11. Mia
Chapter eleven
Mia
M ia's eyes fluttered open, the dim light of the dusty old bookstore barely piercing through her sleep-heavy lids. She blinked away the remnants of her dreams, feeling relieved that she was far, far away from the club that still haunted her nightmares.
She smiled as she looked at the cozy children’s reading corner she had slept in last night. But then her heart lurched at the realization that Jax was nowhere in sight.
"Jax?" she called out, her voice wavering as fear gripped her chest. "Where are you?"
Her mind raced, conjuring up images of him walking out on her after her failed attempt at a sexy striptease. Had he been disappointed with her? Disgusted, even?
"Damn it," she muttered, stumbling to her feet. The cool air sent shivers down her spine as she desperately searched for any sign of the man she had started to think of as her Daddy.
"Jax!" Panic laced her voice as she fought back tears. Why would he just leave without saying anything? Had she really upset him so much?
She continued her frantic search, the fear of abandonment clawing at her insides like a tiger trapped in a cage. She couldn't lose Jax now. Not when they'd only just started to explore this new connection between them.
"Please don't be gone," she whispered, her green eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I need you."
The sound of the front door creaking open jolted Mia from her despair. She flinched, wondering who was about to walk in. Chad? The police? The people who were squatting here before her?
Relief washed over her as she caught sight of Jax, his arms laden with coffee and pastries. The sight of him filled her chest with warmth, as though the sun had broken through storm clouds.
"Jax!" she exclaimed, her eyes brimming with relief. "I thought you'd left me."
"Babygirl, I would never, ever just leave you like that," Jax reassured her, setting the treats down on a nearby table. He stepped closer to her, wrapping her in a comforting embrace. "Didn’t you see my note? I'm sorry I worried you."
"Note?" She frowned, feeling foolish for not finding it earlier. "I didn't see any note."
"Ah, damn," Jax sighed, ruffling his messy brown hair. "I left it on the counter. I guess I should have just woken you."
"Next time you go out to fetch us some delicious pastries, you can do just that," she suggested, leaning into his solid warmth.
"Deal." He kissed the top of her head. "Now, let's enjoy this feast I brought back, okay?"
As they sat down together, Mia couldn't help but steal glances at Jax, grateful for his presence. It was clear that he cared for her, and her fear of abandonment began to fade.
Mia tore into the almond croissant like a woman starved, flakes of buttery dough falling onto her lap. The sweet taste of cherry jam inside filled her mouth as she swallowed greedily. She hadn't realized just how hungry she was until the first bite. Jax watched with a mix of amusement and concern, reaching for a napkin to wipe the corner of her mouth.
"Slow down, babygirl," he chided gently. "There's plenty here."
"Sorry," she mumbled, cheeks flushed. "I guess I'm hungrier than I thought." Jax handed her a cup of coffee, and she took a grateful sip, the warmth spreading through her. It had been too long since she'd felt this cared for, both physically and emotionally.
"Here," Jax said, offering her a forkful of fruit salad from his own plate. "Eat up. You need to get your strength back."
"Thanks, Daddy," Mia said softly, savoring the juicy pineapple and berries. She felt a surge of gratitude for Jax and his attentiveness, which seemed to nourish her as much as the food did.
“I only wish I could do more for you,” Jax replied. “You’re gonna have to imagine you woke up in a 5-star hotel this morning. With a private jacuzzi and room service. By the beach. With our own butler,” he replied. “Not just in a dusty old bookstore.
She laughed. “I like this dusty old bookstore.”
“Who needs beaches anyway? I hear the sand gets everywhere.”
Jax arched a brow. "Never been to the beach?"
She wrinkled her nose. “I told you, I’ve never left Chicago.”
“There are beaches in Chicago, you know.”
Her jaw dropped. “There are?”
Jax laughed. “I have so much to teach you, babygirl.”
Mia picked up a second pastry now, some kind of delicious thing that looked halfway between a croissant and a donut. “What’s this?”
“That’s a cronut,” said Jax. “I almost got you a cruffin, but I thought you might prefer this.”
“A cruffin?”
“Half croissant, half muffin.”
Mia laughed. “I guess you really do have a lot to teach me.” She chewed thoughtfully on her sugary treat, then looked over at the counter. “So, what did my note say? Was it full of kisses?”
