Page 7 of His Hawaiian Heart (Stateside Doms #26)

Chapter Four

Samuel

If I’d not had my head up my ass, I might have been able to figure out that when Samantha had said she was camping with a group doing “research” one of the group just might be Katrina Davidson.

Of course when we’d been involved, the only research I’d been interested in was studying her anatomy.

Being in what I consider practically my own backyard made not a whit of difference when coming face to face with her in the middle of the jungle.

When I’d managed to stop staring into Sam’s eyes and turned to see Katrina standing there, hands on her hips and a startled expression her face, it was quite the shock.

“Fancy meeting you here,” I tried, wincing inside at the stupidity of the statement. If anyone belonged where we were currently standing as full night fell, it was Katrina and not me.

“Funny, I was about to say the same thing,” she said. When I could think of nothing to say, she smiled. “Wow, she must be some girl.”

“You don’t know Sam, I mean Samantha?” I asked, the incongruity of that possibility never crossing my mind.

“I know of her, I just haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her until now.

” Katrina looked over her shoulder to where Sam was currently making the rounds of those who’d come out to greet her.

“She has the reputation of being an exceptional entomologist as well as being very sought after by various team leaders across the globe. Appears she’s not only smart as a whip but very much liked by people she’s worked with.

That rare combination of being an extremely dedicated worker in addition to being a great team member.

” Her head swiveled back to me. “Though, from what we all just witnessed, seems you already know that.”

With reluctance I tore my eyes from Sam and concentrated on the woman before me.

“Actually, we just met a few hours ago.” Katrina’s eyebrows rose at that tidbit but she didn’t say anything.

“My grandmother ran into her at the airport and thought the same thing your fellow scientists do, that Samantha is quite the gem.”

Her brows went a notch higher. “I don’t recall using the word ‘gem’.”

For fuck’s sake! Put me in a boardroom full of executives and I could talk all day without a single stumble, but when it came to this conversation, I felt about as suave and sophisticated as a prepubescent boy.

Pull yourself together, man!

Great advice, how exactly was I supposed to do that when all I could think about was how I’d felt staring into eyes the color of the Nuku I?iwi flower that bloomed deep within the island’s forests?

Eyes that had drawn me into some sort of abyss where I’d felt I could happily dwell for the rest of my life.

Yeah, that’s not gonna help.

It was a totally different connection that pulled me back from that chasm. I looked down to see Katrina’s hand on my arm before I looked up to see concern on her face.

“Seriously, are you sure you’re all right? You’re acting… well, a bit off to be honest.”

“To be honest, I feel a bit off,” I admitted without thinking. I shook my head to clear it. “I was just saying that Harriett couldn’t bear to leave Sam alone when she’d been accosted by a few drunken jerks who’d decided she needed to serve them.”

“Leave out the drunken part and it sounds a bit familiar, wouldn’t you agree?” Katrina said, her eyebrows rising just enough to show she was finding all of this rambling terribly amusing.

This time I took a moment to gather my thoughts and do a bit of the same deep breathing exercise I’d shared with Sam.

When Katrina’s head tilted as if trying to decipher what I was doing, I nodded.

“Familiar but not relative, unless you are telling me I’ve ever attempted to force you into doing anything you didn’t want to do. ”

My statement seemed to catch her off guard.

Her fingers briefly tightened around my arm but she didn’t drop her hold as she spoke.

“Things didn’t end the way I’d hoped, but no, Sam, I can’t claim you ever took advantage of me.

In fact, the general consensus among my fellow submissives is that consent is practically your mantra.

You were perhaps the most perfect Dom I’ve ever scened with.

” She looked at the others again and gave a soft sigh.

“Perhaps too perfect. You might have been a demanding prick at times, but you were always respectful of my boundaries.” She gave a brief smile and then leaned forward and kissed my cheek.

“You taught me a lot and I do thank you for that.” She released my arm and stepped back.

“I’d ask you to promise you’ll treat Samantha with the same respect, but I already know you will.

So what I will request is that you be completely open and honest with her.

She deserves to know all of what makes you the Dominant so many women are searching for—not just the parts you share with any submissive at a club.

Even though she won’t be here long, I’d rather she put her effort into her job than waste time hoping for things that could never be.

If you can’t do that, then do us all a favor and say your goodbyes and go back and tell your grandmother you’ve done your duty and delivered her safely to us. Okay?”

I couldn’t blame her for being so blunt.

After all, this wasn’t the first time I’d heard the accusation of being closed off.

It was a defense mechanism I’d learned at an early age and had honed to perfection over the years since taking control and running the family enterprise.

Still, hearing Katrina put it so brusquely stung a bit.

I thought about making my own request, asking if she’d keep her thoughts about me to herself, but knew she wasn’t one to share the intimate details of her life with those outside the lifestyle.

