AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That’s good because the vibes I’m getting are nervous pup.” Shifting to cross his ankles the other way, Eli raised one eyebrow. “How do you feel about that?”
Then he took a sip of his tea.
It was definitely a mic drop for drama queens kind of move.
I’d have to find a place to put it in a book.
“Well, several things actually.” I just wasn’t sure saying any of them was a good idea. But since we were probably well past good decision territory, I just shoved ahead. “I’m not sure what it has to do with me. Clearly, it does, but he’s allowed to like anything he wants to.”
The last part should’ve been too obvious to state, but it didn’t seem to be, so I said it anyway.
“I haven’t spent enough time watching them to understand the draw of being a pup, but I’m sure they’re very nice.” Everyone over there seemed to have fun at their job no matter how odd it looked, so Ender had obviously found something he liked about it.
“Provided I think I know what it means, it would explain his dating choices.” And why he put up with me constantly hovering over him. “Mentally, I’m circling back to the why does it involve me part, so I think this is where I pause and you offer pearls of wisdom?”
I wasn’t being sarcastic in the slightest but Eli glared at me before deciding that I hadn’t been a dick.
“Well, based on how you’ve described your relationship, I think it’s safe to say that he wants you to be his Handler.” Eli didn’t even pause as I gaped at him, he just kept going like this was a perfectly normal discussion to have with tea. “I’m not sure how much you understand about the BDSM lifestyle in general, or niche groups like pups, but it doesn’t have to be a sexual role unless that’s how you take it.”
Huh?
I had no idea how to respond to any of that, but the way Ender had gone completely silent under his blanket said that Eli was at least in the ballpark on the situation.
Okay, what did I know that would be applicable to real life and not dirty romance novels?
Chapter 3
Ender
Oh shit.
Why was Leif so quiet?
All I could hear was his breathing and the soft thinking sounds he made when he was writing. But that meant he wasn’t panicking? It wasn’t his mumbled curses like when he got stuck on a scene or about the topic of an article he was supposed to be writing about.
That meant he couldn’t be too frustrated with me, right?
“Alright, from what I’ve read, I understand it doesn’t have to be sexual in nature but it will be intimate.” As I sat there dumbfounded and still hiding, Leif just kept going like it was a report he was presenting in front of a class back in high school. “A sub generally feels more grounded in life when they have a Dom, sexual or not, and safewords are incredibly important.”
“That’s a rather odd list of knowledge. Are you a Dom?” Eli had a very good question but I’d have never been able to ask it in such an offhand way.
“No, but I had a request for some mild BDSM in a book I wrote recently and that’s what stuck out at me that would apply in this situation and what I knew was real versus the fantasy that can be in fiction.” Leif’s very logical and surprising answer had me peeking around the edge of the blanket.
Shoot.
I couldn’t see him.
But as I went back to hiding, Eli asked another question for me. “What did you think of the dynamics that you researched?”
“It wasn’t offensive if that’s what you’re asking.” Leif didn’t seem confused by the questions just slightly huffy. “I can see why someone would be drawn to the lifestyle, but I’m not going to make up a thousand useless rules just to give him ones to follow, and I really can’t see myself spanking him as a punishment. That’s not a good way to change anyone’s behavior, first of all, and secondly, I don’t approve of fear-based motivators.”
His family were dicks, so I could understand that.
I was debating how to explain that to Eli when it turned out that I didn’t need to. “That’s understandable. People are drawn to the lifestyle for different reasons, and I agree that Ender does not seem to be someone I’d use fear to motivate. He’s a praise and reward pup, obviously.”
Obviously?
How long had he been watching me watching him?
