a reason to live(48)

“Enough about me,” Mia sighed in annoyance, “start spilling, Sage. What happened when you found Shane?”

I looked at Maxine then looked at the phone. I guess they expected me to discuss every detail.

“He was on the porch when I arrived. I apologized for something I said to him at the carnival and then things got a little . . . heated. I spent the night.”

“That’s progress,” she answered, completely unfazed by the fact we’d had sex.

“Not really,” I replied. “He told me he could only offer me one night.”

Maxine shook her head and grumbled, “Stubborn man,” under her breath.

“Well, how was the sex?” Mia asked as casually as you’d ask about a new restaurant or a movie that had released. “If it was lousy and you didn’t connect, you have your answer about how to proceed.”

I didn’t hesitate to answer. “Life altering,” I groaned, slumping further into my chair. “He has this way about him. He orders me around, but instead of being uptight about it, it relaxes me and makes me feel protected.”

Silence ensued, then Maxine grinned smugly.

“You’re a natural submissive,” Maxine replied with authority. “Shane’s always had control issues, even when he was a kid. He and Max used to fight constantly, always bumping heads over stuff kids fight over and neither would back down. I knew then he would be a stubborn man. I can see him needing the control you’re speaking of, especially after spending ten years in the military.”

“Submissive? But I’m not into bondage,” I argued.

“Bondage is another level of dominance. I’m talking about Shane having a deep-seated need to control his surroundings. Controlling you in and out of the sack would be one of his surroundings.”

“You said you enjoyed it, right?” Mia asked over the speaker.

I always thought my experience with my stepfather made me stronger, and because of it, I could never be ordered around again. But last night had been liberating, and thinking about it caused my heart to race.

“Yeah, as much as it pains the liberated woman inside me to admit, I loved it.”

“But that seems out of character for you. You’ve been through so much and came out of it stronger,” she responded, seemingly amazed.

“Mia, it takes a strong woman, confident in her own abilities, to allow a man to lead in the first place. A man like Shane isn’t gonna be attracted to a weak woman. It’s her strength of character he’s attracted to and her willingness to let him lead when she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself.”

“How do you know so much about this?” I asked.

“Because every time my Tom ordered me to stand down or to stop doin’ something that put me at risk, it turned me on. Think of it as foreplay . . . all day long. When he got home on those days where he’d stepped in and ordered me around, I was ready, willing, and more than able to meet his needs with a gusto.”

“Oh. My. God.” Mia gasped. “You allowed someone to top you?”

“Not as often as I would have liked,” she grinned. “Tom was laid back, but he knew I liked being dominated, so he did. It’s what made our marriage work. He gave me what I needed to be happy.”

“I hope that didn’t rub off on your son. If he needs me to follow to be happy, he’s in for a miserable life,” Mia declared.

“Says the woman who caves every time he bellows,” Maxine mumbled under her breath.

“What was that?” Mia asked.

“I said Max enjoys the chase,” Maxine said, winking at me. “I bet on the days you two fight he’s extra attentive.”

“I have to ask,” I finally blurted out. “How is it you feel comfortable talking about sex with Maxine?”

I was having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact Maxine was discussing sex with her daughter-in-law. But there you had it, and Mia didn’t seem the least bit uncomfortable.

“Maxine is like a sex therapist for the whole town. Just like you, I stayed with her when I first came to Trails End. I knew her as the Passion Princess entrepreneur before I became involved with her son. Not to mention, it drives Max crazy when we openly discuss sex. It’s fun to watch him lose his wits and storm out of a room.”

“See,” Maxine smiled. “You pick fights with him because you recognize what comes after.”

“This is so surreal,” I mumbled.

“You’ll get used to it,” Maxine replied.

“Okay, I have to get going,” Mia said. “Before I go, tell me what you’re gonna do now, Sage?”