“One of the house’s little secrets, and my favorite breakfast spot,” he says as he sits.
I take the seat opposite him. This doesn’t seem real. It’s like a movie or something. “So what are we talking about?”
“Well,” he says, an amused look on his face, “I thought we could get to know each other a little better before we talk about how things will go for the next few days and negotiate.”
“Negotiate?” I wasn’t aware I was going to have to haggle.
“We’ll get to that. Tell me a little bit about yourself, and feel free to eat.”
I grab a croissant off one of the plates in front of me and move the butter over so I can reach it. “To be honest, there’s not a lot to tell about me. I live on the other side of Atlanta, and I work as a Junior Publicist at Jones & Burke.”
“That’s an excellent firm.”
I nod. “I majored in marketing in college and got an internship there. I was lucky enough that they wanted to hire me right after I graduated. I’ve been there ever since. I don’t have any roommates or pets. A few close friends. My parents have both passed away.”
“How do you know Lily?”
“We were roommates in college,” I say around the bite of croissant I just shoved in my mouth. “She was my best friend. We’re both terrible at keeping in touch and we live just far enough apart that it’s inconvenient to see each other. The wedding was the first time I’d seen her in person for two years.”
He looks surprised at that. “So when you came to the wedding, did you know that she was in the lifestyle?”
“I had no idea. My invitation said that the wedding would be non-traditional and that’s it.”
He laughs that same ringing laugh that I remember from that night, and my breath catches. It really is a beautiful laugh. “You must have been shocked.”
“That’s one word for it.”
“Well, I’m sure that’s not all that I need to know about you, but those are good basics. What would you like to know about me?”
I take another bite of croissant—which is absolutely perfect—and swallow before I answer. “I Googled you.”
There’s that half-smile again. “So you already know the basics.”
“Kind of, though I couldn’t find any pictures of this place on the internet.”
Matthew nods. “I prefer to keep my private life private. I’m not enough of a celebrity to have to worry about press or paparazzi out here, but when you live my lifestyle, keeping a low profile is important. As I know you’re aware, not everyone is comfortable with kink, and I want everyone in the scene who visits my home to feel safe.”
“That’s a good reason.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Were you thinking of bad ones?”
“Maybe.”
He shrugs. “I suppose from an outside point of view it does seem odd.”
I finish my croissant and pour myself a glass of juice. “So what are we negotiating?”
“You certainly cut to the chase.”
I try my best not to glare at him. “I want to know what I’m getting myself into.”
“Very well,” he clears his throat. “I’ve gone back and forth on what I should expect from you. Every Dom/sub relationship is different, and every aspect is negotiated so both parties are comfortable. Since you’re new to the lifestyle, I’m willing to bend a little more toward vanilla. Or what you’d call ‘normal.’”
“Things like what?”
“I don’t often have submissives in my home,” he says. “But when I do, I require that they remain naked unless I permit them clothing. I thought that might be a shock for you, so I’m willing to compromise by letting you wear lingerie I have provided.”
My mouth falls open, and then I close it again. You knew what you were walking into, Emma. Remember that. You agreed to come here and do what he said. You’re probably going to have sex with him anyway, so lingerie isn’t a big deal. “Fine,” I say.
“I also usually require my submissives to address me as ‘Sir’ or ‘Master’ at all times. Since we’re not in a relationship, you’ll only be required to use my title in sexual situations. Keep in mind that I will decide what a sexual situation is and what it is not.”
“Your title?” I scoff.
A lazy smile crosses his face, and even though he’s at ease, I can tell it’s not a pleased smile. “Yes, my title. Part of a power exchange is recognizing the person to whom you’ve given that power. Calling me Sir is a simple way of doing that. Manners and structure are important in BDSM. Have good manners, and you’ll be rewarded. Bad manners, and you’ll be punished.”
I smirk. “Yes, Sir.”
“I need you to choose a safeword. You will always be able to use ‘red,’ but I find it helps for beginners to have more than one.”