“I…I…could have asked for help?”
Fuck. That made him feel ill.
He gently clasped hold of her chin, raising her face. “You aren’t immediately stripped of your rights when you walk through that damn door, Betsy. You are in control here. If you don’t want to do something then you say your safeword. If for some reason whoever you’re with doesn’t heed it, you say it louder. You fucking scream it, okay? You do not go along with something that some prick wants just because you think you have to or you don’t want to rock the boat or whatever else you were fucking thinking. Your submission is a gift and no asshole has the right to take it from you. That’s abuse, got me?”
She blinked several times, and he wished he could tell what she was thinking.
“I understand, Sir,” she said quietly.
“Good. Next time you come to the club, what are you going to do?”
“Go straight to the sub area.”
“Right. And if you feel you need it, you can ask for an escort. And you don’t negotiate a scene yourself, understand?”
“Y-yes. I…I…”
“What is it?”
“Can you negotiate the scenes for me? Since you’re my mentor?”
Fuck, no. He closed his eyes for a second, trying to rein in his first reaction. He didn’t want her to think he was rejecting her. Fact was, he didn’t want her scening with anyone else. His possessiveness wasn’t a good thing.
“I can’t be your mentor, Betsy. I’m not here often enough and I’m not a club Dom. Last weekend was just a favor.”
“But tonight…”
“I stepped in because I saw you with that ass, Jeffries, and you looked terrified. Stay away from him, all right?”
She shuddered. “Yes, all right.”
“I’m only here tonight to scene then I’m going. I probably won’t be back for several weeks.”
“Oh.” She was silent. “If you want someone to scene with, I could…” she trailed off.
“You couldn’t give me what I need, brown eyes.” He tried to soften the blow, but he felt her flinch. She sat up and he let her move away from him. “I need a sub with more experience. Tell me why you put age play down as a hard limit.”
“I’m not…I’m not interested.”
Right. And he had some magic beans to sell. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t wish to, Betsy. But do not lie to me.”
Right, because you’re so truthful with her?
He hadn’t lied exactly. He preferred subs with experience. And he didn’t want her getting attached to him.
“I…I…I’m not sure about any of it.”
“Understand that, babe. But don’t cut yourself off from something entirely if you feel an interest just because it doesn’t seem like you should like it. This is the place where you can let your needs and desires
out without fear of being judged.”
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. There were still people who would judge her. But there was more acceptance here than outside these walls.
“How did you feel the other night when we were in the Littles’ room? And before you answer, tell me the truth.”
More silence.
“I guess I was nervous, and scared and interested. I felt more at home there than I do out here. Being out here, it’s kind of scary. In there, it felt safer.”