by Abby Blake
“We’ll start with five. Count them for your Masters, sub.”
Still, Cam hesitated. He’d seen some pretty harsh spankings at the club and, even though he knew the subs involved enjoyed them, he had no wish to leave Maya in real pain. Derek was obviously used to dealing with new Doms because he stepped closer and demonstrated.
* * * *
The first blow almost tickled. Maya had been expecting a loud, stinging slap, but what she got was far less. The second came from a different angle and was even softer, so she figured that Derek was showing Cam the technique. The third was a little harder, a little noisier, and maybe stung just a bit more. The fourth was the same, and she was starting to wonder what all the fuss was about when the fifth one landed sharply. She gasped, but moaned when the heat traveled straight to her clit.
“As our sub gets deeper into a scene, the sharper blows will send her into a place we call ‘subspace,’” Derek told Cam. “It’s at that point that a Dom needs to be very aware not to do damage. In subspace many experienced subs don’t even register true pain and aren’t aware enough to use their safe word.” He was quiet for a moment as if he and Cam were communicating silently, and then said in that deep commanding voice that her body already reacted to with embarrassing swiftness, “Five more, sub. Count them.”
The next blow stung, really stung. She managed to gasp out “six” before the next one landed on the opposite cheek. The seventh, eighth, and ninth had her panting for air, but the tenth made her howl. Okay, maybe she was beginning to understand what all the fuss was about.
Cam’s hands traveled all over her skin, sweeping, hypnotic movements that did nothing to settle her this time. When Derek ordered “Five more,” she almost crawled off Cam’s knees. He held her steady, his light grip far stronger than she’d first realized.
The blows came hard and fast, and she didn’t even remember to count, but the strange heat flooding her veins felt kind of nice. She barely registered that she was shaking until a thumb pushed into her pussy and thick fingers rubbed her clit.
She wasn’t even sure that they were still spanking her. Her entire body felt like she was glowing, her blood pumping viciously through her veins, her breathing ragged and uneven. She screamed as her orgasm broke over her. Shaking, squirming, nearly crying, she mewled as wave after wave of liquid heat crashed through her.
But just as the feeling began to ebb into delicious lassitude, a hard hand spanked her sore bottom once more. She gasped as climax burst over her again, shocking her with its intensity, shaking everything she thought she knew. She couldn’t help the quiet sobs that came with her reaction, but her body continued to undulate sensuously against Cam’s hold as he and Derek soothed her with soft touches and words of praise.
* * * *
Derek smiled at the way Maya was draped over Cam’s legs. She looked like a very thoroughly satisfied sub—which of course she was.
He signaled for Cam to lift her into a sitting position on his lap, and then Derek set about untangling her jeans, panties, and boots from her feet. She snuggled into Cam’s embrace beautifully, and Derek felt his small worry melt away. Her reaction reassured him that he hadn’t just been seeing what he wanted to see. Maya truly was a natural submissive.
When he finally got her jeans untangled, she was almost asleep. Cam lifted her in his arms, placed her in the middle of the bed, and pulled the covers over her. She looked so peaceful curled up on her side that Derek decided to let her sleep for a while. It was probably the best way to proceed at this point anyway. Despite the fact that the three of them seemed to have been heading in this direction for days, he was willing to give Maya a little more time to be certain this was what she wanted.
Derek undid the top button of his jeans, feeling very grateful that he wasn’t wearing his leathers, and then slid onto the bed beside her. Cam took a position on the other side, closed his eyes, and seemed to fall asleep almost instantly. Damn SEALs and their combat naps. Derek closed his eyes, but despite being tired and needing to be at the precinct in a few hours, it took a long time for him to get some rest.
* * * *
Maya woke as someone rolled off the bed and quietly got to his feet. Judging by the heavy, and now familiar, arm wrapped around her middle, it wasn’t Cam leaving.
“Derek?”
“Go back to sleep, baby.”
