Page 19 of Love Lessons

But... maybe he could have something with Dustin in another way, not a one-night stand, but with some clearly defined boundaries. There weren’t that many Deaf Doms, and Dustin just got under his skin somehow.

What if it’s not a one-night stand? he suggested. I mean, the offer from last time is still open if you’d like someone to train you. I think that we have a lot of chemistry. There are some more advanced things that you should only work on when you’re working with both a mentor and a sub, there are some other things that you could explore with me.

There, that could be fun for both of them. He liked being a support within the community, and he liked Dustin. They could have some fun times together and then both move on without any hard feelings.

Dustin looked a little nervous, which was good for a Dom to acknowledge, really. It would be gratifying to help him with that, let him get over his worries and watch him grow into more confidence so that he was ready for Escape or a relationship or something.

Landon put his hand on Dustin’s chest, bending his head down so that he could look up at him seductively. He’d practiced this pose a lot. He knew how it affected Doms to see him that way, tall and strong but still showing his submission. This was something he was good at, and it might help Dustin feel a little better about making the choice.

Dustin gently lifted Landon’s hand from his chest. Was that a no? But he still held it, his thumb slipping under Landon’s palm, his fingers cradled around the outside. It made shivers run down his spine as Dustin played with that small area that had now become delightfully sensitive.

That was really sweet. Like something a boyfriend would do. Landon would definitely need to be on his guard if he didn’t want to end up catching emotions.

Landon knew he tended to throw himself after people, even when he knew it wasn’t going to work out, so he would have to keep anything that they did professional. He pulled his hand back to sign, but it still burned where they had touched.

So, is that a yes? Landon asked, hopefully. I would be happy to teach you. We could try out one or two techniques, answer some of your questions, and help you see if this is something you want to do more of.

Dustin gazed over his shoulder for a minute, then seemed to come to a decision. Yes. I would be honored, actually. I’m free tonight, if that still works for you, so just send me your address and a time. Should I pick up dinner?

Now that they were doing a “lesson,” Landon didn’t want to get confused. This wasn’t a date and he didn’t want Dustin to think that it was. No need. I should have some time available at 7:30.

Oh, do you already have dinner plans? Should we choose some other night?

Oops. Now he felt backed into a corner. He should have just said what time he wanted to meet without making it sound like he was busy. I’m seeing my sister and her kids, he explained, internally planning right now to do that so he wasn’t lying. I’ll eat an early dinner and be back home by then.

That brought a genuine smile to Dustin’s face. Was he just excited that their date was still on? Or maybe he liked the idea of family? Not that it mattered if he did.

Alright, 7:30. Text me your address.

Dustin grabbed Landon’s hand and brushed his lips to his knuckles. It sent a shiver all through Landon’s body and made his chest feel kind of warm. Who did that?

Fortunately, they’d be able to focus on training this evening. Landon would keep things professional, Dustin would hopefully stop looking so nervous and get to try something, and they could both enjoy themselves.

Landon waved a perky goodbye before getting in his car. He’d see Maggie and the kids today, then have a fun evening. Life was pretty good.

Chapter 4

Dustin

Dustin pulled into a parking spot just past the trim little apartment building where Landon lived. He could feel his hands shaking and willed himself to stop. He’d mostly been alright during the afternoon, distracting himself by getting some work done, but now he was freaking out.

He liked being in control of his life. He liked knowing what was going to happen next, and how it was going to happen.

Landon was a complete unknown. A yawning abyss of possibilities, simultaneously alluring and terrifying.

He sat in his car for a moment, trying to wrestle the tornado of information from all of the blogs and articles that Landon had sent him into some sort of order. He knew that Landon would be teaching him, but what if he got in over his head?

God, he hoped Landon was prepared for dealing with all of his confusion. Having a teacher, who was a confident Dom as well as a sub, wasn’t nearly as comforting as it should have been. He felt a little bit like he would be tested at the end.

Instead of looking forward to a spontaneous evening of discovering things together, he felt the same anxiety churning in his gut that he always got before a big exam.

What if Landon wanted him to tie him up? How would he know if the ropes were too tight? Could he remember how to make the knots that would release quickly? Or maybe there would be scissors. Landon would remember scissors, right?

That made him worry about Landon wanting something that he hadn’t read about. Like… he couldn’t think of anything. Peeing on him? People really did that. And were there safe and unsafe ways to do that?

Or what if Landon wanted to be hit? He mentally reviewed the maps that he’d seen online, showing the safe zones on someone’s body. Yes, he could picture them. Though it probably felt different with a real person.

And what if he did it too hard? What if he hit Landon too hard, and he used his safewords, but Dustin didn’t understand him because of his stupid brain, and then he actually hurt him?