Page 6 of The Thief That Stole Christmas (Indulgence)

Cameron

After a rather tense breakfast over which Johannes eyed me suspiciously, I head over to the main house, hoping to catch Mum before she gets drawn into preparing for the day. It’s early yet, so I should be in luck. And if my timing is right, I might be able to mooch some baked goods off of her.

When I unlock the kitchen door, the smell of fresh muffins is the first thing that assails my senses. Followed by the warmth of a busy, cosy, yet still well-run kitchen. As always, Mum’s dark auburn and grey hair is pulled up into a messy ponytail, the loose curls flowing down her neck. She looks good for her age. At forty-eight, her skin is still smooth and almost wrinkle-free, except for the laugh lines adorning her striking face.

I’d always thought she’d hook up with Johannes, but knowing what I know about him now, it makes sense that they never hit it off. Mum is way too much of a dominant personality to have anyone take care of her that way.

“Hey, Mum. What you got going?”

She pauses in her mixing and looks at me, her lips stretching into a huge grin.

“Baby! It’s been too long, come gimme a cuddle. And a hand. You’re a godsend. I overslept this morning, and I’m running a little behind.”

I roll up my shirt sleeves, wash my hands, and grab an apron from the hook next to the pantry door. Stepping up behind her, I give her a kiss on the cheek and a quick squeeze around the middle.

“Where do you need me?”

“You can start rolling out that dough for the croissants. I’ve got some chocolate to add to it in a bit. It’s Amanda’s favorite.”

After flouring the rolling pin, I set myself to the task at hand, lost in the moment and my thoughts on the events of this morning. I must have been lost in them longer than I’d thought because Mum calls my attention to her.

“You wanna tell me what you’re here to talk about, or are you going to play it off as just wanting to grab some breakfast?”

“I’ve actually already had breakfast with Johannes. I just came from there.”

“Well, then?”

she asks, pausing in her chopping.

It’s times like these that I’m both thankful and annoyed at the fact that we have as close a relationship as we do. It gets tough, trying to hide the fact that my mum works for one of the criminal masterminds of the city, but we make up for the missed times in moments like these.

“The girl from last night? The thief?”

I start, looking at the rolling pin instead of facing Mum. She answers me with a nod.

“She’s a Little. And even though I was wary of her to start off with, I can’t deny that the more I learn about her, the more I grow besotted with her.”

Mum passes over the chocolate and I start cutting the pastry and wrapping the chocolate in it as she’d taught me from a young age.

“You wouldn’t believe the things she’s been through, the life she’s had to face. While Johannes was helping her pack up I came back here to clean up, but also got some contacts at the police station to look into her. I’ve not gotten everything back yet, but…”

I pause in my work and look at my mum, trying to find the words to convey what I’m feeling and thinking.

“Mum… I just…”

The words fail me so I take a deep breath and continue on, deciding to skip past that particular bit of history. Probably best that Zanya shares that herself with whomever she chooses.

“Anyway, after the clean-up was done, I went over to Johannes’ to see why they took so long getting back, and I kind of said some things I shouldn’t. Mostly because I didn’t know what to do with the feelings inside me. I didn’t mean to, but I snapped.”

“Oh, Cameron. You really need to learn to keep a guard at your mouth when you get like that. You know better,”

she scolds me.

Even though I’m a grown man of twenty-six, I feel my cheeks redden in a blush at being told off by my mum.

“I know, okay? In the end, though, it was a good thing. She wouldn't stand for my shit and called me on it. It was glorious. She was beautiful. There she was, poking me in the chest like I’m not almost twice her size, and the next second she’s a sobbing mess in my arms.”

The pastries on the counter long since forgotten, I sit down on one of the stools Mum keeps there for a rest. My hands are covered in flour and chocolate or I’d have rested my face in them.

“I held her, rocked her until she fell asleep, and then I got to tuck her in. What kind of man am I that enjoys having a woman cry herself to sleep in his arms?”

“Cameron Jack Williams, don’t you dare talk about yourself like that. Did you want her to cry?”

“Well, no.”

“Did you enjoy the fact that she was crying or that you were the one to care for her?”

Well, isn’t that just obvious? Nothing like a mum to open up your eyes to your own stupidity.

“Okay, fine. I get your point. But I’m not done.”

I huff, a little annoyed at her for being a know-it-all.

“Well, get to it, then,”

she says, indicating I continue with my story while pointing at the forgotten pastries.

“Johannes likes her, too. I mean, we’re members of the same club, so I know he doesn’t normally go for the ageplay thing. But as a Service Top, it’s only one step away from being a Daddy Dom, isn’t it?”

She nods in answer so I continue on.

“The way he was looking at her? And protecting her? I’ve never seen him act like that. And I’m not sure she noticed it, but when I was putting my foot in my mouth about her needing a Daddy to care for her, he was about two seconds away from knocking me out. He probably would have, too, if she hadn’t started in on me first.”

“So, you’re scared to compete with him for her attention?”

“No. Nothing like that.”

I’m not sure how to bring up the rest of the issue.

“Just spit it out, Cameron. I can’t help if I don’t know what it is.”

“It’s kinda out there, though,” I say.

“More out there than discussing the fact that you’re a Daddy Dom with your mother?”

I chuckle at her response. That was a rather uncomfortable conversation. When she told me she’d seen the search history on my computer and would be there if I ever wanted to talk about anything, I thought I’d die of embarrassment.

“Yes, Mum. It kinda is. I don’t think I want to compete with Johannes for her attention.”

“Wait, Cam, baby boy. I’m confused. Didn’t you just tell me how besotted you are with her?”

“Yes.”

If she doesn’t get what I’m trying to say, no way am I gonna spell this out for her.

“But you’re going to step back and let him have his chance with her instead? She’s half his age.”

Well. Guess I have to.

“Mum! What the fuck does age have to do with it? And as it is, I’m probably going to have to force the man to make a move on her; he’s too scared he’ll break her. It’s just that I think she’ll be good for him. And me. And like… Mum!”

I let out an exasperated breath. This is harder to say than I thought it would be.

“I want to share her with him, okay?”

There’s complete silence after my declaration. I don’t know where to look, so I focus on finishing up the pastries so they can go in the oven. The air is thick and I don’t want to look up and see what her reaction is. Instead, I grab some of the chocolate and a scissor and fold and cut the triangular pastries so they resemble little dragons. I saw it on a meme once, and even though Zanya might not want to look at me when she wakes up, I’m sure she’ll enjoy looking at them. And eating them, if her cookie theft is anything to go on.

After putting on the finishing touch of chocolate buttons as eyes, I grab the tray and stick it in the oven. When I finally look up at my mum, she’s got an indulgent smile on her face and the love shining from her eyes warms my soul.

“You done avoiding me now, baby?”

“I suppose. You don’t think it’s weird?”

“Cameron, I work for a crime lord who brought home a stripper and made her his wife after knowing her for one night. I raised a son to be an amazing man with a strong moral code, even though he somehow works as an inside informant for the previously mentioned crime lord. You telling me that you want to share a woman, a Little, with one of my best friends isn’t weird. It’s just completing the circle. I’m more worried about how you’re going to share a girl with Andre’s lieutenant and still stay on the force.”

“Yeah, I thought about that, too, but before we can do anything else, we need to get her to agree to date either of us in the first place.”

“Fair point, my boy, fair point. No, that the dragons are in the oven getting their arses roasted, how about you grab the bacon and fry that up? Are you sticking around or do you need to get to work?”

“I have a shift in a few hours.”

“Okay then, I’ll see to it that your girl gets one of those dragons. Hop to it now.”