Contrasting Lives

by Leah Dempster

  Matt shook his head. “I don't think I want to hear this.”

  “Trust me, I'm only going to give you the basics.” Paul smiled wryly. “I've always been into the lifestyle, ever since I became sexually active. I like to be in control in the bedroom and Mandy likes it that way.”

  “You're into the whips and chains and crap?” Matt questioned, horrified to think Paul might be beating on Mandy.

  Paul shook his head, grinning. “You're talking about the full-on shit. Many people like this lifestyle in the bedroom, but it doesn't need to be abusive or painful for either partner. Mandy likes me to take control, tell her what I want, what to do in the bedroom. I've got some books I can loan you.”

  Matt was stunned and the mild headache he'd been suffering was threatening to erupt into a clanger. “Don't bother. Emily suggested I Google it, what I read frightened the crap out of me.”

  “You're not looking at it logically, Matt.”

  “How can I? You're talking about tying women up, beating them, and demeaning them! I can't do that stuff to a woman and I don't understand how you can!”

  “Matt, that's not what I'm talking about,” Paul responded evenly. “You're taking all the most intensive parts of the lifestyle, which is only for the people who are heavily into BDSM. Trust me; our relationship is only enriched by our sexual desires, not damaged by it. Mandy doesn't wear a collar, she isn't beaten – shit, do you think she'd still be married to me if I treated her like crap?”

  Matt had to concede the point. Paul and Mandy were one of the happiest couples he knew, loving, romantic, spending every spare moment together. They obviously adored each other and that couldn't happen without trust and love. “No.”

  “Listen to me, Matt. Mandy and I enjoy playing in the bedroom. In our bed, I'm in control. It's my role to push Mandy into exploring her sexuality, stretching her boundaries, allowing her to submit totally to me in a safe environment. It's done with love, care, and the most important thing to both of us, is that our play is safe, sane and consensual. I never ask Mandy to do more than she is willing to do, her safety is my paramount concern and anything new we experiment with, is only done after a great deal of thought and preparation on my part.” Paul stood up and disappeared into the kitchen again to get another couple of beers, giving Matt a chance to digest what he'd told him.

  “Keep this up and I'll have to stay the night,” Matt warned him, as he took the beer Paul offered.

  Paul shrugged. “You know you're welcome. And the kids love a sleepover at our place. But before you drink your third beer, I'd better 'fess up about something else.”

  Matt groaned. “I'm not sure I want to hear anything else.”

  “You'll want to hear this. The friend Mandy and the kids are with tonight? It's Emily.”

  Matt could swear his heart faltered in his chest at the thought of Emily, and he drained the second beer, trying to control his reaction. “She's coming here?”

  “Yeah. She was out with Mandy when I rang; they get together for coffee whenever they get the opportunity.”

  “She knows I'm here?”

  “Mandy told her.”

  Well, fuck. Matt wasn't sure how he felt about seeing her again. Not when he'd already ignored her for a week. Actually, that wasn't strictly true, she'd never been far from his mind, but he'd avoided speaking to her and now he felt like an asshole. He tried to ignore the twitch in his cock, wondering how a woman he'd met twice could be having such an amazing effect on his libido.

  “If you want to go home, I'll call Mandy and tell her to drop the kids at your house. I'm not going to force you to see Emily, if you really don't want to.” Paul was watching him carefully for a reaction and Matt straightened up in the chair, inhaling sharply.

  “I'd like to see her again,” he admitted gruffly. “I'm just not sure I can be what she needs.”

  “Emily's not heavily into the lifestyle, Matt. She and Mandy are very similar in that regard. She's not going to expect you to treat her rough; she won't want to be in a submissive role twenty-four hours a day. She likes to be controlled in bed; it isn't that big of a deal.”

  Matt stared at Paul in disbelief. “She told me she'd had oral sex with men, and women! She told me her rules about water play, whatever the hell that is, and whipping, and all this other shit that I can't even begin to get my head around.”

  “How much has Em told you about her past?” Paul asked quietly.

  Matt shrugged. “Not a lot.”

