Hello everyone,

All I can say is WOW. I never anticipated this story getting this response on its debut. I am thrilled by the response, however. Campfire is certainly my pleasure to write. I have been wanting to do it for some time. Thanks so much for being here for the journey.

I love hearing from each and every one of you. I would like to give special thanks to Sherry, for her insight and knowledge. She has been very helpful in the accuracy of this story so far. I would like to thank Denise Wilson for beta'ing, Sassy, and Paige for prereading and helping me stay consistent and fill any gaps.

Of course, I want to thank you all for reading. You all brighten my day with your support and encouragement. Thanks for being here.

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Please review …


Edward-

I was sitting against the wall being as good as I could be providing the circumstances. My palms itched so bad I curled my fingers, and my hands sat on my knees trying to calm the aggravation strumming through me.

People were playing all around me, a team of spectators lined the stages several feet away. The snap of whips, the cracking of paddles, moans, grunts all seemed to scream over the beat of the music pulsing through the room.

Taking a huge gulp of the ice water, I set it aside on the table next to the couch. Every muscle in my body strained under my clothes and the insane need to strip left me panting. I was positive any second now I would rip the finely sewn stitches, leaving scraps of material in my wake.

Nervously, I looked around the playroom, feeling the thin string of control starting to snap. Closing my eyes, I tried to kill the hunger building within me, but I heard and felt every gasp of pleasure to my core. The blood thickened in my veins, running hotter than lava. "Fuck me, shit. Why the fuck am I here?"

Helplessly, I dragged my fingers ruthlessly through my hair, tempted to fist the locks, desperately wanting to feel the pinch of pain on my scalp.

I noticed a few women looking in my direction and I knew—I knew with a wave of my fingers they would be mine. I could tie them down, they would sit at my feet, waiting—waiting until I…

A commotion to my left intruded on my imagination as it started to unravel. That's the exact second I saw her. She was completely out of her element. Her eyes were wide and they darted all over the room trying to comprehend what she was seeing.

Her spiral chocolate locks hung in rivulets down her back, and briefly, I wondered if the tresses were as soft as they appeared. My fingers curled inward with this need to twist a heavy handful around my fist. Forcibly, I ripped my gaze away from the temptation, scanning her length.

She wore little more than a slip of fucking silk, clinging to her curves. Even from this distance, I could imagine her nipples growing taut as she took in the scenery. Hell, with one firm yank, I could have that dress hanging in mere strips of material.

Her heart-shaped face tilted in my direction, affording me a brief glimpse of perfectly bowed lips, angular cheekbones, and clean-cut jaw. Her swan-like neck made for the indentation of teeth, I noticed, feeling my lip curl.

An electric current shot straight to my cock. My jaw clenched, the muscle in my temple throbbing as I forced myself to look elsewhere. Anywhere that didn't pertain to the creature far too close for comfort.

She leaned forward to say something to her friend, yet the bouncy young filly left her standing in the middle of the room lost—and alone.

I knew what would happen next …

Sharks … so many sharks.

With a quick sweep of the room, I watched several men step out. They all smelled her innocence like blood in the water. Just a single drop was all it would take to have their fins gliding through the surface for a nibble of the snack.

I watched her fumble wide-eyed as she tried to determine what to do with herself. She reminded me of a frightened rabbit trying to go unseen by the wolves lurking nearby. I could practically smell the fear oozing from her pores.

She wasn't my problem. She wasn't my fucking problem. Nothing for me to fret about. I would just sit here and mind my own damn business.

That's what I planned to do. Just fucking sit right here. I wasn't going over there. Nothing could make me—not the bewilderment etched in her flushed peach skin—certainly not those long fucking legs rocking that damn silken dress—that barely covered the slope of her ass.

I could just bend her right over and—holy fuck, I could… I chewed on my tongue, hoping the sharp sting of my teeth would distract me from the prey. Yet the sharks were circling and I could throttle her cute friend for leaving her vulnerable to the pack of wolves lurking in the shadows. I knew they were wolves because I was an alpha.

Fuck, Edward … look away … look away.

She is none of your business.

I pep talked myself, yet again and again, my gaze returned. Then—then I saw him when she stumbled away from the cage.

Kai. Fucking Kai.

He was worse than mere sharks and known for overstepping boundaries. He rarely listened when his subs used their safe words. Of course, who the fuck was I to look down my nose after

Through narrowed slits, I watched the bastard take a step forward and another until he was inches away from the petrified mouse.

They were conversing back and forth, her delicate brow lifted as she spoke. Kai's lips curved with amusement as he listened intently to something she said.

Kai's hand landed on her lower back, a rumble emanated from my chest. Yet when I saw the interest light her gaze, my fingers knotted as I tried to resist the urge to approach the pair.

Before I even knew what was happening I pushed up from my seat, the arousal I'd been experiencing since walking into the lobby—starting to deflate.

As much as I loved this life, as much as I needed the control, just the idea of permitting myself a taste had my dick shriveling into a limp noodle.

Since that shit three years ago, I was broken. It was emphatically my cross to bear, and what a weight it was.

