Page 42 of Love Lessons: Expanded Edition

She hadn’t gotten a chance to last time with her hands bound. When they’d woken up the next morning, she’d been far too skittish to try.

She was still feeling a bit skittish.

He turned to face her fully. Before we do anything else, I want to check in about a few things.

Good. This was good. Checking in usually meant planning a scene, and planning a scene meant hot sex, and that was something she was totally up for. Sure, she smiled, swinging her hips as she walked over to him.

When she was Lena, she always wished her hips were a little wider and her waist a little narrower, but she usually didn’t dwell on it. She actually loved her body, but it didn’t stop her small insecurities when she was with a new person.

The sway she put into her hips felt right for how she felt, but it also helped cover the little things she sometimes worried about. By the expression on Dustin’s face, it was working. His eyes traveled all over her body.

She settled herself onto the couch, making a show of pointing her toes as she crossed one long leg over the other. Dustin’s eyes showed only desire. It looked like today would be just as good as last time.

But he wasn’t deterred from their discussion. Let’s talk about your schedule. I imposed myself on you today, so I wanted to make sure that we make time for anything else you had planned.

OK, that wasn’t quite what she’d expected, but she could make it work. It supported her TPE theory, though. Maybe, for him, this was part of the kink. She didn’t want someone who actually controlled all of her schedule. She was far too busy and independent. But… the idea of Dustin knowing what it was and maybe managing just a bit of it made her feel surprisingly warm.

She reminded herself that this didn’t mean anything. Dustin was just new to all of this and testing things out.

He touched her thigh, reminding her that she still hadn’t answered. I think all my plans now involve you, me, and my toy bin, she deflected, rolling her shoulders seductively. Most of her plans could be put off until tomorrow anyway.

Dustin laughed and she felt her cheeks grow warm. She knew he wanted her, so how had she messed it up again?

God, you’re cute. I love your energy.

Lena searched his face. Was he being serious? His smile was genuine, like she’d said something adorable and funny. She’d thought that he was laughing at her, but maybe he was laughing with her, like they were sharing a joke.

And he loved her energy? He never seemed to compliment her on the things she thought he would, and it made her feel a little bubbly and warm inside.

Let’s try this again. What were your plans for today? He was still smiling, looking at Lena almost adoringly.

Lena shrugged. Did he really want to hear this? But when she hesitated, his face grew stern and she didn’t want to disappoint him. I was going to do some laundry, but I can do it tomorrow. And I was going to work on a letter to the school district office about their decisions for my program. I need to do some lesson planning, but only for one class. And I was going to make enough of some sort of food to have some leftovers during the week.

He nodded seriously, like all of this was important information. Thank you for telling me. How much time do you need for lesson plans and the school district letter?

I want to say an hour? But maybe two if I get carried away. I can put it off until tomorrow, though. Usually I’m actually much busier, but I hit a week where all of my committee work happens to be a little low, and next week I’ll mostly be teaching lessons that I’ve done before and feel pretty good about.

Dustin smiled, his eyes crinkling. I’d love to see you teach some time. I bet you’re amazing. And I’m sure you’ll tear the school board to pieces. In the most respectful, pointed way, of course.

Lena found herself blushing again, but for a different reason this time. It was like Dustin was crossing into all of the parts of her life. She expected her colleagues to compliment her for her work and the men she brought home to compliment her for her body. It was nice, though. Like he was interested in her instead of just what she could do or how she looked.

She wasn’t quite sure what to say, though.

I think we can fit all of that in, he continued. Just remember that you can use your safewords if you need to. Or just ask me if you have a question.

Lena nodded, even though she was still feeling confused. Was she supposed to safeword about doing her laundry?

Then, Dustin switched topics again. What type of movies do you like?

Fuck. She might as well rip up every script she had. I like almost everything. Mostly action movies. Sci fi or rom coms if they’re written well.

He nodded, picking up the remote. Good. Come on over.

This was just… confusing. They weren’t going to have a scene now? But why did it feel so intense? She needed a moment to think. I have to use the bathroom.

He nodded, as though in approval. Did she need his approval to use the bathroom? Did she want to need his approval? You can change into more comfortable clothes if you prefer.

She felt herself bristling. Did he have an issue with her gender presentation after all? Like what?