Jeff knew he was being teased, but he didn’t really mind when Eddie did it with such an open smile. Still. “I’m not really a gardener,” he said. “Hard landscaping is a whole different thing to horticulture, and I don’t have the qualifications for that.”
“But you’d like them?”
“Yeah. I love flowers.” It wasn’t something Jeff had ever admitted before, but this man had no connection to the rest of Jeff’s life. It wasn’t like word would get back to Jeff’s family, was it? Well, unless Eddie told Maddy, and she told Niall, and Niall ran into Tony in the village… Shit, that was a connection, wasn’t it? “Don’t tell anyone that, though,” he ordered.
“Don’t worry, your secrets are safe with me.” Eddie’s eyes crinkled at the edges, and Jeff had to wonder how old he was. He dressed and talked young enough, but Jeff’s skin hadn’t started creasing up like that yet. Shit, was Eddie older than him?
“Come on,” Eddie said. “I’m dying for a beer.”
He drank beer too? Posh blokes didn’t drink beer, did they? They were meant to like wine and single malt whiskies or something. And Jeff was fairly certain gay men drank cocktails, not pints.
However, it turned out Eddie drank real ale by the pint, which actually shamed Jeff from buying his usual fizzy lager. The pub had six different ales to choose from, and he went for one called Skullcrusher. That was a suitably macho name, wasn’t it? Yeah. And no one was going to think him and Eddie were a couple. Not with Eddie dressed in fairly normal clothes.
Jeff began to relax as they found a corner table and sat down. He ordered steak and chips, and Eddie lived up to expectations and ordered the mussels with the fancy French name. Seafood. Ugh.
“So,” Eddie said after the waiter had taken their order, “what’s all this I hear about you being a switch?”
Jeff choked on his mouthful of beer.
Eddie watched Jeff struggle to clear his throat. He wasn’t blushing, but he was definitely floundering.
“Where did you hear that? It’s a lie.”
“Oh, I have my sources. Like I said, friends all over. Never know when they’re going to come in handy.”
Jeff was looking really worried now, playing with the foam on the top of his beer with one fingertip as an excuse not to have to look at Eddie. Eddie took pity on him. “Don’t worry, it was only Maddy. She said some Domme wants to take you on as her sub.”
“She’s nuts. Sandi, I mean, not Maddy. There’s no way I’d ever let anyone hurt me or order me around.”
“Why not?” Please don’t let it be because you think subs are weak. Eddie refused to be thought of in that way.
“Just because.” Jeff glowered into his pint. “I don’t like pain, and I don’t like being told what to do.”
“What happens when you feel pain?”
“What do you think? It bloody well hurts!”
“And that’s unpleasant?”
“Of course. Isn’t it for you?”
Oh, and there it was. A question from Jeff about how Eddie experienced things. Marvellous. They were getting somewhere at last. Eddie considered carefully before answering. “Some kinds of pain are just as bad for me as they are for you. I’m a complete wuss when it comes to a headache or toothache or any pains from the inside of my body. You know. Stomach cramps or torn ligaments or what have you. But for some reason, I’ve never been all that bothered by pain coming from the outside.”
“So you just don’t feel pain all that much, then?”
“I feel it the same as anyone else, I think. I reckon I just process it differently. It feels sparkly or warm or just plain interesting. Used to always be getting the other kids to give me Chinese burns because they felt so tingly afterwards. And grazed knees were really intense, but not altogether bad. Used to love pressing on scabs just to feel that crackly sort of pain. It gave me a kind of high. The endorphins, I suppose.” Eddie realised Jeff was now staring at him like he was some kind of bizarre museum exhibit. “What? You’re telling me you never worried your scabs?”
“You end up getting scars if you do that.”