Right then that didn't matter. What mattered was getting that innocent, sweet meat away from the rabid dog. Within seconds I faced the duo. Before I even realized I was speaking, the words tripped off my lips. "Why don't you find someone else to charm?"

Four eyes snapped in my direction. Kai stiffened when he noticed me. Back in the day, we'd run in the same circles, and I knew all his dirty little secrets. I just prayed he didn't know mine.

Kai's head tipped as he regarded me long and hard. "I believe it's the lady's decision. Do you want to play, doll?"

I could've snapped his scrawny little neck. My fingers tightened into fists with the very real possibility. "If you don't walk away right now, I will have you tossed out, and your membership burned in that campfire to your right."

The woman's lashes fluttered as her gaze bounced between me and Kai. When the stubborn glint entered her topaz gaze, heat flared unexpectedly in my lower body. "I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions."

Even if there was a slight tremble in her words, her chin tilted with an air of stubbornness. A zing of awareness shot down my spine, my balls tightening unexpectedly, and all I could visualize was her smart little ass bent over my knee. The fire in her eyes started a familiar ache in my gut.

I looked between her and Kai. Did she really know what she was getting into with him, or was she trying to appear brave? The latter was probably what she was aiming for, but stupidity often posed as courageousness.

Irritation replaced the initial concern for her welfare. I was tempted to take her by the arm and direct her into a less populated area, yet no boundaries had been set between her and me. My skin crawled at the thought of leaving her alone with Kai.

Her eyes widened as my lips thinned. "And you're choosing Master Jordan? Seems like you haven't given it much thought. Watch what you ask for, little girl, you might just regret it."

Her gaze heated with a flare of her nostrils, her lashes dropping as she pinned me with an angry stare. Another wicked tongue of satisfaction licked through my veins, and giving her one last long look, I turned on my heel and walked away.

One … Two … Three … Four … Fi …

I counted silently and right on cue, her nightingale voice penetrated the space around me. "Who are you to have so many assumptions? I am perfectly capable of choosing who I spend time with, and in case you hadn't noticed, I am far from a little girl."

I didn't reply. Edging back toward the sofa, I dropped down on the cushion without sparing her another glance. My mission was accomplished because she left Kai standing in the center of the room to track my escape.

The only problem was now she stood at my feet with her hands on her hips. Through my peripheral, I spied her thin, pale wrists. A zip of sensation slid down my neck when she shifted and I caught a glimpse of the hem of her skirt. As the material bounced against the velvet of her thigh a tickle of feeling slid through my balls.


Bella-

I couldn't believe the audacity of some people. First the blonde with ice-blue eyes, and then, this self-righteous snub stalking back toward the couches. "Little girl? I would show him a little girl."

After finishing my speech, I waited impatiently for a reply only to be ignored. Tapping my toe, I lifted an expectant brow. "Well?"

My hands planted firmly on my hips, I followed in his wake, thoroughly intent on giving him a piece of my mind when he dropped into his seat without sparing me another glance.

Even while he attempted to ignore my existence, there was a twitch at the corner of his eye. Apparently, Mr. Stuffypants wasn't as immune to me as he'd like me to think.

I was standing so close, the tips of his shoes brushed the toe of my sandals. If I concentrated really hard, I could feel the fever causing that sweat on his brow. Excitement sizzled across my skin causing goosebumps to dance with the hair on my nape.

An eternity seemed to pass before his thunderous glare met mine. "Well, what?"

Danger radiated from the space around this man. As his dark blues clashed with my gaze, a wicked jolt pulsed through my core. Warmth flooded my panties and … and … What the fuck was happening?

Just the intensity in his stare had my body reacting, and I caught my breath. How was it possible for this man to cause this sinful churning in my gut?

He wasn't touching me, and he didn't look down at my body, yet it felt like he was caressing me everywhere. My mouth went dry as his pupils dilated, his gaze darting to my lips before returning to meet my gaze. That hard glint was razor-sharp and if I were a lesser person it might have cut me to the quick.

Shaking off the insanity, I focused on the irritation the man caused me, instead of the lust curling in my clit. "Don't you have anything to say? You don't know anything about me. Maybe I wanted to go with that guy."

"Really?" His jaw tightened as he considered my answer. Without missing a beat, he shrugged as if it were of no consequence to him. "Then go. But you should know what you're getting into before jumping into a situation you can't control."

"That's about as vague as you can get." His face hardened and for the first time, I traced his features. Sharp nose tapering into prominent cheekbones, finely bowed lips, the bottom fuller than the top. The desire to sink my teeth into the plumpness took me by surprise.

Refusing to melt before this man as the many women before me, I persisted, "Isn't that the purpose of this type of relationship? The Dom has to listen to his sub, right? So, technically I would be the one with the control."

His mouth was set in a firm line, his annoyance evident as his sharp gaze jogged down my body, leaving a fire behind before returning to mine. "You would think that, huh?"

Talking about testing someone's limits. "Another vague, non-existent answer."

