Page 115 of Filthy Dirty Dom

He leaned back slightly, using one hand to gently lift her chin so he could peer into her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice soft but firm.

Her eyes, normally vibrant and brimming with emotions, avoided his, fixating on a distant point in the room. “Nothing’s wrong, exactly. But I was thinking of something. And debating whether I should share it.”

“Something bad?”

“No. At least, I’ve never thought so.”

He frowned. “You can trust me, Leslie.”

“Oh, I know, Alex. It’s just…you shared so much of yourself, including that you were interested in BDSM in college and how your sexual needs changed after…well, after everything that happened. I feel like I want to share how I got to the place that you ran into me at the sex club with David.”

“Baby, you don’t have to explain anything to me. A lot of people are intrigued by kink. It just takes time to home in on what they want.”

She nodded. “That might be true, but I think I’ve known what I wanted even before you did, Alex.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“When I was a teenager, I… I used to see the woman next door engaging in BDSM. I used to fantasize about it. So my interest in bondage, being flogged, it didn’t start just because I knew you were into it.”

There was no judgement in his eyes, but they nonetheless blazed intensely. “How old were you?”

“Fifteen.”

Fuck.

“Did they know you were watching?”

“Sometimes.”

Double fuck. “They shouldn’t have—”

“I know it was inappropriate. But I’m fine, Alex. Just a little…twisted, I guess.”

Alex was relieved that what she’d seen hadn’t traumatized her but he didn’t like how she’d called herself twisted. "Leslie," he said, "There's nothing twisted about your interests, now or back then. Nothing at all. They're a part of you, and you..." he paused, reaching out to brush a loose lock of hair behind her ear, "...you're perfect. Just the way you are."

His words hung in the air before she smiled. “Thank you, Alex.”

A sudden thought flitted across his mind. A conversation he’d had about giving her what she needed when it was time. He remembered the last time he’d been in this area, four months ago after Father Alessio had told him he was dying and asked Alex to come see him. He’d ventured out on his own, to the local villages, even to those across the lake. He’d also done some shopping, and stumbled across a store that had exactly what he needed.

"Leslie, I’d like to take you somewhere."

"Where?" she asked, clearly intrigued.

"That's a surprise.”

“Another surprise?” she teased. “You’ve given me plenty. Though what we did in this room last night – it was my favorite.”

“Mine, too. But don’t cast your vote just yet. Come on. Put on something comfortable."

As she scampered off to get ready, he reached for his backpack, his mind already running through what they might need for their surprise adventure.

An hour later, they pulled up at the edge of a forest of trees. Turning off the car engine, he turned to Leslie. "Well, we’re here," he said, unbuckling his seatbelt. "Let's go."

As they set off into the lush undergrowth, the air was alive with the chatter of birds, their songs playing a merry tune that echoed through the green expanse. Alex led the way.

The forest was dense with a vast variety of plant life. Green ferns unfurled their delicate fronds, reaching towards the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy above. Thick clumps of wild mint grew underfoot, their fresh scent released with every step they took. The underbrush was a mixture of violets, nettles, and thistles, painting the forest floor in a carpet of varied hues.

Every now and then, the sight of a small animal would catch his eye and he’d nudge Leslie to look—a squirrel darting up a tree, a family of quails skittering through the underbrush, a lone deer grazing in a sunlit glade.

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