“That’s left to be seen. You’ll have to see how you connect after so long apart, and if that spark is still there. I wouldn’t bring this up if I didn’t think it would be of interest to you. Tell me, Gabriel, have you ever had an interest in primal play?”
“Primal,” Gabriel repeated, folding his arms. He had plenty of experience with primal play, but it was always off the Ranch. He hadn’t run into a submissive during his time at Rawhide who specifically wanted a primal experience, and in all the time he’d spent with Eris, they’d never even crossed the topic. “That’s what Eris is looking for?”
Derek frowned, his brows pulling together in the middle. “I’m asking about your experience level, Gabriel. I know during the initial intake it was listed that you are a primal Dominant, but I’ve never seen you connect with anyone else who expressed an interest in that. Not here anyway. And as it sits, Eris’ interests verge into CNC, and you know how careful we like to be matching visitors with Dominants.”
Gabriel was well aware. He knew Derek wouldn’t ask him this without reason, so Eris had to be extremely interested. It helped that she had already been to the Ranch once before, so the initial process was taken care of. But if she was coming back for a primal experience, this would be nothing like her first time at Rawhide. “When I spent time with Eris, I knew she was holding back on her desires. I mentioned it to my friend Felix here and there during his stay. She never would break down that final wall and let me in. She’s withholding that desire, or at least, she was during her prior visit.”
“Do you have any idea why she wasn’t completely open with you?” Derek asked honestly.
“No. I tried to be a very attentive Dom, but Eris always held herself back. I would ask her during our play and each time we were in the Dungeon, but she never expressed an interest for something rawer. She enjoyed what we did together, and she never brought up a desire to want more. Even when I felt like she was holding back, she never gave me an indication of which direction to go to offer her more.”
Derek nodded, leaning his chin against his hand propped on the desk. “Sometimes kinks that lean towards darker tastes are harder to talk about. You may have connected, but if she had reservations, even things she was unwilling to share with you, then she might not have been comfortable enough after seven short days to divulge her deepest desires. She was here a little longer last time, but five days is a short window of time.”
“So Eris is really willing to come back?” Gabriel asked carefully, wondering how she would react to a response email. If she could have the rest of her fantasies fulfilled, would she chance another visit?
“It appears so, or she wouldn’t reach out to us about the matter.” Derek gave him a pointed look, and Gabriel sat a little straighter. “Eris is quite interested in being your submissiveagain, and she is keen on trying more of a CNC and primal experience than the last time. You have to understand my concerns since she never conveyed this interest, previously.”
“People change,” Gabriel replied slowly “Perhaps she is more comfortable in her own skin, and ready to dive deeper.”
“Perhaps,” Derek allowed, surveying Gabriel. “You are here several days a week, but you do not stay on the property that often. Are you willing to stay for the duration of Eris’ visit? If you are, I can include that in my response. We are more than happy to have Eris back at the Ranch, but if you are unwilling to be her Dominant for a primal experience, I want to know about that first.”
“I’m willing,” he replied, almost too eagerly. “If Eris had let me know about this previously, I would have done my part to include it during her visit.” He hesitated, shifting around in the chair before continuing. “Eris is fond of horseback riding. She loved going to the stables and taking one of the horses out for a ride. I know there are loads of paths off the main road to explore…”
He let his sentence trail off, watching for Derek’s reaction. He had never tried chasing someone out on the grounds of the Ranch, away from the beaten path, but he didn’t want to spook anyone either. They could ride out far enough into the property to avoid giving anyone a scare, and that’s how Gabriel would prefer to enact a CNC fantasy.
There was lots he could do with Eris in the Dungeon, even in the submissive’s visitor rooms. But if she had any desire at all to be hunted…
He liked the rush of doing that outside, uninhibited. Already there were ideas swirling in his head, things he would want to speak with Eris about to give her the experience she deserved.
And if he got it right this time, if they could connect the same way again, this second chance could lead to so much more. But only if she came back to the Ranch, and that spark was still there.
Derek nodded once. “It’s an idea, certainly. We have an outdoor play area that might be the perfect fit.” He looked Gabriel over once more before smiling. “Take care and be mindful of all her limits if this does go through. I trust that you are capable, or we would not be having this conversation right now.”
“Of course.”
“I’d hoped you would be up to the task. Even through an email, I can feel her excitement. Eris is eager to return to Rawhide, and I believe she’s thrilled at the prospect of seeing you again.”
That brought a smile to Gabriel’s lips, lightening the mood in the office significantly. “If she will put her trust in me again, I’ll give her anything she desires.”
Chapter Five
Eris
“I’m on my way there now.”
“Do I get some details this time?” Tara asked, the interest in her voice unavoidable. Eris had told Tara and Vivian about her plans to go back to Montana, leaving her home in Virginia to travel back to Rawhide.
After receiving Master Derek’s response, she’d gotten all too giddy and had packed everything she would need the following day. Her invitation had still been two weeks out at the time, and according to their correspondence, they would integrate her primal desires into her experience this time right from the start.
What did that entail exactly? Eris wasn’t entirely sure, but she knew Master Derek and Rawhide Ranch would never lead her astray. Now that she was actually en route to the Ranch, all that joy and giddiness was making her a little dizzy with excitement.
“I’ll keep you updated,” Eris replied, studying the back of her driver’s head. She’d missed his name, but she didn’t recognize him previously from her visit. At least he was okay with her chatting on the phone during their drive from the airport, soshe wasn’t trying to push. “It sounds like I have a busy few days ahead.”
“Girl,” Tara said, her laughter drifting through the phone. “I hope you are so busy you don’t call me until you’re back home.”
Smiling to herself, Eris disconnected the call once the Ranch came into view. She hadn’t forgotten the sprawling landscape, or the large lodge where most of the activities occurred. She had divided her time pretty well between the main building and the stables, escaping to the great outdoors whenever she could in the harsh January air. Now that it was the middle of summer, she hoped the weather would be more agreeable and allow her to spend extra time with the horses. She remembered all of them, spending time grooming them when she was allowed and giving them treats whenever she could.
Magic was still her preferred steed, and she could not wait for the opportunity to ride him again. One of her inquiries had included asking about the horses, and Master Derek had assured her there would be ample time for that during her stay.