well and the former operative she’d heard whispered about during social gatherings. The only thing she knew for sure at this point was that she really didn’t know anything at all about her Master’s past. Mentally shaking her head at the Socrates reference, CeCe could only hope that she didn’t end up drinking hemlock in the end.
*****
Cam watched the play of emotions on his sweet slave’s face and cursed the fact he was going to have to deny her beach escape for a bit. It didn’t matter it would only be a short delay, he still hated breaking a promise, but in the end his pledge to protect her would always take precedence. He hadn’t seen her this distracted in so long he’d almost forgotten what it was like to look into her obsidian eyes and see anything but passion. He knew she considered herself a scientist above all else, hell, she’d even questioned her ability to be a good mother. But Cam knew the loving, generous, and passionate woman that was really the core of her soul. Both she and her sister, Camille, had been raised in an environment that valued knowledge above all else, so it was little wonder she’d been shocked when he’d peeled back those layers to reveal the sexual woman beneath.
Skimming his fingers down the side of her face as he watched her, Cam was amazed by the fact she’d barely registered his touch. Clearly his call earlier in the day had unsettled her far more than he had anticipated. It was time to refocus her attention, and demanding she see to his pleasure certainly wasn’t the most unpleasant idea he’d had today. Cecelia’s submission was deeply buried beneath layer upon layer of academic and professional polish, but it was an elemental part of her soul. He’d learned over the years the smarter the submissive, the more difficult it was to get them out of their own heads, and it looked like Cecelia was going to be a challenge tonight.
Shifting his attention from Cecelia to Carl, Cam slid the only other sheet of paper on his desk over to his former friend. He watched the former SEAL’s eyes widen in obvious surprise and then the burst of heat that followed a Dom’s understanding of the unspoken message. Cam had never shown his love’s limit list to any other Dominant, but then he’d never dreamt he’d be given the opportunity to share her with Carl Phillips either. Serendipity and fate never ceased to amaze him in spite of the fact his career had jaded him to the point things rarely surprised him.
Cam watched Carl’s eyes skim the list before he leaned back in his chair. The almost imperceptible nod of his head told Cam that he’d read and understood the limits, but his quirked brow let him know the other Dom wasn’t exactly sure what he was supposed to do with the information. He’ll see soon enough. Pushing his chair back enough Cecelia would feel the loss of heat, Cam leaned back and watched her closely. Her nipples were barely peaked, she didn’t appear to be wet, and her pulse was barely noticeable at the base of her slender neck—all clear indicators that her head wasn’t in the right place. Letting her feel his gaze had always stirred her arousal, when none of those telltale signs appeared, Cam realized how much he missed the flushing of her skin and the small sighs she made as her mind and body sought his mastery.
Moving back so he was close once again, he cradled her chin in his palm, Cam lifted her face so he could look directly into her eyes. Once her attention was fully focused on him, he spoke softly, “Pet, I’m going to help you with the anxiety I see you struggling with, but first I want you to know how sorry I am this has happened.” The tears that filled her soulful eyes made his chest tighten, straining under the guilt he’d already been feeling. Leaning forward he pressed his lips against her forehead, “I’d like nothing more than to be able to go back and change my past so I could promise you this would never happen again—but we both
Teresa Gabelman, Hot Tree Editing