We took a booth in the far corner, semi-private but not hidden. I slid in first, then pulled her close. Her leg brushed mine, and I could smell her perfume, something that has lingered since the night we met.
“This place,” I said, “it’s like a pause button.”
“So, it’s more than just the physical?”
“Much more.” I squeezed her hand. “It’s not about hurting anyone. It’s about not hurting myself. I don’t feel powerless when I’m here.”
“I know. You proved that the first night.”
“Yes, but we also should have had a more in-depth talk.”
“We were supposed to be a one-night stand. I don’t think that was needed.”
“It is, though.” He pressed. You need to know that you set the rules. You call the shots. That’s what makes it work. It’s about SSC and RACK.”
“What are those?” She cocked her head.
“SSC meansSafe, Sane,andConsensual.Means that whatever kink we are exploring is safe. For example, I know your limits and safeword. I know how to use any toys, tools, or other things. And that everything between us is consensual.”
“And RACK?”
“That meansRisk-Aware Consensual Kink.That both parties acknowledge and accept the risks that can happen during a scene and consent to them. Of course I would always be safe and careful with you, but in kinks like blood play, there is a risk.”
“Blood play? You do that?”
“If both parties consent, yes. Any BDSM dynamic is about consent. Power exchange isn’t about me having all the power. It’s about the power I am given. It’s earned, not taken from you. It’s respect.”
Her lips parted, then closed again like she was holding back too many questions. Finally, she whispered, “I was in a power exchange relationship before.”
“But you didn’t know these things?” I questioned. Any good Dom should have gone over these things with her.
“I think he said he was a Dom just to say it… the whole thing was bad.”
“Do you trust me to show you how it’s supposed to go?”
“Yes,” she nodded.
“Hard limits?”
“No gagging, but other than that, I think I’m okay.”
I nodded. “Good. Just say the word if anything shifts. You don’t have to explain. I always take care of you.”
“I like control,” I continued. “I like inflicting pain, but only the kind that heals something. When I spank a sub or mark them, it’s not about punishment. It’s about trust. About letting me take them apart safely so I can put them back together.”
She looked up at me, eyes steady. “I know. That’s why I trust you with it.”
“Would you like to go to a private room?”
“Please,” she whispered as she rubbed her thighs together.
I grabbed her hand and unlocked the door to the room I always liked to use. It was dim and smelled faintly of leather and something smoky. There were cuffs bolted to the walls, silk ropes neatly coiled in a drawer, and other items we wouldn’t need tonight.
I turned the lock, then slowly turned toward Mya. “Color system?” I asked.
“Green, yellow, red.”
“Safeword? Still ‘Shadow’?”
