Page 17 of Passionate Defense

“Are you horrified?”

“No.” After her own weekend activities, how could she be? “But Ethan says I have you and Steven to thank for your recommendations.”

“He finally walloped you, huh?” Grinning broadly, she nudged her with a hip. “You’re welcome.” Then she let out a dramatic sigh and pantomimed wiping the sweat from her brow. “I’m glad you’re cool about the age play. I thought I put my foot in it for a minute. It freaks some people out and has cost me several friends, so I rarely let these things slip.”

“Age what?”

“Age play,” she said louder than she should have and got some odd looks. “What were you talking about?”

“Since I don’t know what that is, certainly not that,” Lanie replied in a whisper.

“Oh!” Beth pulled a face as her cheeks pinkened. “Never mind, it’s nothing.”

“Oh no! This time, you have the funny look on your face. Spill!”

“Um, sometimes... Well, it’s actually more often than not now that Steven plays my daddy and me his little girl.”

Lanie blinked. She’d heard about things like that, mostly in a joking manner, or surrounded by whispers and giggles. Although she had put little thought into it before, her curiosity was piqued. A million questions swirled around in her head, but she had no idea what to ask first, or how.

“Do you think we’re weird and perverted?” Beth asked, nervously twisting the chiffon and ribbons she was holding. “Are you going to freak out now?”

Thinking about how Ethan had spanked her just days ago, she realized her freak scale had completely changed. “I’m the last one to judge what is weird or perverted,” she assured her. “Besides, what you do with your husband in the privacy of your own bedroom, or what I do with mine, is no one’s business but our own. Right?”

“Oh boy! You must have had a wild weekend. This I gotta hear. I think we should talk about this somewhere more private, however.” She nodded toward two middle-aged women at the next rack who were trying not to appear like they were eavesdropping but doing a terrible job of it.

Beth wrapped her hand around Lanie’s arm and towed her toward the register. “Let’s go pay. It’s time for some girl-talk. The question is do we do it over ice cream or alcohol?”

Alcohol won without question.

Over a diet-destroying platter of loaded nachos and sipping raspberry mojitos topped with fresh berries, which from the picture on the menu looked even better than a margarita and too good to pass up, Beth explained the basics of daddy kink and age play. Just as she and Ethan were embarking on a journey into power exchange and role-play to address a problem in their relationship, so had she and Steven. They began experimenting with BDSM early in their marriage and, since it had worked so well for them, it became an integral part of their life, in and out of the bedroom. Although they explored many avenues of play, Daddy Steven and little Beth emerged as their preference.

Shocked, but fascinated, and aided by mojito number two, Lanie’s questions rolled out. “So how does it work, exactly? Ethan had me submit for an hour, and it was very intense. Do you do it other times, or is it solely for play?” She paused, realizing her mouth was running a mile a minute. “I’m sorry. This is private, I’m sure. I’m just so curious.”

“I don’t mind telling you, Lanie, though it is very personal. Like I said, some folks get kind of tweaked when they hear about playtime, especially bubble baths and dress-up.”

Lanie grinned. “Bath time sounds fun.”

“It is. I love being cared for and nurtured, and Steven is so good at it. He makes the best daddy. And somehow, it works for us. We both get what we need from the power exchange.”

“Being cared for sounds wonderful, too. I’m happy that you have that, honey. Though I have to say, I’m surprised. You seem so independent and the two of you together, well, you’re the most grounded couple I know.”

“I think the age play is the reason for that.”

Lanie slurped the last of her drink rudely, not having any idea she had sucked it down so fast. She poked at the remaining ice in her glass as she considered what Beth had told her. Her thoughts kept returning to Ethan, about how he’d taken control and all the deliciously wonderful things that had followed. Somehow, he’d known what she needed.

She looked over at her friend, who also seemed lost in thought. “How did you discover you had this specific need?”

“Steven and I have always been adventurous sexually,” Beth answered candidly. “He is also naturally dominant and, to be frank, obsessed with my hind parts.”

“Sounds familiar,” Lanie remarked.

Beth nodded her understanding. “Put those traits together and spankings came naturally. That led to words like naughty girl and little girl, which led to me being a brat and him taking me in hand. The first time was phenomenal, and only intensified from there.”

The server came with another round, and the conversation halted. When she left, they sipped their drinks in silence for a moment.

“It’s not about sex,” Beth continued. “Although some of it really gets me going. It’s more about the shifting power dynamic. I tire of being in charge all the time. Submitting to Steven is freeing, if that makes sense.” Her friend’s gaze met hers, and with a tilt of her head she sought validation. “You’re quiet. You think it’s weird, don’t you?”

“Of course not. I’m just trying to take it all in. I also have to be honest and admit that my mind is running wild with fantasies. The teacher/student kind, in particular. I suppose being in a position of power, a psychologist and a professor, it comes natural to Steven, like it does with Ethan.”

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