Page 28 of Coiled Tight
I rested back in the chair closest to me. Not the most comfortable one, mind you, but I had never been interested in renovating the house other than the sun room and the office I used as my den to craft leather pieces as I saw fit.
“Like a… 4.5 in the Kinsey scale?”
That sounded about right, and answering was better than wondering why he had chosen today of all days to ask about my preferences.
Cam looked like he would’ve spat water if he’d been drinking. “I was asking about kink.”
“Oh.” That… I’d never been asked about it that way, but I supposed it made more sense, what with the happenings before, and my telling him about the leather. I still leaned forward, hands on the edge of the table. “You want to know?”
Was it going to make it better, or worse? Did I have a way of knowing? Cam still looked tense, still had a faint tremor to his body, but I couldn’t tell where it came from. Was it hisusual anxiety, or was it something else? Had something else happened while I was gone that had him like this, or was he really back to square one around me, even if I dreaded the thought?
“I mean, you know, right? About me. Not that it means anything, but it feels fair?”
I hummed. All my experience with terrified horses should be kicking in right about now, but I was as clueless as to how to behave around him as I’ve always been. “Agree to Saddle Up, and I’ll tell you.”
Cam’s nostrils flared. I didn’t think he was angry, just bursting with the need to brat out.
Fuck.
Now I was definitely going to be reading kinky meanings behind his every action, just the thing I’d fought against ever since that phone call with Da.
“Fine,” he gritted out.
I grinned, then made sure I enunciated everything clearly. “At my core, I’m a Daddy Dom. A Leatherman, obviously. And a Sadist when I’ve built up the trust with someone.”
When Cam squeaked in response, I wasn’t sure it was because of fear, shock, or simply the fact that he hadn’t expected an answer. The flush spreading up his cheeks hinted that it wasn’t the former, and the shock might not be associated with anything negative.
“Cool.”
“Cool?” I cocked my head.
Was it mean that I teased?
“That’s called being a Brat Dom, and it’s not nice, just so you know.”
“Uh-huh.”
Cam turned around before I could come up with a better retort, getting on his tiptoes to open the drawers above his head and grab two bowls.
I would’ve offered to help, but he was the one accusing people of being brats. He could ask for help if he wanted to throw around accusations like that.
“I made it extra spicy, so you’re gonna have to deal with it.”
The corners of my lips twitched up. “Whatever shall I do?”
It turned out, the chili was amazing. I had to check if Saddle Up was still running a cooking contest. This tasted like a winner, with the perfect balance between heartiness and spice. Maybe if he got a trophy back from it, he’d get that step closer to forgiving me for completely fucking up shit between us.
eleven
cam
Iwas stupid.
And a big, masochistic, asshole, who kept rereading over the message I’d sent in my time of need—also known as the day of hell after I asked Saúl to leave me alone because I couldn’t deal with the fact that he’d seen me wearing a diaper.
waffles_and_whips
Um. Hi. Please, please, please don’t hate me for writing you?