  Paul leaned forward in the armchair. “Trust me, when I say that Em told you all that because she was in a really bad situation a couple of years ago. She was young, and got herself into a situation she couldn't get out of, not without help. I won't give you the details – but I can tell you that she's extremely cautious about getting involved with anyone again, because of it.” Paul sipped his beer. “The most important part of being in a relationship like this is communication. You need to talk to one another.” Paul smirked. “Perhaps get together a few times and see if you actually like one another first, before you start stressing about the submissive stuff.”

  “I have to worry about my kids,” Matt admitted quietly. “How all this would affect them.”

  Paul shrugged. “It doesn't have to impact on them at all, Matt. Thousands of people in a relationship like this have kids, and the kids wouldn't have a clue what's going on behind their parents closed bedroom doors.”

  “What about the escort work?” Matt argued quietly. “How the hell do I explain that to them? Or to my parents?” He ran his fingers through his hair impatiently.

  Paul shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. “They won't find out from me, man. Emily's going to college. Why does anyone need to know about the escort stuff at all? It was something Emily chose to do, to get herself through college, she's a smart woman, and she'll go far in this world. What she chose to do to get there is completely Em's business and nobody else's.” Paul leaned forward, his eyes intense as he gazed at Matt. “Anyway, it says a lot for her that she was willing to give it up, before she even knew if this thing with you had any steam under it. She knew you were uncomfortable about it and she did something to try and fix the problem.”

  Matt had to admit, what Paul was saying was true. “So does anyone at work know about this… lifestyle thing?”

  “Hell no. I'm not risking my career for it. Everything Mandy and I do is kept private between her and me. When we go to Salacious, we both wear masks to protect our identities.”

  “You've been to Salacious?” Matt could feel his jaw dropping and knew he sounded like a naïve teenager who'd seen his first set of tits.

  Paul laughed. “Man, I never thought I could shock you with anything. Yeah, we visit Salacious. It's a great club, excellent atmosphere and it's fun to see what other people get up to. We never play while we're there, just visit and watch the shows, have a few drinks.” Paul grinned mischievously. “Then we come home and have mind-blowing sex.”

  “Thanks for sharing,” Matt pointed out drily.

  “You're welcome.”

  * * *

  Chapter Seven

  Emily pulled into Mandy's driveway, trying hard to control the nervous fluttering in her stomach. When Mandy had asked Emily to come along and collect Matt's children, and take them out for bowling and pizza, she'd been nervous. What would Matt think about the plan? Would he be annoyed at her, for meeting his children without his permission? It seemed glaringly obvious Matt wasn't going to see her again, they'd agreed on a few days and it had been a full week since she'd last heard from him. Emily had been disappointed, but hadn't been unduly surprised that Matt didn't contact her.

  Taking the chance he might come around had made the decision easy and Emily had agreed to Mandy's request. It had been a fun afternoon. Emily didn't have any experience with children, but she found Matt's children delightful. Millie had already stolen her heart; the little girl was so sweet with dark hair pulled into plaits and a chubby little face. The thought of
Matt plaiting his daughter's hair was sweet. The little girl had taken to Emily straight away, and Emily had spent nearly all her time at the bowling alley teaching Millie how to bowl. The staff had provided a special ramp for Millie to roll her bowl down, she was really too small to do anything else and Emily helped her position the ramp to hit the pins. The squeal of delight Millie gave each time she hit something made Emily grin.

  Brandon was a nice young man, he'd spent a long time talking with Emily about X-Box games, and sports he enjoyed playing. He played softball on the weekends and Emily knew enough about the subject to have a reasonable conversation with him. Of all the children, he was the most like Matt, with the same whisky colored eyes and he seemed tall for his age.

  Courtney seemed like a nice girl, she certainly got along well with Mandy and was polite to Emily, but remained distanced. Emily overheard her talking to Mandy about some issues she had with Matt and could understand Matt's comment about Courtney being fifteen, going on twenty-five. The teenager was obviously in a hurry to grow up. She was a beautiful young woman, with long dark blonde hair and Matt's eyes, her pretty features beginning to lose their childish looks as she developed into womanhood. Wearing torn jeans and a skimpy t-shirt, Emily could see how Matt would be struggling to deal with her. It couldn't be easy to bring up a teenage girl on your own.

