He immediately sat forward. “What?”

“I’m never going to get to sleep wondering what the hell you’re going to ask me. So you have to. Ask. At least one question. Dinner’s about done, so it can’t ruin much.”

He leaned back, not looking pleased. “All right. If you insist.”

“I do.”

He looked down for a long moment, long enough for her to grab her fork so she could stab him with it if he didn’t for Pete’s sake say something. Then he lifted his head and his gaze met hers. “Do you like being tied up for sex?”

Five things you’ll NEVER hear one woman say to another woman:

1. Oh, look, that woman and I have the same dress on! I think I’ll go introduce myself!

2. His new girlfriend is thinner and better-looking than I am, and I’m happy for them both.

3. I’m sick of dating doctors and lawyers! Give me a good old-fashioned waiter with a heart of gold any day!

4. He talks our relationship to death! It’s making me crazy!

5. Why can’t I find a guy who’ll have a wild carefree night of sex and then just go his separate way for once?

Source: Thompson, Dave “Things You’ll Never Hear”

http://www.ijmc.com/

JESSICA STARED at Dan, the words he’d spoken echoing in her head. He sat languidly against the dark brown leather, his right arm on the seat, his left still on the table. “Do I what?”

“Like being tied up for sex?” He leaned forward, moving both hands to his wineglass, his eyes dancing with the light from the flickering-candle centerpiece. “You know, being dominated. Letting yourself be taken, giving the control over to your partner.”

She took her own wine and drank it all, then put the crystal goblet down carefully. “You said you wanted to ask questions about women. Not about sex.”

He shook his head. “Sex is part of it. A big part of it. Of course, it’s true, I hadn’t planned on opening with this question, but evidently it was on my mind. So, what the hell.”

“What the hell?” She crossed her legs, folded her hands on her lap. “I know I agreed to be candid, but for God’s sake, Dan, this is a bit much.”

“Oh,” he said, surprise evident in his voice and his expression. “I thought you understood. It’s all going to be personal. Intimate. That’s the point.”

There was still a bit more wine in the bottle, and she poured it all in her glass. If it wasn’t for the day she faced tomorrow, she would have asked for another bottle.

“I’m not asking to make you uncomfortable. Honestly. I just need to understand you.”

“And whether or not I like being tied up is going to give you special insight?”

He nodded. “Maybe not special, but insight, definitely.”

“Why would you even think-”

“Because you’re so strong,” he said. “I watched you work today, and you’re a woman who likes to be in control. At least in the workplace. Which made me think that in other areas, you might find it a relief to give up that control.”

She’d heard that, herself. Actually read about it. Mostly in regards to powerful men, who went to expensive sex clubs where a dominatrix would put them through their paces. After another sip of wine and a deep breath, she met Dan’s gaze. “Well, I’ll tell you, Dan. I’ve never been tied up for sex, so I can’t honestly say I like it or I don’t.”

“Ever thought about it?”

“No.”

“Really?”

“Now that’s not going to work. Either we’re doing this thing, which I now doubt, or we’re not. If we do proceed, you’re going to have to believe me, or what’s the point?”

“No. I didn’t mean I doubted your word. I meant-”

“Okay, then. And yes, really. I’ve never thought about it.”

“I see.”

“You sound disappointed.”

“I’m not. Well, maybe a little.”

She laughed, more out of surprise than anything. “You’re a very unusual person. You know that, right?”

“Unusual? That’s a nice way to put it. But yes, I know. I’ve been that way forever. Probably because of the way I was brought up.”

“Which was?”

“My parents didn’t believe in traditional education. I didn’t go to school.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I was homeschooled. But even that wasn’t done in the traditional way. My parents were devotees of a man named John Holt. He believed that children are sponges, and that curiosity is innate. Given the opportunity, kids will explore every subject they can. But most kids aren’t afforded the luxury of being able to learn freely. I was.”

“How did you decide what to explore?”

“Whatever caught my interest. I liked bugs, so I went out and caught all kinds of bugs. I read books on entomology. I went to museums in Africa, Asia and right here in New York. So I know a lot about bugs.”

“But that supposes you knew how to read. That you knew what to look up.”

“Right. My folks taught me to read and write. Very early, evidently. And I went to libraries and museums before I could walk.”

“And that’s how you learned everything? What if you’d decided you didn’t like math?”

“That’s the whole point. Anything can be interesting if it’s presented with passion. I saw early that money was a powerful tool, so learning how to count it came as a natural consequence.”

“But there were subjects in school I hated.”

“I’ll bet your teachers had a great deal to do with it. Remember, the key is passion. It’s infectious. You want to participate when someone’s having a blast. My parents made sure I was exposed to people who loved what they did.”

“My God. How did they know you’d be well rounded? What about college?

He smiled. “I didn’t go. The way I see it, I’m still in the university. Remember, learning isn’t really about rote memorization, not even close. It’s about understanding. Not that I understand everything I tackle, but I get close. I mean, I get the basics of quantum physics, but that’s it. On the other hand, I know quite a bit about computer software.”

“So I read.”

He raised a eyebrow. “Read?”

“You didn’t think I was going to let you stay in my room without doing some research of my own, did you?”

“I didn’t think about it, but now that you mention it, smart move. What did you discover?”

“That you’ve got a highly successful software consulting business, and that you weren’t kidding when you said you didn’t need my money.”

“That’s it? All you found out was about my business life?”

“I looked on the Internet, not into a crystal ball.”

His laugh made her smile. The conversation made her dizzy. He was like no one she’d ever met. The sex question had thrown her for a loop, and she still wasn’t sure she wanted to bare that much of her life to a stranger, but on the other hand, my God. He was fascinating. She hadn’t been fascinated by a man in…forever.

“Well, next time, go beyond Google. I’m in there.”

“What would I find?”

He shook his head. “Nope. I’m not going to tell you. I don’t want to be the only one who’s surprised during our time together.”

“I think that ship has sailed. I’m surprised. Trust me.”

He leaned over so his mouth came very close to her ear. So close, she could feel his warm breath. “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” he whispered.

“No,” she said, her voice just as soft, although she couldn’t fathom why. “I imagine I haven’t.” After she cleared her throat, uncrossed her legs and checked the time, she turned to him again. “But let’s try not to shock me out of my wits, shall we? This week is awfully important.”

“I can’t make any promises,” he said. “But I’ll try.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s time to hit the sack. Unless you want dessert?”

She shook her head. “I need sleep. As much as I can steal.”

“Then let me take care of this posthaste.”

He was true to his word, and in short order they were back at the suite Owen had so kindly provided. The first thing she saw when she turned on the light was a basket of inordinate size sitting on the coffee table. She crossed the room and plucked the card from the wrapping. She read: