Page 12 of Need

I hated having him wait for a reply but Lacey and I were in a hurry and I didn’t want to crash into anyone on the busy sidewalk while formulating my answer. I also didn’t want to talk about money, not with someone like Jonathan who didn’t have to worry about coming up with the rent for the coming month or year. While I earned a good living as a catalog model, it wasn’t a regular nine to five job. Some weeks I could have back-to-back modeling shoots which were good for my bank account, while other weeks, I wouldn’t have a single paying gig. There was also my lifestyle. Bruises didn’t look good on a model’s contact sheets.

As Lacey beckoned for me to hurry up, I knew I still had to answer Jonathan’s question, no matter how uncomfortable it made mefeel.

– Under1.5k? –

As embarrassed as I was to quote such a low rent budget, Jonathan was acting like a Dominant would, and it was something I was used to. Besides, I couldn’t crash on Lacey’s couch forever.

Other than my manager calling me about two modeling gigs the following week, my phone was quiet for the rest of the afternoon as I spent the time with Lacey. She and I met in college when I answered her ad for a roommate. She was on her third year of nursing while I was just starting out with my general education units. Two months later, a modeling scout discovered me on campus and I started working full-time a month later. By then, I’d moved out of Lacey’s apartment although we remained good friends. Unfortunately, I couldn’t maintain my GPA, not when I kept missing classes because I had to travel a lot for my modeling shoots. For a time, I was based in LA where I met Debbie, but always kept San Francisco as my homebase.

I loved what I did. I loved traveling to exotic places and wearing beautiful clothes. I wasn’t too thrilled about the men I met while on the job. Some days, I felt like a glorified hooker with a much better wardrobe and a well-stamped passport. It was chaotic.

Discovering the kink scene changed everything. There were protocols in place that resonated with me. Dominants who set the rules were exactly what I needed–until they weren’t. Unfortunately, I kept attracting the wrong kind of men, the ones who ignored my safe word and my boundaries.

Lacey had been there for me every time a relationship went sour and she mostly kept her thoughts to herself. She finally drew the line with the bruises, the ones from men who went too far like Sebastian. In the three weeks since I’d crashed on her couch, she worried that he would track me down and hurt me. Now, she worried about Jonathan.

“Are you sure he’s okay? That he won’t hurt you? I don’t care how rich he is. I hear they’re even more kinky than the rest of them,” she said while we were checking out a vintage shop on the way back to the car. Her tastes were eclectic, and she went crazy over anything retro. Stepping into her apartment was like stepping back into the 50’s.

“We’re still getting to know each other.”

“Yeah, but you spent the night with him on the seconddate.”

I shrugged. “I like him. He’s actuallynice.”

She gave me a look through her thick-rimmed glasses. “Don’t forget—you liked Sebastian, too. And he hasn’t given up, you know. He showed up at the hospital the other day asking aboutyou.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, right. He can keep asking.”

“That’s what I told him. That guy’s not going to give up, Sharon. You’ll probably need to have a different name on your lease in case he pokes around. I’m sure his nonprofit can find out where you live if he really wantedto.”

I sighed. “I’ll figure somethingout.”

“That man has control issues,” Lacey said, shaking her head disapprovingly. Then she laughed. “You know what you need, though? That guy who dropped you off this morning. Damn, if I had your looks and your figure, I would totally sleep with him on our second date, too…even the first date if he’d say yes. He was, like, hot.”

I found myself blushing, remembering how Jonathan had held me after our scene was over, apologizing for hitting me too hard. He worried about the bruising and the pain I’d be feeling in the next few days while he was out of the country. But if Jonathan knew me better, he’d realize he didn’t have to apologize for anything. I’d counted eight strokes. Hard strokes. Perfect strokes.

When everything was over, it brought clarity and a certain calm I could never explain to anyone. This was the reason Debbie had paired us together. Jonathan was a natural Dominant. He just had to find it again and claimit.

Masterit.

---