From Sanctum with Love (Masters and Mercenaries #10)(34)

“I do it because a long time ago I found out I enjoyed it. There’s no deep childhood trauma, no horrible incident from my past. I like the feel of a paddle against my ass. I enjoy not knowing what will come next, but trusting that my partner won’t hurt me. I like the rules and regulations of the lifestyle. It brings me peace and comfort and I never feel more alive than when I submit to a good Dom.”

Every word that came from her mouth sent a shock of recognition through him. He could have said the very same things. He wasn’t sure why he needed this, the control yes, that was obvious. He’d spent much of his childhood having to be the man of the house when he wasn’t ready for it. It created a chaotic childhood. But the pain? The sadism that ran through him? It was hard to explain since he didn’t feel it in his regular, everyday life. He spent his career trying to pull people from their pain.

Somehow inflicting the right pain did it for him. He had zero desire to randomly harm people, but with the right sub, one who needed what he had to give them, oh, that was like finding heaven.

“So you’re saying the idea that everyone in the lifestyle is damaged and in need of therapy is wrong,” Jared stated succinctly.

He wasn’t sure his brother could understand but at least he wasn’t turning his nose up. “Everyone’s damaged, Jared. You don’t live life and not have scars. Occasionally I turn down people for memberships based on psychological evaluations. Either the Dom or Domme is more interested in hurting a sub than they are in helping them, or a sub is looking for someone to hurt her or him to the exclusion of all other aid. Submission can be a form of therapy, as can Dominance, but the person has to be open to healing. I would never allow someone a membership if they weren’t here for the right reasons.”

“Except me, of course,” Jared said, his voice going flat.

“I didn’t say that.” He likely should have softened his tone, but Jared needed to understand that he wasn’t here to make friends. He was here for a very specific purpose. “If you were to apply for membership through regular channels, you would have to go through a psychological evaluation.”

Kori looked up at Jared. “Not through him, though. He’s not allowed to evaluate his own family members. You would go through Eve McKay. She’s smart and fair at the same time.”

He drew his hand back and smacked her ass hard without even thinking about it.

He expected her to frown his way and complain. Instead her eyes closed briefly and when she looked back at him, her pupils were slightly dilated.

“I apologize, Sir. Though I could have been making a simple statement.”

“Were you?” He knew the answer to that.

She shook her head. “Oh, no, I was being a brat.”

“Brats get punished.”

“So you say. I’ll be over there on the bench.”

She wanted to push him? Oh, he would push back. “Not like that you won’t. I think Jared should see how I operate. I prefer my subs to offer themselves to me. Their trust, their submission, and most definitely their beauty.”

That seemed to stop her in her tracks. “Are you telling me to get naked?”

He felt the deep satisfaction that came with shocking her. He also knew instinctively that she wouldn’t back off. There wasn’t a lot of difference between submissive Kori and the Kori he knew outside the club. She could be stubborn, brutally so. She wouldn’t back down from a challenge, which meant he would need to watch her carefully in order to assure that he didn’t take things too far. “Yes. I’m telling you that for this scene, I require you to wear nothing but your lovely skin. How can Jared see what a perfectly reddened ass looks like if it’s covered up with all that leather?”

She snorted as though reminding him there wasn’t that much fabric on her body, but she turned anyway. “I’m going to need help out of this thing. I didn’t lace myself into it. Sarah did that. And if you think you’re going to pull a knife and cut it off the way I’ve seen some Doms do here, think again, Sir. Cutting my clothes off me is a hard limit. I work for a very tight-fisted boss. Corsets aren’t cheap.”

He frowned. “I am not tight fisted. I’m very reasonable. Come here. I’ll get you out of it. And you should be careful how you talk about your boss or he might implement disciplinary actions at the office.”

“Promises, promises,” she whispered.

He worked the laces of her corset with a practiced hand. “And it’s considered very sexy by some women to cut them out of their corsets.”

“I consider frugality sexy,” she shot back.

“Is it going to bother you to be naked, Kori?” Jared asked.

“Not at all. I’ve got a heavy streak of exhibitionism in me. Another thing I learned from the lifestyle,” she explained quietly. “There’s something freeing about it when you know you won’t be judged. All healthy body types are considered lovely here, though I will admit most of the men are ridiculously hot. Any good club will welcome people of all sizes.”

“Some of the sexiest women I’ve ever known have been curvier,” Jared admitted.

“I would think being around the Hollywood types, your preferences might have changed.” Kai loosened her laces, his fingertips brushing over soft skin. She had lovely skin. Even her freckles were pretty.