Chapter Five

“Hey, Kristen, do we have any more scones?” Skye yelled from the front of the café the next morning.

“Ten minutes.” Despite the late night, Kristen had been up early and full of energy. The café had been hopping when she made her way down at eight. Skye and Tim had it covered, but the scones were disappearing fast.

It was only ten thirty, and already, she’d baked a dozen strawberry and a dozen blueberry scones. Was the whole town coming into her café today?

She’d resisted going out to check on things. Skye would tell her if she needed help. Plus, she liked being back here in the kitchen. The timer went off, and she pulled another dozen raspberry scones out before putting another dozen plain ones in.

Kristen blew back a piece of hair from her face. What a Saturday, but in a way, it was good that she’d been so busy. It didn’t give her time to dwell on what she told Cameron last night. He’d been very good about not asking her about her family, and for that she was grateful. She wanted nothing to do with her parents. They had never really seen her as a person. They never cared for her happiness or well-being. Only her grandmother had.

Lord, she missed her grandmother. She had nursed her grandmother until her death and never regretted a moment of it. Her passing spurred Kristen to be where she was today, to make the changes needed to get away from her toxic parents.

Pushing those thoughts away, she finished boxing up the scones then put the quiches into the oven. They would be done by twelve fifteen. Skye or Tim could box them up for her when they cooled.

Kristen glanced at the clock. It was eleven forty-five. She gnawed at her lower lip. What should she wear today for her date with Cameron?

Cameron had said they were going to talk about wants and needs. Hell, half the time she didn’t know what she wanted or needed. She shook her head. Honesty and communication. She could do that. At least, she hoped she could. The only person who had been honest in her life was her grandmother. She hadn’t had a lot of honesty or communication in her life. Lord knows her boyfriends had lied. As for her parents, their form of communication was to ignore her. To make a relationship with Cameron, she’d learn to communicate even if it killed her. If she didn’t try, she’d regret it the rest of her life.

The oven timer went off, and she called out to Skye, who hurried into the kitchen.

“The scones are done for Mrs. Jenkins; you’ll just need to box them up. I’ve got another three dozen in the fridge. All you’ll need to do is bake them if you need them. If not, I’ll bake them tomorrow for Monday.”

“No problem, go have fun with my brother.” Skye turned to leave the kitchen.

“Skye.” Kristen waited for her to turn around. It was hard for Kristen to blow off work, even for an afternoon. “Thanks for everything.”

“Hey.” Skye crossed over and pulled Kristen into her arms. “That’s why I’m here. Besides, I love you like a sister.”

The bell over the door rang. Skye released her and hurried from the kitchen. Kristen’s eyes filled with happy tears. A sister. She’d never had a sister. Or even a best friend.

Blinking away the happy tears, Kristen made her way upstairs to her apartment. What should she wear? She opened her closet door and surveyed the contents.

Cameron had said they were going to his house. Jeans and a shirt would probably be best. Kristen took a quick shower, dressed, and then put her hair into a messy bun. At least it was off her face.

At one on the dot, a knock sounded at her front door. With one last glance in the mirror, she picked up her purse and went to the door.

Cameron stood there in black jeans and a gray T-shirt. The material of both molded to his body, making her mouth water. Hot damn. Talk about sex on two legs. How was it possible that she could be with a man like Cameron?

“Are you finished?” he asked.

“Huh?”

His eyes held laughter as did the grin on his face.

It had been so hard to see him walk away last night after he’d left her apartment. She’d known it was the right thing to do, but she’d bit her lip from calling him back. Cameron stepped closer and drew her into his arms. His lips claimed hers, his tongue thrusting into her mouth.

Oh, hell yeah. She’d dreamt about his kisses last night. Hot, hard, and sensuous. His arms slid around her waist, palms cupping her ass, pulling her against him.

Kristen’s fingers gripped his shoulders, holding on for dear life as the kiss went on. Her tongue tangled with his, dueling, tasting, and playing. This was a kiss of a man who knew what he wanted, and she loved every second of it.