Wasn’t that the truth? “You sound just like my mum. And yeah, you’re right, but I just can’t bring myself to be bothered about them. Every scar tells a story, you know? Even if it was just about the time I totalled my bike because I was showing off in front of Ralph Tidyman. He was seriously fit for a fifteen-year-old.” Eddie smiled to himself, thinking about that one time he had persuaded Ralph to drop his trousers so Eddie could blow him. It was over way too fast, and Ralph completely ignored him after that, but he’d recently seen Ralph’s Facebook status updated to him being engaged to some guy named Marcus, so he liked to think he’d been instrumental in giving the teenage Ralph his first taste of gay sex.
Belatedly, Eddie realised he’d gone off in a bit of a daydream there, but when he drew his attention back to Jeff, it was to find him worrying his beer mat, obviously deep in thought.
“Do all submissives feel that way?” Jeff eventually asked, in a tentative kind of voice that was different to his usual swaggering growl.
Now this was something Eddie could definitely answer. “No, not all of them. For some subs, it’s all about following orders, having choices taken away from them or being humiliated. Painsluts are a distinct group on their own, and not everyone who’s a painslut is all that submissive either. I can be submissive with the right Top, but too many orders without enough sensory gratification make me feel rebellious. And I’m not remotely submissive outside of scenes. You tried ordering me about right now, I’d tell you where to go.”
“Is that so?” Jeff quirked a challenging smile. If Eddie didn’t know the man was straight—or thought himself straight at any rate—he’d definitely call that a flirtatious smile. And oh my God, Jeff looked sexy like that. Kind of devilish with his lifted eyebrow and sharp canines.
Eddie fluttered his eyelashes. “You could always try it and see what happens.”
Jeff took a deep draught of his ale and then leaned back in his seat. For a moment, Eddie thought he was about to take him up on his challenge. What would it be? Something humiliating in front of a pub full of people?
“So you get high off pain? It’s never too much for you?”
Yeah, that was more like it. “If the Top knows what he’s doing, I get high. All swimmy-headed. It’s like being drunk or something. But that doesn’t mean I love every last crack of the whip. In fact, I’m not all that fond of canings and whippings when they’re being done. Fucking smarts, but then afterwards I soar.”
“And it turns you on too? You know, sexually?”
Would knowing it did put Jeff off? Fuck it. Eddie would take his chances. “Yep. Like I said, endorphins. Of course, I’m happiest if they’re helped along by the occasional tug. I really hate it when a Top ties me up and tortures me but never once touches my cock. It’s bloody hard to come without any contact.”
Jeff pulled a face. Bugger. He’d gone too far then. But all Jeff said was “You’re right there.”
Intriguing. “So you have tried subbing for someone, then?”
“Not exactly.” Jeff’s pint was being all fascinating again. Eddie could see the moment when he reached a decision to confess. “It was my ex. We were together thirteen years. Thirteen years! You think you know a person after that long.” Jeff trailed off, but Eddie kept quiet, waiting for him to continue. “Anyway, things had gone stale, and we decided to spice it up a bit. She didn’t want to be tied up, though, so I said I’d let her do it to me. Fucking stupid decision, that was. She did a strip tease, then something I said pissed her off for some reason, and she stormed out of the house in her dressing gown. She left me tied to the bedposts. Took me ages to work free.”
“Ah. So I’m not going to need to tell you about the cardinal rule of not leaving a bound sub on their own, then.”
“No, you’re all right
there. I’d never wish that on anyone. Almost dislocated my arm getting out of that one. And she’d only used a couple of her silk scarves. I dread to think what it would have been like with rope.”
“Actually, silk’s an extremely strong fibre.”
Jeff smiled ruefully. “Well, I say silk coz she used to call them that, but I don’t reckon they were that fancy. She bought most of her clothes down the market.”
“A style icon by the sounds of it.”
Jeff gave a sad smile, and Eddie told himself off for being catty. “So when did the two of you call it a day?”
“Only six months ago. I’m still getting used to this whole dating thing.”
Eddie looked at the tea light burning at the centre of the table, then up at Jeff. He couldn’t keep the wicked smile from his face. “Bet you never thought you’d end up having a dinner date with a man.”
“Fuck off, this isn’t a date.” Jeff folded his arms, which just made him ten times hotter. Why did Eddie have such a thing for riling a Top’s temper?