Jax chuckled. "Maybe you should read it."
Mia’s curiosity piqued. She finished her cronut in a hurry and went over to the counter, brushing the crumbs from her mouth as she did so.
She saw a sheet of yellowing paper with some handwriting on it. This was the first time she had seen Jax’s handwriting, and it felt strangely intimate. It was very precise and angular, almost like a computer font.
“You’re cute when you sleep,” the note read. “Heading out for breakfast and I’ll be right back. Hope you like sugar, cutie.” There was a kiss. In fact, there were two. And under the note, there was a book.
She looked at it with a puzzled frown. It was an old self-help book entitled Unlock Your Power: A Guide to Embracing Your True Self . "You left me a self-help book?”
“Open it,” replied Jax, walking over to her.
Mia hesitated for a moment, then opened up the book. Her eyes widened as she saw Jax's handwriting scrawled between the lines of empowering advice. “What’s this?” she asked. “You’ve written something here.”
Jax reached out for Mia’s hand. “It’s a contract. Or, at least, a first attempt at one. If there’s anything there you don’t like, we can change it. And of course, I’ll type one up and print it out properly for you eventually. This one is . . . a placeholder.”
Mia felt herself grinning from ear to ear. “I think I like it like it best like this.”
She looked more closely at the words of the contract now. The inked letters spoke of trust, boundaries, and exploration. A thrill shot through her as she realized what this meant—Jax was into her. Deeply. She hadn’t blown it last night. In fact, they were just getting started.
“The most important thing is that we take our time with all of this,” said Jax, his eyes locked on hers. "You’ve been through more than I can even imagine. I want to give you time to mull it over, set your limits, express your desires, and ensure everything we do together is consensual and comfortable for both of us. You’re in charge, Mia. One-hundred percent. I’m the Dom, but ultimately, baby girl, you’re the boss."
Mia felt a swell of gratitude and warmth toward Jax. His openness and willingness to communicate made her feel valued and respected. It was a stark contrast to her past experiences, where her boundaries were trampled and her voice silenced.
"Thank you, Jax," she whispered. "I've never had anyone care about my feelings like this before."
"Mia, you deserve every ounce of care and respect," he responded sincerely.
As they sat down in the reading corner together, Mia immersed herself in the contract, contemplating each clause.
1. Jax must always make Mia feel like the most precious and wonderful woman in the world (which she is.)
2. Jax must always ensure Mia feels safe and cared for, and any time he initiates sex, Mia can shut it down immediately, and without judgment, using her safeword.
3. Jax will never deprive Mia of basic human rights as punishment or discipline. He will always provide her with food, a warm bed, and company.
4. Mia is to write down a list of sexual acts she wants to experiment with.
5. She is to write down a list of triggers and things she wants to completely avoid.
6. Mia is to name her own punishments, and Jax is only ever allowed to pick from this list.
7. Jax will continue overfeeding Mia until she becomes a healthy weight and tells Jax she wants him to help her maintain it.
8. The safeword is Mowgli. It stops all action immediately without consequences or hesitation.
“What do you think?” asked Jax. “Be honest. Anything you say is totally fine. I just want the truth.”
Mia took a deep breath and spoke from her heart, her words filled with trust and hope. "I've always been curious about bondage, and I've never tried role-playing before," she admitted, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I definitely want to have sex, and I like oral, but I don’t want to do . . . butt stuff.” She blinked up at Jax, tears forming in her eyes. “Is that okay? I don’t want to be boring—”
“Sweetie, it’s more than okay. If you’re not into anal, we don’t do anal. Simple as that. Trust me, there’s no fun at all in doing a single thing that you’re not into. The enjoyment comes from turning you on, not turning you off.”
Mia swallowed and smiled. “Okay.”
“So, is there anything else you don’t want to do sexually? Any triggers I should know about? Things to avoid? Even the tiniest thing?”
Mia chewed on a fingernail as she thought about this, trying not to become too overwhelmed by the visions that flashed through her mind. “No creepy dirty talk, like calling me ‘slut’ or ‘bitch’ or anything. And no calling me ‘Tiger’ either. There was a guy who kept calling me that at the club.” She shuddered. “He was horrible.”
