Chapter 1

CAM

6 Months Ago

The atmosphere inside Majesto’s Travelling Circus was electric . Another night, another sellout, and the crowd were lapping up all the acts. From the clowns to the fire-eaters to the daring motorcycle riders, everyone was bringing their A-game.

And now it was time for the main event.

It was time for the high-wire acrobatics.

As the music played and the lights flashed and dimmed, the packed tent clapped and hollered in pure anticipation. But behind the scenes, not all was well…

‘Tobias, I really don’t feel so good,’ Cam said, groaning and holding his stomach. ‘I feel sick. And I’ve had a shooting pain running through me for the last week.’

‘So take another painkiller,’ Tobias said, without a hint of empathy in his voice. ‘The paying crowd don’t want your excuses. They want to see you fly, my boy!’

‘But…’ Cam said, his words trailing off as he felt his insides ache once more, this time the pain coming on stronger.

Cam was twenty-three years old and had been travelling as a performer with Majesto’s Travelling Circus ever since he was a teenager. It had always been his dream to be an acrobat in the circus and for a while it felt like that dream coming true was all that mattered to him.

There was something so thrilling about performing in front of a crowd, and the sheer adrenalin rush of showing off his skills in something so risky as high-wire acrobatics was off the scale as far as Cam was concerned.

But gradually over time, Cam had started to grow weary of how hard he was worked by the circus master, Tobias Darklow. Days off were a rarity, and the Tobias would push everyone to their limits on a regular basis – and sometimes beyond their limits too.

Cam felt that he owed Tobias a debt of gratitude for mentoring him and giving him the opportunity to perform in front of such rapturously loud and captivated audiences. And this was something that Tobias would remind Cam of himself each and every time he tried to ask for a holiday or a slightly less demanding schedule.

Majesto’s Travelling Circus had a reputation as the circus that never slept, and Cam was now painfully aware of why that was. But all the grumbling in the world wasn’t going to change anything – Tobias expected Cam to pop a pill and get to work…

‘Hurry the hell up,’ Tobias growled, evidently losing any semblance of patience with his young acrobat. ‘I want to see you showing off your skills, not bleating to me. Just remember, I could replace you. And word travels fast in the circus world. Trust me on that.’

‘Yes, Tobias,’ Cam said, his head bowed and his heart sinking. ‘Got it. I’m ready to go. I’m ready to put on a show.’

With that, Cam forgot all about taking a painkiller and simply assumed his position ready to show off his undoubted skills. With thoughts of being replaced by Tobias filling his head, Cam got himself into position at the top of the high-wire pole and psyched himself up as the introduction music built to a crescendo.

Come on, you’ve got this.

Do the act, wow the crowd.

And then it’ll be time to get as cozy as I can and sleep until morning.

Cam knew that the audience would expect nothing less than the most spectacular, daring, and dangerous performance from him. And despite feeling like crap, he felt sure that he could get through his routine and make everyone happy. But once that was all done, Cam simply wanted to go back to his trailer and get into bed alongside his cherished turtle stuffie, Tinsel.

‘Prepare for danger at ten thousand feet!’ Tobias called out, his voice booming over the loudspeaker. ‘Three! Two! One! Let’s go!’

And with the call from his circus master ringing in his ears, Cam duly began his routine.

At first, everything seemed to be going well. The adrenalin pumping through Cam’s body was making the pain disappear to the back of his thoughts, and this was a good thing.

The audience of couples, families, and everything in between were truly lapping up Cam’s acrobatics. As the lights flashed and the roars and gasps of admiration filled the air, Cam pushed himself as hard as he could. He knew that one slip could be fatal, but this was always the way – it was just the risk that came with the job.

But just as Cam was about to go for one final pirouette and flip, he lost his footing.

‘Fuck!’ Cam cried, momentarily seeing his whole life flash before his eyes as he felt a cramp shoot up through his side, causing him to lose his balance. ‘ Argh .’

Time appeared to stand still as Cam’s left side tipped way too far over in the wrong direction. For someone so supple, it felt like Cam’s entire body was filled with concrete. All of his flexibility went, and so too did his undeniable power. Cam might have been small and slender, coming in at barely five feet six inches, but he was very strong – however such was the pain in his body and his lack of balance, that he felt all of his strength drain out of him.

I can’t go out like this.

