Page 46 of Imperfect Skin

I reached over and grabbed one of my biscuits and started to nibble on it. “You said earlier you wanted to talk about limits and stuff.”

“I did. Do you want to talk about it now?”

“Yeah, if that’s okay.”

“Course it’s okay. Bring your stool closer.”

I jumped off the stool and moved it closer to where Cal was working. I hissed as I sat back down. I was certain I’d be feeling the effects of my spanking for a few days. Callum certainly looked pleased with himself.

“So, this thing between us, you said you are an all-in sort of person.” I reached over, grabbing the peeler and the potatoes, and started peeling them as we talked. “So, there is definitely an us, and this isn’t just a friends with beatings kind of thing?”

“Definitely an us, lamb. And there will be beatings, I can promise you.”

I felt the heat rise in my cheeks at his words. “So, we’re going to go out on dates and stuff?” I passed the peeled potato over to Cal, who chopped it up and threw it into a large pot.

“Been a long time since I dated anyone, but yeah, I’d like that.” Cal flashed me a toothy smile. “Peel and talk. I want to get this stew on before tomorrow.”

“I want proper dates, not just going to the pub or the fish and chip shop. Ziggy never took me anyplace nice. Pretty sure he didn’t want anyone seeing me with him,” I muttered, peeling the potato.

“As I’ve said before, the man is a fucking idiot. I’ll take you anywhere you want, we can even go for a trip into York or Leeds. See a film and have a fancy dinner.”

I couldn’t hide the smile at what he said. Proper dates? Going out places together as a couple? What the hell had happened to my life? Last night I’d gone to The Pit to try and get my infatuation with Cal beaten out of me. Instead, I’d gotten myself fucked up by Ziggy. But Callum had come in like some bloody denim-wearing Aragorn and saved my stupid arse.

I couldn’t believe this was really happening. But my red backside and my fucked up back were proof it was all real.

“How’s your back feeling?”

I laughed out loud. The man really could read my damn mind. “Sore, but that salve stuff Doc gave me seems to be helping. It feels like my back is just one big bruise.” I passed the second potato over and mulled over what else I wanted to ask.

“We’ll put one of those fancy cushions Mum keeps giving me behind your back tonight, to stop you rolling over onto it while you sleep. You’re still positive you don’t want to talk to Donald about Ziggy?”

“Yeah, he’d argue I agreed to go to the club, and my previous history there would probably not work in my favour.”

“I’m sure Donald would find out the truth, lamb. You didn’t consent to what Ziggy did to you. He could have damn well killed you if I hadn’t gotten there.”

I shivered, knowing full well how badly it could have gone. As it was, I would probably have some more ugly scars to add to my collection thanks to my impulsive decision.

“Why’d you come get me?” It was a question I’d wanted to ask last night, but my brain had been too foggy.

“Honestly, when Rhys had finished reading me the riot act and said where you’d gone, all I could think of was that it would be the end of me if something happened to you. I’d been so caught up in my own head about the feelings I had for you that I didn’t see how much you were hurting. Rhys was pretty insistent that you needed a Daddy—or more specifically, you needed me to be your Daddy.”

I sighed. I couldn’t be salty with Rhys for blabbing. He did it for good reasons. But I wasn’t going to let him off too easily. “Rhys is so happy with Simon I think he thinks everyone would be much happier if they had someone to look after them. But he’s not wrong insofar as I needed you. I’d never thought much beyond how much I liked and respected you, and how you always made my head feel less thorny and more at peace. I hadn’t even thought of it in terms of us being in a Daddy/boy kind of thing. Hell, I’d been trying to work out if the way I felt sometimes was really me regressing or just…” I shrugged, not sure how to continue.

“I’d never thought I’d be a Daddy in the sense Sy is. I’ve always been a Dom and a sadist, but you bring out another side in me. Being with you today and seeing how easily you slip between your adult mindset and your regressed side was amazing and special. That took a lot of trust from you, lamb.”

I shrugged and looked at the half-peeled potato in my hand. “It was easy. You were there and I knew you’d keep me safe, even when I was being a brat. I knew you wouldn’t hurt me or lose your temper.”

“Your trust in me means a lot, but I need to apologise.” Cal set the knife down and looked at me, his grey-blue eyes filled with concern.

“Why?”

“Today, I kind of went balls to the wall with you, not stopping to think or talk to you properly about our limits and expectations. I didn’t take into consideration what you’d been through last night.”

I leaned forward. “Okay, so a couple or three things. One, you didn’t force me to do anything. Two, did you happen to think that maybe what we did today was exactly what I needed? We’re not living in some dream kink world. This is real life, and sometimes things aren’t planned out or perfect. I needed what we did today, and I know that your evil brain is going to come up with some wonderful scenes for me that you are going to think through and plan out, just like I know we’re going to be spontaneous sometimes. Heck, did I plan on regressing and wanting to colour? Nope, but I sure as fuck enjoyed it. It’s never been easy for me to submit. I told you before, I’m more prone to fighting than submitting easily, but that is also part of the scene for me, and not many Doms get that.”

“When did you get so wise? And I want you to fight me. I think the push and pull we naturally have is amazing, and I’ll admit I was a little worried when you didn’t fight me too hard with the cockwarming.”

I tapped the counter with my fingers, eyeing the second Hobnob before grabbing it and breaking a bit off to chew. “Yeah, that was a bit of a shock to me. I wouldn’t get too used to it if I were you.” I smirked, popping the rest of the biscuit in my mouth and chewing noisily.

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