Temporary Master (13 page)

He
pressed a finger against her lips. “Don’t lie to me, Sabella. I could feel your
surprise, your impatience, as I guided you through the most basic of ties. Your
reactions weren’t those of a jaded
nawa jujun,
who has delved many times
into the freedom ropes offer. No, yours were one of awakening, of wonderment,
of anticipation as I guided you towards a place where, by your own admission,
you’ve never been.”

Her
chest rose and fell with her breathing. “Just because I’ve never experienced
the fabled subspace doesn’t mean I’m so hungry or desperate I’ll allow myself
to be used…”

Sliding
his fingers across her cheek, he slid his hand into her hair,
then
tightened it warningly before cupping the back of her
head. “Our agreement guarantees it, Sabella. And you’re truly naive if you
think once we leave the practice room behind that everything between us returns
to equal footing.” He wanted nothing more than to show her what she was missing
by denying them. But as the submissive, she had the power. “No matter how
misguided Lauren was, she had a very valid point. She said you were
uncomfortable with the status quo. Do you know why?”

Keeping
her eyes lowered, she effectively avoided his gaze. Something else he was about
fed up with. “I have no reason to be unhappy with it. You’re giving me exactly
what I asked for.”

He
studied her expression. “But you’re still uneasy. Even now when we’re not in a
scene, notice how you lean into my palm? How you sit next to me with your head
high, shoulders thrust back, but with your eyes lowered? You respond to the Dom
in me as surely as I respond to the submissive in you. Our responses have
nothing to do with the demonstration.” He sighed before shifting back. “Look at
me, Sabella.”

Her
eyes lifted to meet his. As he suspected, the submission she wasn’t even aware
of offering, was there for any Dom who was worth his salt.

“If
your self-doubt is coming from this, I’m sorry. Rest assured you aren’t the
only one who had a rough night, or an issue with coping with the connection
between us.” He removed his hand from her hair, pulling back and breaking their
physical connection. “When we started this, I agreed I wouldn’t expect anything
more than what we agreed to. I won’t break my word, even if I long for more, for
myself. ”

She
nodded as he slid out of the seat. Allowing her to stand, he was careful not to
touch her. But before she could make good on her escape, he pressed close until
their bodies were mere millimeters apart, her breath teasing the skin under his
open collar. “That’s not to say, Sabella, if you come to me, however, I won’t
give you what you need.” His finger traced over her cheek before lifting her
chin with his index finger to lock eyes with her. “All you have to do is open
this pretty little mouth and ask.”

Both
Lauren and Sabella picked their way along the walk leading up to the barn
housing New Beginnings. Watching where they placed their feet, the last thing
either girl needed was a fall because of the light dusting of snow on the
ground. If it hadn’t been for the crunchy white stuff under foot, Sabella would
have sneaked a peek up the hill towards the ‘big house’ as Lauren called the
private residence of Davis and Ethan. It’d been over two weeks since she’d seen
Ethan. Their second appointment, scheduled a week after their first, had been
canceled when Ethan had been called out of town to testify in a case in Los
Angeles. After their confrontation at Bistro Sabor, she had almost been
relieved. She’d been ready to throw herself at his feet and beg him to screw
her up against the nearest wall. But instead, she’d said her good-byes and went
home. Not only had Ethan given her food for thought, Lauren’s frank talk about
her father had made her stop and re-evaluate what was going on in her
relationship with her dad.

“Come
on, girl. Quit lolly-gagging. It’s fuckin cold out here.” Dressed in her
typical subbie attire, Lauren had her long blonde hair pulled up in a high
ponytail and under the long winter jacket she wore little other than the mini
skirt, leggings, and a leather corset over a fine linen blouse. In a way she
reminded Sabella of some lusty pirate’s captain from the 1800s.

