‘So, it was a bit like our story?’ said Rosie. ‘It all happened by accident?’
‘Oh, I don’t think it was any accident,’ I said, with an arch look at Jasper. ‘He knew exactly who he’d hired. He’d read an article I wrote about Victorian BDSM practices and implements.’
‘Oh, my! So he drew you in. It was all part of the plan.’
Rosie’s eyes questioned Jasper.
He shrugged and returned a tight smile.
‘Perhaps I had something like that in the back of my mind,’ he confessed. ‘I thought it was a chance worth taking.’
‘It paid off,’ said Trix.
‘Absolutely,’ said Jasper, and now it was his turn to snake an arm around my waist, bring his fingers up into my hair and tickle the sensitive area behind my ear. This never failed to produce a stunning effect, and he knew it.
My breathing was suddenly erratic.
He buried his face in my neck and kissed it.
It was quick, over in a moment, but I was so wet between my legs now that I feared for the seat of my Chippendale chair.
‘And when you found Jasper’s kinky stash,’ Rosie continued, ‘did you know that you would be kindred spirits?’
I bit my lip. ‘I guess it was something I had an interest in – I’d written that article, after all. But I’d never thought it would actually happen, in my real life. Jasper made it so easy for me, though. He just knew. All I had to do was trust him.’
‘Goodness, easier said than done,’ exclaimed Trix.
‘I know, but I can’t explain it … it was just easy.’
‘Love at first sight,’ suggested Rosie.
‘Maybe. Something like that.’
‘Trust is a funny thing, isn’t it?’ mused Trix. ‘I’m such an old hand now that I can almost read a new dom straight off. I know what to look out for, I suppose. My instincts have served me very well – it’s been years since I made a mistake on that front.’
‘Did you make a mistake?’ asked Rosie.
‘In my early days,’ she admitted. ‘But this was before Kinky Cupcake, before I was on any kind of scene. Just blundering through, trying to negotiate my sexuality without having much of a clue how to do it. My curiosity was several steps ahead of my common sense back then.’
‘What happened?’ Rosie put her wineglass to her mouth and a bit sloshed out and spilled down her top. ‘Shit.’
‘Nothing dramatic. Just a couple of guys I met through contact ads. Had to call the scenes off halfway through. Well, one was halfway through. The other was right at the beginning, when he produced the knife …’
‘Yikes,’ I said with feeling.
‘But it was partly my fault. We hadn’t talked about limits, and I should have insisted. I’ve been much more sensible
since then.’
‘And now you’re the belle of the BDSM ball,’ cried Rosie, flourishing her glass.
Trix laughed. ‘Sweet of you to say so.’ Her features settled into sobriety. ‘But I have to say … although I know in my heart that monogamy will never be for me, seeing people like you guys sometimes gets me right here.’ She put a hand to her chest. ‘What you have … well, I have to tell myself quite sternly that it’s not better than what I have. Just different. Seeing the way Dimitri looks at you, though … But I’m a free spirit, and always will be.’
‘To free spirits,’ said Dimitri, raising a glass then emptying it down his throat in one quick, rather uncoordinated move.
‘So,’ said Jasper, rising from the table to indicate that the meal – or rather the boozy blether – was over. ‘This website, Trix. Shall we move to the screening room and take a look? I’m very interested to see your work.’
‘Oh, sure,’ she said. ‘I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. I’ll pass them on to Persephone.’