Page 27 of His Hawaiian Heart (Stateside Doms #26)

The two women hugged and then, hands clasped, Beth and Josh turned away to walk further down the path back toward camp. Which had me turning to Samantha. “Is there a particular reason you chose to wait here for me instead of at camp?”

She hesitated, but when I quirked my brow, she sighed. “Let’s just say I’d rather start off today with smiles and wishes for us to ‘have fun,’ rather than pursed lips and another cutting innuendo.”

Katrina. Why the woman seemed to have taken a complete three-sixty turn when it came to Samantha, I wasn’t sure, but I was certain I needed to do something about it and not too far in the future. However, that future hadn’t yet arrived.

I took the pack from Samantha and hefted it. “What’s in here, bricks? Or did you steal every cookie in the mess tent?”

“I don’t steal, I just asked very sweetly and educated my favorite Papa Cookie that riding and swimming take a lot of energy and that very large, very fit, very hungry men, tend to get grumpy unless provided with more than a few nibbles.”

I shrugged the backpack on and then went to her. “And I’m the incorrigible one? You might not be a liar, but your ability to exaggerate does have you balancing on a razor’s edge.”

“Good thing my balance is impeccable,” she boasted while putting all she had into a very exaggerated shudder, shimmering from head to toe, her laughter making me chuckle.

That didn’t keep me from reaching around and popping her ass which magically stilled all that shaking and had her taking a half step forward.

“So much for that hypothesis,” I said as I bent slightly and made a cup with my hands.

She gave her ass a single rub and then placed one hand on my shoulder and reached up with the other to grab the pommel of the saddle.

Samantha had originally wanted to try riding bareback, but when I’d placed her on McNut’s back in the corral one evening when she was on the ranch, she’d started slipping off his back within his taking just a few steps. “Grab his mane and pull yourself up, babygirl.”

Slightly panicked eyes met mine as she shook her head. “You’re the one who likes to pull hair, Sir, but you’re right. Perhaps a saddle might be a better way to go,” she’d agreed reluctantly, but then added, “but only when I’m riding alone.” Since that matched my preferences perfectly, I’d agreed.

Today, she’d ride Sugar and we’d move on from there.

She slipped her boot into my cupped hands and gave a slight hop as I lifted.

When she was about to swing her free leg over, I dipped my head to where an expanse of creamy white inner thigh was exposed with the drawing up of her shorts.

As my mouth made contact, she froze like an animal in the jungle who’d just realized she wasn’t at the top of the food chain.

I didn’t bite, but I did nibble, tasting the softness of her flesh.

More importantly, I inhaled the scent of her arousal.

Releasing my teeth, I ran the tip of my tongue over the slightly reddened spot before straightening and grinning as she hesitated for a heartbeat as if unsure what to do.

A lift of my hands set her in motion and she swung her leg over and settled in the saddle.

“Did you forget to eat breakfast or something?” she teased.

I was sure the fact that her butt was safely settled had her thinking it was safe. As a Dom, I’d just enjoy letting my little subbie hang on to that illusion a wee bit longer. “Just wanted to help you out.”

“And biting me helps me how?”

I didn’t answer until I’d taken my own seat on McNut’s back. “In many ways. A nibble before even departing camp will serve as an illustration in that story you wove for Cookie. It will help me accept the fact that my sub is riding alone instead of riding with her Dom, and?—”

“And whose fault is that? You could have left Sugar at the ranch.”

I ignored her interruption, but automatically made note of the eye roll that accompanied her light laugh at that statement. “Most importantly, that slight sting will remind you that the time is coming.”

“Time?”

“Tally time,” I added, not that I had the slightest doubt she didn’t know exactly what I was referring to.

Anticipation could be an incredible aphrodisiac as proven by the pair of twin peaks poking against her tee.

I was also willing to bet her aroma was growing stronger between those gorgeous spread thighs.

An hour later, I heard the sound of her light laugh and turned slightly in order to better see her.

The terrain changed as we climbed and I’d been leading for the last mile or so while Sam followed.

She sat relaxed in the saddle, the reins slack in her hands, not tautly which would have pulled the bit in Sugar’s mouth.

When Samantha saw me, she smiled widely. “Do you think animals have dynamics?”

“I’m not sure I understand the question, babe.”

“Well, I’m not having to do anything but sit here.

I don’t worry about falling off. I can simply enjoy the view because Sugar is following McNut’s lead, trusting him to guide her safely.

So, do you think animals enter dynamics like we do?

” She bent forward and patted Sugar’s neck.

“Are you a subbie too, Ms. Sugar? Is Mr. Maximus your Dom?”

This woman would never cease to amaze me.

No matter how long I lived, I knew I’d never tire of this.

Not just of riding with Samantha, but of seeing the world through her eyes, of hearing her wonder about all things, and witnessing her research until she was satisfied her question had been answered.

She had so many fascinating facets about her that I was sure even a lifetime wouldn’t be enough to truly know everything that made her uniquely my Samantha.

“I suppose they could. Just because they’re animals doesn’t mean they don’t make connections that lead to commitments.

I seem to remember hearing that bald eagles and wolves mate for life.

And in many species, the male is not only larger, but also a brighter color than the female to draw any danger away from his mate in order to protect her.

I also remember seeing some news report where a swan had lost his mate and was basically wasting away.

Another couple knew of a female swan who’d lost her mate.

