Beneath the Scars (Masters of the Shadowlands #13)(64)

After a quick glance at Holt, Josie relaxed. As Holt talked, the jerk bowed his head, his shoulders slumping. “I was afraid they might fight. It seems Holt has it covered.”

Eye on the two men, Raoul smiled slightly. “Our Holt is a master of diplomacy. He has the ability to control almost any situation, to calm people down, to quiet fears, to bring reason to a problem.”

While setting drinks on the table, Kim laughed.

“Yes, sumisita?”

“He does try diplomacy, but he has his limits. Remember that gay Top who ignored the bottom’s safeword?”

“What happened?” Josie asked.

“Holt was dungeon monitor. He stopped the scene and was releasing the bottom while telling the Top how he’d missed seeing all the signs.” Kim grinned. “Master Holt is very into teaching.”

“But the Top didn’t listen?”

“Oh, it was a mess. The Top was yelling and pissed. The bottom collapsed in tears and the Top actually smacked him again with his cane. Holt…you could see his jaw set…and he simply swung the jerk into the wall. Face first. Busted the guy’s nose. Blood everywhere. Before he could stand again, his bottom was gone.”

Josie grinned, remembering how a certain mugger had hit a car and gone skidding over the hood.

“It was a pretty sight, yes,” Raoul said.

Kim snickered. “Master Holt never raised his voice. Not once.”

Master Raoul opened a soda for Kim and handed it to her. He smiled as Holt dropped down on the loveseat behind Josie. “Can I assume the Dom will accept a no next time?”

“I think so.” Holt motioned toward the orgy-like activity in the center of the lawn. “Seems like watching too much of that shuts down higher brain functions.”

Josie frowned. “And that makes it all right?”

“No, it doesn’t.” Holt’s brows lowered. “No more than it’s allowed to break into McDonalds because you’re hungry and smell a Big Mac. And so I told him when he tried to give me excuses.”

“Oh.” Josie laughed. The Dom had been mid-twenties. “That’s a good analogy. He looks like someone who loves fast food.”

“What I thought, too.” Holt smiled and pulled her back between his knees. “Then I told him if he touched my submissive again, I’d knock him into next week.”


Over the next hour, Holt enjoyed giving the little bartender lessons in what he expected. He wasn’t much into strict high protocol, so the rules weren’t too difficult. During parties, he didn’t mind if his submissive looked around. He wanted her comfortable in a sitting-kneeling posture. Talking, though? Not without permission, which Josie actually picked up from watching Kim. Eating—again, not without permission.

For his own pleasure, he hand-fed her, making mental notes of which foods she took eagerly and which were greeted with a slight pulling away. When he sent her for a dessert tray, he memorized the contents, figuring she was smart enough to choose only items she liked.

It was a delight to have a smart submissive on his hands.

After their drinks were finished, he took her for a stroll, stopping to tell Z which path in the Capture Gardens he’d check on. There were always dungeon monitors on duty; even so, every Master tried to keep an eye on the secluded nooks.

As they walked down the grassy paths, Holt paused at each scene to check the safety of the participants—and to let Josie get a good look. Her reaction to a suspension scene showed him she wasn’t ready for that level of bondage. Eventually, maybe. Restraints—he knew she liked those. He hadn’t anticipated her interest in gags. Interesting.

The way she clung to him after seeing Edward using a bullwhip in a wide clearing had been delightful.

Bare-ass spanking—that was a definite go when they had the chance.

During their scene last week, she’d enjoyed being flogged, not so much the caning. From the way her pulse increased at the sight of one couple, he might try light breast and pussy spanking in the future.

Severe pain, blood-play, fisting, face-slapping—he now knew to avoid those. Not a problem, since he didn’t enjoy them particularly.

When they returned, he gave her a bathroom break and picked up a couple bottles of water.

“Holt, join us.”

He turned to see Nolan hailing him from a nearby sitting area. Black straight hair pulled back, black eyes, forbidding face, the general contractor occupied a patio chair with his delightful redheaded wife at his feet. Across from them, Max and Alastair had taken over a blanket and leaned on a pile of pillows with Uzuri kneeling between them.

“Hey, people.” Holt eyed a blanket with more pillows. No, this would be more fun. He chose a long lounge chair and raised the back to a semi-reclined angle.


Returning from the bathroom, Josie started to kneel close to Holt’s chair…and hesitated. Half of her wanted to be as close as possible. The other half felt out of control and wanted to be out of easy reach.

That tour of the Capture Gardens had been overwhelming and far too arousing. By the time they finished, her skin was so sensitive that the slightest brush of Holt’s body against hers gave off sizzles. She wanted his hands on her more with every breath she drew. And that feeling scared her spitless.

So, she knelt now…just out of his reach.

His eyebrow lifted, and he swept her with an assessing stare. Then smiled slowly. “Too far away. Sit between my legs, pet.”