Cameron lifted his head.

She drew in a deep breath as she rested her forehead against his chin. “A girl could get used to kisses like that.”

“Then I better do it often to keep you addicted.”

There was laughter in his voice, and she smiled as she lifted her head. “Ready to go?”

“Yep.” Cameron pulled her out the door, barely allowing her to lock up.

“In a hurry?” she asked.

“I want to be alone with you.”

Her heart jumped. Part of her whispered that she needed to take this slow, but damn, hadn’t she taken it slow enough over the last four years? She’d known Cameron almost as long as she’d known Skye. While she had dated a couple guys here in Grant, she hadn’t slept with either of them. It was time to end the drought and explore a relationship with Cameron.

Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up to a large cabin away from the main roadway. As they drove up the private road, she took in the view. The trees were set back and created a “back to nature” look. Cameron helped her out of the car, but she just stood and stared.

“It’s beautiful.” She gazed at the stunning structure. The house looked rustic with its wooden cabin exterior and modern with large windows and gleaming steel frames. A car port was off to one side.

“Thanks.” He took her hand and led her inside.

Kristen stopped, stunned at the way the windows let in the natural light and the high ceiling. Cameron glanced back at her.

“Holy crap,” she said.

The door had opened into the main floor with an open floor plan. The sun flowed through the windows into the room. The living room held a sofa, love seat, and two overstuffed chairs. A big-screen TV sat on the mantle above the fireplace, and a multi-colored throw rug covered the hardwood floor.

“Kristen?” He nudged her in the side.

“It’s…” She waved her hand. “I love the open floor plan and all the light.” She slipped her shoes off before taking a step onto the rich, hardwood floor.

“I had the house built the way I wanted it.” He slipped out of his shoes before guiding her into the center of the cabin. “Kitchen and dining room.” He waved to where the dark table with four chairs sat. The kitchen was big and roomy with shiny appliances.

“I have an office back there.” He gestured toward the partially opened door beyond the staircase. “Upstairs, there are two bedrooms and a loft.”

“It feels like you.” Kristen didn’t know how to explain it. She could picture Cameron in the kitchen, fixing dinner or in his office, grading papers or sitting on the sofa with a beer, cheering on his favorite sports team. The cabin had that homey feeling to it. Nothing like the house she grew up in where she had felt like a visitor.

“Go sit in the living room, and I’ll grab us something to drink.” He turned her toward the sofa before giving her a swat on her ass.

“Hey,” she said but smiled at him.

“My house, my rules.”

“We’ll see about that.” She couldn’t keep the laughter from her voice. She was relaxed with Cameron, and she liked it. The pale-brown sofa was buttery soft as she sat down. The fabric something was close to microfiber, soft yet resilient.

“Iced tea,” Cameron said, striding into the room with a glass in each hand. He placed them on decorative coasters on the coffee table before sitting down next to her on the sofa.

Kristen curled her legs underneath her and positioned herself so she was facing him.

Cameron cleared his throat. “I know we’ve discussed certain things already, but I need to know your limits, your wants, your needs.”

She nodded nerves danced in her stomach as she leaning over to pick up her tea. She took a sip before setting it back down. “Ask away.”

“You mentioned being tied up. Do you like to be restrained?”

“As long as I feel safe, I’m fine with it.”

“Any restraint you don’t want used?”

Kristen tilted her head. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

His lips curved up, and his eyes sparkled with heat. “Scarves, rope, handcuffs, cuffs with rope, spreader bar, things like that.”

She shifted her position. Excitement made her skin tingle. How could she be getting turned on already? They were just talking. “All those are fine.”

“Have you ever been flogged?”

An excited jolt went through her at his question. “No.” Her voice lowered. “But I’d like to be.” She tucked her chin down toward her chest while apprehension warred with eagerness.

“Kristen,” he said.

“I…” How could she talk to him about this? Her first boyfriend had never asked her what she wanted, and her ex…Well, he had thought she was a freak.