“Are you leaving?” She hated the sound of vulnerability in her voice, but she was just beginning to realize she’d fallen asleep after they’d spanked her to orgasm. Hell, she couldn’t think of anything more selfish. “Why didn’t you wake me?”
“You needed the rest. Go back to sleep, baby.”
She sat up, dislodging Cam’s hold and waking him in the process. “I’m sorry,” she whispered urgently, wishing she could turn the clock back several hours.
“Maya,” Derek said in a slightly softer tone, “you have nothing to be sorry about. I very much enjoyed last night.”
“But you didn’t…we didn’t…I mean…” Panic was starting to drill through her, and she couldn’t even explain why. Cam pulled her closer, tucking her more tightly against him as Derek sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her face softly.
“Maya, as a submissive these choices aren’t up to you. Cam and I will make those decisions. All you need to do is relax and obey.”
“Oh.” It seemed to be the only word her brain was capable of forming. With those few words Derek had stilled the anxiety rising inside her, but with nothing to fill the space she found herself floundering.
“The correct answer, sub, is ‘Yes, Sir.’”
“Yes, Sir,” she whispered.
“Good girl. What time does the restaurant close tonight?”
“Ten.”
“I’ll be back before then. Listen to Cam.” Derek leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips, the contact soft and sensuous, leaving her lips tingling and other parts of her body humming with desire. “Listen to your Dom,” he said, indicating Cam behind her, “and behave yourself, sub.”
She smiled at his teasing tone, but vowed to do as he asked. “Yes, Sir.”
* * * *
Cam sat in the corner of the restaurant and watched Maya go about her hostess duties. It was obvious that many of her clientele were regular customers because they greeted her with friendly familiarity. Maya asked about their families, and their businesses, and their lives in general, and showed genuine interest in their answers.
Clearly, even though the food was great, it wasn’t the only thing that kept her customers coming back.
“Can I get you anything else, Cam?” the young waitress asked as she came over to the table. He wanted to say no, but Elise was a very happy, bouncy person. Refusing to order dessert felt kind of like kicking a puppy. She must have sensed him weakening because she threw in, “Maya made the most heavenly apple pie earlier. I reckon it’s probably better than even your momma makes.”
Cam grinned. His mother was adorable but a terrible cook, so anything edible was probably better than his momma made. He ordered the pie with a small scoop of ice cream, and settled back to watch the woman around whom most of his thoughts currently rotated.
Last night had been amazing. He’d never before understood the dynamics of a Dom-sub relationship, but the sudden insight had woken his mind, and his libido, to endless possibilities. Although, he was fairly certain it was only because of Maya that he understood any of it at all.
“How’s our girl doing?”
Cam smiled at Derek’s question. It seemed strange to hear the word “our” referring to a woman he was quickly falling for, but speaking to Logan on the phone about Emma and Jace earlier today, it somehow didn’t seem quite so unusual.
“Kind of jumpy. I don’t think our plans for tonight have been far from her mind all day.”
Derek laughed quietly. “That’s exactly what we want.”
“Here you go, Cam. One giant slice of Maya’s famous…” The waitress’s words faltered as she noticed the m
an sitting opposite him. “Ah…famous apple pie,” she finished nervously. She turned her eyes to Derek. “Hello, Officer Chambers. The…ah…k–kitchen is closed, but I could…ah…get you a dessert if you want.”
“No thanks, Elise. I just came to talk to Maya.”
“Oh…ah…okay.” The young woman seemed to look everywhere but at Derek. She nodded stiffly to Cam and made a hasty retreat.
Surprised at the waitress’s less than friendly behavior, Cam raised an eyebrow at Derek and waited for an explanation.
“I’ve arrested her younger brother a couple of times.”
“Younger? Elise can’t be more than eighteen. How young is her younger brother?”