He looked pained as he pulled his gaze away from mine, focusing on the stage. As I stood there staring at him the sounds of the club echoed all around me. Whips cracking, pleasure slipping from patron's lips, and music thudding from speakers, yet all I could concentrate on was the man before me.

When he remained silent, I pushed. "Care to elaborate?"

His lashes slowly lifted until I swam in his oceanic depths, pleasure and a tinge of fear singed my belly. As crassly as he could manage, he growled, "If you want to be strapped down and whipped until you cry, and not from pleasure, then be my guest. Or would you like all your holes fucked raw with no regard for your comfort or pleasure?"

Of all the words I imagined dropping from those succulent lips, those hadn't been the ones I thought I'd hear. A little overwhelmed by the information, I shifted until my knees bumped the cushion next to his.

"Who would do something like that?" Shocked by his crass statement, my fingers found my throat when I found swallowing a tad difficult. I looked over to find him gritting his teeth, which intensified my own anxiety, feeling a wave of nerves bouncing in my stomach.

"Your friend Kai," he growled, swallowing the remainder of his drink before tossing the cup aside. His tone dripped sarcasm as he continued, "You know, Prince Charming."

I would have replied, the words on the tip of my tongue when my attention was stolen by a couple five feet away. The woman was bent over with a man kneeling behind her.

Her head was thrown back in rapture, and I couldn't tell you what the guy looked like, his face firmly planted between her thighs. With each gasp I watched hiccup from her lips, an excited thrill shot to my core. Wiggling as a throb shot to my clit, I bit the inside of my cheek, not entirely sure what the hell I found so appealing.

"Sit still!" The man beside me barked. His harsh tone laced with something close to raw hunger only caused the ache to blossom.

With a glance out of the corner of my eye, I lifted my chin, adding an extra shimmy on the cushion. I could swear he growled in response, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop the grin. Cocking my head in his direction, I stared at his profile before crossing my legs to ward off the ache. "Do you come here often?"

He propped his arm on the armrest, his fingers playing across those smooth lips. "It's been a while."

"Are you a Dom? Do you have a sub?" If God was an artist, this man had to be his handy work. He was beautiful in an angry, chilly sort of way. While danger emanated from every cell of his body, it was an intriguing element, and I had this impulse to touch every inch.

I didn't think he was going to answer, he still wouldn't look at me, and I noticed the muscle in his jaw ticking. Then he surprised us both I think. "I don't play anymore."

I don't know why but I felt a tad calmer than when I entered the club. Easily, I sat back, letting myself take in my surroundings. Everywhere I looked people were engaged in one sexual act or another, and despite my best effort to avoid them, I found Alice kneeling before Jasper.

Adoration shown from her eyes as she panted up at him. She encircled his cock with both hands, her pretty pink lips parting as her tongue slipped over his crown. Jasper's mouth was set in concentration as if it were taking all of his willpower to keep control. His hand was dusted in her hair, his toned pecs and abs on full display.

When Jasper's head tilted on his shoulders and his lips parted, a spark of need darted down my spine. There would be a flood in my panties if I didn't stop staring, but I couldn't look away. "They're almost beautiful. They make it look very interesting, but I would be mortified to do something so public."

"You would be surprised what you will do to chase the pleasure."

He wasn't looking at me as he spoke and judging by his fingers digging into the soft leather, he was experienced. He resembled a cougar ready to pounce. A shiver raced across my skin as I asked, "What would a person do for pleasure?"

"Anything. Everything." He never looked in my direction but I knew he was very much aware of me. Every once in a while his nostrils flared as if he could smell my scent. Considering the pool of lust soaking my panties, it could be the case.

Daringly, I explored his lean form. I could see the definition under the thin cotton of his Polo, his pecs pressing against the material with each harsh indrawn breath. Liking every inch I saw, I glanced toward his hips, my lungs burning as I encountered the length of his cock against his jeans.

Licking my lips, I looked toward the stage as the rock-hard beast stepped up behind the woman strapped down. They exchanged a hungry, possessive kiss, his long fingers gliding down her body, stopping to pinch her nipples before traveling lower. As I watched, his fingers slid over her clit, and with each strum, I felt their passing on my own. "Holy shit."

Now I felt his burning gaze on my skin, my cheeks flamed, but I couldn't look away from the scene before me. Unable to help myself, I ground on the sofa trying to bank the desire crashing through me in tidal waves.

"If you are interested, perhaps you should play." His cobalt gaze landed on my lips, and I gasped as a hum vibrated my spine. "Find a Dom who can teach you—who will respect that you're new."

Curiosity getting the better of me, I peeked at him through the veil of hair that fell between us. "A Dom like you?"

He stared at me long and hard. His fingers tapped his knee and his lip curled. All of a sudden, he shoved up from the couch. "Fuck no, I would hurt you, little girl."

With that final comment, he stomped away, disappearing through the doors leading to the lavish lobby. Shocked and confused, I sat there utterly dumbfounded as he vanished, leaving me to wonder if our whole encounter was imagined.

A shiver skated down my spine when I realized I was left once again on my own. Lucky for me, Alice was headed in my direction.


Please review … Come find me on Facebook at JM Gaff