“Sweetheart.” Warm strong fingers slid beneath her chin and lifted it until she gazed into his crystal-blue eyes. “You know what I do for a living?”

“Yes, you teach sexual health at the university.”

“Right, I teach the students about sexuality and alternative lifestyles. But I do more than that. I volunteer at Decadence, the BDSM club in town. I also teach education courses there for new members. There’s no reason to be embarrassed.”

“It’s hard for me.” She shifted her legs and took a deep breath. He wanted honesty from her, and regardless of her nerves churning in her stomach, she would do this. Gathering her courage she continued, “The men in my life were not very receptive to kink or my kink.”

“Then they were idiots.” He released her chin. “I’m a Dom. I will always take care of you. Your wants and needs come first. It is my job to take care of you while you’re with me.”

“But—”

“There are no buts.” Cameron turned to her, and Kristen sucked in a breath.

She couldn’t explain it, but suddenly he seemed bigger, taller, more…well, dominant.

“Kneel on the floor at my feet.”

The command vibrated through her body as Kristen slid from her position on the sofa to her knees at his feet. Cameron grinned and a shudder went through her. She’d obeyed him without a second thought. Surprise shot through her.

“A true submissive,” he whispered.

“But how can I be so submissive?” She gazed up at him, confusion swirling in her brain. “From everything I’ve read, I have submissive tendencies, but I’ve never obeyed anyone instantly.” She shook her head even as a tremor of need swept up her spine. “I fought to be my own person for a very long time.”

“Maybe I should clarify; you’re a sexual submissive.”

“Explain that to me, please?” Maybe she didn’t know as much about BDSM as she thought.

“Sit back on the sofa.” He patted the cushion, and Kristen resumed her seat. “You understand Dominant/slave versus the Dominant/submissive?”

“I thought I did. Usually, the Dom/slave is a twenty-four/seven type of relationship where the slave really has no say.”

“Depending on the relationship, yes.”

Relationship? The word bounced in her brain. She never thought of the Dominant/slave dynamic as a relationship. “Then Dom/submissive just happens at a club or a play party.” That’s was what she thought. It was for outside the home.

“Not quite.” He ran a finger down her arm, causing a delicious tingle of anticipation to flow through her veins. “Sometimes in a D/s relationship, the couple keeps their full-time roles, be it in the home, outside the home, or at a club or party.”

Kristen nodded. What did she want? What did Cameron want? Would their needs match up? Or would she be lacking once again? Her stomach quivered as she waited for him to continue.

“Then, there is a sexual submissive.”

“I’m not sure I understand.” While she’d read a lot about BDSM, it had been in fiction romance books. She never noticed a distinction even the tutorial websites she’d read. What had she missed in her reading? Well, she’d missed something that was a given.

“A sexual submissive is only submissive when it comes to the bedroom. They lead normal lives, but when it comes to sex and sexual play, they prefer to be submissive.”

She mulled his explanation over. It made sense, but they weren’t in the bedroom and were only discussing sex.”And by my kneeling, you jumped to me being a sexual submissive?”

“Partly.” He grinned at her. “You also don’t like when I tell you to do something outside of a sexual situation.”

“That’s true.”

“You are your own woman. You’ve built up a business, you run the business, and you do a damn good job at it.”

“Thank you.” She smiled at him. His praise made her feel proud.

“You don’t need me or any man telling you how to handle it.”

“I’d agree with that.” She’d never had such an honest conversation with a man before, and she was enjoying it.

“In a D/s relationship, a submissive might run their own business, but they would almost always ask their Dom for help in making decisions, in running the business, things like that.”

“That’s so not me.” She’d fight him tooth and nail if he tried to interfere with how she ran Cozy Corners, but somehow, she didn’t think he would. He was trying to make a point.

“Correct. You want to give up control when it comes to sex.”

“Even though I cornered you and kissed you before you left for Scotland?”

“There’s nothing wrong with you taking what you want when I don’t seem to be paying attention.” He ran his thumb over her lips, and she shivered with excitement. “But now that I know you’re interested in me and interested in kink, I will be paying attention. Close attention.”

