“Yes.”
“But not Hive. I would’ve seen you there.”
Her brows rose, surprised, and then she shook her head. “No, not Hive. I’m a member at Savage in Springfield. Takes longer to get there, but I’m less likely to run into customers. Even though there’s that whole mutually assured destruction thing, I don’t feel like that provides enough protection from men leering at me over the counter on Monday morning after they saw me turned over a top’s knee and getting spanked on Saturday night.”
“That’s fair,” he conceded. He’d done his best to not let on in either context when he saw his parishioners at Hive or vice versa, but he suddenly found himself troubled he might not have been as discreet or neutral as he thought. But surely Arthur wouldn’t have brought his beautiful little Saoirse to play with him if he thought there was any chance he’d be inappropriate with her when he saw them in church every Sunday.
“And are you? A member at Hive?”
“I am,” he confirmed. “I’m usually there twice a week depending on the needs of the parish.”
“What do you like to do there?”
He felt a flush gather in his chest and spread up his neck to his cheeks. It was strange to be talking about this in his home. A home that was provided by the church. A church that was quite liberal, yes, but would no doubt at least pretend to be appalled by his…extracurricular activities. Yet he pressed forward.
“I suspect you could hazard a guess, but mostly impact play, spanking, some bondage. Role play is a favorite, and…”
This was where he hesitated. There were a certain set of activities that were almost taken for granted in kink communities and no one blinked an eye. However there were other activities that no matter how much people might say “your kink is not my kink and your kink is okay,” what they actually meant was “what the fuck, you pervy wanker.”
“Age play. Most of my friends in the community have partners who are littles, or they’re looking for a little. My preference is more for middles. If that means anything to you,” he amended because sometimes people only thought of adult babies when they thought of age play. If they thought of it at all.
Plum’s eyes widened and her plump lips parted. Had he shocked her? Surely if she were a member at Savage she was more well-versed in kink than to be surprised? But Savage had a reputation for being more of a straight-up BDSM club than a wide-ranging fetish club.
Gideon wasn’t particularly in the mood to educate, but needs must. Except when he waited a beat, Plum’s mouth spread into a Cheshire Cat grin.
“Then I think we might both be in luck. Little never felt quite right to me but being a middle resonates. I’m a pretty big fan of everything you just mentioned. Especially the spanking.”
“Ah.”
He was an articulate, educated man with an extensive vocabulary and yet “ah” was all he could come up with. Could it be possible he’d stumbled upon the most perfect woman in the entire universe?
“So is that what you had in mind for my punishment—spanking me?” she asked.
“Indeed.”
“Do you always spank women you bring home to your church house?”
Her teasing made him laugh and find a firmer grip on the delightful reality he seemed to find himself in.
“Truthfully, I’ve never invited a woman here for this. I always play at the club. Which would explain my incredible awkwardness. I’m quite off balance.”
“I bet we could find a way to right the ship,” she said with a wink, and yes.Yes. He would feel so much more in control once they’d settled into their roles. So much more familiar and not such a hash of a priest leading his flock in worship and a top negotiating with a bottom he was drawn to like no other.
“Agreed. Limits, then?”
Plum’s mouth wrenched to the side.
“No actual underage kids, animals, corpses, the usual. Don’t break the skin or leave permanent marks. My safe words are red and yellow. First time we play, no bondage or sensory deprivation. My hard limits are whips, cutting, don’t hit me in the face or cut my hair. I don’t have any allergies or injuries you need to know about.”
She’d clearly done this before, and he appreciated her matter-of-factness.
“Understood, and we’re on the same page. Though I do enjoy whips.”
Plum shrugged. “You can do that with other people. I have been known to re-evaluate certain things after I’ve played with a partner for a while but no promises.”
“Fair enough. Anything else I should know before we start? Likes or dislikes? Triggers?”
“I don’t like being punished for my behavior when I’m a grown-up. If we’re in a scene and I’m a middle it’s great. Like, yes please, bring it on. But I don’t want to be punished for every day stuff. And don’t you fucking dare try to tell me how to run my business.”