I need to do something.

Anything. Please.

Somehow, Cam managed to steady himself and burst back into life to continue with the routine. Cam being such a consummate performer, the crowd was none the wiser. But Cam knew what had just happened. It wasn’t good. Far from it, in fact.

The sooner this is over, the better.

And I’m beginning to think that it might just be time to…

No, I can’t say it. I just can’t.

Present Day

Cam hopped out of the truck and took a moment to look around. After travelling overnight in the passenger seat and sleeping as soundly as he could during the day time given the twists and bumpy roads, Cam was feeling pretty refreshed.

‘Eagle Ridge… you’re kinda cute,’ Cam said, smiling as he took in the sights and sounds around him.

It was evening in Eagle Ridge and the dark sky above was in contrast to the bright lights and buzz of the main Eagle Ridge strip. Everyone seemed to have a smile on their face and there was an atmosphere that Cam knew he was going to enjoy immersing himself in.

Given that it was only a week away from Christmas, Cam wasn’t surprised to see plenty of seasonal decorations up. But there was something extra special about the Christmas vibes in this small town.

Yuletide red and green storefronts? Check.

Christmas trees lining the streets? Check again.

Adorable dogs with reindeer ears happily trotting alongside their owners? Yup, that too.

‘I’m going to explore,’ Cam said, turning to the truck driver and nodding.

‘Go for it,’ the driver replied. ‘It’s not often we get time off. Make the most of it, young man. I know I will be!’

Cam chuckled and nodded to the driver. There was a good camaraderie between performers and support staff at Majesto’s Travelling Circus. While it might have been the case that Tobias Darlow and his cronies ruled through fear, the rest of the circus got on well with one another. And as it was so close to Christmas, it felt like spirits were higher than ever.

‘I’m thinking… hot chocolate and pancakes,’ Cam said, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and tightening the straps. ‘And I know just where to get it from too…’

Cam had been researching online and found out that there was a diner in Eagle Ridge that catered for the whole community but had a particular leaning toward Littles. The Hot Plate had excellent ratings and from what Cam could tell from all the glowing reviews on the Little forum that he went on, it had the most welcoming atmosphere and deliciously sweet treats that a Little could dream of.

As he walked down the strip in the direction of the diner, Cam couldn’t help but cast his eyes around and try to spot some fellow Littles. Or even better… some hunky Daddies.

Cam had never been in a relationship with a Daddy. Life on the road wasn’t exactly cut out for relationships unless there so happened to be someone in the circus to settle down with. Sadly for Cam, Majesto’s wasn’t exactly bursting at the seams with Daddies – and Tobias had made his feelings on workplace relationships clear too. All in all, it wasn’t worth the hassle.

But now that Cam had a few days off, he could at least indulge himself in a little bit of Daddy window shopping. And he figured if he wished really hard, he might even find a Daddy to keep him warm over Christmas.

Perhaps it truly was wishful thinking, but Cam was a romantic at heart.

The idea of being cuddled, snuggled, and squeezed by a hulking Santa Daddy seemed quite perfect – and Eagle Ridge certainly seemed like the kind of town where that kind of dream could come true.

Cam was brought out of his Daddy dreaming as he opened the door to the diner and was immediately greeted by a smiling face…

‘Hey there! My name is Marshall and I’ll be your server today,’ Marshall said, flashing a charming smile. ‘Oh, wait, are you with the circus? I know it just landed in town. Please tell me you are…’

‘Yup, that’s me,’ Cam giggled, immediately feeling at ease with Marshall. ‘I’m Cam. I’m your friendly neighborhood high-wire acrobat.’

‘Wowzers, that’s super-cool,’ Marshall said, clearly totally into the acrobat thing. ‘My shift is actually pretty much over. Would you… maybe like some company? I could tell you all about Eagle Ridge in exchange for some circus stories.’

‘That would be awesome ,’ Cam answered. ‘Let me buy you a hot chocolate too.’

‘ Naaaw , that’s kind,’ Marshall said. ‘But these are on me!’

With that, the two Littles made their way over toward the booth with the best view across onto the Eagle Ridge strip in all its Christmassy glory. And it wasn’t long before the pair of them were bonding over stuffies, Little Space, and a shared love for the gruffest action movie stars too…

‘ Sigh . I don’t think I’ll ever meet my dream Daddy,’ Cam said. ‘You’re so lucky to have found yours. That’s so cool. I just don’t think that life in the circus and being with a Daddy works. You know?’

