Dances with Wolves

Previous: Lone Wolf and the Flower Child

Kaine now recognized where he'd seen the name, the company before. The article in The Times. One of his lackeys had brought it to his attention as something that could make his company look good. He'd shrugged it off as weak. He believed in survival of the fittest, and here she was, sitting in his lap, holding a conversation with him. He could buy out her company with a click of the fingers, she'd never need to work again. Much like he never had to struggle in his whole life. Not as far as money was concerned, at least.

But that just wouldn't be cricket.

“Shocking. I can see that.” He blinked. An image of her in a pencil skirt, tight white blouse, and glasses flashed across the inside of his eyelids. Probably not the image she intended to present, but he liked it. His head rolled back a little actually from where he'd originally been looking down slightly, finally matching her eyeline. “That's a good thing.”

She was obviously a fighter. Something from her past was giving her cause for concern, she even mentioned it. “Why would anyone want to take you down, when they can lift you up and help you soar?” That came from nowhere. He'd never said anything of the sort to anyone before.

Summer rolled her eyes as red lips had no choice but to grin at the look on his face right before he met her eyeline. She had a good idea of what he was thinking of, she'd teased that imagery on purpose.

“Why would anyone do that?” She asked, flicking some lint off his lapel. Someone really should dust the place. She also fixed the flower she'd tucked behind his ear, lightly tracing the stubble along his jaw. “I'm intimidating, sweetheart. You should see me in the boardroom. I intimidate. People see me as a veritable threat. You don't help threats soar. You try to squash them.” She spoke to his ear, pulling back to look at him, her hand running through her hair.

Kaine blinked again, longer than necessary. Why would anyone do that? Out of the corner of his eye, he watched everything she was doing, his eyes focused on her face. No, she wasn't intimidating, nor did he see her as a threat. He saw her as a challenge to work on. Something to mold. Something to…

“You don't want to be tied down. I get it. You scare everyone away. Like a wolf protecting its territory.” He was a lone wolf. Even his tattoo showed that, but with it on his back, under a shirt, and his suit, she wouldn't know. Not unless she read GQ. That specific issue of GQ with the full page spread of him listed as the number 1 sexiest CEO in the US. Maybe she would find out later.

“So you'd feel comfortable with a man under your heel, supplicating you to crush his…” Subtlety. “Confidence underfoot?”

Summer looked at him incredulously. Had he even been listening? His words about having a man under her heel brought an actual look of distaste to her face. “The only thing I crush underfoot is budget limits and misogynist attitudes that say I can't possibly be successful because I am a woman.” She said firmly. “And it's not that I don't want to be tied down. I haven't found anyone worthy of doing the tying. I don't want to do the tying. I have to do enough of that at work.”

She knowingly played into his hand. She was a go-getter, ambitious and driven. Take no shit and give no fucks. She had to be, owning her own firm demanded it of her.

It wasn't what she wanted when she came home.

Kaine had been subtly guiding the conversation she had started by sitting in his lap. It wasn't just a conversation held with words, there were actions, subtle hints in body language, cues and tells flying between them the whole time. The battle of the wits was finally flowing back in his favour after letting her take control.

“Anyone can be successful if they put their mind to it. Man. Woman.” He didn't believe in the glass ceiling. All his employees with similar positions got similar pay. Parity across pay levels. Take that, corporate America.

His lips parted a fraction as his smile widened, finally some traction. “I can see you're driven, you take what you want. I can appreciate that. You need someone who will take control so you can let go.” It was a little more pointed, forward. He'd guided her towards this, and he was taking a risk with dropping the act. He'd made the suggestion that he would be the one supplicating, when in fact, he was hoping she would be the one in that position.

Their dance had begun when she claimed His lap. It would go on until He claimed her.

Summer was placated to see he understood. Red lips pursed lightly, oh, given the right moment, they could be coaxed into a lovely pout before she begged.

And then the act was gone and Kaine Hayden was laying out the cards. He knew what she wanted, what she needed. But why? Luminant green stared into his eyes.

“Oh? You offering?” She asked. “You think you're worthy of my trust? My supplication?” She dropped the act too. “Tell me, Kaine. Tell me why you think you should be the one to take everything I am and hold it. Tell me why I should trust you when I know well that there was a time you considered buying me ou–”

She stopped. The true beauty of Domination and submission isn't the sex. Sex is secondary, superfluous, unnecessary. The beauty is in the submissive giving the Dominant the power to wholly destroy her…and trusting Him not to do it.

He hadn't done it.

He knew.

Kaine looked at Summer with a glint in his eyes, a smile that hid all the power in the world he had. The reason she was on his radar was that she had stepped up to the plate when it came to that restaurant when he had turned them down. He wasn't emotional, she was. She'd had that experience of struggling at the bottom, he'd never been anywhere other than the top.

He kept an eye on what she did, considered buying her out, taking control, abusing his position of power. But no, he had other ways. Subtle ways. He wasn't expecting her to be here tonight, he hadn't even come here for that reason. It was purely a coincidence. A happy coincidence.

He could see everything clicking in her mind as she connected all the dots. Gears grinding. Smoke pouring from her ears. It's that cartoon image again. He preferred the other image that came to mind when he blinked once more.

“That's why, Miss Caldwell.”

Out of the sight of everyone, the lightly freckled back of her hand shifted to his thigh. No, she's not looking for his dick. She found his hand. Her fingers slid beneath his and then her hand flipped, palm up and pressed to his. In her mind, she went over every time their orbits had collided. Overlapped. She knew he'd turned down the restaurant before she stepped in.

