He took a breath. “Not just the sex. It’s like I’m pulling her under an umbrella I’m holding. And when I read stuff about domestic discipline, head of the household, that kind of thing, that connects to it, closest fit, but not perfect. There’s this control, gentle-like most the time, but steady and firm, forming the center of our relationship. Fuck it, forget it. I can’t figure out how to say it.”
Marcus’s gaze warmed. “You said it well enough. Better than. How you feel things is even more important than how you describe them. But if I had to guess? I’d say what you two have is a very deep psychological Dom/sub relationship.”
Marcus tapped his head and chest. “All relationships exist in the head and heart, more than anywhere else. But for some people, the physical manifestation is going sky diving together, hiking Machu Picchu. For others, it’s Friday night television and sharing the paper on Sunday morning. Neither one is wrong.”
Marcus paused, considering. “Would you and Daralyn like the chance to see different Dom/sub relationships in action, in a lowkey environment? Not in a club. This is a private party happening around the time you were planning to go to Florida.”
Rory raised a brow. “I don’t know. Maybe. Where?”
“Outside of Tampa. Julie and Des would be there,” Marcus added.
Julie was a close friend of Thomas and Marcus’s. Over time, she’d practically adopted Rory’s family as her own, such that she was present at most of their holiday get-togethers and weighed in on any family dramas. While she loved her own family, she compared them to a group of polite aliens, a total cosmic mismatch with her outgoing and affectionate personality.
Though Thomas had met her in New York, she currently ran a theater in Charlotte that specialized in erotic productions, an artsy community theater style thing. As a result, it wasn’t surprising to hear she’d be at something like what Marcus was describing. “Is Julie recruiting for her next show?”
“Not exactly.” Marcus met his gaze and what Rory saw jolted him.
“No way.”
Marcus chuckled. “Julie told me it was okay for you to know. I clued her into what was going on with you and Daralyn. High level only. I wasn’t abusing your privacy, because she’d already picked up on it. It happens when you’re deep in that world. You start to have a radar for it.”
“So she and Des…”
Rory had a blink to imagine Julie as a flamboyant Mistress, complete with boots and whip. She was an outspoken person with a flair for drama, so that image worked.
“Yes. Des has been her Master for some time now. Before they got married.”
Okay, got that wrong. He should have realized there were no assumptions with this stuff. While Daralyn being a submissive would surprise no one, Thomas wouldn’t fit what most people would think about when they said the word. Yet that day on the back porch, it had been clear; not only did Marcus hold those reins in firm hands, Thomas needed that, down to the soul level.
Much like Rory felt about Daralyn, when she opened that part of herself to a deeper view.
On the flip side, imagining Julie’s husband, Desmond Hayes, as a Dom was new ground. But when Rory considered it, framing the quiet yet resolute Des as a total take-charge, still-waters Dominant was spot-on. And he should have figured that out quicker, because while he could fleetingly imagine Julie with the stereotyped Dominatrix gear, he could not in any reality, even for a second, imagine Des as a sub.
Yeah, Marcus might be right about that radar.
“So is this where we cue the Joan Cusack moment from In and Out?” Rory asked.
“‘Is everybody kinky?’” Marcus chuckled. “I’m still so proud of you for watching that movie. Your red neck is all but disappearing.”
“Not in this lifetime. Fuck off, Light-Loafers. Go get a manicure.”
“Ah, there it is, fresh as a sunburn after plowing a corn field. Anyhow, back to Florida. Do you remember Tyler Winterman from our wedding?”
“Vaguely. Isn’t he the guy that pisses you off because he outbid you on some weird Japanese sculpture of a wave and a sword?” As Rory spoke, he sifted through the blur of faces in his head from his brother’s wedding. “Though I admit, the samurai sword sounded sweet. You could detach it and melt the rest of it down for scrap.”
“I’m going to ignore that,” Marcus said. “How about the stunning woman with white-blond hair and blue eyes? Do you remember her?”
A light went off. “Yeah. Definitely remember her.”
“Figured,” Marcus said dryly. “That’s Marguerite. She’s his wife, so he would have been the guy sitting next to her. Anyhow, Tyler holds an annual fundraiser carnival on his property, a total kink fest, but he also hosts a couple smaller, quieter events during the year, with a closer group of friends. By special invitation only.”
“So Julie knows him?”
“Yes, but the reason they received an invite has to do with Des. He’s a well-known rope artist in the BDSM world, so he’ll be doing a demo at the event. Plus, Tyler’s interested in recruiting some of Julie’s theater performers for future events, so they’ll also do some networking.”
Marcus waved a hand. “But business isn’t the main purpose of the event. It’s enjoying the pleasures of BDSM in an environment where people can attend openly as Dominants and submissives. You’d see a variety of things. The setting is also ideal. He has a fantastic place, a restored plantation house, with a handful of guest houses on the property.”
“If it’s by special invitation only, how do we get one? Do I reach out to Julie?”
Marcus grimaced. “Much as I hate to admit this much of a relationship with Tyler, if I request an invitation for you and Daralyn, it’d be a done deal. He’ll send it directly to you. If your plans change, just politely decline, no problem.”
“Good to know.” Hearing that eased his concerns about locking them into something he or Daralyn might not ultimately feel good about. “If we go, wouldn’t we be expected to…participate?”
“Absolutely not,” Marcus said. “You can go simply to watch and learn, or participate at whatever level you wish. There are very structured rules at an event like this, and Tyler will be the first to explain them to you. They’re not the kind of rules meant to steal the oxygen out of the room. They’re intended to ensure the most comfortable experience possible for everyone attending.”
When Marcus met Rory’s gaze, there was a flintiness to his green eyes that reassured him. “Safety and respect are the two most important parts of a BDSM environment. If ever you find yourself in one where either of those things are missing, you should leave immediately.”
“Got it.”
“So, do you want me to have him send you the invite?”
Him and Daralyn at a Dom/sub event in Florida. Hearing him say it, even in his head, sounded a little out there. But Rory also couldn’t deny the track he and Daralyn seemed to be on, or that he wanted to pursue it even deeper.
“Yeah, okay. Thanks. I better get going. I’ve got to clean up some before I head for the store.” As he backed out the door, he nodded to the cup on the table. “Remember not to smoke around Daralyn. And air it out in here before she gets home. Maybe even change your clothes.”