“About this. About what we’re doing.”
Mel pushed the ice around her drink with a straw, recalling the conversation she’d had with Jess earlier. Did Vanessa want their physical affair to be something more?
“I’m making you nervous?” Vanessa said. “Why?”
“I have been wondering. What exactly is it that you want? It’s just, I’m not looking for anything serious. Like a relationship. Not right now.”
Vanessa raised an eyebrow. “Last time we got together, I tied you to a bed. Do you really think I’m interested in romance?”
Relief flooded Mel’s body. “I guess not.”
“I assure you, I’m not looking for a relationship either. Well, not in the conventional sense. I want nothing more than what I’ve already told you. I want to show you all about the pleasures of submission. Do you still want that?”
“Yes. I do.”
“Are you sure? No more reservations?”
“I’m sure.” That voice at the back of Mel’s head telling her that her submissive desires made her weak? It had faded to nothing after that conversation with Vanessa.
“That’s what I want to talk about. It’s very clear from what you’ve told me that you want more than being tied to a bed. Am I right?”
“Yes.” Mel flushed. She had been far more open with Vanessa that night than she had intended. Vanessa seemed to have that effect on her.
“If we’re going to do this, there are quite a few things we need to discuss,” Vanessa said. “We need to be responsible. I’m not going to just tie you up and flog you without any prior discussion.”
Vanessa’s words planted a very sexy image in Mel’s mind. She couldn’t help but grin.
“Really, Melanie?” Vanessa shook her head with a smile. “You just can’t help yourself, can you?”
Mel shrugged sheepishly. She found it hard enough to keep her imagination in check even without Vanessa feeding it suggestions.
“In all seriousness, you need to know what we’re getting into. BDSM can be risky. Physically, mentally, emotionally. So it’s essential that we communicate. About boundaries, consent, limits, and a whole host of other things. You already have a safe word. That’s a start. But do you know what your hard limits are? The things that you won’t do under any circumstances?”
“I haven’t really thought about it,” Mel said. “But there are definitely things I never want to try.”
“You don’t have to tell me them now. I’ll give you some time to think about everything. And this is an ongoing conversation, not a one-time discussion. But what I need you to understand is that this kind of relationship is all about communication.”
“Okay.?
?? Mel tried to ignore Vanessa’s use of the word ‘relationship.’
Vanessa’s phone rang. “I should check this. It could be work.” She took her phone out of her bag and looked at it, an almost imperceptible frown on her face.
“Is everything okay?” Mel asked.
“Yes. It’s nothing important.” Vanessa silenced the phone and slid it back into her bag. “Now, where were we? Is there anything you’d like to ask me?”
Mel thought for a moment. “What do you get out of this? Out of having someone submit to you?”
Vanessa looked out through the glass. “I’ve said it before. We’re alike, you and I. Hard working, ambitious, obsessed with control and self-discipline. It can be consuming. We both want a temporary escape from all of that. It simply manifests in us in different ways.” Vanessa looked back at Mel. “You want to give up control, to lose yourself in a way that you would never allow yourself to out in the real world. Me? I want control in its purest, most absolute form. What I do gives me complete power over another person in the most intimate of ways. I become her Master, her whole world. Her everything.”
Mel felt a chill wash over her.
“There’s an immense satisfaction that comes from having the power to make someone fall apart with nothing more than a word. Or, a touch.” Without breaking her gaze, Vanessa placed her hand on Mel’s knee under the bar and slid it up the inside of Mel’s thigh.
Mel’s body stiffened as Vanessa’s hand crept higher. Mel looked around. Could anyone see them?
“All those fantasies you told me about? I’m going to grant them, and so much more. I’ll show you how good it feels to relinquish control. I’ll take you to heights of pleasure that you’ve only dreamed of. I’ll show you the sweet oblivion that comes with total submission.”