Protege(20)
He laughed. “I’m sure he’ll love that. You have a note here about the overnight bag. Could you explain that?”
“Oh. I’m renting a room right now. I don’t have a lot of things with me, but it didn’t make sense to continue to rent a room I won’t be occupying. I’d like to bring the remainder of my items. It’s a little over three suitcases.”
“That won’t be necessary. Jude will see to all your expenses. We suggest subs bring a bag in cases like this so they don’t feel empty-handed. Chances are you won’t need those belongings during your stay. It’s just a courtesy. And your room will remain paid for by the company. We like to leave everything as it was during trial periods.”
They seemed to have thought of everything. “And what happens on the last day?”
“Your Dom relinquishes your services and you return to your home. Your application is completed and we add you to the system. After that, the members will have access to your stats and can put in a request for more information. If someone’s truly interested, we run your compatibility scores and possibly arrange a meeting from there.”
“What about Mr. Duval?”
He frowned and folded his hands. “I want to be perfectly clear on this, Ms. Banks. Jude Duval is here to run a business. He doesn’t involve himself with clients on a personal level. Ever. You are his protégé, an honor not every submissive gets and one you should certainly appreciate. Do not read more into this than there actually is. He’s doing this to help you find a match, but that match isn’t him. I promise you.”
She nodded, unclear how anyone could make such a claim. Life had taught her anything was possible. However, it also taught her not to underestimate how painful loss could be, which was why she forced herself to view this agreement as a temporary situation, nothing more. “I understand.”
“Good, now we just have to follow up with the clinic and once your blood work comes through as clear and you’re implanted, we can—”
“Stop.” She shook her head. “What?”
His expression turned hesitant. “Didn’t you read the section about contraceptives?”
She thought she’d read all of it, but she must have missed that part. “I assumed we’d use something safer, like condoms.”
“Typically that would be fine, but under the conditions and being that this contract will likely entail sexual acts several times a day for the next thirty days, Jude has requested you get fitted with an IUD. His blood work is clean and if yours is as well, there shouldn’t be an issue.”
“Then tell him to get implanted. I don’t want any foreign objects embedded inside me.”
“Ms. Banks, the procedure is minimal. Based on when your last cycle ended, the timing is optimal and you shouldn’t feel any resulting discomfort.”
“I don’t see how that’s any better than using condoms.”
“What happens when you’re in the shower and he wants to f*ck you, Ms. Banks? Is he supposed to stop and find a condom?”
Her eyes widened. “Yes!”
He sighed. “Try to understand, there will come a time when you might resent that diversion.”
Possibly, but that time wasn’t now—or yet. “Implanting birth control seems a bit extreme to me.”
“Imagine first thing in the morning when he’s entering you before you’ve even opened your eyes. It’s just more practical to always be prepared. That way there are no slipups.”
“Yes, we wouldn’t want him to be liable for anything after his thirty days,” she grumbled—any sense of possible romance fading.
“That’s just the sort of attitude that will get you a sore ass. Jude has agreed to put your well-being first, and that is exactly what he’s doing. He’s decided this is the best course for you two, and I suggest you trust his judgment.”
A sense of undesirable inferiority choked her. “I don’t like being told what to put in my body.”
Ezra sighed. Slowly he said, “There are other options Mr. Duval might agree to. The shot is a possibility, but I assure you, speaking from my personal experience and the deep need to put my wife’s safety first in all matters, I’m of the belief that the implant is the safest form of birth control on the market. There are versions that release copper into the female so the hormones aren’t a concern.”
The fact that he could speak on his personal experience helped. “I just don’t know. I haven’t read any information of this.”
His expression spoke of patient understanding. “Speak to the doctor when you see her. She’ll explain the procedure better than I can. After that, you can make an educated decision. So long as we’re still negotiating the contract, you have a right to make changes, but this is what he wants and I have to say I agree with him.”
Obey. She silently growled, still disliking everything that word represented. It was outside her ability to blindly agree to orders. She was too stubborn. “I’ll talk to the doctor, but you better warn Mr. Duval it would be wise to research other options.”
“I’ll save that warning for you, peach.”
Her eyes narrowed.
***
The next day she cursed every domineering male she knew as she lay on her bed, huddled in the fetal position. Her stomach was still cramping from the procedure, but it was nothing worse than average menstrual cramps.