By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Becca Jameson

Amelia

This is my dream job. Head chef at a mountain resort.
Sure, it’s a resort for a very specific group of patrons.
I belong to Surrender, so I know the owners and I’m familiar with the lifestyle.
I’m not little myself. Or at least I don’t think so.
And then I meet Foster, and he makes me doubt everything I know to be true.

Foster

I’ve worked alone at Blossom Ridge for five years.
Now, Roman has turned it into a resort, and I’m good with that.
Until Amelia shows up with her excitement and adorableness.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had a little, but I’m drawn to her.
I just have to convince her it’s the life for her and that she’s mine.

Roman and Lucy are turning his family home into the Blossom Ridge Resort. An exclusive retreat for Daddy Doms and their Littles. Leah and Craig are going to manage the resort and hiring is a bit of a challenge because of the lifestyle.

Amelia, a Surrender member, has been working at a café not far from the new resort. The owner Stella encouraged her to apply for the job of head chef and to Amelia’s surprise and pleasure she got the job. This is a lifetime goal of hers and she wasn’t about to mess it up.

Of course, the first thing Foster notices is the horrible smell coming from the kitchen. Amelia is cleaning the ovens which seem to have been neglected for a long time. It’s not the best first impression as he bellows at her about the smell.

A bit later though after baking a few of her specialty muffins, Foster returns to the kitchen. This time he doesn’t startle her.

This is just one of my favorite scenes.

Several hours later, I’m covered in flour and cinnamon with multiple batches of muffins scattered around the giant island when I feel a presence at the back door again.

This time I don’t lose one of my nine lives as I meet Foster’s gaze.

He’s standing in the doorway, same as last time, hands on his hips again. He takes in a deep breath and closes his eyes. “Much better.”

I smile, deciding to brush off our odd interaction from this morning. I’m going to have to work with this man. We need to get along. “The smell? Yes. The oven is officially clean. Would you mind trying my muffins? I’m going to need a few opinions before I settle on a recipe.”

“Not a chance.” He shakes his head firmly.

My stomach drops. What the hell?

He steps closer, but now I’m trembling. He’s so damn huge. His frame seems to eat up the entire room, and it’s a gigantic room. His shadow looms over my workspace.

“I’ll take a muffin, Amelia, but there’s not a chance I’m going to critique them.”

“Amy,” I inform him, surprised he even knows my name.

He lifts a brow. “People call you Amy?”

“Yes.” Why is this shocking? It’s a nickname.

He stares at me, his gaze roaming up and down my frame several times until I’m no longer trembling but shaking and a bit unnerved. “Nope.” He shakes his head. “I don’t see it.”

“You don’t see what?” I’m confused. My brain is scattered.

“You’re an Amelia. That’s your name. It’s pretty. It suits you. I’ll be calling you Amelia.”

My brows shoot up. I don’t think I’m breathing. There’s something so very… dominant… about this man. That’s it. He’s overbearing, and I can feel my instinct to submit to him pulling hard.

I can be submissive. I know this. But I usually keep that side of me to the hours at the club. I don’t submit to anyone outside of Surrender. I’ve never even felt the urge before.

This man has me tongue-tied and close to kneeling at his feet, which is also aggravating because he’s so… surly. That really is the best word for him.

“Umm…” That’s all I manage to murmur.

Foster glances at the various batches of muffins. “Cinnamon is my favorite. Which one would you like me to sample?”

“Uh…”

He meets my gaze. “Amelia?” When he says my name this time, my nipples stiffen and my panties grow wet. No one has called me Amelia besides my mother when I was very young. I insisted on being called Amy after my first day of kindergarten when the cute boy next to me misunderstood and called me that by accident.

I clear my throat and jerk my gaze from his, as if I might get sucked into another vortex if I don’t. I glance at the muffins. “You’re supposed to try all three,” I murmur. Why is this concept so difficult? I only have three people to use as a test group: Foster, Leah, and Craig. There isn’t anyone else staying at Blossom Ridge yet. We don’t open for another week.

When Foster makes no move closer nor speaks, I finally glance up at him again.

He searches my face and runs a hand through his hair. “Look, I owe you an apology for earlier. I was snippy for no reason. You caught me off guard.

I…” He shakes his head. “Never mind. The point is I’ve already insulted you one too many times. It won’t happen again. So, no, I won’t critique your muffins. I’ll eat any or all of them, but I’ll tell you they are fabulous no matter what.”

I flinch. “Oh.”

He gives me a slow smile, the first one he’s graced me with. He looks even sexier when he smiles. It’s much better than the brow-furrowed, brooding look.

“Just out of curiosity…” He tips his head to the side. “Did you really move here alone? Leah and Craig said you’ll be staying in one of the one-bedroom employee cabins. You don’t have a Master or a Daddy?” He looks stern again as if this detail annoys him greatly.

I’ve never been more confused by the signals from a man in my life. I lick my lips. “I don’t have or need either.”

His brows shoot up.

I narrow my gaze and cock my hip to one side. “Why is this so surprising? Just because I’ll be the chef here doesn’t mean I’m in the lifestyle full-time. It just means I’m not judgmental.”

Another long stare. “You’re a member of Surrender, right? I’m sure Leah told me that.”

“Yes.” I shrug, trying to keep from reacting to this infuriating man.

“You’re obviously submissive,” he points out.

My face heats. I want to shove him out the door so I can think and breathe. He’s sucking all the oxygen out of the room with his imposing inquisition.

I also want to submit to him. So badly I’m wringing my hands in front of me.

He’s waiting for me to respond. Annoying man.

“I can be submissive if you must know. It’s very personal. I don’t submit to anyone outside of the club. Ever,” I add to make my point. “I’m independent and perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I don’t need a Master or a Daddy. When I choose to go to Surrender and submit to someone for the evening, I do so on my terms.”

I don’t know why I’m going to such extremes to explain myself to this man. He’s a coworker.

Is he smiling again? It’s hard to be sure. Maybe the corners of his lips are lifted slightly. More like a cocky smirk. “Hmm.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I blurt out before I can stop myself.

“Nothing. It’s just that you’re a conundrum.”
Becca Jameson. Starting Over (Kindle Locations 143-189). Becca Jameson Publishing.

Foster hasn’t had a little in a very long time, and he’s more than a little confused by his reaction to Amelia.

This makes for a fun pursuit as some familiar couples join them for a weekend, and Amelia agrees to give being little a try outside of the privacy of her rooms.

I love the way this relationship develops, it’s fun, flirty and sensuous. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

5 Contented Purrs for Becca!

Becca Jameson

Becca Jameson is a USA Today bestselling author of over 100 books. She is most well-known for her Wolf Masters Series, her Fight Club series, and her Club Zodiac series. She currently lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and Goldendoodle. Two grown kids pop in every once in a while too! She is loving this journey and has dabbled in a variety of genres, including paranormal, sports romance, military, and BDSM.

A total night owl, Becca writes late at night, sequestering herself in her office with a glass of red wine and a bar of dark chocolate, her fingers flying across the keyboard as her characters weave their own stories.

During the day–which never starts before ten in the morning!–she can be found jogging, running errands, or reading in her favorite hammock chair!

…where Alphas dominate…