Safeword: Arabesque (Safewords Book 9) (31 page)

Paramedics were working on Frisco, so Cassie had gone to Jake and was on the floor with him, crying. It broke everyone’s heart.

They revived the men first, and as soon as Cam saw Frisco awake and pissed, Cam got Jake’s leash. The dog was going to wake up groggy with his house full of strangers — he wouldn’t be happy, either.

The medic gave Jake a shot and waved something under his nose. As Cam had expected, the dog awoke growling and snarling, but as soon as he realized Cassie was okay and she wanted him to chill out, he calmed. He still wasn’t happy, but he stopped fighting the leash and trying to get at the strangers.

Between the police officers, the paramedics, the Drake people, and everything else, Cam thought he might go crazy. He answered questions, gave his gun to the police, and was surprised when an attorney showed up to tell him he was representing him.

“I didn’t hire you.”

“No, Samantha Levi did.”

Cam smiled as he remembered Sam telling him if he had to shoot Clemente she’d make sure he had a good attorney.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Frisco didn’t want to have this conversation with his mother, but he wasn’t going to put it off any longer, either. He didn’t know any other way to prove to Cam how serious he was about accepting him into his life.

His mom sailed into the restaurant, hugged his hostess, and was led to her favorite booth.

“Alright boy,” he told Cam, “you’re up. Go sit with her and woo her. I’ll take care of a few last things, make sure the server has our orders, and I’ll be out.”

* * * *

“You want me to go talk to her without you?” Cam had only been working for Frisco again for a few days, and he was still getting the hang of things again. Frisco had always kept Cam away from his mother before! All the rules seemed to have changed.

“I do,” Frisco said. “I want her to like you before she sees us together. Can you
please
do this for me?”

Cam nodded, swallowed his nerves, and walked to the booth.

He introduced himself and said, “Frisco had a few loose ends to tie up, and he asked me to come on out and keep you company.”

“Oh, I recognize your name. You’re the young man who rescued my Frisco from that awful cage fighter.” She leaned forward. “Do you have your gun on you now?”

Chuckling, Cam shook his head and sat across from her in the booth. He did, but he wasn’t going to tell anyone, and he shook his head as if it was a crazy question, not as if he were answering the question.

“I’m just glad they were okay,” Cam told her. “He’d used a tranquilizer to knock Frisco and the dog out, and I was terrified they were seriously hurt when I came in.”

“So, you’re friends with my boy, and with,” she scrunched her face, “
that woman
?”

“You mean Cassie? Yeah. I used to rent the apartment over Frisco’s garage, and I live with Cassie now. I’ll graduate with a graphic arts degree in the spring, but until then I’m stuck being a waiter and finding inexpensive housing.”

“Do you know what that woman’s into? How do we know she didn’t ask him to beat her up?”

Cam tilted his head and reminded himself this was Frisco’s mom. “Clemente cracked her cheekbone, messed up the connections at the back of her jawbone, dislocated her shoulder, broke some ribs, and she needed stitches in her rectum. No one would ask for that, and especially not Cass.”

“You like this girl?”

“She’s one of my best friends. I love her, but…not romantically.”

God, Frisco needed to get out here
now
, before he stuck his foot in his mouth so far he couldn’t get it out.

* * * *

“Mama!” Frisco said as he glided out, leaned down to hug her, and then sat beside Cam. “You’ve met Cameron?”

“I have. He’s your friend?”

“Well, mama, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

He’d thought he would do this in the restaurant where she was less likely to scream and make a fuss, but he suddenly doubted his logic and wished he’d decided to do this somewhere more private.

However, he’d started it and would never get the nerve again, so he put his arm around Cam and said, “I need to let you know I like boys and girls, mama. Cam’s special to me. I love him.”

His mother looked from Frisco to Cam and back at least twenty times without saying anything. A waitress brought out their chips, salsa, and cheese, and Frisco thanked her and took a bite. He’d brought their drinks when he came, so they were set until their entrees arrived.

His mother sighed, picked up a chip, and ate it without dipping it into anything.

“Mmmm. Fresh. I ate at your big sister’s restaurant yesterday and she was serving chips they’d made the day before!”

Frisco squeezed Cam’s shoulder and took his arm back. “I’m glad you approve, mama.”

His mother laughed and said, “My not saying something doesn’t mean I approve. You’re hardheaded — you know God doesn’t approve, you know I don’t approve, and yet you’ve decided to live a life of sin anyway. You’re my son and I’ll love you no matter what, but I can’t approve.” She shrugged. “I like the boy, and I’ll accept him at family functions if it means you’ll be there, but never mistake my silence for approval.”

Frisco breathed a quiet sigh of relief and said, “Thank you.”

“Why are you thanking me?”

“For not disowning me? I was worried.”

“Oh, I have a feeling there’s much you haven’t told me, and I’ll tell you now, I don’t need to know details. If you and this boy and that girl are all doing things together? She can come to family stuff, too, but don’t feel the need to talk to me about it. God knows what you’re doing, and it’ll just have to be between you and him.”

Frisco didn’t think a loving God would have made him bisexual and then punish him for it, but he decided not to bring that point up with his mother. Not today, anyway.

* * * *

When Frisco’s mom left, Cam leaned against the wall of the kitchen and thought he might puke.

“Come to my office a second?” Frisco asked.

Cam nodded and followed him. “I’m never doing that again,” Cam said the second the door closed. “I had to come out to my own family, and I’m done. You need to come out to anyone else, you do it without me.”

