Claiming

  Yes, if this were a dream, she never wanted to wake up.

  ***

  Cole smiled when he saw the e-mail he’d been waiting for had arrived in his inbox. He’d been waiting to show Sasha his childhood home for quite a while. But after their conversation the previous night, he’d decided he wanted to do that and more.

  In the months since they’d been together, Sasha continued to grow stronger and more self-assured. He loved watching her become the fierce woman he’d known she was when he first saw her. But it bothered him that she didn’t know exactly what she did to him. He’d told her so in words, and he’d thought he’d shown her with actions. Apparently, though, he hadn’t been as clear as he’d thought.

  That was going to change with the UK trip.

  But in order to pull it off, he needed some help and that’s where their friends came into play. The idea had hit him the night before. Now he had to contact Nathaniel and Daniel to get them involved.

  It would be tricky; everyone was going to have to keep the main reason for the UK trip a secret. He knew both Nathaniel’s wife, Abby, and Daniel’s submissive, Julie, hated keeping secrets from Sasha. He could only hope that in this case, they wouldn’t mind so much and would follow along.

  He pushed back from his desk and went into the guest bedroom. The safe inside the closet held what he was looking for. Sasha didn’t even know of the safe’s existence and, since she was at work at the floral shop she owned with Julie, he could open it without her finding out.

  He opened the safe and carefully took out the small case he’d come for. Perfect. He’d get the contents adjusted and ready. He couldn’t wait to see the expression on Sasha’s face when she realized what it was.

  Now he just had a few phone calls to make and everything would be set in motion.

  Chapter Two

  “Sasha,” Julie said a few days later when Sasha entered the store after having lunch with Cole. “What’s the deal with this UK trip? Is it really going to be a house party? Abby and Nathaniel are coming, too?”

  Sasha put her purse under the counter with a smile. “Did Cole send you and Daniel the details?”

  He’d expanded on the idea behind the trip to the UK, invited their friends, and talked about adding some role-play scenarios to it. He planned on being the lord of the manor and Sasha was to be his head servant. Abby and Nathaniel, along with Julie and Daniel were to be houseguests. She’d had loved for Dena and Jeff to go as well, but Dena was pregnant and, with her history of late-term miscarriage, there was no way she was going to travel out of the country. Fortunately, Julie and Sasha had a relationship with a company that provided temporary employees, so it wouldn’t be a problem for them both to be out at the same time.

  Julie was smiling. “Yes, and it sounds like so much fun. I can’t wait.”

  “I think it’ll be fun, too. I mean, when was the last time you and I went anywhere? And I’ve always wanted to go to the UK.”

  “Seriously.” Julie’s eyes grew big. “Ohh, we need to go shopping!”

  “Definitely. And you know, I think this trip will be a good chance for you to get to know Cole.”

  Sasha always got the impression Julie merely put up with Cole because he was part of her life. Her best friend had never been one to keep her feelings about him secret. Especially in the early days of their relationship.

  Julie twirled a rose stem. “True, but I’m coming around to you guys being a thing. I just never in my wildest dreams thought you’d be with anyone like him.”

  “You’re coming around or Daniel’s told you to zip it where we’re concerned?”

  Cole and Daniel, Julie’s Dom, were old friends and Daniel had not taken kindly to the way Julie questioned the budding relationship.

  Julie grinned. “Maybe a little of both. I have to admit, even though I know it’s none of my business, I’m still insanely curious about the rules Kate mentioned when she stopped by that one day.”

  Kate, Cole’s ex, had shown up unexpectedly at Cole’s place the first morning Sasha slept over. While she was there, she’d alluded to certain rules Cole had given her about his punishments. Rules that he had seemingly not given Sasha.

  “Oh, that.” Sasha decided to tease Julie a bit.

  “You know?”

  “Yeah, I asked him about it. Damn stupid on my part, because he decided to make it a rule for me, too.”

  “Do tell.”

  “It’s nothing really. Just that I’m not allowed an orgasm for twenty-four hours following a discipline session.” Sasha rolled her eyes. “He put it in the protocol and everything.”

  Julie nodded. “I get that. Daniel hasn’t so much made it a rule, but he may as well have.”

  “Last time I’m asking anything having to do with a rule, though.” She leaned close to her friend. “That morning that Kate came over, following the first time he used a cane on me? I came four times the night before.”

