Mercy (Salacious Players Club, #4)(29)

“Oh yeah,” Charlie replies. “Ask me anything.”

I let out a groan. If only they knew the truth. Charlotte is literally the last person I could imagine talking to about this. Considering the submissive in question is her ex-boyfriend. Oh, and her Dom’s son.

Talk about complicated.

“Maggie is struggling with what to do with her guy. She’s too worried about him not liking it,” Eden answers for me.

“Well, whatever is on the checklist is fair game,” Charlie replies. “Emerson and I try stuff all the time, and some of it is great, but sometimes, it’s too weird and I don’t like it.”

I groan again. I don’t know if I can listen to this, but also…my curiosity is piqued. “It doesn’t make you mad, to do stuff for him?” I ask.

She tilts her head to the side as if this question is crazy. “No. It doesn’t make me mad. It makes me…happy in a weird way. I can’t explain it, but pleasing him pleases me.”

“Does he ever let you have control?” I ask, suddenly full of questions.

Her mouth lifts into a coy smile as she fights a blush. “Sometimes.”

I lean forward. I couldn’t imagine Emerson submitting if I tried, and I’m trying. “Really?”

“Yeah. It’s good to switch it up from time to time. To get the other person’s perspective. It’s weird but fun.”

God, I can’t believe I’m about to ask this. I just need to pretend these are two random people I don’t know very well as I say, “What sort of stuff do you do when you’re…in charge?”

Their eyes light up simultaneously. “Anything I want. I’ll blindfold him, tie him up, tease him until he’s begging for mercy—but not literally because that’s our safe word.”

“Mercy is your safe word?”

She nods. “Yep. It’s easy to remember.”

I swallow uncomfortably. “Have you ever had to use it?”

Her lips tighten as she shakes her head. “But Emerson trusts that I would if I needed to.”

“The trust goes both ways,” Eden adds. “You have to trust your sub as much as they have to be able to trust you.”

“And what about…punishment?” I ask, which makes Charlotte shake her head with a sweet smile.

“Maggie, I’m a good girl. I don’t get punished.”

Eden laughs. “Bullshit.”

“It’s true!” Charlie replies, nudging Eden playfully on the shoulder. “I spent enough time pissing off ex-boyfriends. I don’t like to be reprimanded,” she replies, and I swallow down the discomfort building in my throat. I have a feeling I know exactly which ex-boyfriend she’s referring to.

“Well, Maggie has herself a brat.”

“Oh,” Charlotte says with interest, “I have to admit, that sounds fun. I can think of a few guys I’d like to punish.” She and Eden laugh while I dig my fingernails into my thigh to keep from cracking under the pressure of this conversation. Oh, if they only knew.

“Do you tell him if you don’t like something?” I ask, changing the subject.

“Oh, sure. We’ll talk about it after, and sometimes I cross it off the list,” she says.

“I need a list.”

“Here,” she replies eagerly, taking out her phone, “let me send you the one we use. It’s long, but it covers everything.”

Reaching across the table, I grab Eden’s martini glass and force the rest of it down, just as my phone pings. It’s a text message from Charlie with a link to a BDSM checklist, and my stomach turns.

I’m definitely not going to tell Beau where I got this.





I’m sending you homework.





I type with a smile. It’s past three in the morning and Ringo is snoring by my feet as I lie in bed to see if Beau is still awake. The three dots start to bounce, which means he’s up, so I wait for his reply.

Teacher/student role-play? That’s hot.





A laugh escapes my lips as I type back to him.

This is real homework.





Like reading or something?





It’s a checklist.





I drop the link Charlie sent me into our chat then press send. After a few minutes, he responds.

Oh.





I furrow my brow in concern.

What’s wrong?





Nothing. I’ve seen this before.





Where?





I’m feeling strangely curious and a little wary.

Doesn’t matter. I’ll fill it out.





A few minutes later, he sends another message.

I don’t know what half of this stuff is.





Well, then look it up.

You have to use it to tell me what you do and don’t want to do.

It has to be completed before we do anything.





Electrocution?

Mummification!?

What the fuck.





Don’t kink shame.

Just cross it off if you aren’t interested in trying it.