Embracing the Fall (11 page)

Cami pressed a hand to her tummy in the vain hope of stilling the trembling there.
Her nerves were coming from so many different directions. After working every day
at the tavern for months, Z had talked her into taking tonight off. She had a manager
for a reason and she had been overdoing it for sure. However, they’d only been open
for a short time and taking a Saturday off just felt wrong to her.

She looked around for the millionth time and saw the same thing she had every other
time she did that, the place was perfect and there was nothing for her to do. Her
manager and staff had everything under control so she was torturing herself unnecessarily.

The other worries had everything to do with why she was taking the night off. Evan.
Master Evan, rather. She had a date with a Dom. A Dom who wanted not just her, but
her best friend, also.

And therein lay her other worry. Ziporah had been side by side with her as she’d looked
into the possibility that she was a sexual submissive. She’d gone on line and brought
her books, and it was Ziporah who suggested she talk to Riley, Terryn and Zoe so she
could get first-hand answers from experienced submissives. In all these months of
research and extensive discussions, Ziporah had never given any indication that she
felt the same way about herself. However, as Cami really thought about it, maybe she
had. Maybe it was more than just being a supportive friend that had Z doing just as
much research as Cami herself had. Was Z submissive too, and just couldn’t see it?
Couldn’t face it? It would make a lot of sense. Cami had read that women in powerful,
demanding jobs, especially if those jobs included decision making over the people
around them, tended to turn toward submission in the bedroom. They needed and craved
a place where they could let go and hand over the control to someone else. And now,
here she was, ready to take this step with her and try it out so Cami wasn’t facing
this alone.

Every argument that Cami had come up with to dissuade Z had been answered with a calm
and reasonable response. Long after Evan had left, the two of them had taken his advice
and talked. Both of them had been shocked at how turned on they were. It blew Cami’s
mind that she had become so aroused over what was little more than a couple of kisses.
There was no denying that Evan was a force to be reckoned with, but as potent as he
was, he wasn’t the only reason they’d been ready to combust. It was the three of them
together.

Cami had no interest whatsoever in touching Z and she knew that Z felt the same about
her, because they had discussed that quite openly thanks to the shots and years of
friendship. But there was something so unbelievably tantalizing about kissing him
at the same time. And when he’d run his mouth over her neck then Z’s and back again?
Cami shuddered at the resurgence of chills the memory brought. Threesomes, apparently,
were now her thing. And Z’s as well.

Good Lord, she’d never been as turned on in her life as she’d been last night. And
Z had said it was the same for her. “You don’t have to be a sub,” she’d said with
enthusiasm, “to know that what just happened here was freaking hawt!”

Tonight, there would be no booze to loosen the nerves or hide behind. Tonight, unless
something happened to derail the path they were on, the three of them would be having
sex. “Oh God.” With a hand on her somersaulting tummy, Cami headed for the door and
an adventure of a lifetime.

Evan was nervous. As he admitted that to himself, he pursed his lips and nodded his
head a little. Hmm, he was a seasoned Dom with twelve years of BDSM experience under
his belt. However, as he stood gazing down at Manhattan from his penthouse, he acknowledged
that taking on not just one, but two novices at the same time, was a first.

Because neither one of them was interested in exhibition at this stage in the game
and they knew enough about him from Gage and the others to trust him, they had agreed
to meet at his place. Evan was keeping the mood casual in faded blue jeans, a white
button up shirt and bare feet. He hoped that would set the tone for the evening and
put the women at ease right from the moment they stepped in the door.

Just when he was about to check his watch for the dozenth time, the bell rang. With
one hand he pressed the buzzer to allow them up and the other he ran over the smooth
skin of his scalp before he made his way to the door to let them in. “And, we’re off.”

The sight on his doorstep was like a kick to the solar plexus. Both were stunningly
beautiful in their own unique way, and together they made a vision that just about
brought him to his knees.

Ziporah was willowy in build and full sensual lips and big doe eyes highlighted her
lovely face. Her dark hair framed her face perfectly, with the ends swooping in just
under her delicately pointed chin. She was dressed to kill in a classic little black
dress that left her arms and most of her amazing legs bare.

Cami was her polar opposite. She was fair skinned and her long blonde hair was a cluster
of waves surrounding her beautiful face and cascading down her back. Her hourglass
figure was the stuff of wet dreams, and she had that killer body displayed to perfection
in a fitted navy blue skirt that fell just shy of her knees, with a high-riding slit
up one side. She had a soft white sweater on that outlined and emphasized the abundance
of her figure with a gleaming trail of pearl like buttons marching down the center,
and Evan wondered how in the hell she made it through the streets of New York unmolested.

Whereas he had dressed to put them at ease, they had obviously dressed to impress.
And it worked. He was more than impressed, he was blown away. He stepped back and
motioned them ahead of him.

“Welcome to my home, ladies.” He shut the door and then, before they could reach the
living room, he maneuvered in front of them to give his first instruction. “You both
look amazing tonight. About knocked me to my knees when I opened the door and saw
you two standing there. I especially love your shoes, but as of this moment, I need
them off. Hang your bags and jackets on the coat tree and leave your shoes on the
floor beside it.” They hesitated for a brief second and then turned to do his bidding
as one.

