Page 28 of The Star in Room 7

“Is that what you’re looking for?” he asks softly. “Something serious?”

“Maybe. I guess I’ll know if I ever find the right person.” I nudge his shoulder with my own. “What about you? Are you seeing anyone?” I can guess the answer.

“No. I mean, it’s hard to be in a relationship when you’re in the closet.”

“Hook-ups?”

He shakes his head. “Not since I moved to LA. At first, I was too busy, then after the film blew up, I just decided it wasn’t worth the risk, you know?”

I don’t know, but I can imagine.

“Umm… When you say ‘play’… What do you mean?”

“That depends on the boy I hook up with. Some enjoy being spanked, others like to be tied up. One boy just wanted to be blindfolded and cuddled.”

“Why?”

“He said it helped him to relax. He was a CEO, so his work was very stressful. He went to kink clubs to unwind. Being blindfolded and held by a Daddy allowed him to let go completely.”

Zach frowns. “A CEO? How old was he?”

I hum. “Fifty, maybe? I told you, age has nothing to do with the Daddy/boy dynamic. All that matters is that we’re both consenting adults. I’ve played with boys who are younger, the same age, and older than me. As long as they want to submit, they’re a boy.”

He nibbles on a piece of melon, his expression thoughtful. “What’s it like?” he asks eventually. “Letting go?”

“It can be amazing, as long as you’re with someone who makes you feel safe.”

“How—” He shakes his head.

“Go on,” I prompt.

“How would you help me relax? I mean, completely and utterly relax?”

My heart skips. “I’d hold you in my arms. I also think you’d benefit from a blindfold.”

“Like the CEO?”

I smile. “Yes. I think it would help. Give you one less thing to worry about. I’d put a silk blindfold around your eyes, and cradle you on my lap.”

He makes a soft, strangled noise. “That sounds nice,” he whispers. “I’ve never…”

“You could, if you want to.”

He glances at me, expression uncertain. “Do you think I’d like it?’

I shrug. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’d like to think you would.”

“What if I didn’t?”

“We’d have safe words, so you could ask for the scene to end whenever you want.”

“Scene?”

“Yes. That’s what it’s called when a Dom and sub play together. They agree on what’s going to happen during the scene beforehand, so there are no surprises. All kink play should be risk-aware and consensual. Always.”

Zach puts the skewer down and selects a pastry. “There’s a risk in being blindfolded and cuddled?”

“There’s risk in everything. Being blindfolded strips away one of your senses and heightens the others. It makes you extremely vulnerable. You’re trusting your partner to keep you safe. Trusting they’ll only touch you in ways you want them to. And when that touch comes, it’ll feel more intense than if you could see it coming. It will be a surprise, even if you know where your partner is allowed to touch you. You might realize you have a fear of the dark. Most people have never experienced absolute darkness. There might be a moment of panic; if there is, it needs to be communicated so that the scene can end, and your partner can take care of you. There’s never any shame in needing to stop. Never.”