relationship, I can give you that.”
He nodded slowly, tapping his finger against his bottom lip. She wondered what he was thinking.
“I just wanted you to know up front that I might not be able to give you what you wanted.” Liar. You’re halfway there . “But if that’s a problem, let me know,” she said, hoping he’d go through with it anyway. They had enough chemistry and things in common that she knew they’d make a good team.
He snared her with his eyes. A small grin tugged at his lip. “I just needed to be sure we both understood what the other expected. If I don’t get what I need and you don’t get what you need, it won’t be because we didn’t know, right?”
Everything inside her rebelled at not getting what she wanted. It never occurred to her that he might draw back. On the one hand, she wanted an Alpha sub, one with that indefinable thing called “moxie.” On the other hand, when his ideas or code of honor clashed with something she wanted, she wanted his moxie to turn into mush. She’d miscalculated a few things.
“What are your thoughts on finances?”
She looked across the table at him. His eyes were on the frayed edges of the paper napkin between his fingertips but she had his complete attention.
“I take care of them.” She threw the words out there to get his reaction.
His eyes grew cold as he gazed at her. “I work.”
“For me, yes.”
He sat straighter. “I have my own business.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Yes…yes I do.” His tongue ran across his lower lip. “Just as you went to college to fulfill your dreams, so did I. I love what I do and I can’t imagine not working on graphics jobs. The variety keeps me sharp.”
She appreciated the manner in which he stated his case. He didn’t give her an ultimatum; rather, he explained why it was important to him to continue in his field. She wasn’t done messing with him yet, though.
“Let me ask you this.”
He nodded.
“If I was a man, and you were my female sub, and I told you that I would take care of you, that I didn’t want you to work outside my home, would that be different?”
“Probably. But that doesn’t change the fact that in spite of being a man I love the work that I do. It makes me happy and more productive.”
“More productive?” She laughed. That was a good one. “Okay. You work at home, I work at the office, good?”
He nodded. “I’d like to help pay—”
“The mortgage, utilities, insurance, and car bills are paid automatically through the bank and I’m not changing that.”
“Mistress, I have to contribute something.”
“You will.” Her smirk changed into a full-blown grin at his obvious frustration.
“I mean to my living arrangements. Perhaps I can be responsible for buying all the food and cleaning supplies, since I’ll be doing the cooking and cleaning anyway.”
Her reluctance for him paying for anything in the house stemmed from not wanting to feel she owed him anything when they parted ways. But food was a consumable item.
“Okay, you can take over the groceries. But you’ll have to stop tripping when I pay for things sometimes when we’re together.”
He nodded. “I know. It just took me by surprise, that’s all. I paid most of my former Mistress’ bills with no problem. I don’t know any subs who don’t help the Dommes financially.” He paused as if he wanted to say something and then shook his head. “Just as long as you know I don’t mind helping out.”
“You have a retirement plan? Health insurance?” she asked.
“Yes on insurance. I have savings.”
Not good enough . “I want you to put half of your money into an IRA or some type of retirement plan for later. That would make me happy.”
He looked at her with a healthy dose of skepticism.
“I’m serious. I want you to be in a better position financially. I need to know this relationship is positive on several levels.”
He nodded. “I understand.
“Good.”
He coughed and
He nodded slowly, tapping his finger against his bottom lip. She wondered what he was thinking.
“I just wanted you to know up front that I might not be able to give you what you wanted.” Liar. You’re halfway there . “But if that’s a problem, let me know,” she said, hoping he’d go through with it anyway. They had enough chemistry and things in common that she knew they’d make a good team.
He snared her with his eyes. A small grin tugged at his lip. “I just needed to be sure we both understood what the other expected. If I don’t get what I need and you don’t get what you need, it won’t be because we didn’t know, right?”
Everything inside her rebelled at not getting what she wanted. It never occurred to her that he might draw back. On the one hand, she wanted an Alpha sub, one with that indefinable thing called “moxie.” On the other hand, when his ideas or code of honor clashed with something she wanted, she wanted his moxie to turn into mush. She’d miscalculated a few things.
“What are your thoughts on finances?”
She looked across the table at him. His eyes were on the frayed edges of the paper napkin between his fingertips but she had his complete attention.
“I take care of them.” She threw the words out there to get his reaction.
His eyes grew cold as he gazed at her. “I work.”
“For me, yes.”
He sat straighter. “I have my own business.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Yes…yes I do.” His tongue ran across his lower lip. “Just as you went to college to fulfill your dreams, so did I. I love what I do and I can’t imagine not working on graphics jobs. The variety keeps me sharp.”
She appreciated the manner in which he stated his case. He didn’t give her an ultimatum; rather, he explained why it was important to him to continue in his field. She wasn’t done messing with him yet, though.
“Let me ask you this.”
He nodded.
“If I was a man, and you were my female sub, and I told you that I would take care of you, that I didn’t want you to work outside my home, would that be different?”
“Probably. But that doesn’t change the fact that in spite of being a man I love the work that I do. It makes me happy and more productive.”
“More productive?” She laughed. That was a good one. “Okay. You work at home, I work at the office, good?”
He nodded. “I’d like to help pay—”
“The mortgage, utilities, insurance, and car bills are paid automatically through the bank and I’m not changing that.”
“Mistress, I have to contribute something.”
“You will.” Her smirk changed into a full-blown grin at his obvious frustration.
“I mean to my living arrangements. Perhaps I can be responsible for buying all the food and cleaning supplies, since I’ll be doing the cooking and cleaning anyway.”
Her reluctance for him paying for anything in the house stemmed from not wanting to feel she owed him anything when they parted ways. But food was a consumable item.
“Okay, you can take over the groceries. But you’ll have to stop tripping when I pay for things sometimes when we’re together.”
He nodded. “I know. It just took me by surprise, that’s all. I paid most of my former Mistress’ bills with no problem. I don’t know any subs who don’t help the Dommes financially.” He paused as if he wanted to say something and then shook his head. “Just as long as you know I don’t mind helping out.”
“You have a retirement plan? Health insurance?” she asked.
“Yes on insurance. I have savings.”
Not good enough . “I want you to put half of your money into an IRA or some type of retirement plan for later. That would make me happy.”
He looked at her with a healthy dose of skepticism.
“I’m serious. I want you to be in a better position financially. I need to know this relationship is positive on several levels.”
He nodded. “I understand.
“Good.”
He coughed and
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