He respected her business acumen, clearly, because he hadn't taken over and bought her out to 'do a better job' at it. The man respected her? She looked at him for a moment, her gaze hard, before softening the tiniest bit. How long had he been watching her? It didn't matter. She was the emotional compass he needed. He was the guidance she craved, the control she needed outside of work.

“Do not call me Miss, Kaine.” She hissed in a gentle whisper. “Say my name.”

Kaine looked down when he felt her hand on his thigh. Not a flinch nor a glimmer crossed his face, nor his control. Even with her hand creeping up his thigh he managed to maintain command of his body. He didn't expect her to slide her hand into his… Hand. That went very differently from the way she comported herself initially.

He'd seen what she did, helped all those people, seen the article written about her. He was cold, cool, didn't feel it was a good idea, but there she was, stepping up to the plate and helping. Something he would have done 10 years ago, before taking over his father's company. That changed him in more ways than he would like to admit. Something about this woman brought that back out in him.

“Don't call you Miss Kaine?” He smirked, chuckled even. He was nothing without his humor. It hid how hurt he felt. “Very well. How about Mrs Hayden? Or should that just be Summer?”

Summer pushed her thumb between his thumb and forefinger. Her forefinger between his forefinger and 'fuck you' finger. One by one her fingers slid into position, closing lightly. “I would not call you Miss Kaine. Sir, perhaps. Master if you're nasty.” She chuckled. Humor. Humor hid the things she couldn't show anyone.

“Mrs. Hayden? Here I thought we were negotiating a collaboration and here you are talking about a full merger.” She purred softly into his ear. Maybe it would click. She was sensual. Intimate. But Summer was not the type of woman to spread herself around. “Should we start discussions on the names of our children?”

Oh she was so close to him. Her very aura was affectionate, warm. And she was teasing him right back, but goodness, wasn't it a lovely prospect to think of?

Kaine canted his head to the side when she picked up on his choice of humor. Her choice of what to call him pushed his own buttons. The first made him smile, that twinkle in his eyes glinting against the blue of his irises. “You can call me Sir.” He paused. Pointedly, given the way both he and she picked up on the use of words. “Summer.”

“A collaboration is a start on the road to a merger. A little back and forth, a little negotiation, many tête-à-têtes.” He always enjoyed the discussions, finding the limits, pushing the limits. He was back in the battle of wits that made up their dance, fighting her with words. Dragging her towards him, slowly, surely, without a doubt bringing her into his net.

“We should hold that discussion until later. Much later. Once we've discussed a contract.”

“I'll call you Sir when we've agreed upon certain things. Right now, we're just going back and forth, Kaine.” She pointedly used his name. Her twinkling eyes were still guarded. What was going on in her sharp mind?

Contract? She looked at him. Shook her head, that copper hair with the natural blonde highlights shifting. “No. No contract.” She looked at him. “We discuss rules, expectations, limits. We learn about each other and what makes us both such wonderful people.” A touch of that humor again. “We both deal with enough contracts and paperwork in our jobs, Kaine. If you want me, we do this without bringing business into it.” Another look.

“If that doesn't suit your taste then I am sure you'll find some willing woman here to sign on a dotted line and conduct business with you. But it won't be me. I'd rather give it to you.”

Kaine shook his head slightly. He didn't disagree, he wholeheartedly agreed with her. “No, no contract.” He'd ignored her using his name rather than what he said to her. He only said 'can', not 'will'. There would be a time for that later, after the discussions of rules, expectations, and limits. Possible they would be a part of those.

“You read my mind, Summer. Paperwork is so droll.” He'd heard about some who would go through that whole rigmarole, but it wasn't what he wanted. He was happy she agreed with his image of how the relationship would pan out. If she hadn't, he would have had to reclaim his lap from her.

“I'm happy with what you have to offer.”

Summer eyed him for a moment and then gave him a grin that deepened the dimple in her right cheek. “You sly wolf.” She laughed. “You were testing me.” Her finger poked his cheek lightly. “I see nothing of interest here save for you. Shall we head elsewhere to discuss things further?” She asked. Plain. Simple, cut to the chase. This…what they were about to embark on…the discussions were sacred.

Kaine positively grinned with her comment. “Sure you haven't read my issue of GQ?” Full page spread, across the middle pages, the tattoo on his back. A blue-green eyed wolf, matching his own eyes. After the whole conversation, was that what she was letting on? “You passed. Your place, mine, or somewhere neutral?” The dance would continue.

Summer looked at him. “I don't read GQ.” She informed him with a grin, then leaned in, the flower-woman kissing his cheek as she slipped herself from his lap. “Your place.” She replied, looking forward to more dancing and all the wonderful possibilities that could ensue.

Kaine rose from the couch in a smooth motion that hinted at one of his many hobbies over the years. He curled his right arm, elbow out, hand on his stomach, offering her a crook to place her arm into. “Shall we, then?” A pause to let her do so, then off elsewhere to continue the pleasure of their dance. It might not be physical, that of a ballet dancer, for example, but words and actions suited them well.

Kaine wasn't surprising her, she'd already figured out pretty closely what sort of man he was. That he offered his arm and not a slap to her ass spoke to her own sense of propriety. There was a time and a place for ass smacks. Her left arm threaded through his right, hand resting on his forearm. She brought her right hand across to lay above her left hand. “Do lead the way, Sir.” She replied impishly, the light catching in the reds and golds of her naturally colored hair. And then, the pair were gone, off into the night.