Her Secret Dom by Samantha Cote Page B

and he sank back into his dreams. With a sigh of relief, she snuggled into the pillows, taking the opportunity to admire him from head to toe. Without question, he was a handsome man. Everything she had dreamed of. Tall, dark, and a little brooding. But also thoughtful and gentle. Then, recalling the night’s events, she smothered another giggle. Well, most of the time.
    Jared certainly had shown another side of his character. It wasn’t a complete surprise, though. Early on, she had detected a core of strength and iron will he tried keeping to himself. Now unleashed, this forceful, intense side both excited and disconcerted her. And although he hadn’t crossed any lines as far as she was concerned, he’d definitely tested her boundaries.
    What would her mother think? Pam shuddered at the idea. Sheila Abernathy, an old-school feminist, would undoubtedly be horrified that her daughter—whom she had raised from the cradle to be self-sufficient and strong—would allow any man so much power over her body.
    Sexual submission. Banish the thought! That Sheila’s daughter wanted it—no, craved it—could indicate only one thing: a nightmarish regression into the past, an unforgivable capitulation that mocked her beliefs and ran contrary to the teachings that had become her life’s work. Equality. Independence. Personal dignity.
    The fact that Pam also believed in such principles would not matter. For Sheila, the path to achieving these ideals was a narrow one. Any digression from that road would be seen as foolhardy at best and disloyal at worst.
    Pam bit her lip, troubled at the thought. She had already courted her mother’s disfavor by taking up with a former soldier, and a decorated officer to boot. Sheila didn’t exactly dislike Jared, but his formal military education and traditional upbringing set her teeth on edge. In truth, she tolerated him, something that always bothered Pam, especially after realizing Jared reciprocated her mother’s attitude of pained endurance. But they had always been careful around each other, beyond the occasional digs. Yes, there was an uneasy respect on both sides. Thank goodness for that.
    She respected him too. In fact, she’d always been a little in awe of Jared. His good looks had captured her initial interest, yet it was his strong work ethic and razor-sharp focus that won her admiration. These traits had been honed and polished to diamond brightness in that fancy military academy he rarely spoke of.
    Why he remained tight-lipped about his training was beyond her, since he’d graduated at the top of his class and been commissioned to serve as a second lieutenant in the US Army before the ink had dried on his diploma.
    Although Jared offered scant details about his years as a cadet or his overseas missions, she had never pressed him on the matter. He seemed especially reluctant to speak of his military service, despite leaving of his own volition with an honorable discharge and a higher rank. She’d figured since he was open about other topics, he’d eventually get around to discussing it. He hadn’t, though. She chewed her lip in consternation, wondering why.
    And he wasn’t forthcoming about his background either. She’d managed to squeeze a few tidbits out of him in their six months together, though. His roots were Southern, but the family had moved to the Washington, DC, suburbs in his early teens. She knew he had three younger siblings, two brothers in their mid- and late twenties, and a sister who’d just started her freshman year of college.
    He spoke of them often, offering hilarious anecdotes of their many pranks and quarrels. Hearing that all four Marlowe siblings had gone on an extended vacation to Europe right before she and Jared met, she’d felt a frisson of jealousy at their closeness, having no siblings of her own.
    His relationship with his parents didn’t appear as close. To her, Jared and his folks seemed fond of each other but somewhat distant. After much