Following
her into the cozy barn, Sabella wasn’t surprised to see Davis, all decked out
in leather gear, at the door checking IDs. Where on earth he’d found enough
leather to cover his massive frame was a question she’d have to ask later. She
didn’t think they made leather pants in a size large enough to accommodate
Davis’s nearly seven foot frame. As her friend approached the behemoth of a
Dom, she scanned the area, wondering if Ethan was going to make a presence
tonight. She’d gotten his message earlier in the day at home, but had chosen to
ignore Ethan’s summons. If he was indeed here, she’d merely claim she hadn’t
returned home before coming. In fact, she was still dressed in the soft
velveteen leggings and poet shirt she’d worn to the youth center earlier in the
day.

“You’re
in so much trouble, girl,” Lauren said as she returned with a sheaf of papers
in her hand. Handing them to her, Lauren blocked Sabella from view as she
handed Sabella a pen.

Accepting
them, Sabella shrugged. “Why do you say that?” She glanced down at the
paperwork. It looked like a standard consent form. It outlined the club’s
rules, along with the disclaimer holding neither Ethan nor Davis responsible
for any risky behavior which resulted in the injury to the person signing the
contract.

Lauren
grabbed her arm and squeezed. “Why didn’t you tell me you ducked out on Ethan
today? Davis just warned me, if you go into the club, to not be surprised if
you end up strapped over some spanking bench or St.
Andrew’s
Cross
while Ethan warms your bottom.”

“You’ve
got to be kidding me.” Sabella looked down at the papers longingly. She hadn’t
been out to a club since before her dad had taken ill. She needed this night
out in the worse way, but was it worth pushing the temper of her temporary
Master? She chewed on her lower lip as she weighed her options. According to
the agreement she had with Ethan, he could punish her during a scene, but since
they weren’t in a scene as long as she didn’t break the club rules, her bottom
was safe.  “I haven’t done anything wrong, Lauren. I haven’t been home
today at all. I came here directly from work. Even if Ethan did call the house
today, he could’ve easily enough called my
cell,
or my
work if we had an appointment for training. I told you he canceled our last
appointment. I’m not going to be punished for not being a mind reader.” She
mentally crossed her fingers, praying that was the truth of the matter.
“Besides I’m sure he has better things to do than worry about me.”  

“Somehow
I don’t think it’s going to matter.” Lauren warned. “But as the old saying
goes, it’s your funeral, girl.” Lauren guided her up to Davis.

“Greetings,
Master Davis.” Sabella kept her voice soft and respectful. “If you have a
moment, I’d like to ask you a few questions?”

Davis
gave her a smile, before signaling to Kaleb, who obviously was also working the
Subbie Night. If Lauren hadn’t told her that her boss was a member of the club,
she’d have been shocked to see him.  As Kaleb replaced him, Davis guided
her off to the side so they weren’t holding up the line. “So what can I answer
for you, Ms. Sabella? Our contract is quite forward and to the point.” He gave
a grin. “I made sure it was.”

“It’s
not the contract, per-se.” Sabella felt herself flushing. “I was curious about
the protocol for approaching a Dom at these functions.” She took a deep breath.
“In my previous experience, I had to let the Dom come to me. As a submissive I
wasn’t allowed to do the pursuing. I was wondering if it was acceptable to
approach the men here tonight, or if I need to wait for one to come to me.”
Glancing around at the large majority of women, most of them beautiful, she
sighed. “With the rest of these beautiful subs present, I’m sure the
competition will be fierce.”

Davis
frowned, his hand curling around her arm. “I think you’ve misunderstood. This
isn’t a hook-up joint, Sabella. It’s a night to cater to a submissive’s needs,
while providing a safe environment. If you’re looking for nameless sex, I
suggest you head down to the nearest leather bar and try dancing on some
tables.”

Her
eyes widened in shock at his harsh words. Nameless sex wasn’t what she was
looking for at all. She loved sex, just like the next gal, but she’d take the
spiritual release she found when giving over to another at the moment. “I…I
wasn’t insinuating I was looking for a sexual hook-up. I merely wish to indulge
in my need to submit to another. It has been too long since I’ve brought
pleasure to a Dom, even of the most basic kind, Master Davis.” She shrugged her
shoulders. “I’m desperate enough and would be willing serve drinks to the Doms
to achieve this.” She suddenly felt like bursting into tears.

