Ellora’s Cave, $4.45, ISBN 978-1-4199-2547-4
Contemporary Erotica, 2009
Now, you know I’m not an authority on BDSM and I won’t even try to guess as to how authentic those BDSM elements are in Anne Douglas’s His Intimate Submission. I’m only interested in seeing a hunky guy getting dominated for once. I don’t know why, honestly, but I find myself really liking the idea of a woman being in charge.
Incidentally, this is a sequel to Curious Intimacies, with the same characters returning for the sequel, but this story can stand alone, I feel.
Where we left off, Jason, Lucy, and Shane had a happy ménage à trois arrangement, one in which Lucy encouraged her boyfriend Jason to explore his curiosity about, you know, that guy-guy thing, with the gay Shane. She had fun too because she loves watching two guys go at it. The whole thing was win-win as far as she is concerned.
When this story opens, Lucy is feeling rather worried because Jason seems to have closed himself off from her. Is Jason feeling emasculated or something after his gay experience with Shane? Worse, is he seeing someone else? It turns out that Jason’s love of getting stuffed up his rear end isn’t just due to his bisexual nature, it is also because, deep inside, Jason wants to be dominated. Only now does he understand his own desires. The poor man is worried that Lucy may think less of his masculinity for wanting this. Now that he has laid the cards all out on the table, can Lucy take over the reins and show Jason a good time?
As for Lucy, when she was younger, she had played the Domme before. That relationship didn’t pan out, obviously, mostly because she felt uncomfortable in meting out the “punishments” that her then-boyfriend craved. Therefore, Lucy has some insecurities about her ability to give Jason what he wants from her. Fortunately, Shane knows Diana Foster, who knows her stuff and is happy to dispense with some advice to Lucy.
First things first, yes, the naughty scenes are pretty good. What I like here is how well Ms Douglas manage to integrate the awkwardness felt by both characters as they try out various sex toys and all in a realistic manner without destroying the momentum or the heat level of those scenes. But what I also enjoy in this story is the insight offered by Ms Douglas into the psychology and dynamic behind the Domme and male submissive relationship. Now, I don’t know how authentic such details are as I’m not familiar with the scene, but I do find them convincing enough in my opinion. It is interesting to learn that being a Domme isn’t just about becoming Xenia Onatopp and punishing the submissive – the Domme also has needs, I learn, and the very act of punishing a submissive sometimes isn’t enough to satisfy those cravings. Ms Douglas goes beyond the stereotypical portrayal of BDSM typical of CSI episodes to introduce the emotional intimacy aspect of such a relationship, and I find the whole thing a most interesting read indeed.
Fun and educational – not bad at all, in my opinion.
