On Her Master's Secret Service (Masters and Mercenaries #4)(60)

Eve was staring at the door, her brown eyes curious. She was interested in the young dumbass in an intellectual way. That made Alex interested as well. Was there something to the kid that he was missing?

“I believe our mutual friend would find him intriguing. You know how he loves to corrupt Americans,” a second man said.

Now Alex’s attention was focused. He maintained a quiet air, paying attention to Eve, feeding her soup as he took his own, but he was all about the mutual friend.

Chazz proved just how reckless he was. “Yeah, Mikey is going to love Jesse. He’s a little too soft on the * though. We need to teach that boy how to handle his scene. Master A should be able to do that. I think Master A could be good for all my men. He’ll get the women in line before the big boss shows up.”

Oh, he so wanted to meet the big boss. His heart beat a little faster. Evans was coming and soon. He needed that date. He needed to know where and when.

Eve stiffened slightly.

And he couldn’t hold her close because everyone was watching. She was supposed to be a pretty plaything. He couldn’t show his softness or they would know he wasn’t what he said he was.

She was scared, and he was going to fail her again.

Goddamn it. This was why he didn’t want her on this op.

“He seems fairly soft on women.” The third man stared at them, his nose wrinkling as though he found the entire thing distasteful.

He was losing them. He didn’t change his expression at all. “She’s behaving. I like to reward proper behavior.”

“Women should know their place whether they are rewarded or not,” the second man said. He turned to Chazz. “You said he was going to perform a scene. Is this what you meant?”

“No. A scene is much more involved.” Chazz nodded toward the door where Jesse stood. “I’ve brought in some equipment. If we choose to go this way with the clubs, we would need to invest in better quality ‘toys’ as we say in the lifestyle. We want everything to look good.”

The third man huffed a bit. “I don’t need equipment to bring my women in line. I simply need the back of my hand.”

Oh, that f*cker would feel the back of Alex’s hand. Eve snuggled a little closer, her very presence calming him. It struck him rather forcibly that she hadn’t calmed him down in years. Since the divorce, since the incident, his blood pressure ticked up when she entered a room whether from guilt or fear of losing her, but after the week before, he felt different.

He was in control again, and she was his partner. It might not last past the mission, but he was going to enjoy it for now.

He had to put on a show because he’d just figured out what Chazz was doing and why.

“Up, pet.” He moved Eve off his lap as Jesse reentered the room carrying a whipping bench. The younger man moved easily, hefting the heavy bench like it weighed next to nothing.

“I was told to bring this thing in here.” He set it down a good twelve feet away from the table and then turned. He didn’t meet eyes with the men at the table, but he stared at Eve like she was a lamb going to slaughter.

The boy seemed to have a problem with D/s, but then if Chazz had been his only instructor, it was to Jesse’s credit that he had a problem.

“Thank you.” Alex turned to his audience. He got it now. He was the distraction. If Chazz hadn’t figured it out yet, he was about to help him along. This was what Evans wanted. This was why they’d come looking for a Dom in Residence.

Sean chose to make a very well-timed entrance with the second course. As the soup course was taken out, he managed to have a few words with him and Sean agreed to the plan.

Alex was about to make himself indispensable.

Jesse took up residence at the back of the room, his eyes squarely on that chair.

“Come, pet.” He reached into his well-worn kit and withdrew the silk rope. He’d switched to silk from jute as soon as he’d been able to afford it. In the last five years, these toys were the only presents she would accept from him, so they were top of the line. She was wearing a thin leather collar around her throat, the one he’d picked up for Amanda with little thought past the fact that it was supposed to be part of their cover. He didn’t like the look of that cheap thing against Eve’s silky skin.

He was going to buy her a new collar. Something with diamonds and maybe an emerald or two. It would look beautiful around her throat.

For the time being, she belonged to him and she would accept his gifts. Ian was right. He’d been a * for far too long. It was time to be her Dom again. Eve needed his domination. Without it, she’d become far too strict on herself. She needed to know it was all right to relax from time to time.

And he needed her to give him purpose.

“Why aren’t you in proper position?” He growled the words at her, forcing his fingers into all that hair and tugging lightly. Her head came back and a throaty gasp left her mouth.

It was an act. From the outsider’s point of view, he would seem brutal, but Eve’s easy compliance guaranteed she felt no pain. Eve had always enjoyed “angry Master” scenes, and they had played it out many times in front of an audience. This was a delicate dance they’d perfected long ago. She’d known exactly what he needed the minute he’d growled. He watched her eyes flare slightly and her body relax, sure signs that she was following his lead.