Page 25 of Below the Surface
Piper laughs. “I love you, Cam.”
“Good thing for me.”
“I hope so.”
“You know it is,” I say. “I love you, too.” I sigh. “Please don’t change any plans you’ve made.”
Piper lifts a brow.
I need her to lead me tonight, to feel the power she exudes. It calms me as much as it excites me. That’s something I hadn’t expected. I can tell she’s following my thoughts.
“I want you to be sure,” she says.
“I am.”
Piper grins. I’m not sure what’s about to happen, but her gaze takes on that sensual yet predatory haze that makes my skin tingle. Thoughts about Kelsey and her party drift away. Piper kisses me again—a deep, passionate, soul-searing kiss that makes my knees buckle. If she keeps this up, we won’t leave the house. “Piper. God.”
She hums. “I think we should get ready for our evening.”
Oh, I’m more than ready for our evening. She must read my mind because she chuckles.
“Shower?” she asks.
“Together?” I ask.
She grabs my bag, pulls my hand, and leads me to the bedroom. Piper steps away from me and leans against the wall. “Take it all off, Cam.”
It’s taken me some time, but I’m comfortable undressing under Piper’s gaze. She never makes me feel awkward or self-conscious. She makes me feel desired.
“You are beautiful,” Piper says.
I look at her.
“I’ve set some things out for you in the bathroom.”
I frown.
Piper holds my gaze. “Cameron. You’ll understand when you walk into the bathroom. Relax. Icanbe part of this. I can help you with it, but I don’t think that’s something you’re comfortable with.”
My heart speeds and lifts into my throat. Piper has a unique way of pushing me past my apprehension, embarrassment, and fear. It might sound crazy to some people, but I can always feel her gentleness. It runs beneath the surface of her authority. It doesn’t matter what we explore, Piper is always focused on making me feel safe and cherished. That surprised me more than anything. I have an idea what awaits me in the next room.
Piper calls for my attention. “Cam.”
I suck in a nervous breath and nod.
Piper steps forward and kisses me. “Follow the directions I left you. I want you ready for the party—your hair and makeup, but don’t get dressed. Take your time, Cameron. As much time as you need. We’re not slipping into Kelsey’s party. We’re going to make anentrance—together. Come to me in the bedroom when you’re ready,” she says as she picks up my bag.
“No touching yourself in the shower, Cameron.”
Her words thrill me and tempt me to disobey. I haven’t deliberately challenged Piper’s authority in the bedroom—not yet. The more time we spend together, the more I’m tempted to resist to see what she’ll do. I confess, spanking always intrigued me. With Piper, I desire things that I used to consider shameful. I thought desiring something beyond tenderness meant something was wrong with me. She makes everything feel safe. That sounds crazy. Even to me. Wanting to be disciplined and controlled. Piper isn’t like Caleb. Kelsey talks a lot about his punishments. That word makes me cringe. I don’t want a partner who punishes me. Maybe it’s the way my mind works.I understand discipline in all its forms. It doesn’t scare me—it makes me feel safe. Punishment causes my stomach to revolt.
The moment I close the door, I see what Piper has left for me. She’s been gentle with me exploring double penetration. The last time she brought that into our play, I went from blissful to completely humiliated in less than a second. And humiliation isn’t one of my turn-ons. Piper smiled and reassured me—over and over. She’s always reminding me there’s a difference between feeling unsafe and being uncomfortable. I couldn’t look at her until she lifted my eyes back to hers. I cried and apologized. Piper kissed me and told me never to apologize for how my body responds to something. We talked later that night about preparing for times when she might want to penetrate me anally. I cringed and asked if she had to be so clinical.
TWO WEEKS EARLIER
“Do we need to talk about this?” I ask. “It’s so—clinical.”
Piper laughs. “Maybe it’s an occupational hazard—sounding clinical.”