Master No (Masters and Mercenaries, #9)(51)

“You’re going to fit in here, Doc.”

She stalked toward her prey, aware that every eye was on her.

Master T took a step back from the girl in front of him. Even from where she stood, she could feel the arctic blast from his stare.

“I simply wanted to offer myself to you, Master,” the woman said, her voice shaking prettily. She was a thin thing, her body graceful and lovely.

“If you touch me again, I’ll see you thrown out of this club. Is that clear?”

The sub went to her knees. “Please don’t, Master.”

“Sir. He’s Sir to you,” Faith said.

Ten’s head whirled around. It was obvious he hadn’t seen her standing there. For a second, she wondered if she wasn’t about to get into serious trouble. She would have allowed Roger to handle a clingy sub in a heartbeat, but she was rapidly realizing she hadn’t been invested in Roger. Not at all. She’d started this whole relationship because it would be relaxing and an amusing way to spend a few months. There was nothing relaxing about the ache in her gut at the thought that Master T might tell her to go away, might punish her.

He held his hand out, gesturing her forward. “Faith, I was about to explain to Shawna that I am not available.”

“But you trained me,” Shawna said with a pout.

“No. I worked with you on a few occasions, as did several of the other Doms. Now I’ve explained that I won’t play with you in the future. I have a submissive.”

Shawna wasn’t letting go. “I don’t understand this place. You’re the Dom. You can play with whoever you like. Tell your sub to accept it.”

“My sub is very good with a scalpel, so I’ll ignore your advice. Perhaps you should find another club. We don’t play that way here. Our submissives are cherished. Even if Faith wanted to invite others to play with us, I would refuse because she’s mine. And if she’s mine, that means I’m hers, and I won’t accept other hands on my body. So go.”

The man with sandy blond hair named Kai strode up and put his hands on Shawna’s shoulders. “Hey, why don’t we go somewhere and talk for a bit? I’ve explained that I’ll help you find a Dom, but you have to be patient. Why don’t you go to the bar and I’ll call your sister to come down.”

Shawna stood, her eyes teary, but there was some anger in there, too. “Of course, Master Kai.”

Master Kai winced as she strode away. “I’m sorry, Ten. She’s a handful, but she’s my assistant’s sister. Kori is an important member of the club, so we allowed her sister in, though she’s obviously got some issues. I hope she didn’t ruin your evening.”

Ten shook his head. “Not at all. We were about to go upstairs.”

There was a tightening to Kai’s face she didn’t understand. It was only for a second and then his face was wiped clean and a blank, polite expression took root. “Enjoy yourselves.”

She started to turn to watch him walk away, but Master T drew her attention back to him.

“You didn’t stay where I left you,” he said, his lips curling up.

“She was molesting you.”

He stared down at her. “And you were going to ride in on your white horse and save me? I think I like that. But it also gives me a very thin excuse to punish you in a way I think is going to please us both, so thank you on both fronts, darlin’. I think we should play a game.”

That got her heart rate up. “What kind of game?”

“The kind where I torture you and you scream for me. Come on. I want you to myself.”

He held her hand as he led her to the elevator. Faith felt her heart beating hard in her chest and knew deep down that this night would change everything.





CHAPTER EIGHT



Faith felt the slightest bit vulnerable as she stepped into the privacy room. Like everything at Sanctum, it looked like it had been designed with care and thought. There was a large, four-poster bed and someone had prepped it. The comforter had been turned down and there were ropes already attached to the ones on the headboard. A crop lay on top of what looked like soft sheets.

She had to force herself to swallow. He was going to tie her up and use that crop on her body.

“What’s your safe word, Faith? I have zero intentions of making you use it tonight, but I need to hear it. I need to know you’ll use it if you feel frightened.”

“My safe word is red, but I’m not frightened. Not really, but I will use it. I have before. I’m not one of those subs who thinks it’s something to be ashamed of.”

His face hardened. “When did you have to use it?”

“My old Dom spanked me a little too hard. When it got too rough, I safeworded and we talked. He apologized, though he didn’t need to. Everything went the way it was supposed to. We found my limit and he respected it from there on.”

“Did he bruise you? I don’t mind some redness, but I prefer not to bruise my submissives. I want to know if you think I’m leaving marks.”

“All right.”

They stood there for a moment. This was the first time she’d been utterly alone with him. No one could interrupt and there was nothing to stop them from taking the next step. This was what she wanted, but now she hesitated. She’d spent three weeks getting to know him, another few days in his actual presence. What had begun as something casual felt more intimate.