Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Cami
I woke to soft kisses being pressed along my shoulder. Not Majesty’s style. These were controlled and evenly spaced out perfectly. Lex.
“Wake up, beautiful,” he murmured against my skin.
I turned over to find him already dressed in jeans and a polo, his dark hair still damp from a shower. “What time is it?”
“Eight. Majesty left early to handle some Ranch business. Which means you and I have the entire day together.”
That woke me up fully. “The whole day?”
“The whole day.” He pressed a kiss to my lips. “Get dressed. Comfortable clothes. We’re starting with breakfast.”
Twenty minutes later, I emerged from the bathroom in leggings and a soft sweater to find Lex waiting patiently, scrolling through his phone.
“Ready?” he asked, standing and offering his hand.
“Where are we going?”
“The cafe in the lodge. We already know they have fabulous sandwiches but according to Majesty, they also serve the best breakfast in Montana.”
We walked hand in hand across the grounds.
The morning air was crisp and cool, and I could see my breath.
It seemed like winter couldn’t seem to decide if it wanted to be gentle or frigid this year.
The cafe was a charming space with large windows and outdoor seating.
Inside smelled like coffee and bacon and freshly baked bread. My stomach growled immediately.
“Starving?” Lex asked with a smile.
“Always.”
We settled into a booth by the window, and a cheerful woman named Julie appeared with coffee almost immediately.
“What can I get you folks?” she asked.
Lex ordered without looking at the menu. “Biscuits and gravy, sausage, bacon, eggs over easy, and maple oatmeal on the side.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Hungry?”
“I burn a lot of calories,” he said with a slight smile. “What about you?”
I scanned the menu. “French toast with berries on top and powdered sugar. Really cheesy eggs. And chicken sausage. Oh, and milk, please.”
Julie scribbled it all down and disappeared.
“Milk?” Lex asked, amused.
“I sometimes like milk with breakfast. It’s a thing.”
“It’s cute. I’ll make sure to keep some around.” He reached across the table and took my hand. “I wanted today to be just us. No Majesty, no students, no obligations. Just you and me, getting to know each other better.”
“I like that.” I laced my fingers through his. “We haven’t really had time alone. Not like this.”
“Exactly. So this first part of the day will be pretty tame. No scene negotiations, no kink discussions. Just two people spending time together.”
“Can we still flirt?” I asked.
His eyes darkened slightly. “Absolutely.”
Our food arrived, and it was glorious. My french toast was thick and perfectly golden, topped with fresh berries and a generous dusting of powdered sugar. The eggs were exactly as requested, loaded with cheese.
“Oh my god,” I said after the first bite. “Majesty wasn’t lying. This is incredible.”
Lex tried his biscuits and gravy and made a sound of appreciation. “Definitely coming back here.”
We ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes, then Lex asked, “Tell me about your family. You don’t talk about them much.”
I swallowed a bite of french toast. “Not much to tell, honestly. I have a sister, but we’re not close. Never have been. My parents are still married, still living in the same house I grew up in, but we’re distant. They weren’t bad parents, we just never really connected.”
“That must be lonely.”
“Sometimes. Shelly became my best friend and sister. She made up for what I didn’t get growing up.” I took a sip of milk. “What about you?”
“I knew my dad. He left when I was ten. Haven’t seen him since.” His voice was matter-of-fact, like he’d processed it long ago. “My mom raised me alone. Did the best she could with what she had. She died of cancer when I was twenty-two.”
“I’m sorry.” I squeezed his hand.
“It was a long time ago. But I miss her. She would have liked you.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. She always said I needed someone who could challenge me. Who wouldn’t just submit blindly but would push back when it mattered.” He smiled. “You do that.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“Absolutely.”
“Any siblings?” I asked.
“No. Just me. Which meant I learned to be self-sufficient pretty early.” He speared a piece of sausage. “What about you? Do you want kids someday?”
The question surprised me, but I didn’t hesitate. “Yes. Two, I think. So they can play together, have each other. I always wished my sister and I were closer. I’d want my kids to have that bond.”
“Two sounds perfect.” He was quiet for a moment, his eyes distant. “I’ve never really let myself think about kids.”
“Why not?”
“Because I was always focused on the next thing. Building the business, perfecting my craft, teaching. Family felt like something other people got to have. Something I couldn’t afford to dream about.”
The vulnerability in his admission made my chest ache. “And now?”
He met my eyes. “Now I’m starting to think maybe I can afford to dream about it. With the right person.”
The weight of what he wasn’t saying hung between us. I reached across and cupped his face. “Good. Because you deserve to dream about all of it.”
He turned his head and kissed my palm, and the moment felt significant somehow. Like we’d crossed some invisible threshold.
“Okay,” I said, deliberately lightening the mood. “Enough heavy talk. What are we doing after breakfast?”
His smile returned, slow and mischievous. “Do you have a swimsuit?”
I blinked. “No. Why would I have a swimsuit?”
“Because the Ranch has an amazing indoor pool, remember. With slides. And I want to see you in a swimsuit.”
Heat crept into my cheeks. “Lex.”
“What? I’m being honest.” He signaled for the check. “Come on. We’re going to the gift shop.”
Besides having western wear like the boots Majesty had gotten me, the Ranch’s gift shop was surprisingly well-stocked. T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and apparently, an entire section of swimwear.
“This feels like a trap,” I said, eyeing the selection.
“It’s not a trap. It’s an opportunity.” Lex pulled several suits off the rack. “Try these on. Model them for me.”
“You want me to model swimsuits for you?”
“Very much yes.”