She wasn’t sure she liked that “close attention” remark, but she’d deal with it. “So now what?”

“Now we go over likes and dislikes, soft limits, hard limits, and find areas where I might be able to push you a bit.” He reached to the table behind him and pulled out a clipboard with a stack of papers attached to it.

“That’s a lot of questions.” She inclined her head toward the papers in his hand.

“Not all are questions.” He shifted on the sofa so he faced her, the clipboard resting on his knee. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.” Kristen turned so she faced Cameron more. Her stomach turned over. Why did she feel she was about to expose her soul to him?

“Let’s talk about limits.”

“Sure.” She was pretty sure she could do that without betraying her unease. She was woefully inexperienced in this, and she hoped it didn’t turn Cameron off.

For the next hour, they discussed her limits, his limits, safewords, and his expectations. By the end of their talk, Kristen was much more relaxed and comfortable. She was going into this with her eyes wide open. A tingle of anticipation slipped through her veins.

Cameron hid a smile when Kristen shifted on the sofa again. This shift was slightly different. Before, she had leaned away as if wary. But now, she was leaning closer, hopefully in eagerness.

Actually, that wasn’t a bad sign, but a good one. He couldn’t help but remember how Julia had been during this phase. Julia had been a submissive before and was all brass and nails. Cameron preferred Kristen’s honesty and shy smiles.

He now had a better idea of what Kristen knew and didn’t know. He hadn’t taken on a novice in a long time, but anticipation flowed through his blood at being able to teach Kristen, at being able have a romantic relationship with her, and to make her his.

“I really don’t know much, do I?” Kristen dipped her head.

His first instinct was to lift her chin, but instead, he slid his arm around her waist and tugged her until she was sitting in his lap. Her green eyes grew wide.

“It will come. We all had to start at the beginning.” He was going to enjoy teaching her.

“Now what?” She tried to slip off his lap, but he tightened his grip on her waist.

“First, stop trying to wiggle free. Second, relax, and let me hold you.”

A sigh left her lips. “I don’t relax very well.”

“I’ve noticed.” His lips brushed her cheek. “Put your right arm around my back, and close your eyes.” He waited until she did as he said. “Now I want you to rest your head on my shoulder.”

“I—”

He placed his fingers against her lips. “No arguments. If you want me to stop, say your safeword.” He hoped she didn’t say it. They weren’t doing much, and she needed to learn to trust him, to relax around him.

Kristen puffed out a breath and put her head on his shoulder, but her body remained stiff, her breathing a little too rapid. He wanted relaxed, not anxious. Cameron shifted his legs wider, cradling her closer to his body. Using his right hand, he began rubbing circles on her back.

He continued caressing her until her breathing became deep and even. “That’s it.” He kept his voice low while moving his hand up to her neck. Some people became very defensive when someone touched their head and neck area.

A shiver slipped through her when his fingers massaged from beneath her hair to her neck, but she didn’t stiffen. Good.

“That’s it, Kristen,” he praised, letting her know he appreciated her efforts. “Rest against me, let me take your burdens away for a while.”

A sigh left her lips, and her body became languid against his. He plucked the elastic band holding her hair up and spread his fingers out into her hair, kneading her head softly as his left hand skimmed up and down her left arm.

She giggled. “That tickles.”

“What does?” He kept tracing her skin on her forearm with the pad of his finger.

“Your finger. Your skin is rough. I wouldn’t have expected that from a professor.”

Cameron chuckled. “Just because I teach all day doesn’t mean I don’t work out.”

“That’s for sure.” Her arm rose, and her fingers trailed down his chest to his abs. “No one has abs like these without working out.”

His groin tightened at her touch. “Depends on the work out.” He captured her fingers and brought them to his lips. He kissed each digit in turn before gently setting her hand back in her lap.

He continued to caress her skin, just letting her learn she could trust him and his touch. As much as he wanted to jump into the relationship, he’d take his time. There was no reason to rush at this point in time.