‘Hey, it could happen,’ Marshall replied. ‘Maybe you should write it on your Christmas wish list to Father Christmas this year?’

‘ Hehe , maybe I will,’ Cam giggled. ‘Or maybe…’

But before Cam could finish his sentence, he was distracted by the sight of the sexiest, buffest, and most handsome man he had seen in as long as he could remember…

Who… is… that?

He’s so freakin’ hot.

And I’m betting anything that he’s a Daddy too…

Marshall turned to see what Cam was staring at and burst out laughing.

‘ Yup , he kinda has that effect on Littles,’ Marshall said, smiling from ear to ear. ‘That’s Max. He’s actually the owner of The Hot Plate. And I can tell you from experience that he sure knows how to spank…’

‘OMG! Really?’ Cam gasped, still unable to take his eyes off Max’s droolworthy physique in all its plaid shirted glory.

‘Yup, we were always better as friends, but we had a moment,’ Marshall said. ‘I love my Daddy more than anything, but I can’t deny that what Max and I got up to was pretty hot back in the day. Anyway, the past is the past. All I know is that Max is going to make a brilliant Daddy when he meets the right person…’

Cam felt himself blushing and did everything he could to avert his gaze as Max continued about his business. There was no point even considering Max as a Daddy though, in truth. Cam knew that he was only going to be in Eagle Ridge for a few days in total, and then he would be moving on to another town just like he always did.

Still… would it be so wrong to allow himself to imagine just for a moment?

After all, it was Christmas…

Later that evening, Cam was delighted to have found himself invited to a sleepover with his new buddy Marshall. And not only that, but two other Littles were there too, Arlo and Dale.

All in all, Cam couldn’t have asked for more from his first night in Eagle Ridge.

Marshall’s house was cozy and had the perfect blend of his Daddy Zane’s macho energy and his own cute, colorful Little vibes. It was the kind of home that Cam had never known and was never likely to know for as long as he stayed in the circus. The truth was that Cam loved being an acrobat, but at times such as this he started to wonder whether there might just be another life out there waiting to be lived…

‘Woo-hoo!’ Marshall said, opening up a surprise package that his Daddy had left for him. ‘These are sooo cool!’

Cam watched in delight as Cam displayed the snowmen, gingerbread, and Christmas tree body buffers that Marshall had been given. It was a great feeling to see another Little being treated so well by his Daddy. Cam didn’t even feel the slightest bit jealous. It was simply nice to see someone like him feeling so happy to have found his Forever Love.

‘Guys, I love these, but…’ Marshall said, a knowing look on his face. ‘I want you each to take two. I don’t need so many of them. And I love to share. Go on, I’ll be offended if you don’t!’

With that, Arlo and Dale picked out two body buffers each.

‘I think I’m going to ask my Daddy to use these on me tomorrow evening,’ Dale giggled. ‘And if I’m extra good he might even let me have some naughty fun with them in the bath.’

‘Too much information!’ Arlo said, blushing. ‘Just kidding. I think I might try for the same thing.’

‘You pick yours too, Cam,’ Marshall said, noticing that Cam hadn’t taken his body buffers. ‘You don’t need a silly Daddy to have fun with these.’

‘He’s right, you totally don’t!’ Arlo said, putting his arm around Cam and making him feel all warm and fuzzy.

‘Okay!’ Cam said, happy to receive a gift but even happier to have made three new friends in such a short space of time. ‘And thank you for making me feel so welcome. I guess what people say about Eagle Ridge is true…’

Cam then proceeded to settle down with his cherished stuffie Tinsel, and alongside the other Littles and their stuffies the four of them pulled their sleeping bags up and began to watch Home Alone on the TV screen.

But as fun as the movie was, Cam’s mind was already drifting back toward Max – and it was a good job that the sleeping bag had plenty of room because at the rate that Cam’s cock was hardening to thoughts of the gruff diner Daddy, his excitement would have been more than obvious!

So far, Cam’s Eagle Ridge experience had been even better than he’d hoped for.

And with another couple of days off work to come, Cam was determined to make the most of any opportunities that arose – and if that happened to include Max, then that was simply all the better…