  “Four?”

  “Yes, which is why that rule utterly and completely sucks.”

  “I agree.”

  “Are canes still a hard limit for you?” Sasha asked.

  “Yes, and I don’t see that coming off the list anytime soon.”

  Julie had been dating Daniel for more than a year and she had been wearing his collar for nearly that long. It was still considered relatively early in her submissive journey, though, and Daniel was her first Dom.

  “You know they’re not all about pain, right?” Sasha asked Julie. “When they’re used certain ways, they can feel really good.”

  “I know. I talked to Abby. She can actually orgasm when Nathaniel uses one on her.”

  Sasha shook her head. “I don’t see that happening. Ever.”

  “Me, neither. But it does give me hope that one day we can play with them.”

  Sasha stilled the hand that Julie had been twirling the flower with. “I don’t say it often enough, but I want you to know how proud I am of you. A year ago could you have even imagined that you would be the collared submissive of one of the most highly regarded Doms in the area?”

  Julie laughed. “No, never.”

  “Funny how time changes us, isn’t it?”

  ***

  Her words echoed in her head several weeks later as Cole drove them toward his childhood home. If someone had told her six months ago that she would be here today with Cole, she’d have called them a liar to their face. Nor would she have thought it possible that she would feel so content, at peace, and in love.

  “It’s so beautiful here,” she said. “So green and lush.”

  “Only because it rains so much.”

  “It’s not raining now.”

  In fact, not only was it not raining, it was a gorgeous summer day. She wished they had rented a convertible so she could feel the wind in her hair. Cole said it wasn’t much farther to the estate, but she didn’t care. She could ride for hours looking at the beautiful scenery.

  “Here’s the drive,” Cole said, turning off onto an unpaved road.

  She twisted around trying to find the house, but she couldn’t see it. “Where’s the house?”

  “Just a ways up.”

  She sat forward in her seat, anxious for the first look at Cole’s childhood home. “Seeing this,” she said, “I understand why you didn’t want a penthouse in the city. All the space. You don’t even have very many neighbors.”

  There were a few small houses scattered here and there, but nothing particularly close to the estate they were pulling up to. Cole turned a curve and a massive dwelling came into view.

  “Oh wow.” She had no other words. Nothing to describe her amazement at what she saw. “House” didn’t do the structure justice. It was much larger than anything she had imagined.

  “I remember it being much bigger,” Cole said.

  “Are you serious? Bigger than that?”

  “I was a child the last time I saw it and looked at it with a child’s point of view.”

  “I guess that makes sen
se.” She observed him, watching for any emotion. He never spoke much about his childhood. She’d only heard bits and pieces from him.

  He caught her staring. “Why are you looking at me like that, little one?”

  “I’m not sure if you’re happy or sad to be here.”

  They’d made it to the front of the house, and even though she couldn’t wait to get out and explore the house and grounds, at the moment she was concerned only with the man at her side.

  He parked the car, turned in his seat, and took her hand. “You’re with me, which automatically means I’m happy. The location doesn’t matter.”

  “Just wanting to know if I should be prepared to slay dragons for you this week.”

  “Little one. Don’t you know?” He brought her hand to his lips for a quick kiss. “You already have.”

  Chapter Three

  The next afternoon, Sasha stared out the window in the morning room. She thought that was a silly name, morning room. Did that mean you couldn’t use it after lunch? Why wasn’t there an afternoon room or an evening room? English people were funny.

  “What’s the smile for, little one?”

  She jumped at the sound of Cole’s voice. He strolled into the room, hands in his pockets, looking at her with that look. The one that said without words that he wanted to tie her up and do wicked, wicked things to her.

  She dropped to her knees. “I was thinking about how impractical it is to have a room you use only in the morning.”

  He dug his fingers into her hair and she moaned at how good his touch felt. “I suppose it is a bit impractical. Stand up and walk with me outside.”

  She scurried to her feet. She’d been looking forward to exploring the grounds of his childhood home. He held out a hand and, with their fingers entwined, they made their way out the door.

  They’d explored the inside yesterday and everyone else was scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Even though she was excited to see her friends, she was glad to have a couple of days alone with Cole.

  They made their way past the rose garden and maze to a large expanse of open field.

  “When I was a boy, there were sheep here,” he said. “I was a bloody terror, running around, playing viking warrior.”