But just then their meal arrived, and the young woman serving it gave them a knowing look. Jeff glared at her, and Eddie smiled sweetly. “Thanks, love,” he said. “And can we see the dessert menu later please? Do you have any sharing desserts?” He turned to Jeff and said casually, “They’re so much more romantic, don’t you think, darling?”
“Fuck off.” For a moment, Eddie was sure he’d pushed him too far, but then Jeff shook his head and smiled. “You’re a right pain in the arse, you are. You deserve a good punishment for that.”
Eddie waited for the waitress to move out of earshot before leaning forward. “I’ll happily accept a spanking. You look like you’ve got great hands for it. Big and wide. And those arm muscles look like you could pack a good wallop. There’d be no need to hold back with me, you know. I can take as much as you can give.”
Jeff’s pupils flared, and though he shook his head, he kept eye contact with Eddie. Yep, he was thinking about it all right. Now all Eddie had to do was keep him happy for the rest of the meal, and see where things led from there.
Jeff didn’t know what the fuck was happening to him, but at some point in the last hour, he’d gone from being determined nothing was going to happen with Eddie to being equally determined to give the man a royal spanking for his cheek. It wasn’t like either of them would have to take any clothes off. There’d be nothing sexual about Jeff putting a fully clothed man across his lap and giving his arse a bloody good wallop. Teachers used to do it, didn’t they? And his dad had done it to him once or twice.
Yeah, it would be more like Jeff asserting his authority and showing the cheeky bastard just who was boss.
They didn’t end up getting dessert after all, because when the waitress arrived to clear their plates, Jeff told her not to bother with the menu.
Eddie gave him a quizzical look.
“We’re leaving,” Jeff announced. “For my place.”
“Really?” Eddie leaned back in his seat and gave Jeff a lazy smile. “And what makes you think I’d be willing to go back to some isolated cottage with a man I barely know?”
“Because you’re gagging for it.”
“Am I now?”
“You’ve been making eyes at me all evening.”
Eddie raised one eyebrow. “I’m surprised you noticed. Most aggressively heterosexual men choose to ignore it when I flirt.”
Jeff had had enough of the banter. He stood up. “So, are you coming or not?”
“Well, that depends. We haven’t talked through what we’re going to be doing yet. I haven’t let you know my limits either.”
“Niall said you don’t really have any.”
Now Eddie leaned back in the booth, crossing one leg up on the other knee. “Well, that’s blatantly untrue. I have some limits. There’s really gross and dangerous stuff I won’t do, but yeah, he’s right. I’ve tried most things.”
“So what’s the point in discussing it? I’m not going to do anything gross or dangerous.”
“The point is, I do have limits for a first hookup with someone I don’t know well, especially when it’s on their territory. For instance, you’d have to use a condom for oral. I’m not into taking stupid risks.”
“Who uses a condom for a blowjob?”
“Anyone who doesn’t want to risk sexually transmitted diseases.”
“I don’t have any sexually transmitted diseases!” Jeff realised he might have said that loud enough for the neighbouring diners to hear, but he had nothing to be ashamed of.
“I’m not saying you do, but how would I know? It’s a lot to take on trust. After all, you’ve been dating recently, haven’t you?”
“Yeah, but I nev—” Jeff clammed up, realising what he’d been about to admit. Not cool. Not remotely cool. “It hasn’t always got to that stage.”
“Oh yeah. I heard about what happened with that girl. What was her name, Gwyneth?”
“Gwen,” Jeff corrected, and he bloody well didn’t have anything to be ashamed of there, he told his burning cheeks. Premature ejaculation could happen to anyone. Even really premature, before-the-first-spank ejaculation.
Even premature ejaculation that ended up all over a pussy. And not the right kind of pussy either. He knew he should have insisted Gwen locked her stupid bloody cat out of the room. To his credit, Eddie wasn’t smirking, but that didn’t stop Jeff giving him a forbidding glare. “It’s none of your business, anyway.”