People brought the two swans together and it was pretty fascinating to watch them interact and do their own version of riding off into the sunset by paddling side by side in the pond. ”

“That’s so romantic. Okay, we agree they do enter dynamics. Now, I wonder how we can research if they have their own version of BDSM.” Her giggle had me grinning.

“I suppose we’d need some proof for that to be accepted.

Now if we got a video of a lion draping his lioness mate over a fallen tree, aka their version of a spanking bench, and then flogging her butt with a pawful of savannah grasses before mounting her for a mutually satisfying ride, your theory that they enjoy a dynamic such as ours might be harder to deny. ”

Samantha’s eyes were truly windows to her soul.

I’d been fascinated with them the first time we locked gazes and had learned to use them as a far more accurate gauge of her feelings than any other expression.

Now they were a mixture of blue and violet which I’d come to recognize as a sign she was a bit stressed, though she offered a small grin while she shook her head.

“While that’s a very informative and, I might add, quite visually evoking story, I’m afraid there is a flaw to your theory, Sir.”

“Why? I know they live in prides, but they pair up, right?”

“In a way, but they aren’t monogamous. They practice polygamy.

Both sexes enjoy the attention of different partners.

But it’s not the lack of commitment that is the issue.

A lot of people who practice BDSM enjoy doing so with different partners or even multiple ones at the same time.

And I suppose I shouldn’t say a flaw if we’re discussing the entire species.

But definitely a flaw if you’re picturing yourself as a Dommy lion and me as your Submissive lioness in a strictly monogamous relationship. ”

The hidden questions in her statement didn’t escape me.

While she might be informing me without actually informing me that she had no issue with the switching of partners from scene to scene or perhaps from partner to partner in the same scene, she was letting me know doing so wasn’t her preference.

And despite my reassurances that Katrina had no claim on me and I had no interest in her, other than why she was making Samantha’s life difficult, the doubt was still niggling at her subconscious.

“I’m definitely speaking of commitment between a single Dominant and his submissive in a mutually exclusive monogamous relationship.

” I was very pleased to see her nose uncrinkle.

“So, can we expect to win the Nobel Prize for our incredible scientific discovery and advancement in understanding the beauty of BDSM to all the vanillas out there?”

Her eyes shone, now a beautiful light violet color as her red curls swayed. Unfortunately, she wasn’t nodding enthusiastically, but shaking her head.

“I’m afraid not.”

“Why not? Does whoever hands them out have a bias against kink?”

“I have no clue, but even if they held the ceremony in the middle of the kinkiest club on the planet, it wouldn’t be given to us. Not if you push forward that scenario at least.”

I made a gimmee gesture. “More data required.”

“It’s not the male who leads the pride. It’s the female.”

That totally took me by surprise. “You mean that massive shaggy hair, baring of huge fangs, swiping of razor-sharp claws, and ferocious roar is all fake?”

Laughter rang through the forest, adding another touch of perfection to our surroundings. “I’m not saying it’s fake, simply saying there are different definitions of camouflage.”

I sighed dramatically, allowing my shoulders to droop.

“Don’t pout. Look at it as an opportunity to do a whole lot more research. It’s never the destination that’s the best part. It’s all the journeys taken to get there that provide all the fun.”

“When you put it that way, I don’t really care if we don’t reach that destination until we are both old and gray.

I’m happy to spend all that time doing a great deal more research with my dedicated subbie scientist. I was thinking more of you.

Don’t they drape a gold medal around your neck, give you a certificate to hang on your wall, and a million dollars as thanks for contributing something to benefit all humankind. ”

Samantha waved her hand in the air as if dismissing even the very thought.

“The only accessories I need to wear are those glasses and flip-flops you love so much. Hanging some plaque on my tent wall is only going to have rain dripping on me when I try to sleep, and as for the money? While I truly hope my work will be a benefit to all humankind, I’d far rather they give that money to people who truly need it to simply get through another day.

And if they find someone who makes them feel as complete as you make me feel, well, that’s worth way more than any amount of money. ”

I’d accepted that I had fallen for Samantha but hadn’t admitted there was still a small part of me holding back. Until this moment. I suddenly felt lighter, like I was floating. Before I could process the discovery further, Samantha gasped and pointed.

“Please tell me this is the spot.”

I turned around and discovered that McNut had proven to be a most effective leader of our little pack.

There was no need to look back as Samantha had led Sugar up beside us as the horses stepped into the clearing filled with the rumble of water tumbling over rocks to splash into the pool that dominated the area.

Grinning, I leaned sideways and slipped my hand around Samantha’s neck, pulling her slightly toward me.

I kissed her cheek and said, “Welcome to Eden.”

She turned her head and kissed me fully on the lips before pulling back. “What are you waiting for, Adam? Let’s swim!”

Before I could speak, she’d slipped beneath my arm and out of the saddle.

My mouth opened to tell her to hold up, but I didn’t need to.

She didn’t just drop the reins and run toward the pool.

She took the time to pat Sugar’s side and thank her for the ride before pulling the bag of carrots out of her pocket again.

“Can they drink from the pool?”

“They can,” I said as I dismounted. Looping the reins over McNut’s head, I headed toward the water, Sam and Sugar at my side.

This was how life was meant to be lived.

With the beauty of nature surrounding us, animals who offered more than just transportation, but also companionship, and a woman who made the world a far more glorious place by simply being in it.