He hoped the other man was up to it.
He sat on the couch and wrapped his hand around his aching cock, thinking of Ashley’s warm wetness against his fingers.
Fuck, who was he kidding? He hoped the man choked and that Ash came back to Dare even needier. He stroked his cock. Then maybe he’d get over his heroism and just give her what she wanted.
What they both wanted.
“So how is it going?” Adam asked as he ran alongside Ashley.
She’d been different this past week since she’d started this research of hers. More reserved.
“Fine.”
He chuckled. “That’s it? Fine? You’re role-playing a Dom-sub relationship with a strange man and you just say it’s fine.”
She pursed her lips and nodded.
He hated the fact that she seemed uncomfortable talking to him about it.
“Was it awkward?”
“No, not awkward.”
“So he explains stuff to you?” he asked, wanting her to talk about what happened in these sessions.
“Um, yeah. Sort of.”
“Surely you can give me more than that. I’m interested in how it’s going.”
She gazed at him as they ran along the path through the park.
“That’s good, because I have a favor to ask.”
“Sure, what is it?”
“Well, Dare thinks I should ask you to help me practice.”
He grinned. “I could do that.”
This could work out perfectly. What a great way to get insight into what went on during her training. And even better, it would give him a chance to spend time with her. And maybe give her a taste of his own brand of domination.
“Wait, what did you say about a dare?” he asked.
Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “Oh, nothing.”
“Ash…”
“I just mentioned his name. It’s Dare.”
His eyes narrowed. “What’s his last name?”
But this couldn’t be the same Dare. The man he’d known in college. The man who’d … Just the thought made his chest so tight he could barely breathe. He slowed down and headed to a nearby bench and sat down to collect himself. Ash followed him.
He really hoped it wasn’t the same Dare. That man was only five or six years older than Adam. And he was wealthy and exceptionally good-looking. He only had to look at a woman with his compelling navy eyes and they melted into a puddle at his feet.
Ashley sat beside him. “I … didn’t want to mention it but … the man who’s helping me with my research is Darien Gallagher. I didn’t mean to let his name slip.”
Fuck!
Hearing that name again was like a punch to the gut.
“Why?” he asked. Did she know about what had happened?
“Well, when I asked you about your internship with him, you always closed up, so I figured there was some tension between the two of you. I thought it was better just not to mention it.”
Tension was an understatement. The man who had torn his life to shreds.
And now he was afraid that he’d do it again by stealing Ashley away from him.
Adam sat on the chair kitty-corner to the couch while Ash disappeared into the kitchen. This evening would be … interesting, to say the least. Ash was going to practice her Domme skills on him.
Ashley walked toward him with a bottle of wine and two glasses, which she placed on the table near the couch and sat down. She glanced his way uncertainly.
“You don’t have to be nervous,” he said. “It’s just me.”
Her head bobbed up and down in a nod. “I know. I just … I’m not sure how to get started.”
“Okay, well, what did your mentor do?”
She’d already explained that Dare was teaching her by example, which made Adam nervous because he was certain it wouldn’t be long before Dare started commanding her to do intimate, erotic things. Ash had insisted it wasn’t like that. Not that he’d asked, but she’d felt the need to explain it.
But the man was only human and Ash was … well, she was sweet and a little timid … and delightfully sexy. She was any Dom’s dream. It had to be wildly exiting to have her sitting in front of him, ready and willing to submit to his will.
Adam was getting hard just thinking about it.
“Um … well, he asked me what I wanted to do.” She bit her lip. “I think … you know … because he wanted to take an everyday situation and show me how he could … you know … how it could turn into a Dominant-submissive situation.”
“What did you tell him?”
“I said I like to watch movies with you. That’s why he knows about you and suggested I practice with you.”
“He knows about me?” How much did he know? Just that he was Ash’s friend, or that he and Dare already knew each other?