  Harper was sweet, she'd informed Emily she was twelve and when Emily had the chance to sit down Harper had been at her side and chatted easily. She was only twelve, but seemed older and obviously had taken on the role of mother hen in the Pendleton household. A very bossy mother hen, Emily thought with a smile, the young girl had been constantly watching what the others were doing and wasn't shy about telling them if she thought they were misbehaving.

  “Why aren't we getting out?” Millie demanded from her position in the back seat. She and Harper had insisted on coming back to Mandy's house in Emily's car, while Courtney and Brandon travelled with Mandy.

  “We're getting out now.” Emily turned off the ignition and opened the door, butterflies quivering in her tummy. When Mandy had announced Matt was at their house, Emily was expecting him to take the offer Paul gave him and go home. If he hadn't rung her in a week, it was apparent he wasn't interested in seeing her again. It surprised Emily when Paul rang during their bowling session, to tell Mandy they were bringing the kids back here. Emily glanced at Matt's truck parked in the drive, wondering whether it might be better to beg off, get back in her car, and go home. Despite the nerves assailing her, Emily decided to be honest. She wanted to see Matt again.

  Given the green light, Millie and Harper had already launched themselves out of the car and ran towards the porch, rushing inside to see their father. Emily didn't miss the cool mask that slipped over Courtney's pretty features as she stepped out of Mandy's car and sauntered up the path, her body stiff with tension. It seemed obvious things were not well between Matt and his oldest daughter. Brandon followed Millie and Harper inside, leaving Emily to walk up the path with Mandy.

  The bravado Emily had built up began to slip. “Listen, Mandy. I think I'll beg off, go home. I've got some stuff I should be doing—”

  Mandy caught hold of Emily's arm, guiding her firmly up the stairs to the porch. “No, you don't, Em. Don't be a chicken shit. He decided to stay, so obviously he doesn't mind seeing you again.”

  “If he didn't mind seeing me again, he would have called,” Emily pointed out tartly.

  Mandy rolled her eyes. “He's a man, for God's sake. Sometimes they need a push in the right direction.”

  Emily found herself guided none too gently through the front door by Mandy and stood awkwardly in the entrance. Matt was in the living room with Millie in his arms, Harper and Brandon chattering excitedly to him about the bowling adventure. Emily felt a rush of pleasure as she stood watching him quietly, noting the delight in his whisky brown eyes as he gazed at his children, the way he wrapped his arms around his youngest daughter. It was apparent he adored his kids. Courtney slumped onto the nearest couch, ignoring her father. Interesting.

  Paul offered Emily a wink and a radiant smile. “Hey, Em. How are you?”

  “Great.” For the first time since she'd met Paul and Mandy, Emily was uncomfortable in their home. Usually she'd walk in the door, flop down onto a couch, or sit in the kitchen drinking coffee and talking with Mandy. With Matt's presence in the room, all she could concentrate on was his sheer masculinity, the hint of firm muscle beneath his shirt, the brilliance of his eyes.

  Matt dropped Millie gently to the floor and teased his youngest daughter by pulling on her plaits, before he looked across at Emily, offering her a warm smile.

  Emily smiled weakly and looked away, focusing her attention on the children who were still laughing and chatting, oblivious to the tension between the two of them.

  Paul stood up and grinned at Millie. “Your Dad's decided it's a sleepover at the Meccelli house tonight, so why don't we go and make some hot chocolate and then you guys can decide where you wanna sleep?”

  The three youngest children whooped and hollered with excitement, running towards the kitchen. Courtney remained where she was, her pretty features marred by a pout. “I don't wanna stay; Brooke and I are going to the mall tomorrow.”

  “Did we arrange that?” Matt questioned with a frown.

  “I arranged it; you weren't home, again, so I couldn't confirm it with you.”

