“I’ve been accused of being incapable of being present. I’m here to step outside of the dry echo of rules and move into a sort of stillness that allows me to just be me. I felt this would be a good place to regroup and learn to listen.” Lena gazed at me intently as if weighing out every word for accuracy.
“I want to be a better Dom and to have something outside of the rules of power exchange in the dungeon. I want more with a submissive. I thought maybe I might find that here at Rawhide. I didn’t come to play, I came to discover.”
Lena looked surprised before schooling her features. Despite her beautiful submissive, Lena could be hard to read when she chose to be.
“I have a proposal for you.” The pulse in the slim column of her neck silently told me her heart rate was amping up a bit. It was imperative I be very specific. “Lena, would you consider sharing a short-term D/s construct with mutual intention, daily check-ins, and minimal play to start, for the remainder of our stay at Rawhide?”
By her expression, I’d definitely caught her off guard. She dropped her gaze and was now looking for answers in her lap. This wouldn’t do at all. “I want to be clear. This is not about fixing you, or me, but holding the space for us to explore.”
Of course, Lena looked ready to turn me down, so I added, “I want to see how you serve when you’re not surviving.” My words seem to catch her by surprise. Something undefinable twisted her expression for just the briefest of moments.
“Uh… yes, but I have conditions of my own.”
I wanted to jump for joy but held myself in check.
Lena gulped as she tugged her hand from mine as if in order to draw a line, she needed to not be touching me. Could she want me as badly as I wanted her?
“First off, no sex.”
I remained silent.
“No high-protocol scenes. As much as I wanted to do the high tea, it was more to set something straight from the past than anything I truly wished to do.”
“We can discuss what you feel are high-protocol scenes and remove those,” I assured her.
Lena nodded solemnly. “Limited touch unless negotiated first.”
I chose to remain silent, mostly because my purpose was to listen and allow her to show up authentically, not ravage her despite my desire to do that very thing.
“Agreed. This isn’t about power—it’s about presence.”
Lena’s smile was tentative as she stuck out her hand. “Shake?”
I took her slim, cool hand in mine. “Shake. For now. I can have paperwork drawn up as well if that helps to clarify things.”
“It hardly seems necessary when we are both staying at a place where safety comes before all else.”
“And,” I added, “when there are only nine days left.” I watched her carefully, her gaze lowered and her hand in mine stiffened. I took that as a sign that we would take our relationship further. I had nine days to prove to myself I was capable of being in control of my beast and present enough to carry on an intimate relationship and she was clear enough on her wants to trust I could provide them for her.
“As delicious as this was, I could use a steak.”
Lena looked up, her eyes sparkling. “I take it you’re a meat man?”
“I do enjoy a fine cut of meat, but I equally enjoy eating other things.”
A beautiful flush spread across Lena’s lovely cheeks. She’d gotten my innuendo. I released her hand to stand. “Let’s move on to our next adventure.”
She stood and I took her hand as we moved to the counter where Heaven Leigh stood waiting for us, a wistful expression on her face. The woman had a story, but it wasn’t mine to discover. “Two of every sweet, sugary goodness to go please.”
Heaven Leigh got to work filling a large pastry box full, while I ran my thumb in soothing circles over the back of Lena’s hand. A glance told me she was in subspace from my touch. My god, this woman was so responsive.
We were tucked in at my little kitchenette in my cabin nestled close to the mountains. The floor-to-ceiling glass showcased a purple sky at dusk. Stars were popping up like weeds in a freshly mowed lawn.
Lena ate Tortellini-alla-panna while I chowed down on a medium-rare steak with a side of spaghetti. Our meal was accompanied by crisp white napkins and a bottle of the restaurant’s finest red.
Like the car ride to town, we shared companionable silence. Not too silent. From the screen in the living room, the gentle sounds of Chopin in nature played, adding to the relaxed atmosphere.
Observing her was becoming my favorite obsession. Her hands showcased an intelligence, each movement deliberate. I couldn’t help wondering if this was an effect of the high-protocol training or who she was naturally. She must have felt my eyes on her because she glanced from her plate, capturing my gaze with hers.
