Page 29 of Hushed

“Kinky?” Austin leaned forward and picked up her water. “Yes. Specifically, I’m his submissive. Our kink is sometimes referred to as domestic discipline.”

Kenzie frowned. “Domestic discipline? That doesn’t sound very sexy.”

Austin laughed and took a sip. “No. I guess it doesn’t. Basically, it means I let Patrick take the lead most of the time, and he disciplines me when I mess up or when I’m floundering, and I need it. It’s very grounding for me and helps me stay on track with my life. But it’s also just hot.”

“What do you mean by discipline?” Kenzie’s mind was filled with possibilities.

“Spanking, mostly. Though sometimes he gets creative with his punishments.”

Her mouth fell open and images of the spanking scene she’d watched earlier that night flashed in her head. “Is that why you were crying just now? Did he spank you?” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. Was that a terrible question? Sometimes I ask terrible questions.”

Austin’s laugh was louder this time, and her head fell back as her shoulders shook. “Not at all, Kenzie. I’m offeringinformation. It’s bound to stir up questions that I’m more than happy to answer. Yes, he spanked me.”

“But why? What did you do?” It was hard to imagine the confident woman who walked into the diner tonight to rescue her getting spanked.

Austin seemed unfazed by her intrusive question. “I broke a rule. But sometimes he spanks me just because he can. Keeps me on my toes.”

She wanted to ask what rule Austin broke, but figured she was already pushing it with the questions she’d asked.

Austin must have sensed that it was burning in her mind though because she tucked her legs under her and pulled a pillow into her lap. “I’m not allowed to argue with him in public except under some extremely specific circumstances. We kind of got into a spat at the event we were at, and I may or may not have called him an asshole in front of the attorney general. I knew I was going to get in trouble. That might be why I did it,” she said with a wink.

Kenzie breathed a sigh of relief. “Just as long as I didn’t cause it.”

Austin chuckled. “Nothing like that. You couldn’t cause it even if you wanted to. We have a strict set of guidelines and boundaries we follow to make our dynamic work. And if at any point one or the other of us decides it needs to change because it’s not working anymore, we can have a conversation and come up with a new arrangement. I’m also very much allowed to call him out on his bullshit when it’s called for, and he can’t punish me for it. Because being a Dom doesn’t make him perfect, or right all the time. It just means he’s generally in charge.”

For the next half hour, Kenzie and Austin talked about power exchange relationships, life in New York, and her job as a graphic designer.

“I’m rebranding my firm. Are you interested in designing a logo for me?” Austin asked after Kenzie showed her some of her portfolio.

“I would love that. You can even have the friends and family discount.”

Austin laughed. “Nonsense. Friends and family should support you at full price.” She finished off her bottle of water and set it back on the coffee table.

“I should get to bed, or I’ll be late for breakfast, and we already know what will happen then.”

Kenzie’s face turned red, and Austin laughed. “Sorry. I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable with my kink.”

Kenzie held up her hands. “It’s fine. Just new for me. Thank you for sharing everything so openly with me. I’ve known for a long time that I would enjoy the kink scene, but I don’t know where I fit yet. It’s good to hear about some of the different possibilities.”

They both stood, and Austin hugged her goodnight. It was a warm hug, and Kenzie felt like she’d made a new friend tonight. When Austin disappeared, she made her way back to the guest wing, which was practically its own apartment, and climbed into the enormous bed.

The next morning, Kenzie woke up refreshed, and went downstairs for breakfast, following the smell of food and the sound of voices.

She stopped in the doorway to the kitchen when she spotted a familiar face leaning against the bar.

“Gage? What are you doing here?”

“I came to check on you, little imp,” he said with a wink.

Kenzie shook her head. “You didn’t have to come all this way. Did you drive?”

He nodded. “Of course. Left Peter in charge of closing up the club and got on the road just after midnight. Got here around four and caught a nap.”

“You’re ridiculous. I’m fine, Gage.”

“Nice to see you, too.”

She frowned. “That’s not how I meant it. I just wasn’t expecting you is all.”

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