I took the suits into the dressing room, shaking my head but smiling. The first one was a simple black one-piece. Classic, practical, boring.
I stepped out, and Lex’s eyes traveled over me slowly. “Nice. But not quite right.”
“Too boring?”
“Too safe. Try the next one.”
The second was a deep-burgundy bikini with high-waisted bottoms. More coverage than a traditional bikini, but definitely showing more skin.
When I stepped out, Lex’s expression shifted. His eyes darkened, and I watched his jaw tighten.
“Better,” he said, his voice lower.
“Just better?”
“Much better. But there’s one more.”
The third was a dark, emerald-green two-piece. The top had good support, and the bottoms were cheeky without being scandalous. When I put it on and looked in the mirror, I had to admit it looked good.
I stepped out, and Lex stood from the chair he’d been sitting in.
“That one,” he said definitely. “Absolutely that one.”
“You like it?”
“I like you in it.” He moved closer, his hand settling on my hip. He tilted my chin up toward him with a single finger, making me gaze into his eyes as he said, “You look incredible.”
“We’re in a gift shop,” I whispered. “With other people around.”
The way his eyes seemed to convey his thoughts was magnetic. If I was reading him correctly, he wanted to do all kinds of wicked things to me right now. Not to mention that we were on a Ranch that promoted such behavior. Would it even be scandalous if he bent me over right now?
“I’m aware.” He didn’t step back, though. He claimed my mouth, prompting my arms to go around his neck, pulling him closer. He pulled away slowly, ending the kiss, but I didn’t miss the way his stare lingered on my lips and moved to my breasts. “Get both. The burgundy and the green.”
“Both?”
“I’ll get both for you, yeah.”
“Lex, you don’t have to do that.”
“I want to.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Go change. I’ll grab my trunks and meet you at the register.”
Ten minutes later, we were walking toward the indoor pool, bags in hand. The pool area was impressive—a large main pool with different water slides of varying intensity.
“This place has everything,” I marveled.
“I’m glad that you like it.” He kissed my temple, then pulled me into him as we walked to the back of the space.
We changed in the locker rooms and met at the pool’s edge. Lex wore simple black trunks that showed off his lean, muscled frame. I’d chosen the emerald suit, and I didn’t miss the way his eyes lingered.
“Race you to the slide?” I suggested.
“You’re on, but no running.”
If he thought that would deter me, he was wrong. I simply grinned and we took off speed walking while laughing like children. I beat him by half a second, mostly because he let me.
“Winner gets to pick which slide,” I declared.
“And the winner picks?”
I pointed to the tallest, most intimidating one. “That one.”
“You sure? It’s fast.”
“Scared?” I challenged.
His smile was wicked. “Not even a little. Ladies first.”
I climbed the stairs, my heart pounding with excitement and just a touch of fear.
At the top, the attendant gave me the go-ahead, and I pushed off.
The drop was immediate and intense. I screamed the whole way down, hitting the pool at the bottom with a massive splash.
When I surfaced, I was laughing and gasping.
Lex came down seconds later, emerging from the water with his hair slicked back, grinning. “Again?”
“Absolutely.”
We went down three more times, each one as thrilling as the last. Then we tried the other slides, swam a few laps, and eventually just played in the water.
I splashed him, and he retaliated by dunking me gently. I came up sputtering and launched myself at him, and suddenly we were in a full-on water fight.
“Truce!” I called, laughing so hard my sides hurt.
“Never,” he said, but he pulled me close instead of splashing me again.
We were in the shallow end, and I wrapped my legs around his waist, my arms around his neck. His hands settled on my hips, holding me steady.
“This is fun,” I said, slightly breathless.
“It is.” He brushed wet hair out of my face. “I can’t remember the last time I just played.”
“Me either.”
“Race you to the deep end?” he suggested.
“What does the winner get?” I bit the side of my lip, feeling naughty.
“Whatever they want.”
I unwrapped from him immediately and took off swimming. He was faster, his strokes more efficient, but I gave it everything I had.
He won, touching the wall before me.
“What do you want?” I asked, treading water beside him.
He pulled me close again, his hand cupping the back of my neck. “This.”
Then he kissed me. Deep, thorough, and filled with promise. When he pulled back, we were both breathing hard.
“Best prize ever,” I said.
“Agreed.” He pressed another quick kiss to my lips. “Come on. Let’s go back to the other end. I want to just float with you for a while.”
We grabbed innertubes and settled into them. Lex held onto my tube, keeping us connected as we floated.
“Thank you for today,” I said, looking up at the ceiling.
“We’re not done yet,” he said. “This was just part one.”
“There’s more?”
“So much more.” He squeezed my hand. “I told you. I have you for the entire day. I’m not wasting a second of it.”
As we floated in comfortable silence I felt a contentment I’d never experienced before. This was what I’d been missing. The easy joy and playful connection with a partner. With Lex, I was learning that dominance didn’t always mean intensity. Sometimes it meant knowing when to just be.
However, I didn’t fail to see that even in fun, he was always in control.
That he was always aware of my mood, how I was, and even my mood temperature.
This dominance thing was deeply embedded in him and not something he did to show off.
It was his nature. That’s why I’d felt safe with him immediately, because I didn’t need to be “on” all the time.
He effortlessly handled everything around him in a way that wasn’t condescending. It made me feel powerful and free.
I hated to admit it, but I’d never had the kind of calm strength that he exuded.
The kind that was ever-present whether people were around or not.
No, in fact, his predictability in demeanor meant that I would always be safe with him.
My nervous regulatory system would always be calm when Lex was near.
I swallowed deep as I looked at him. He was exactly what I wanted in a man.