  Sasha looked over the field and in her mind’s eye, she could picture it: a four- or five-year-old Cole. He would have run across the grassy meadow, short, stocky legs pumping as hard as they could while he charged at the sheep. And in her mind, he held a stick as a sword. The image made her smile.

  “Looking back now, it’s easy to see why my parents only had me. I was a handful and a half.”

  “I can picture bits of it in my head, but honestly, I have a hard time seeing you as a child.”

  He grinned at her and put his arm around her shoulders. “I’ll have to see if Mum has pictures.”

  “Is she coming?” She’d yet to meet his mother. Of course, he hadn’t met her parents, either, but they had invited her brother over for dinner once.

  “Here? No, I think she’s in Italy now.”

  She nodded. From all accounts, it didn’t sound like she stayed in one place for very long.

  “She’s never been very content.” He frowned. “With anything.”

  His expression made her sad. She wanted to ask his mother what the hell her problem was. How could she not be content? She remembered his statement about people trying to change him. Was his mother one of the people who had always tried to change him? If that was the case, it was no wonder he never felt as if he could satisfy anyone.

  “That’s a sad life. Never being content. Always traveling and never setting down roots.” She brushed his hand. “For what it’s worth, I think I’ll be content as long as I’m with you. No matter where we are.”

  “There’s no one else I want to set down roots with,” he whispered. “But I want to do it in Wilmington. I’m glad I was able to purchase this place, but just being here has proven to me that home is in the States.”

  “I’d move here if you wanted to.”

  “Thank you, little one. You don’t know how much that means to me.”

  She turned and put her arms around him, just wanting to show support. To simply be there for him. He sighed and kissed the top of her head.

  They stayed wrapped in each other’s arms for several long minutes. He gave her a squeeze and pulled back. “Right, so enough of melancholy. Why don’t I show you where I had my first kiss?”

  ***

  Cole couldn’t hold back his grin at Sasha’s dropped jaw.

  “What?” she asked.

  “I had my first kiss, right down there.” He pointed to the old barn. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

  She took his hand and they walked down the gently sloping hill to reach the small weathered barn. The building hadn’t been maintained very well. He was going to have to hire someone to keep the house and yard up. This place was too important to him to let it fall into ruin, even if he had no desire to live here full-time.

  He let go of Sasha’s hand only long enough to open the iron gate and push aside the overgrown weeds.

  “Ugh.” She followed behind, swatting at the tall grasses. “You have your work cut out for you here.”

  “I’m going to hire some people to help me clean it up.”

  She waved away a fly. “I certainly hope it wasn’t like this when you brought your girlfriend here to seduce her.”

  “What makes you think I seduced her? Maybe it was the other way around.” He held open the barn door so she could join him inside.

  “Really?”

  He pulled her deeper into the barn, a place he hadn’t been for more than twenty years. Back then, it had smelled of grain and hay and sheep. Now it was all musty and dirty. “I was thirteen and she was fifteen.”

  “Ohh, an older woman?” She pushed his shoulder. “Look at you.”

  “Right? Mary Catherine was the vicar’s daughter. She had strawberry blond hair that had these perfect ringlet curls.”

  “At fifteen?” Sasha’s nose wrinkled. “Ringlets?”

  “It was natural and she hated it. Threatened to cut it all off.”

  “Smart.”

  “I liked it. I thought it’d be fun to pull. But she came over one day with her father for a visit. I was in here, helping with a pregnant sheep that was having some trouble. Mary Catherine strolled in like she owned the place and said, “I’ve decided I’m going to kiss you today.” I was in shock. She was so pretty and all the guys wanted her.”

  The look on Sasha’s face was a combination of disbelief and fascination. He laughed and pulled her to his chest.

  “Come here. I just looked at her with my jaw hitting the floor, much like yours is now. She gave me a smirk and walked over and kissed me.” He lowered his lips to hers for a quick kiss. “We snogged for a bit that day, and I fell even harder. Followed her around school for days until she broke my heart.”

  “What happened?”

  “She was only using me to get at my stepbrother.”

  “The asshole kid who lived to get you in trouble?”

  “That very one. I was devastated. Told my mum I was over girls for good.”

  Sasha brushed some hay off her shoulder. “Hmm, that didn’t work out very well, did it?”

  “No, it lasted about two weeks.”