“Oh.”
A contrite expression crossed Davis’s face before his hand dropped away. “Have
you told Ethan about…
”

She
was puzzled. Her need to submit had nothing to do with their agreement. “Why
should I? I agreed to be his model for the demonstration.
Nothing
more.”

He
gave a sigh. “Somehow I don’t think he sees it in the same light.”

She
frowned. “What do you mean? Our agreement was quite clear. I was his during a
scene, but outside of it we’re equals.”

“We
can’t talk about this here.” Davis caught Kaleb’s eye briefly, when he glanced
up from the consent form he was reviewing for a slender redhead. “I’ll be back
in a few, Kaleb.”

Kaleb
nodded before going back to the paperwork. Davis walked her down the main aisle
before ducking into a smaller interior hall leading to a room housing the
club’s security monitors. At the helm, watching various
screens,
was a redheaded man dressed in jeans and the tightest t-shirt she’d ever seen.
“Toby, I need the office for a few minutes. Could you go help Kaleb at the door
for awhile?”

“Sure
thing, cousin.”
He
slowly uncoiled his body from the small chair. Standing, he was nearly as tall
as Davis but not quite as wide. This man was actually Davis’s cousin? Dear Lord
what were the women in Davis’s family feeding their kids? Steroid injected
meals?

As
the man sauntered out, she stared after him.
“Your cousin?”

“Yeah,
gotta claim him, or so my momma tells me. But that’s not why we’re here.” He
pulled out one of the folding chairs, urging her to sit.

“It’s
not?” She sank onto the cold metal, shivering as she felt the coolness seep
through her leggings.

“No.
We’re here because I’m going to be a nice guy, and try
keep
you from getting your ass paddled tonight.” He crouched down in front of her.

Cocking
her head, she sighed. “I haven’t done anything warranting a punishment.”

“Not
yet, but if you go in there and find a man to submit to, Ethan isn’t going to
see it that way.”

Anger
built inside her. “I am not his property, nor is our situation anything but
temporary. He promised we’d be equals outside our practices and the
demonstration.”

“Be
that as it may, I’m sure he mentioned to you his own code of personal conduct.”

She
stared at him blankly. Ethan hadn’t come out and told her anything about a code
of conduct outside of their scenes. “I don’t believe so.”

Davis
made an exasperated sound in his throat. “Okay let’s try it from this angle.
Has Ethan mentioned to you while you’re together there are no other submissives
for him?”

She
nodded. “But that’s just during our practices…and even if he chooses to see
another while we’re not training, I have no say in that.”

He
groaned. “But that’s just it, Sabella. When he says there are no others for him
- there aren’t, period. In or out of a scene you’re it at the moment. And he
expects the same from you as he does from himself.”

“Rest
assured I will hold myself to the same standards as you do.”

The
words rang through her mind. Horror filled her as she realized exactly what
Davis was implying. By asking for his word, she’d allowed Ethan maneuver her
into a position which he could expect the same ideals from her as he did
himself. “But I never agreed…he can’t expect…” Her weak protest had Davis
giving her a sad smile.

“Whether
you did or didn’t or whether he can or can’t, we have quite the problem here,
especially if he catches you offering to another what he considers his, however
temporarily. And, until we can clear this up with him, you’re risking be
treated like you are.” He slowly stood.
“With all perks and
the downfalls.”

“Crap.”
Her head began pounding, part of her wanted to tell Davis to piss off. She
wasn’t his nor Ethan’s property and she could choose whatever Dom she wanted to
serve, but the other part was leery of what Ethan would do.
And
how I’ll respond to it.
He so much as brings a paddle out, I’ll
be a goner.
While not into pain, there was something about being pinned
over a man’s lap and forced to accept his judgment that pushed her buttons.
It’s
better to not chance it.
She sighed. “So what are you suggesting, Davis… I
throw myself at his feet?”