She’d always feared doing so would stain her reputation and if there was one thing Katrina loved more than enjoying a scene, it was her job.

She was determined to reach the top echelon of the scientific sphere and I had absolutely no doubt she’d make it.

“All I can do is promise to try,” I finally said.

She smiled again. “At least that’s honest and all I can ask for I suppose.

I never thought I’d be able to say this and mean it, but it’s actually good to see you again.

And I’ll go a step further. I wish you and Samantha the best. Now, go say goodbye and give me a chance to introduce myself before you pull her even deeper under your spell. ”

She laughed and I was glad to hear that it didn’t sound the least bit forced. “It’s good to see you too, Kat, and I wish you the best as well.”

She turned and then looked back at me before turning again as if she’d suddenly forgotten in which direction she find her camp.

“What’s wrong?”

“Where did she go?”

“Who?”

“Sam. Sam… good grief, let’s not do this again. Where did Samantha go? She was just over there talking with everyone a moment ago.”

I looked around and realized we were alone. “I don’t have a clue. I guess she went on to the camp?”

“Without saying goodbye?” Katrina asked, her eyebrows shooting up again. “Maybe you didn’t need to make that promise after all. From the way you two looked, I thought things were hot and heavy, but guess I was wrong.”

My body stiffened at that remark even though I knew she didn’t mean it in an ugly or bitchy way.

But knowing that Samantha hadn’t bothered to so much as look at me since she’d had her laughing attack had me rethinking over the past several minutes.

No, there was no way I’d misread what I’d seen in her eyes.

No way I’d just imagined the connection we’d shared when breathing in sync.

Something had happened to pull her back from me and I suddenly had a good idea of what that was and she was standing right in front of me.

“I think she might have gotten the wrong idea,” I said, motioning between the two of us. “About us, I mean.”

Katrina looked over her shoulder and then back at me. “Or maybe she came to her senses? If you two just met, how do you even know she’s into… you know…”

“No, I’m afraid I don’t.”

“Yes you do. We both know you’re a Dominant and into the darker aspects of kink. From what I know about Samantha, I’ve never heard a whisper that she isn’t, well, to be frank, completely vanilla.”

It was time for me to quirk my own brow. “Is a fellow scientist’s sexual preferences normally a topic of conversation at those research conferences you’re always attending?”

“No, but girls do talk.”

“About all the juicy details or just in general?” I asked, actually a bit curious to hear her answer.

She had the decency to pause and then shrug. “I can’t speak for others. I mean, I certainly don’t go around announcing I like to be spanked, but then again, I’ve heard more than a few tales circulating. Nothing about Samantha, though I’ve not ever worked with her before.”

“In other words, you have no clue what she might be into.”

“Do you?” she snapped back.

I did but wasn’t about to relay that my knowledge didn’t come from any sort of spoken declaration of Sam stating she was a submissive.

I wasn’t blind, deaf, or stupid and from the subtle movements, looks, and humorous comments I suspected weren’t meant to be actual jokes but were rather innuendoes that had a definite sexual undertone, I didn’t need confirmation.

I wasn’t one discuss to scenes shared with my submissive with anyone, nor was I one to kiss and tell.

Hell, it suddenly occurred to me that not only wasn’t Sam my submissive, I’d not even kissed her.

Nor had I ever followed through elaborating on the promise I’d been hoping she’d make me.

“I guess your silence answers my question,” Katrina said with a laugh. “Sorry, but it’s a bit amazing to watch a man who is so very Alpha on his own turf look so forlorn on mine.”

“I was born on this island, you know.”

“I know, but I bet I can beat your ass in any contest where the names of every native and invasive species of plant, animal, insect, fish, or fowl on this island are concerned.”

“Maybe, but since we are discussing a completely different species, let me say I distinctly remember beating your actual ass.”

My comment had her shaking her head. “Oh, man, you’ve got it bad, don’t you?”

Shit!

There was no denying that I believed she just might be right. “Do me a favor?”

Katrina actually rubbed her palms together like one of those cartoon villains. “This ought to be good!”

“Funny,” I said though I didn’t find an ounce of humor in this situation. “Let fate decide where this is going and perhaps let Samantha know I’m not a bad guy.”

She reached out to pat my arm again. “Since you asked so nicely, I’m going to do you a favor and decline the request.”

When my brow quirked, she smiled. “If I know anything about the females of this species, and I do, then you’ll be thanking me later.”

“How do you figure?”

“Oh, Sam, don’t you know girls find the bad guys the most attractive?”

Before I could respond, she turned and walked away, leaving me truly alone. Well, damn, it seemed like I was going to have to depend on my island knowledge after all to find my way back to the car.

Or else you could man up and walk a bit further and let Sam know you’re not leaving without saying goodbye.

There was that.