Frisco pulled him into a hug and said, “I’m sorry. I won’t have to tell anyone else. Mama will tell everyone, and they’ll all come to me to either point out I’m going to burn in hell, or to congratulate me for having the balls to be myself.”

Cam let Frisco hug him, and gave him a brief kiss, but pulled away when it got too intense.

“Oh, come
on
, Cam. What do I have to do to…I’m glad you’re hugging and kissing me, but when do we go farther?”

Cam shook his head. “I don’t know, but right now the thought of letting you have power over me again makes me sick to my stomach.” It’d worked out okay when he’d kneeled for Frisco in the middle of the night, but part of him was terrified he’d be rebuffed and tossed to the curb once more if he kneeled for him again.

But, it was more than that. Frisco had wounded him, emotionally, when he’d thrown him out and deleted Cam from his life. He’d hurt him bad, and the thoughts of submitting to more pain from the man was too much. He’d once begged him for it, but…he just couldn’t submit to it, and sex with Frisco meant he had to submit his soul to him again.

He knew Frisco was trying, but the thoughts of surrendering his will to his former Master brought something close to a panic attack to the surface.

“I thought showing you how serious I was, by telling my mom and coming out so you and I can be together in public…” He shook his head and sank into his chair behind his desk without trying to hide his anger. “I hoped it’d make you trust me.”

Cam turned to the door, too hurt and confused to say anything.

“Where are you going?” Yeah, Frisco was pissed, but so was Cam.

“You want to put distance between us?” Cam asked. “Make a point of walking behind your desk to remind me you’re the boss? I’ll
put
distance between us.”

Frisco was on his feet and around the desk in no time. “I’m sorry, Cam. It wasn’t my intention, but you’re right. You hurt me when you rebuffed me
again
. I don’t know what else to do.”

Cam leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t know what to tell you, other than to ask for more time. I worked so hard to turn my emotions off and convince myself you were bad for me and I needed to move on…” He shrugged. “Just give it some time, please? I love having you hold me, but as soon as my cock responds it’s like I panic or something.” Or want to go throw up.

“When’s the last time you had an orgasm?”

“This morning, in the shower.”

“What were you thinking of?”

“You forcing me to fuck Cass, caning my ass when I didn’t do it the way you wanted me to.” He took a breath, focused on the floor, and added the rest. “A tight cockring, and I didn’t know if you’d let me come or not, though I had orders to get her off over and over.”

Frisco sat heavily in one of the guest chairs on the same side of the desk this time. “Nice to know I rank in your fantasies, but I wonder if you really want me, or just want someone who can facilitate your relationship with Cassie.”

Cam saw the pain in the other man’s eyes and something inside of him shifted.

Frisco was truly doing everything he could to apologize and make things right, and tonight had been a huge deal.

Cam stepped to him and ignored his racing heart and shortness of breath as he went to his knees in front of his Master. “I’m sorry, Sir,” he said with tears threatening to spill. “I don’t want you to have that impression. I love you, but I don’t know what comes next.”

Frisco leaned forward and tousled his hair. “I love you, too, boy. When’s the last time you had a good spanking or flogging?”

“Almost a month; when Cassie was in Vegas.” He looked up to see Frisco’s reaction before adding, “I went to a club in Atlanta.”

“If you need it again, promise you’ll let me know? I’ll give you what you need without sex; I just don’t want you going anywhere else.”

“Isaac said he would, too. I promise it’ll be one of you. I won’t go somewhere else.”

“Are you okay now?”

Cam shook his head. “I’m itchy for it, but I have to leave Cass too long already — for school, rehearsals, and work. I don’t want to leave her any longer than I have to.”

Frisco’s strong hand cupped his cheek, and Cam closed his eyes to try to keep from crying. “I like having you on your knees. I’ve missed it, but I don’t want you to go farther with it than you’re comfortable. Would you rather lean against my legs, or sit in a chair?”

Cam had been about to get up and sit in a chair, but when Frisco gave him the choice, he suddenly wanted nothing more than to lean against his Master’s legs. No matter Frisco wasn’t his Master anymore.

He shifted to his bottom and leaned sideways, propped against Frisco’s legs, and it felt so damned
right
, a few tears spilled over and then dried up. This was where he was meant to be.

Frisco’s sigh above him told him the other man felt the same.

“I’m getting the feeling I need to fix things with Cass before you and I are going to be okay again.”

“I don’t know, Sir. Maybe?”

“She was pissed at you, at first, when she found out you’d semi-forgiven me.”

Cam nodded. “Not exactly pissed, she just couldn’t deal with it. She’s worried I’ll get hurt again, though.” Cam was terrified he’d get hurt again, but didn’t say that part.

“So, do I need to win her back before you’ll take me back all the way?”

Cam wasn’t sure what it would take, and changed the subject. “What kind of contract will we have this time, Sir?”

“I’m never going to get tired of hearing you call me Sir.” Cam’s heart slowed even more as Frisco’s hands ran through his hair. “As for your question, there are a few things I’ll want in it, but you’re trained now so our contract this time will be more of a negotiation than last time.”

“What are the things you’ll want?”

“Twenty-four / seven power exchange, with the exception of time needed for your job once you’re no longer working for me.”

Cam’s cock throbbed in his pants, but he said, “Umm, once you have the twenty-four / seven thing, it doesn’t really matter what I want.”

“Not true. You weren’t allowed many hard limits before because I needed you to experience everything. You’ll be allowed to list them this time, and make demands on whether I can play with others or not.”

“Really?” Cam looked up. “You’ll agree to only see me, and no one else, if I ask?”

Frisco nodded, his face solemn. “I will. I hope you’ll include Cass, but if she won’t have me it may not matter.”