“What kind of rules?” I ask.
Cam clears his throat. “One. You submit to me in all ways by following my commands. Two. You don’t question me, unless I give you permission to do so. Three. You trust me. We trust each other. That means you won’t hold back. I’ll ask everything of you, I expect you to give it freely. Not because I tell you to, but because you want to.”
Cam leans over the table, his fierce gaze holding mine.
“You’ll be safe with me. Even if you’re scared or in pain, you have to know that I’ll never push you past what you can handle. But you can handle a lot more than you think you can, and as your Master, I’ll take you and make you mine.”
I stare at him, my heart pounding. This is getting real fast. “Ok…” I stammer. “I can do that.”
Cam senses my nerves. “Look, Isabelle. This isn’t just about what we do at the club or in the bedroom. It’s a full time commitment. The terms of our arrangement are in force 24-7. It doesn’t end just because you don’t feel like doing what I tell you at a particular moment.”
I swallow.
“Now, eat your breakfast while it’s hot.” Cam’s request is casual. I shake my head.
“I’m not hungry. I’ll just grab something later.”
His eyes flare. “You just broke rule number one. If you disobey me, I have to punish you.”
I gasp. We just went from zero to sixty in about five seconds flat. For a moment, I think Cam’s just teasing me, but there’s a predatory animal glint in his gaze that tells me he’s deadly serious.
“How would you punish me?” I whisper. Suddenly I realize I don’t know anything about this world that he inhabits.
“It depends on the severity of your disobedience,” Cam explains. “Some Doms use spanking, flogging or restraints.”
I flinch, remembering Brent trying to beat me back at the club.
Cam continues. “I might deny you pleasure or release. If you’d committed a major infraction, your punishment could last days or longer until you’d earned back your privileges.”
“But you’d hurt me?” I ask, still thinking about it.
Cam softens. “Not like that. Not like him.”
I flush. Am I really so transparent?
“We’d work out a list of limits together,” he continues. “So nothing would be a surprise. It’s all about trust,” he repeats. “And if you’re not willing to put that trust in me, we should stop right now.”
Conflicting emotions race through me. I want this desperately, but at the same time, I’m intimidated. I’ve spent my life trying to keep control when everything felt like it was slipping from my power. Giving it up willingly to anyone is really scary.
Cam has already seen through my glamorous façade, seen more of me than anyone in the world. What happens when it all falls away? What happens when he sees the secrets I’ve been hiding for so long?
“I’ll understand if you change your mind,” Cam says. “This isn’t for everyone. Especially someone like you,” he adds.
I tense. He doesn’t think I can handle it. That I’m just some silly girl who doesn’t know what she wants.
I’m determined to prove him wrong. I meet Cam’s gaze with fierce determination. “I can handle it. I want this, Cam.”
He stares back, and something shifts in his expression. He gets up and goes to his briefcase, pulling some papers out and setting them on the table in front of me. “Fine. Read this over and take the day to think about it.”
My frustration builds. More delays?
“What is it?” I ask, pulling the papers closer.
“A contract. This just outlines the basic agreement. We’ll fine tune it as you discover what you like, and what your hard limits are.”
“Sexy,” I mutter, disappointed. I didn’t expect him to be so clinical about this.
I see a quirk of amusement on his lips, then Cam gives me a stern look. “There are risks here, for both of us. Having a contract ensures there’s nothing hidden.”
And no way this can be used against him, I realize, scanning the pages. There’s a confidentiality clause, and all kinds of legal jargon too. It means that if this goes wrong, for whatever reason, then we’re both protected against a lawsuit.
I can’t imagine what would lead to that point, but I understand, too. Cam has a reputation in the business world. If it got out that he enjoyed this kind of thing, it could ruin his career.
I sign with a scrawl.
“You didn’t read it properly.” Cam looks angry.
“I trust you,” I say simply. “That’s what this is about, isn’t it?”