“Got it. I promise I won’t do any of those things,” said Jax, writing down the stuff she was saying so neither of them would forget. “Anything else?”
“No growling at me because of my tiger tattoo either,” she said with a wry chuckle. “Or saying ‘Miaow.’” A memory hit her. “Please don’t wear Axe deodorant either. Chad wore it, and the smell used to make me sick.”
“I swear I’ll never wear Axe,” said Jax. “Can’t stand the stuff personally.”
“Also no beer breath.”
“Beer breath?”
“No drinking beer before we make out.”
“Understood. I’m a JD and coke guy as it happens.”
“JD is fine,” said Mia. “In fact, I quite like it myself.”
“Good,” said Jax, “although we’re not going to be doing anything sexy after even a sip of alcohol. Not early on in our relationship, anyway. I want to know that we are both completely clear-headed.”
“That sounds good,” replied Mia. “Although I might be nervous if I’m sober.” She rubbed her head. “They used to give me these pills that calmed me down. I actually feel a bit yucky without them.”
“Sedatives? Opioids?”
“They said they were vitamins.”
“Hmm, probably a low dose of something to keep you calm and compliant. You might have another rough few days coming off them, but you’ve got your appetite back, and I’ll get you Tylenol any time you need it. Okay?”
She smiled. “It’s not too bad, anyway. I used to throw the pills in the trash half the time, so hopefully I' didn’t get too addicted.”
Jax nodded, looking at Mia thoughtfully for a while. “You really are brave, you know that?”
Mia nodded. “Yeah. I guess I am.”
Jax looked back down at the contract. “How about discipline? What are you comfortable with?"
Mia chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully, feeling a thrill race through her veins. "Spankings, for sure," she said, her voice a mix of confidence and vulnerability. "I really liked being spanked. Even though I cried."
“Crying isn’t always a bad thing.”
“Yeah, it was kind of a good cry. A cleansing cry.”
"Of course," Jax agreed, his tone gentle and understanding. "Well, we’ll start slow with the spankings, just using my hand, and not going too hard. We can build it up as you get more comfortable, if you’d like to try more intense stuff, like rods and paddles."
“I think I would like to try that,” replied Mia. “Very much. Also corner time, as long as you stay in the same room with me. And stuff like writing lines. Oh, and being forced to go out for a run together. I was locked inside for such a long time, it would be hard at first but good. I used to love running as a kid.”
As they continued discussing their boundaries and desires, Mia felt a sense of excitement and anticipation building in her chest. It was exhilarating to be so open with someone, to trust him with her deepest fantasies and fears. She reveled in the freedom of it all, knowing that she was taking control of her own pleasure and well-being. Finally, they were done discussing the details.
"Alright," Jax said with a warm smile, extending the pen toward her. "Time to make it official. Sign here, babygirl."
Mia took the pen, her hand trembling slightly as she signed her name, sealing their commitment to each other and their shared journey. As she handed the pen back to Jax, he signed his name next to hers, their signatures intertwining like the threads of their newfound connection.
"Here's to us, Mia," Jax whispered, leaning in to capture her lips in a tender kiss. The taste of his sugar-sweet lips sent shivers down her spine, her heart swelling with love and gratitude for this man who had shown her what true connection could feel like.
"Here's to us, Jax," she echoed softly, her eyes shining with joy. "So . . . are we getting started right away?”
"Uh-uh, babygirl," Jax teased, wagging a finger playfully at her. "Not yet."
"What do you mean?" Mia pouted, feeling her cheeks flush with frustration and curiosity. She hadn't expected him to hold back after they'd just signed the contract.
"Patience," Jax said with a grin, his hazel eyes twinkling with mischief. "We're going on a trip first.”
“Another one?”
“It’s best we keep moving.”
Mia frowned. “Oh. I liked it here.”
“What if I told you I just decided to take you to the beach?"
"The beach?" Mia raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by his surprising announcement.
“Yep. It’s time to test out your theory.”
“What theory?”
“We need to see if the sand really does get stuck everywhere .”
Mia giggled and Jax pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her waist, pressing his lips against hers in a searing kiss that left her breathless. "Trust me, Mia, it'll be worth the wait."