“Hey, chill. It’s no big deal. Everyone gets a bit overexcited their first few times. I blew my load within minutes of starting my first scene. The top really wasn’t impressed with me. Earned me a right walloping.” Eddie looked positively proud of himself.
But who disciplined the Dom when they fucked up? Gwen had given him a withering look and started fussing over her cat. She’d named him Mr. Tiddles, for fuck’s sake. Wasn’t Jeff’s fault he couldn’t get it up again after that. It was just… Well, he’d been embarrassed. And humiliation really wasn’t a kink of his. Humiliating someone else was fine, though. So long as they enjoyed it. Would Eddie enjoy it? He was about to ask, but then he remembered what they’d started out discussing. Definitely a safer topic of conversation than the whole Gwen thing.
“Anyway, we’re not going to need rubbers, because a blowjob isn’t going to happen. No way.”
“Okay, well, we’ll see. And no bondage and no gags. No blindfolds either. And my safeword is pancetta.”
“Pancetta?” Now Jeff had heard it all.
“What’s wrong with pancetta? I love the stuff.”
“That’s such a middle-class safeword. I bet it’s Waitrose pancetta too, isn’t it?”
“Actually, I do all my grocery shopping in Marks and Spencer.”
“No one does all their shopping in M&S. It would cost a bloody fortune. What’s wrong with Tesco?” Jeff shopped in Tesco, and they had everything he needed, including a few luxuries he didn’t.
“I’ve never even been into a Tesco. Or an Asda. Or a Morrisons, come to think of it.”
Jeff couldn’t believe his ears. Were there really people out there who didn’t care about saving money on food? “You’re so bloody posh,” he said.
Eddie grinned. “Well, I am at the upper end of middle class. Can’t really help that. What? You don’t have a problem with that, do you? I’d have thought it would add a bit of extra spice for a working-class man like yourself, being able to dominate someone of a higher social status.”
Jeff felt a bit miffed at being called working class and lower status, but there was nothing to be ashamed of in honest toil. “You’re no better than me just coz you talk all fancy.”
“Right you are.” Eddie stood, which disconcerted Jeff for a moment because he’d forgotten how tall Eddie was while he was seated. Fortunately, Eddie then sat back on the edge of the table, which evened things
up a bit. “Then part of the fun for you will be in making sure I know you’re superior to me. Go on. Have a go. Insult me and put me in my place.”
Jeff gulped. The last time he’d tried to insult a woman, it had gone spectacularly badly and ended up with him doubled over, holding back the tears after a knee right in the happy sac. But Eddie was inviting Jeff to put him down, so he was hardly likely to get violent, was he? Besides, despite Eddie’s height advantage, Jeff had the feeling he could take him in a fight. He didn’t have the same qualms about hitting blokes as he did about hitting women.
Trouble was, he didn’t really know any good insults for men. Fuck it. He’d try what he’d called that bird from the dating agency. He pulled himself up as tall as he could and glared. “You’re just a dirty bitch, and you need a man to show you what’s what. Now get in your poncy little car and follow my truck back to my place. I’m not going to let a tramp like you soil my seats.”
“Ooh, that’s the stuff.” Eddie’s smile turned downright dirty. “Tell me, Sir, have you got any instructions for when we get to your place? Want me to stay in the car until I’m fetched? Or should I get out and stand with my hands on my head?”
Christ. That idea was strangely appealing, but Jeff couldn’t risk his neighbours seeing anything so odd going on. There was nothing weird about a mate coming back to his house in the evening for a bit, though, was there? Okay, so they might remark on Eddie’s wheels, but it wasn’t like the man was driving something naff like a Fiat Panda.
“You just get out and act normal. I’ll let you know what I want when we get inside.”
Eddie’s eyes flicked down, and Jeff knew he was being checked out. He adjusted his bits, surprised to feel just how much blood had pumped down there. Huh. He wasn’t hard by any means, but he wasn’t exactly soft either. Must be all the testosterone from ordering Eddie about and calling him a bitch.
How to Train Your Dom in Five Easy Steps Page 4