Chapter One
Cami
The phone call from Sampson shouldn’t have rattled me. I’d known him for years through my best friend Shelly and trusted his judgment on most things. But when Shelly’s submissive told him about my “interest in triads,” my face went hot enough that I had to press my palm against the cool granite countertop. As a Switch, Shelly’s triad consisted of her, her husband and Dom, Harrison, and their submissive. Their submissive was Sampson’s best friend. My guess was that she’d overheard Shelly’s and my phone conversation. But the fact that she shared that information was a gut punch to my ego.
“I didn’t realize that conversation was public knowledge,” I’d said, trying to keep my voice level.
“She thought she was helping.” His tone was careful, the way you’d speak to someone standing on a ledge. “And honestly, Cami, the timing is perfect. Two professional Dominants are teaching a course at Rawhide Ranch—triads, quads, the whole dynamic. They need an assistant. Room, board, airfare covered. You’d get to observe, participate if you want. No strings.”
No strings. Right.
Now, forty minutes later, I was pacing my living room while Shelly’s voice came through the phone speaker, sharp with disbelief. I couldn’t continue the conversation with Sampson because I was so riled up and he wasn’t the person I needed to talk to. I needed to vent to the person who needed to handle it. She also happened to be the person I needed advice from.
“She didwhat?”
“Your submissive told Sampson I was looking for a triad.” I sank onto the couch arm, then stood again. I couldn’t get comfortable. “I don’t even know if that’s what I want. We were just talking hypothetically.”
“I...” Shelly paused, and I could practically hear her recalibrating. “Okay. So what did Sampson actually say?”
I explained about the Ranch, the class, the two Masters who apparently needed an assistant for their instruction on multi-partner dynamics. The words came out in a tumble, my embarrassment making me talk too fast.
“I heard about that Ranch,” Shelly said. “It’s supposed to be really professional. High-end. I also know one of the Masters in question. He’s a good guy. Lex comes here to Club Illusions often and is highly looked upon.”
“That’s not the point, I’m being set up like some desperate woman.”
“Are you desperate?”
The question stopped me mid-pace.
“No.”
“Then stop acting like being curious about something makes you pathetic.” Shelly’s tone softened. Her mostly dominant demeanor sometimes slipped out during our conversations, especially when I was losing my shit. This was one of those times. “Look, this isn’t even a relationship. You’d be assisting with a class. Observing. There’s no expectation that you’reauditioning to be anyone’s third. You can satisfy your curiosity without actually committing to anything.”
I sat down properly this time, pulling a throw pillow against my stomach. She had a point. This was low-risk. Educational, even. However, I didn’t know either of these men.
“Two weeks away from everything,” Shelly continued. “All expenses paid. You get to see how this lifestyle actually works instead of just wondering about it. And if you hate it? You come home and you never have to think about it again.”
“It feels like a blind date,” I muttered.
“So?”
“So I don’t want people thinking I can’t manage my own love life.”
“Cami.” Shelly’s voice cut through my spiraling. “Nobody thinks that. And even if they did, who cares? When’s the last time you did something just because you wanted to? Something that scared you a little? You’re always considering others instead of putting yourself first. Now is the time to do that. This is an opportunity to take care of yourself while also letting two hot men spoil the shit out of you. Who wouldn’t be jealous of that?”
I didn’t have an answer.
“How long do you have to decide?” she asked.
“Sampson said he needs to know by tomorrow morning. The class starts in two weeks.”
Through the phone, I heard Shelly’s exhale—the one that meant she was about to say something I wouldn’t want to hear but probably needed to.
“You’re going to think about this all night,” she said. “You’re going to make a list of pros and cons. You’re going to imagine every possible thing that could go wrong. And then tomorrow morning, you’re going to call him back and say yes, because we both know you’re too curious not to.”
My chest tightened. Not with anxiety this time, but with something closer to anticipation.
“What if it’s a disaster?”
