After a moment, Yvonne brought her hand up to Ruby’s, pulling it from her cheek and letting it fall to the bed. Her voice cut into the silence.
“Good night, Ruby. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Ruby blinked, still in a daze. “Good night?”
Yvonne got up from the bed and walked silently to the door. “One more thing. If you ever, ever try anything like what you did the other night again, I’ll do far worse than make you crawl.”
Yvonne left the room, shutting the door behind her.
Chapter 9
When Ruby awoke the next morning, she was only half certain that the previous night hadn’t been a dream. The abrupt way it had ended certainly hadn’t helped. Once again, Yvonne had walked out the door on her.
But unlike last time, Ruby was certain she’d gotten through to Yvonne. Now, she was certain Yvonne wanted Ruby’s submission just as much as Ruby wanted to give it to her.
Ruby’s mind went back to all the things she’d found in Yvonne’s playroom. All those tools and toys, the ropes, and whips, and cuffs. She wanted a taste of it all. And she wanted it with Yvonne.
Ruby’s stomach stirred. She didn’t like that she felt so strongly toward a client, even if it was just physical. It was dangerous. But this was different. Yvonne was different. She wasn’t like him. Hadn’t she already shown that?
Ruby pushed the thought aside and got out of bed. As she left her bedroom, the faint sound of the shower running in Yvonne’s bathroom reached her. The life of leisure Ruby had been living meant that she’d lost track of the days. It was the weekend. Yvonne didn’t have work.
The two of them would have to face what had happened the night before sooner rather than later.
Ruby headed to the kitchen and made herself a quick breakfast. She was sitting at the counter eating her toast when Yvonne strolled in. She was dressed relatively casually in a simple dark blue dress, her dark hair loose. She looked so radiant. So confident. So captivating.
“Good morning.” Yvonne spoke in her usual businesslike manner. “Did you sleep well?”
“Y-yes,” Ruby replied.
Yvonne took a mug from the cupboard and poured herself some coffee. “When you have the time, there’s something we need to discuss.”
Ruby pushed aside the remains of her breakfast, her hunger replaced with nerves. “I have time now.”
“Let’s go to my study.”
Ruby followed Yvonne to her study, like an employee called into her boss’s office. No, more like a student called to the principal’s office.
“Take a seat,” Yvonne said.
Ruby sat. Yvonne shut the door and took a seat at the other side of the desk. On top of the desk between them was a thick document stapled together.
“Here.” Yvonne slid it toward Ruby. “It’s a contract.”
Ruby frowned. “Didn’t we already sign the contract?”
“This is a contract of a different kind.”
Ruby picked up the papers and scanned the first page.
Agreement between Yvonne Maxwell (“the Dominant”) and Ruth “Ruby” Scott (“the submissive”).
Ruby flicked through the rest of the pages. What the hell was this? There were over a dozen sections, all with bold headings. Roles. Responsibilities. Areas of Control. Limits. There was an entire page dedicated to different bondage-related activities alone. There had to be at least twenty pages in total.
“You want me to sign this?” When had Yvonne even written it? This morning? What kind of woman fucked someone and then drew up a contract the next day?
The woman Ruby was married to, apparently.
“Not immediately,” Yvonne said. “I want you to take your time and go through it thoroughly. And it’s all negotiable. We can discuss anything you have reservations about or anything you don’t understand. I’ve left space for you to add in your limits. That’s any activity that’s off the table completely. You’ll also need to choose a safeword.”
Ruby blinked. “Is all this necessary?” There were so many rules. Did they really have to have it all in writing?
What would happen if Ruby broke one?
“Have you changed your mind about wanting to do this?” Yvonne asked.
“No. Not at all.” Yet, Ruby had some reservations. Could she really trust Yvonne, this virtual stranger she’d somehow ended up married to?
“Then yes, this is necessary.” Yvonne folded her hands in front of her. “I want you to understand that this contract isn’t about obligations. It’s about setting clear boundaries and limits, as well as expectations. That applies to both of us.”
Ruby glanced down at the contract again. All the language was so businesslike. That was typical of Yvonne.
“You also need to understand that having a contract doesn’t mean we don’t have to communicate about everything. We’ll still need to discuss any issues that arise.” Yvonne’s expression grew more serious. “Ruby, you’re new at all this. For everything between us to work, we need to be completely open with each other. If you’re feeling uncomfortable or overwhelmed, tell me. If you change your mind about anything, or you realize you don’t want to do something we’ve previously agreed upon, tell me. Whatever you’re thinking and feeling, you need to tell me. What we’re doing is intense. Feelings get magnified, people can get hurt. I require complete honesty from you, and I will give you the same.”
Ruby had no problem being honest about her feelings and needs. However, she was already keeping something from Yvonne. The lie she’d told was small, more of an omission than anything, but it hid a bigger secret, one that she knew Yvonne would want to know about.
But if Ruby told her the truth, would Yvonne put a stop to the arrangement they were about to enter into?
Yvonne examined her. “What are you thinking?”
“Nothing,” Ruby replied.
Yvonne crossed her arms. “Ruby, I just told you I require complete honesty from you. Tell me the truth. How does this all make you feel?”
Ruby thought for a moment. “At first, it made me nervous. A contract? That seems so formal. But the more I think about it, it’s reassuring.” Yvonne had thought this all through. She
