Learning the Rules Ch. 03

"We may have." Alex keeps her tone flat and her expression completely neutral.

Damn it, this woman has skills. I'm getting nothing from her without working for it. She challenges me at every fucking turn. I hate it, almost as much as I love it. "Well, I take it from your limited comment that you choose not to fill in any blanks for me. Is that how you want to play this?"

Smiling, "Let's just say for Ashley's sake as well as my own, I will leave the details of this conversation up to you. But please, be as detailed as you want to be, because I am very interested in what you have to say."

"I will be very candid with you Alex. The information that Ashley shared with you, if placed in the wrong hands, could be very damaging to me. It could hurt me not only on a personal level, but it could really damage my public and business reputation. The general society does not understand or accept certain life choices. If leaked, I can handle my personal life and financially I would be ok but, from other aspects, it would be a problem. That problem would affect a lot of people. There are charities that I support and people that I employ that would be greatly affected by any type of, for lack of a better term, "negative press." But do not interpret my use of that term to think that I in any way, shape, or form I think of my life choices as negative."

"I hear what you are saying. I promise you that what Ashley said to me will go no further than between the four people who are already involved and aware of the information. But what I want, what I'm asking you for, is more information. Ashley didn't give me information or details. She simply used two terms and I was left to draw my own conclusions. I want you to be more specific with me; I want you to explain for me, to inform me and fill in the blanks on the meaning of things. What these things entail."

Alex is being honest with him she is curious and has no reason to try to hurt him. Besides, the same information could hurt Stephan and Ashley and she would never do that. Somehow Jamie can see this in her eyes and knows that she won't use the information to cause any problems for him.

"What terms did Ashley use? They might be as good a starting place as any."

"She used just two terms, BDSM and Dom. Actually, she referred to you as a "Dom's Dom". I found that even more confusing. I didn't think Dom's had Dom's."

Jamie laughs strong and loud. "They don't. Some probably should, but they don't." He reaches out for Alex's hand. "Well, as much as I am willing to explain, inform and educate you on these meanings. This is not the place. So, I suggest we finish our original conversation and pick this up when I take you home. Is that agreeable?"

"Yes. That is fine."

"Good. Alex?" He is looking directly into her eyes. He needs to hear the words from her lips. He needs to hear her say it.

"Yes?" She knows what he is asking. He doesn't need to say more. "You don't need to worry Jamison; your personal information is just that, personal. No one will hear anything from me. I give you my promise, my word that I will never use this information to harm you in anyway. I will never share this information with anyone. Is that what you're asking, what you want or need to hear?"

"Yes. Thank you." He nods in appreciation not only for the truth of her answer but for its depth; mostly for not having to have had to ask the question. Instinctively she knew it would be hard for him to ask and she spared him that difficulty. It was a kindness he will not forget.

He continues, never breaking eye contact. "In return, I will make you this promise, right here and now. If you decide to spend some time with me and if you and I explore a relationship together I promise you this. I will never mistreat you or disrespect you in any way. I will not lie to you. From tonight forward, we will deal only with the truth. I will not cheat you, in any way. I can't promise not to hurt you, because if you choose to share in a relationship with me and I hope you will, some of what we will share will cause you pain. I can promise it will be the most pleasurable pain you have ever experienced, if you choose to go further after our discussion. But, you need to make a few choices. Do you want to continue our conversation and explore the potential? Doing so based on what I've said so far or do you want to say good bye here and now? No hard feelings and I will simply call a taxi to take you home and follow to make sure you arrive safely?"

He waits to see what her answer will be. But before she answers, he adds, "This choice is completely up to you. However, there are rules and you must agree to them. The first few of which I hope I have just made perfectly clear to you. Now, your answer please."

Alex hesitates. This is the second time this man had threatened to walk away from me. I don't like it and I know I don't want that. I can't deny his summary of my behavior. I already admit it to myself. I admit that I'm behaving poorly. Can I admit it to him? Can I agree to his "rules"? All of these things are going through my mind and I can't focus. I'm confused. He confuses me. He infuriates me.

Then all she hears herself say is "Yes. I can agree to that." Where did that come from and what made me say it?

Jamie's entire demeanor changes with those simple words. His face softens. His body relaxes. His eyes actually look compassionately and caringly at her. She swears he is holding his breath and sighs with relief as she answers him.

Without warning he puts his arms around her and pulls her against his body. Holding her tightly, he kisses her. It is not a first kiss type of kiss, all tentative and questioning. It is a kiss that says, "I know what I'm doing" and it is firm and aggressive. He takes possession of her entire mouth with his. His tongue slides across her lips and she sighs. Her mouth barely opens, but he takes the opportunity to thrust his tongue into the warm cavity as it does. It feels moist, warm, like silk. It is welcoming and demanding at the same time. His tongue explores, he moves it across the ridges of her teeth. Then he slides it over the roof of her mouth. He reaches all the way back to her soft palate and circles his tongue there. Then he duels with her tongue; back and forth their tongues met one touching the other, exploring the texture, the taste of each other. It is like two children sharing each other's popsicles. You taste mine; then I'll taste yours. It lasts like that for a few minutes before he breaks away from her mouth.