  Emily didn't miss the emphasis Courtney placed on Matt not being home. It seemed the girl held some resentment over the amount of hours Matt dedicated to his job. Em couldn't blame her for that; her own father had rarely been at home when Em was growing up, and it had created friction between them that continued to this day.

  “What time did you want to be at the mall?” Matt questioned. He still stood in the centre of the living room, his brow puckered.

  “Nine.” Courtney was sullen, her body language confirming her discontent.

  “Didn't we talk about you being grounded after Thursday's piercing incident?”

  Courtney stood up and crossed her arms over her chest, and balanced her weight on one hip belligerently. “We talked about it, Dad. You just didn't make a decision.”

  It was obvious Courtney was goading her father, her answer insolent as she glared up at him, daring him to lose his temper.

  To his credit, Matt kept his cool, crossing his own arms over his broad chest. “Alright. Obviously, we didn't finish that discussion and we should have. You can go to the mall with Brooke in the morning and we'll talk about the length of your grounding when you get home.”

  Courtney's eyes widened. “Why do I have to be grounded at all?”

  “You did the wrong thing, honey. You know that.”

  “You are so not cool, Dad! Heaps of my friends have their belly buttons pierced. Why can't I?”

  Matt sighed heavily. “I told you, I don't have any problem with you having a piercing, but I won't let you get it done until—”

  “—until I'm eighteen.” Courtney's eyes flashed with anger. “By then it won't even be cool!”

  “Sorry, Court. That's my decision.”

  Paul had herded the younger kids through to the kitchen and Mandy threw Emily a reassuring smile. “I'll go and help with the hot chocolate. Courtney, come on through to the kitchen with us.”

  Courtney gave her father a mutinous glare and glanced from him to Emily, where she stood at the doorway. She directed her question to Mandy. “Aren't you going to introduce Emily to Dad?”

  “We've already met.” Matt glanced at Emily again and smiled warmly.

  Courtney's manner changed rapidly, from volatile to distrustful. “How come you know each other?”

  Emily left the question to Matt; this was his daughter and his life. It was up to him to decide how he was going to handle it. She had to admit she was interested in the answer herself.

  “I took Emily out last Friday night.”

  “Like on a date?” Courtney demanded warily.

&
nbsp; “Yeah, Court. Like on a date.” Matt looked at Emily again, his expression neutral, but his eyes were filled with emotion.

  “Why didn't you tell me?” Courtney demanded.

  “It was one date, Court.”

  Emily wasn't sure how to process his answer. Was he appeasing his daughter, or dismissing Emily as being a one-date wonder?

  “Why didn't you say anything today?” Courtney asked Emily pointedly.

  “It's up to your father if he wanted to tell you, Courtney,” Emily responded softly. She took another couple of steps into the living room and stood at the back of the couch uncomfortably.

  Courtney considered this for a few seconds. “Are you going to see her again?” she finally demanded of her father.

  For a long moment, Matt remained silent and Emily's heart plunged. He was going to say no. She wished the floor would open up and swallow her. Was that why he'd stayed tonight, to tell Emily he didn't want to pursue a relationship? “I'm not sure. That's up to Emily.” He kept his eyes fixed on Emily and she thought she could see unease etched in his gaze.

  “I'm going to have hot chocolate.” Courtney announced decisively, stomping through to the kitchen. Mandy offered Matt a consoling smile.

  “I'll talk to her,” she offered softly.

  “Thanks, Mandy.”

  Left alone, Matt turned his attention to Emily, shoving his hands into his trouser pockets as he gazed at her. “Hey.”

  “Hi.”

  Matt glanced at the kitchen doorway, his lips twitching when he realized Mandy had shut the door, leaving him and Emily in privacy. “I'm sorry I didn't call you.” He walked towards her, his gaze intent. He reminded Emily of a panther stalking his prey and she shivered a little as she felt a flood of need coil around her groin. He was as sexy as hell in the open necked shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal firmly toned arms with a smattering of dark hair. His trousers sat low against his hips, skimming across well-developed thighs.