“From now on, neither of you will wear shoes when you are with me as subs. It will
be a clear sign that we are in a scene. You can also use that as a signal to let me
know you’d like to begin a scene with me. Wherever we are, if you want my attention
on an intimate level, ladies, all you need do is remove your shoes.”

He watched as they absorbed that notion and exchanged glances. Once they were finished,
he turned and left them to follow him into the sunken living room. As he took a seat
on one of the overstuffed chairs, he motioned to the sofa in front of him. “Have a
seat. There will be times I will require one or both of you to kneel or sit on the
floor, but unless I specifically instruct you or you hear me say ‘high protocol’,
you may feel free to sit any where you please.” He indicated the tray he had sitting
on the coffee table between them. “Would either of you like something to drink? A
snack?”

“No, thank you, goodness I couldn’t eat a thing right now,” Cami said, fluttering
her hands at her waist. Ziporah just shook her head silently. Evan leveled a look
at her. “Ziporah, sugar,” he said, “when you are in my presence as my sub, I expect
all answers to be verbal. Understood?”

Her eyes shot up to him and he watched with amusement as they first widened in pleased
shock, then when she caught herself enjoying his directive, they narrowed in rebellion.
Interesting
.

“Yes. Understood.” She looked as though she was going to leave it at that snippy little
remark then Cami jabbed her in the side. “No, thank you, I’m not hungry either.” And
she jabbed Cami back. Evan coughed to hide his laugh.

“Well then.” Evan leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees. “Let’s talk safe
words. Zoe and I didn’t get into details when she spoke with me and I never got the
chance to speak with Terryn either. Besides, it’s best I hear those things straight
from the both of you, rather than second hand.

“Have you two decided on a safe word?”

They looked at each other and shared a smirk, so he knew he was in for a treat before
they even opened their mouths. He was not disappointed. “T-Rex,” they said in unison.
He was laughing full out by the time Cami got done explaining how she’d come up with
that from being left alone on the dance floor with him.

“All right,” he agreed as he tried to catch his breath, “I think that is even more
ridiculous than Terryn and her pickles, but I like it. T-Rex it is. Now, then if you
are gagged and can’t speak, it’s three sharp knocks on a hard surface, or if there
is no hard surface I will place a red ball in your hands that you will hang onto and
if you drop it, that will be your safe word signal. As far as hard and soft limits
and what you’ll both be comfortable doing, let me just say that I understand this
is new for you and I will proceed accordingly. Feel free to use your safe word freely
as we get started and I’ll make adjustments as I go. Any questions so far?”

“No, Sir,” Cami murmured sweetly, her eyes lowered and her hands in her lap.

“Nope,” Ziporah snapped like a sullen teenager who’d just been grounded.

“Well, now.” Evan sat back and considered her. Under normal circumstances he would
have walked away and refused to scene with a sub so bent on insolence. But, a normal
sub would never act that way, or would only do so in hopes of incurring a punishment.
“Ziporah, answer me again.” He reached to the chair adjacent to the one he was sitting
on for a decorative pillow and tossed it on the floor by his feet. “But do it from
here.” He watched as, yet again, the first emotion that filled her chocolate brown
eyes was surprised curiosity that was then chased away by stubborn determination.
She slapped both hands onto the couch on either sides of her then pushed herself to
her feet with a huff.

“Stop.”
Don’t go down without a fight, do you sugar?
“Crawl here on your hands and knees.” He didn’t take his eyes off of her and his
look dared her not to defy him, but to obey him. There was a world of difference between
the two.

“Yes, Sir.” With ill grace, she slid to her knees then crouched to all fours. She
put every muscle she owned to work so that she came at him like a stalking cat and
the look in her eyes now was hot enough to scald. He said nothing until she was kneeling
and she spoke her required, “No, Sir, no questions.”

Then he cupped that stubborn pointed chin in his hand and asked her, “Do you consider
yourself meek, Ziporah?” She all but snorted as she rolled her eyes and answered,
“No, Sir. Not at all.”

“I’m wondering something. Do you know why they use that term to describe horses?”
Her brows furrowed as though she was wondering why the hell he was talking about horses
at a time like this, but he waited for her to answer him. “Um, no. No, I don’t.” When
he continued to wait she muttered an impatient, “Sir.”

“Meek is often mistaken for weak. But to meek a horse means to train it without breaking
it. Imagine a wild stallion, all that fire, all that passion. All that energy and
life wrapped up in a thousand pounds of thundering muscle.” He stroked his fingers
along her jaw as he spoke, careful to keep the eye contact between them. “Now, imagine
all of that majestic power coming under control. Not broken, not defeated, but with
the gentle and firm hand of someone worthy, mastered.” Her reluctance melted and her
lips parted on a small ‘o’ of surprise. That was key for her, he saw.

“I am not blind or a fool, sugar. You’re neither weak nor spineless, I wouldn’t be
here if either of you were. I see your strength Ziporah; I see the core of steel within
you and the fire. Last thing in the world I want to do is break you.” He leaned down
and brushed a soft kiss across her still parted lips then drank in the sigh she breathed
like it was fine wine. “But, I will master you. Make no mistake about that.”