She sighs and looks questioningly at him, but says absolutely nothing. It takes a few seconds for both of them to catch their breath. He knows she wants to say something, to ask something. He also realizes that after everything he had just said to her, she may be a little unsure about what she wants to say.

"It's ok Alexandra; tell me what you are thinking. Tell me what you want to say or ask. I don't want you to fear expressing anything to me. In fact, I want to know everything. Everything you are thinking, everything you are feeling, everything you want or need." He keeps his arms around her, but gives her a little space so she can clear her thoughts. He doesn't want to overwhelm her and scare her off before he even gets the chance to teach her all he wants to share.

Hesitantly, she decides to take a chance. "Jamie, I have a question but, I don't want to sound stupid."

Rubbing her lower back softly, he tells her, "You could never sound stupid Alexandra. This is new to you and I know that. Before the night is through, I am more than sure that you will have a hundred questions. All you need to do is ask. I will answer them to the best of my ability."

Alex licks her lips and sends a shudder down Jamie's spine; that ends in his balls and then shoots heat through the rest of his body. That one simple move, simply licking her lips, makes him semi-erect and fans his desire for her.

She doesn't know why exactly, but all of sudden, she believes him. Alex not only believes him, but she feels she can trust him. She feels totally different about this man then she did just several minutes ago. What has changed? What is different now from just a few minutes ago? Why do I feel such trust in him? Why do I have this feeling of wanting to share things with him? Things I haven't shared with anyone in such a long time.

She doesn't quite understand it all, but she decides to go with it, for now anyway. So, she takes the next step and asks the questions she was thinking about since they started talking earlier. "Jamie, how will I know what is ok to say or to do? How will I know what you expect from me or are willing to accept? Am I just going to get things wrong and come to an unexpected stop, like we just did? Are we going to get angry at each other all the time and fight over what's right or wrong, what's acceptable or not? Because, I don't think that will work for me; I know that won't work for me. It's just not who I am. It never was and I don't want to become like that. I like who I am. Well, most of the time."

Jamie looks at her for a moment. He listens to not only her words, but what they mean to her. How they explain so much about her and who she is as a woman and a human being. He thinks through the best way for him to answer her. To give her the reassurance that she so obviously is looking for from him. He can feel that she wants this to work as much as he does; at least he believes she does. She just isn't as sure as he is that it will. His plan is to change that. His plan is to change that as soon as possible so that they can move forward. That's what he wants, that's what he needs.

"Alexandra, we are undoubtable going to hit some bumps in the road. We will have a learning curve. We will have to be patient with each other as we figure things out and as we discover each other. I will have to learn about you. What your strong points are and what areas are open to develop. What you will be willing to do without any self-questioning and what you will require my support in. You, in turn, will learn about me. What I like and don't like. What works for us and what doesn't work. Our goal is to make these bumps as small and as manageable as can be. But everything is a process and there are no short cuts to this. There is no easy answer. It will take work. You should think of our exploration, of your learning, of our potential relationship as constantly evolving processes."

"Once we get to your place, we will talk. We will probably talk most of the night I'm sure. So, I hope you are not too tired. It will take time, but we will get to know each other better. As time goes on, we will understand each other better. We will identify the things that make us better as a couple and the things that divide us. The goal here is to close the divide. In order to do that, we have to always remember rule number one."

He continues to walk with her to his car holding her close to him. This time, as they walk, his arm is around the back of her waist and she is more or less tucked up against him. Their bodies so closely touching she can feel his heat enter her body where they are in contact with each other.

She is acutely aware of his hand on her waist, resting just on the curve of her ass. Aware of the protective feel he gives her by tucking her into his side. She can feel the beating of his heart through his side. She can feel and hear the intake of his breath. Feel the energy and warmth as he slowly releases it. She can feel the way the muscles in his thigh move as they walk and his leg rubs against her. All these feelings are intense and surreal; they make her feel excited. She can feel the heat in her woman's core as she starts to respond to his simple touch. She feels the moisture develop between her legs, her heart rate increases, and her breathing becomes just a little faster.

All of this is happening to her body and she is overwhelmed with feeling and all she can think to say is, "What is rule number one?"

He stops and looks her directly in the eyes. "Alexandra, when all else fails, when you are not sure what to do or what to say, when you think everything that can go wrong has or will go wrong, there is always rule number one to save you. Rule number one is, "Always tell the truth. Never lie to me. Never give me half-truths. Never try to deceive me. And I promise I will do the same."