“He was twelve last time. Elise was doing her best, but between Elise coping with an absent father and an alcoholic mother, and working two jobs to keep food on the table, her brother spent a lot of time unsupervised.” Derek looked up at the door through which the young woman had fled. “I tried to get a better outcome for the family, but the last offense was pretty serious, and the judge ordered the kid into custody. I don’t think it’s going to help though. He was an angry young man when he went in. Three years in juvenile hall filled with other angry kids isn’t an ideal rehabilitation.”
Cam tried to reconcile the happy young waitress he’d met with a young woman who coped with so much at such a young age, but was having trouble. She seemed very intelligent, so he’d just assumed that this was a part-time job and she spent her days at school.
“Her brother is a member of the gang we suspect broke in here.”
“Do you think Elise had something to do with it?”
Derek shook his head. “Elise might blame me for failing her brother, but she would never do anything to hurt Maya.”
“How did you fail her brother?”
“I’d been trying to get him into foster care for a while, but with a mother who always managed to seem sober enough to cope at each welfare visit, his situation was listed as ‘to be monitored,’ but not critical. There’s no guarantee that foster care would have changed the outcome, but it should have been a step in a better direction.”
Cam smiled. He felt a deep respect for anyone who was dedicated to their job, but Derek truly cared about the people he worked to protect. It was pretty obvious that he needed someone like Maya to come home to each day. The only question was why Derek hadn’t realized that himself. It also gave a little insight into why Derek was such a good Dom. In a job where so many variables meant that little was in his control, coming home to someone willing to do as he asked would truly appeal.
A few minutes later, Cam’s apple pie was eaten, although he couldn’t attest to having actually tasted it, and most of the staff were finished for the night. Cam was pleased to see Elise sticking close to the male chef and a couple of busboys as they left the building. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about her getting home alone this late at night. It did make him wonder though, how many other teenagers faced the same sort of problems.
Maya brought them coffee, promised to be finished soon, and disappeared back into the kitchen.
“Is there any help for kids like Elise and her brother?”
“Not really,” Derek said. “Well not anymore. There was a youth center a few years ago, but a gang member who didn’t appreciate being asked not to sell drugs inside the building knifed the guy who ran it. The guy survived but, from what I heard, decided to pursue a safer vocation.” Derek gave him a look Cam couldn’t quite interpret before adding, “Apparently the funding is still available. The committee just hasn’t been able to find someone to replace him.”
A few minutes later Derek stood up, escorted the rest of the staff out the front door, and then locked it behind them. Cam went about what was becoming a routine of checking doors and windows and pulling the shades down before joining Derek and Maya in the main room once more.
“Is everybody gone?”
“Yes,” Maya answered Derek with a mischievous smile.
“Good.” Derek glanced at Cam, gave a small nod, and then turned into the dominating man he’d revealed himself to be last night. “Take off your dress and kneel at my feet, sub.”
Chapter Five
Maya’s heart leapt into her throat, but it was the tingling in her nether regions that demanded the most attention. She glanced nervously around the area, realized that the windows were covered and they wouldn’t be seen by any passersby, and did as she was told.
Despite the fact that they’d both seen her naked last night, she felt ridiculously nervous about being half naked in an area of her restaurant. The department of health might even have rules against that sort of thing.
“Stop thinking, sub. Rest your bottom on your heels.” The words were practically growled from Derek’s throat, and she closed her eyes and breathed out, trying to do what he wanted. Kneeling at his feet in panties, bra, and thigh-high stockings made her feel breathlessly naughty, and she could feel the small patch of material on her G-string becoming slippery with her arousal. She’d worn the impractical piece of lingerie under her otherwise sensible clothes this evening in the hopes that it would remind her not to fall asleep tonight. It had also had the added bonus of keeping her aroused the whole time. Her staff had all given her strange looks this evening, obviously noticing her distracted state. She just hoped they didn’t have any idea why she was so distracted.
