She paused dramatically like I was supposed to be dumbstruck like we were in a TV sitcom. When I just went back to looking at the croissants, she huffed. “I’m serious. There is a lot of ways to please a sub in that community that doesn’t involve…stuff you don’t like.”
Thankfully she was somewhat cognizant of where we were having lunch and kept her voice down. But that didn’t change the topic she was obsessed with. “I’m serious. There are a lot of aspects of it that I think would fit you really well. Clear conversations about what everyone wants and needs. Negotiated limits. People who are into other things that aren’t necessarily stuff you’ve run into.”
Good grief.
I had no idea what to say and that just gave her the room to keep pushing. “I met this guy online. He lives on the other side of the world, so he’s not someone worth me introducing you to unless you want to move to Australia?”
When I just shook my head, she sighed and nodded. “That’s what I thought, but when he was talking, he said some stuff that really hit me. He doesn’t need sex like you’re picturing to be happy in a relationship. He likes being touched and cuddled and that kind of stuff but what really gets him off is stuff like being spanked, having orders and rules to follow, and different kinds of…”
Melissa’s eyes darted around as she leaned forward. “Cock cages.”
What the fuck had she been doing online?
“That’s…”
Again, I just wasn’t fast enough.
“Brilliant, I know.” She was beaming like she’d just told me she’d helped me win the lottery. “Just think about it. You could have a partner who just wanted you to boss him around and to do a few simple activities that I don’t think would make you uncomfortable. Spanking. Restraints. Using toys on them. That’s all stuff you’re fine with.”
One time.
I’d gotten drunk with her one time.
“None of that is the point.” I wasn’t sure what was, though. “I’m not that…aggressive.”
She rolled her eyes and gave me a look that said she thought I was stupid. “Then just pick out the parts that do appeal to you and don’t go overboard. I’m not suggesting you find a guy who’s a complete sub and needs you to take control of his life. Just look into it and see if there’s something in it for you. Honestly, Roey, I think this would be good for you.”
I hated that nickname.
And I hated that she only used it when she was going to grab onto something like a dog and refuse to let go.
“Fine. I will look into it but only if you write that stupid book you’re always talking about.” Ha. It was my turn to be a pain in the ass. “And no fanfic shit.”
Whatever that actually was.
“It has to be your own characters and a book that could actually be published.” I knew she’d been talking about writing dirty stories based around other people’s characters for years, but if she wanted me to research BDSM then she was going to put up or shut up about the writing thing.
“Roey…” She tried to look sad but I stuck to my guns.
“No. How badly do you want this?” She was such a pain in the ass. “I research and you write or you don’t bring it up again.”
She had the attention span of a rabbit.
It’d last a week and then I could go back to ignoring the ridiculous discussion and she would have to stop talking about the dirty people in her head.
I wasn’t seeing a downside…so what could go wrong?
Rohan can’t quite decide if letting his friend Conner play matchmaker is the smartest thing he’s ever done or the stupidest. As an asexual Dom who’s never quite found Mr. Right, after a string of misses, even he’s starting to admit it might be time to let the crazy owner of Bound & Controlled steer the show.
Dayton knows he shouldn’t trust Conner when he has that look on his face, but when the wicked sub promises him Mr. Right, common sense goes right out the window. But with most Doms at the club being too scared of hurting him to let him submit, he’s crossing his fingers and hoping that love and domination are finally in the air.
Sometimes finding Mr. Right is easy and sometimes he’s wrapped in an unconventional package…but love will always find a way.
Author’s Note: Dayton has some physical limitations that impact the type of play he can participate in but there is no trauma in his background. This is a standalone novel that starts at the Bound & Controlled club, and some fun past characters make an appearance in the story (The Accidental Master series/M.A. Innes). You do not need to have read any other stories to enjoy this one.