"So rule number one surpasses all else?"

"Yes. Rule number one is paramount. It is the difference between a relationship that works well and has true meaning and one that simply functions in the shadow of what it could be. I've had the second, I don't want it again." He utters this last statement with sorrow in his eyes but icy conviction in his voice.

Alex makes a mental note of this and promises herself she will find out just what he means by it. But not now, not tonight, they aren't anywhere close to that level of sharing yet.

Jamie lightens the mood as they arrive at his car. He opens the passenger door but as Alex goes to get in, he stops her. Alex looks at him questioningly. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"I want to test out rule number one with you." His words are light, but the look in his eyes is intensely serious.

"Ok. What do you want to test?" She asks tentatively, unsure what he could possibly feel the need to test already.

"When I said you were cold because you trembled, you said there was more than one reason to tremble. What did you mean by that?" His look softens.

Alex feels her mouth go dry. How is she supposed to answer this without hurting his feelings or worse, starting another argument? When all else fails, revert to rule number one: Be honest. Ok. Here goes nothing, or everything!

Alex licks her lips and again, Jamie feels the heat flood his body. She looks so sexy when she does that, so wanton. It is like an aphrodisiac for him and his body reacts accordingly. No longer semi-erect, he is now fully erect and his penis is literally pulsating in his pants. God, does she know the affect that move has on a man?

She looks at him curious at the change in his expression. Ignoring it she answers, "Ok, rule number one: Be honest, be truthful. Remember, you asked for it."

"I did. I'm ready." He smiles at her but he isn't sure what she is going to say. It takes every ounce of concentration he has to keep focus on her and not his throbbing penis.

"I trembled because you kind of scare me. You make me nervous. Those are two things that I'm not overly familiar with nor am I fond of the feelings. To be totally truthful, I might be just as controlling as you are, which is another reason I trembled. I wonder is it possible for two people who seem so much alike to be so different and still work together."

To break the awkward silence, she lightly adds, "And that is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So help me God."

He laughs and pulls her into him again. "Oh Alexandra, you are going to be a challenge aren't you? You are going to test my patience at every turn? I know it, I can feel it."

Tilting her head up, she smiles and states in no uncertain terms, "Like you won't be doing the same to me on a daily basis. Like Mr. Scary Sexy isn't going to try my patience and challenge me. I think we may have gone full circle already."

Looking down at her, he kisses the top of her head and smells the floral scent in her hair. "Who is Mr. Scary Sexy and what do you mean by full circle?"

"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but in the interest of rule number one, you are Mr. Scary Sexy. I thought that about you earlier, that you were a little scary but at the same time, very sexy. So all evening, in my head, that is how I have been referring to you. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't part of our conversation start off with you mentioning something about, "turn about being fair play?"

He laughs loud and full, "Yes, and if I remember correctly, I also said fair play was over rated. Now get in the car so we can get home; we have a lot to discuss."

Before she gets in the car, Jamie turns her to look at him. Her back is leaning against the hood and open door frame. Jamie leans in close to her. She can feel the warmth of his breath on her cheek. "Alexandra, in regard to your reasons for trembling, you need never be scared of me, not really. And if I make you nervous, you need to tell me. If I can explain it I will. If I can stop it I will. But you should know there will be times when I want you to be nervous, to heighten the experience. It won't be a bad nervous though. In fact, there will be a time when you will come to enjoy it. Relish in it, even look forward to it."

As she turns to get in the car a chill runs through her body as she contemplates all of the things he has just told her. Jamie lightly smacks her ass as she bends to get into the car. He closes her door and gets in the driver's side. He settles in and starts the car.

She looks at him questioningly, not knowing why he did it, but remembering Stephan's reason for smacking Ashley's ass. She doesn't think there is any reason for the smack but she can't be sure. She wants to ask him, but hesitates. She doesn't particularly like this feeling of being unsure of herself. It is playing with her mind, then again, so is just about everything else that happened so far tonight.

Jamie just looks at her, his eyes sparkling; he knows exactly what she is thinking. He can tell by the questioning look on her face that she thinks she did something he didn't like and that is why he smacked her ass cheek. Smirking more than smiling at her he informs her, "Nothing is wrong, it is just a friendly spank. You can call it a warm up. Your ass presented the opportunity and I took it." He gives Alex a wink as he starts to drive down the street. "I simply did not want to resist the urge to reach out and touch you. Besides, I think you can think of it as a nice little introduction to my world. If all goes well and you agree, hopefully soon to be our world."

Her immediate thought was, Oh my God. Our world? Am I ready for this? Is this something I really want? Is he someone I really want? The answer was a little chilling when it came back from her subconscious, a resounding "YES!"

~~~~~~~~ to be continued...