“Open your knees, sub.” Derek leaned over and pulled her legs apart so that the damp piece of material covering her pussy was exposed to his sight. “Very nice,” he said, running his fingers through her hair in a soothing motion. “Place your hands on your knees, palms down.” She followed his instructions even though it seemed to be the opposite of all the books she’d read. Weren’t subs supposed to have their palms facing up? “Good girl. Curl your fingers over your knees.” She did as he said and finally realized that this position gave her better balance. It brought to mind all sorts of wicked things they could do that would require her to keep her balance. “This is the position Cam and I will expect you to take unless instructed otherwise.”
It wasn’t a question, so she wasn’t sure he was expecting some sort of response, but then he kept talking and she felt her anxiety ebb just a little.
“The moment we go upstairs you are our submissive. You will stay quiet, and you will do as you are instructed. The only words permitted to come out of your mouth are your safe words. Is that clear?”
She swallowed nervously. Last night had been intense, but she had a feeling she was about to learn exactly how intense life as Derek’s sub could get. She looked up to Cam’s face and was relieved to see he wore a confident smile.
“Is that clear, Maya?” Derek repeated.
This was it. Now or never. Was she brave enough to explore a scary new world? She glanced at both men and thought of everything they’d done to protect her and suddenly realized she had nothing to fear.
“Yes, Sir.”
* * * *
Cam released the breath he’d been holding. For one heart-stopping moment he’d thought Maya was going to back away from them both, but then a serene smile formed on her face and she’d said the two words that together seemed to be his new turn-on—“Yes” and “Sir.”
“Master Cameron is going to take you upstairs and fuck you now. Do you have any objections to that, sub?” Cameron’s cock swelled almost instantly as Maya’s breath caught and her hungry gaze met his. “Eyes down, sub.” Maya quickly did as she was told, but she trembled all over, hopefully from a mix of arousal and excitement. Derek seemed to be determined to stay very formal tonight, but a moment before Cam could repeat Derek’s earlier question, Derek stroked Maya’s hair and said in his normal, more reassuring voice, “It’s okay to say no, Maya. We can wait if you’re not ready.”
Maya trembled even harder, and Cam thought she might even be trying not to cry. She kept her head down, but tilted her face slightly closer to Derek’s hand.
“I’m ready, Sir.”
&nb
sp; Derek looked over at Cam, silently confirming Cam’s willingness to proceed and then nodded his head in approval.
“I’m very pleased, sub.” He continued to stroke Maya’s hair soothingly. “I want you and Cam to have one last vanilla experience before you fully embrace my lifestyle.”
“Yes, Sir,” she said quietly.
Derek nodded, and Cam stepped forward to lift Maya into his arms. It wasn’t until he was halfway up the stairs that he realized how much he needed this little slice of normal. He’d been very worried that by embracing everything about the Dom-sub lifestyle that his inexperience would ruin his and Maya’s first time together. This way he got to make love to Maya without the worry of sticking to an etiquette he was only just learning.
He glanced back to see Derek following them up the stairs. It seemed that as a trained Dom, Derek wasn’t just good at reading the needs of his submissives.
As they stepped into Maya’s bedroom, memories of last night filled Cam’s head. He’d loved seeing Maya come apart under his hand, but he suspected that it was Maya herself that made the experience what it was. She was the reason he’d enjoyed spanking her. With a flash of insight Cam realized it wasn’t the lifestyle, but the woman in his arms that was the greatest appeal. He wanted Maya. Maya was submissive, therefore, he wanted to dominate. Any other submissive wouldn’t do for him. It was Maya or no one.
The self-revelation caught him by surprise. Was it possible to fall in love in less than a week? Did he even have it in him to fall in love when the rest of his life was still in limbo?
But then Maya lifted her face to his and pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw, and all thinking was gone. He lowered her feet to the floor, holding her tight against him as he took her lips with his. She kissed him back with all the pent-up passion he felt himself.