Hell, I was having a damn good time just feeding him his mozzarella sticks, but then spoiling a sweet sub in any and every way imaginable happened to be one of the many things I loved about being a Dom. Okay, so maybe that part, along with so many other things I enjoyed, is what had led to me being labeled a soft Dom, but it was a designation I cherished, though I wasn’t averse to meting out discipline when the situation called for it and the submissive clearly needed that kind of reinforcement from me.
In Payne’s Q & A sheet, he’d expressed an interest in a variety of paddling implements and written that spankings were both a means of purging strong emotions as well as a way of sharpening his focus and allowing him to gather his thoughts so he could have conversations he otherwise struggled to get through. That I could do, and my ass knew from firsthand experience that Thor was more than up for the challenge.
When Payne finished his last mozzarella stick, I offered him the cupcake and chuckled while he licked all the frosting off first before biting into the raspberry cream-filled center.
“Oh yum! Wow, this is divine,” he moaned. “I’ve eaten a lot of cupcakes, and this one easily ranks in the top ten.
“I’m not surprised. I ordered them from Angel’s Heavenly Bakery and Chocolate Shoppe from over on the Ridge. Angel isa master chocolatier while his wife, Heaven Leigh, is a magician when it comes to baked goods,” Thor said with a smile. “What would be your number one favorite flavor?”
“Maple buttercream with brown sugar and caramelized bacon bits.”
“And now I’m drooling,” I replied. “That sounds like a truly heavenly confection.”
“Oh, it is, and the best part of all was that it followed my very first lobster roll,” he explained. “Maine was so beautiful. My former employer and I were invited up to attend a blueberry festival. As much as I love blueberries, which are my be-all and end-all favorite fruit to eat and cook with, there was just something about those maple-bacon cupcakes that made me rank them even higher than the ultimate blueberry ones, which are my second favorite.”
Right then and there I made a mental note to find him some blueberries, even if it meant I’d have to leave the Ranch grounds to do so.
“Did you do a lot of traveling with him?” Thor asked.
“Yes, Sir. Sterling was a food influencer, so we went everywhere. In the three years I worked for him, I saw forty-three states and got to visit Canada on over a dozen different occasions. He was big on seeking new potential food trends, especially fusions, and would even invite chefs into the RV and allow them to cook for him and a select group of his followers. One of my jobs was to ensure that invitations went out months in advance of when we planned to be in a particular city, since he loved to play host almost as much as he loved sampling new things.”
“Sounds like you got to live an exciting life while you were employed with him,” I said.
“It was amazing, but I never really felt like it was my life,” he explained. “It was my job, and I prided myself on doing itwell, but being on the road all the time, even with all the new experiences and places it exposed me to, never really left me with much time to devote to my creations. I love being able to take care of someone else’s needs and be of service to others, but when you are as devoted to your job as Sterling is, everyone around you needs to be just as dialed in and committed.”
“Must make for a high turnover rate,” Thor said. “Is that why you left? Did you get burned out?”
“Oh no, Sir, I would still be with him if he hadn’t gotten married. Once I’d finished training his new husband to fulfill all the administrative duties I saw to, my job was pretty much over. It’s actually been hard, not having my tasks to fulfill, but while I was cleaning, I sort of had an epiphany. I have time now. As much as I’d like. Especially if my application to become a permanent service sub here at the Ranch is accepted. I can still be of service, but I’ll have set hours and an opportunity to pursue an art degree down the line if I’d like to attend the university, though it’s not at the top of my priority list right now. It sort of happens when I’m deeply embroiled in a task. My mind gets beautifully blank, and when I’m done, there’s clarity. Whatever it was that I was wrestling with when I got started, at least then I have some steps that will get me closer to solving the problem, if not the whole answer, by the time I’m through. Which is awesome, since I’m not very good about stepping away from something, even if it would be better for me if I did. Having things to accomplish means I have no choice but to stop beating my head against the proverbial issue long enough to achieve them.”
He’d finished his cupcake in between words and even licked the crumbs off my fingers, which sent a bolt of sizzling heat south to the part of my anatomy that was very happy to still have him seated in my lap.
“That’s perfectly understandable,” Thor said.
He’d taken a seat on the coffee table, where Payne could see him as we carried on the conversation.
“Single-minded determination can be both a blessing and a curse,” Thor went on to say. “On one hand, it can drive you to become successful within your chosen field, but on the other, it can turn something you love into something you dread or even come to hate and be bitter about.”
Though his words were meant for Payne, I found myself wondering if any of that speech was about our former careers on the rodeo circuit. It hadn’t been an easy life. Every punishing ride had taken a toll, both big and small, not only on our bodies but also on our minds and maybe even our souls if I thought about it. I didn’t really want to dive too deeply into any of those thoughts right now, not when we still had Payne’s surprise ahead of us.
“You never told me if I needed to change for my surprise or not,” he prompted, squirming a little so he could turn to more fully face Thor.
“You might want to shed your tail so it doesn’t get dirty, but otherwise, you’d be just fine to go as you are if you’d like,” Thor told him. “It’s completely up to you.”
Payne was quiet for a moment, then sat up until I was finally forced to let go of him so he could stand.
“I’ll remove my tail and apron, and then I’ll be ready to go,” he declared and sprinted off to his room, his excitement evident.
“He’s a joy to be around,” Thor said as soon as the door had closed. “I can’t remember the last time I had a day as relaxing and stimulating as this one.”
“No bull,” I muttered as I stood and adjusted myself. “Especially the stimulating part.”
“You looked like you were enjoying yourself working through your catalogue of stripper songs,” he replied.
“It was either that or ballads, and they just didn’t fit the mood of the day.”
“No, they wouldn’t have,” he said. “Though it wouldn’t kill you to learn a few country songs.”
“It might.”