“Lady Elena.” She corrected me automatically, cheeks flushed and lips parted.

My smile widened because all she’d done was confirm my theory. She wasn’t used to getting as good as she gave.

“How do you earn the title of Lady?” I gave her an out before we took things too far in public.

“You work your way from sub to Switch to Domme first before that can be a possibility. There’s a practical skills test for each, but it’s ultimately a judgment call by the person testing you. Do you have a grasp of the skills and implements you’ll be expected to use? Do you understand the safety requirements? Are you adept at negotiating a scene, setting boundaries, and fulfilling a fantasy convincingly? Some never progress beyond being a Switch simply because they can make more money with more options. Dommes don’t take sub sessions unless there’s a very rare exception. Becoming a Lady has the most advanced skills test, but it’s also an honorary title based on contributions to the community…so do you mentor and teach others, do you model healthy behavior, are you a role model within the community?”

“Who makes that call?”

“Only an existing Lady can bestow the title on another, but it has to be confirmed by at least three other dommes or Ladies…or their male equivalents.”

“So you’ve busted your ass to get where you are?”

A smile tugged at her mouth. “If you only knew how literal that phrase was in this case…but yes, I’ve worked hard to get where I am.”

“So what’s the end goal? Where did you see this all heading before I came along and disrupted things?”

She paused thoughtfully, stroking her fingers along the stem of her wineglass, not seeming to realize it was distracting the hell out of me. “I hadn’t taken much time to think of an end goal beyond becoming a Lady and paying off my student loans, which you’ll be taking care of for me.”

She toasted me with her glass and took a sip. She’d meant it as a compliment, but the reminder that she was here because I was paying her, was the slap back to reality I needed. She was doing her damn job and I needed to respect her boundaries.

“Spanking lesson tomorrow. You ready for it?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“As ready as I’m going to get. Do I need to bring anything?”

“Just your irresistible ass and an open mind…”

20

Alex

Rami’s loft had worked well for our dance lesson, so we planned to meet there again. I really needed to ask him what the hell he used it for since I hadn’t known of its existence prior to this.

I was absolutely determined to keep things professional. Professionals probably shouldn’t be wondering if their teacher was going to show up in a minidress like she did when we danced. She’d almost killed me with that little number.