by Mandy Harbin
She nodded.
He frowned at her, giving this beauty an easy test.
“Yes…Master?”
He smiled. “Very good. Come with me.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her toward one of the couches disbursed throughout the first floor. He wanted a quiet place for them to talk. If she was interested in submission, he was going to be the one to help her, and communication was the key to that. He tried telling himself she was probably no different from the others in his past, but for some reason, he felt drawn to her. He wanted her to be a good fit for him…even if just for a little while. Maybe it’d help him get out of his slump and, at the very least, embrace new opportunities to dominate women who challenged him. He knew better than to hope for more.
Once they were seated, Shelby crossed her legs and placed her clasped hands on her lap. She was still tense, so he needed to navigate these waters carefully.
“Communication is very important, pet. For a man to fulfill your sexual desires, you must be open and honest with him at every step. Now, I’m going to ask you some questions. I want you to be completely honest with me.”
“Yes, Master,” Shelby said, whispering his title.
Mason smiled and rubbed her hands. Then he gently pried them apart and held one between his.
“I see no wedding ring on your finger. Are you married?”
She shook her head. He didn’t correct her. She was very new to this.
“Are you in a relationship of any kind?”
“Nope, er, Master.”
“Good. So you’ve never done anything like this before. Why’d you choose this club as your maiden voyage, so to speak?”
She cleared her throat and sat up a little straighter, her chin jutting out a little as she seemed to be gathering her nerve.
“I came here for you.”
Mason gaped at her. What kind of answer was that? He’d never seen her before. He was absolutely sure of that. He would’ve remembered the auburn hues of her hair or the deep emerald of her eyes. Mason pinned her with his gaze. He also didn’t flaunt his lifestyle. Nor did he like setups or women throwing themselves at him because of his money. Now he felt as if he was being played, which cooled any ardor he’d felt.
He was a man of control, but at this moment, he knew he had none. That fucking pissed him off, but he pushed down the need to toss her out without another word. He wanted an explanation, and he was going to damn well get it.
Instead of asking questions about her sexual experience, he’d switch gears completely and try to figure out just what the hell this woman was up to. His instincts about her must be way off, and that was something else he didn’t like. He’d always been able to trust his instincts in both his personal and professional life. His jaw locked just thinking about both extremes. If on a personal mission, she would be sorely disappointed if she thought she could land him by pretending to be something she wasn’t.
But she could also be tied up in something regarding his business, and that was another matter entirely.
Either way, he didn’t take kindly to liars, especially those who did it out of disrespect for his lifestyle.
No, he didn’t like that shit at all.
Shelby was about to bolt. She couldn’t do this. The man was very intimidating, much more so than his sexy photos had hinted.
Sexy didn’t even cover it. The amount of confidence he oozed would make even an average-looking man sexy, and Mason was so far beyond that category the word average probably wasn’t in his vocabulary. Even his hair was perfect, and his eyes? God, they were a beautiful liquid brown. Like smooth whiskey. He was tall, and his body had been very hard when he’d stood behind her. She felt her face flame at the memory. Yes, he had the entire package, and he’d been willing to help her just as she’d hoped—with the case, of course.
But now he looked mad. Strike that. He looked furious.
Great, you just managed to piss off a tall, muscular Dom who might also be a criminal. Good job, Shelby.
She needed to get herself together and stick to the story. She’d come prepared. Even showing up on a night she knew wasn’t open to the general public had been part of the plan. She just had to play it cool. Right. Only that was easier said than done.
“I-I have a cousin who works in information technology,” Shelby quickly began. “She recently transferred to California. Anyway, I went out to visit her a couple of weeks ago, and we started talking about sexual fantasies. I told her I’d never been truly satisfied by a man—um, I mean, the sex is usually okay, just not amazing—and that I’d often thought about what it would feel like to let go of any responsibilities in the bedroom. Um, I mean, I’d like to know what it would feel like for a man to take control. She encouraged me to try, but when I told her I was too scared because I didn’t even know where to start, she mentioned I should look you up.” God, had she gotten it all out without messing up? She was trembling too hard to think clearly.
“Why me?” he asked without so much as a pause.
“Um, Sasha said her best friend had tried submission with you once. My understanding is the lady seemed to trust you enough to try and that she really enjoyed it, but she was more into occasional play, so you two went your separate ways.”
“Her name?”
Shelby licked her lips and tried to take a calming breath. “Um, Cassie Cope, but she’s married now. I-I don’t remember her maiden name, but I can call Sasha and ask.”
Thankfully, the name seemed to click with Mason. His shoulders relaxed, and he nodded slowly. Shelby was able to find the air in the room and fill her burning lungs. This story was key to getting close to Mason. At first, they’d considered making a connection to Blade’s family, but they needed a link Mason couldn’t easily check out, and they figured tying in to his lifestyle would be the better option. The higher-ups somehow secured Sasha’s help, providing Shelby a viable connection to a woman she’d never met and the man before her. It was a close enough link to Mason’s personal life to be of use, but not so close that he’d easily find the holes in the story.
Going this route was the best chance they had to ensure Mason was the one who helped Shelby with her supposed sexual rediscovery. She hadn’t expected him to walk right up to her, though.
“I’d heard Cassie got married,” he finally said.
“When you came up behind me and that security guard called you by your name, I sorta panicked. I thought I’d have some time to work up the nerve to find you. Then you’d found me, and I started second-guessing myself.” She laughed nervously because that much was true. She’d been ready to leave this place and never come back. Field work be damned…hello desk job.
“I see. Well, I apologize if I came off a little harsh. I’m a very private person—”
“Oh me too,” Shelby blurted. “I don’t think I want anybody knowing about this. I mean, it’s no one’s business what I’m into. I mean, what I might be into.”
“Relax.” Mason grabbed both her hands and put them in his lap, causing the butterflies in her stomach to practically riot. “I understand you’re nervous. That’s why we need to talk.”
Shelby nodded, not sure she’d be able to find her voice.
“Since you brought up Cassie, you should know more about why we didn’t work out—because it wasn’t an isolated incident—so you’ll understand what I want, and how I go about things. It might not be relevant tonight, but if we continue, I don’t want there to be any surprises.”
Oh shit, it was really happening. She tried not to flinch or make any sudden moves while mentally ordering her body to relax.
“I want complete submission in the bedroom. I’m not one to demand it outside of sexual encounters. Having a slave is, frankly, too much work, and my life is already demanding enough as it is. But in the bedroom, I will call the shots.”
She nodded, absorbing it all. That s-word had her feeling anxious since it wasn’t something she’d considered, but thankfully, it didn’t seem to be an issue an
yway.
“I understand trust is something earned, and will take time, but from the very beginning, I have to believe you are doing your very best to embrace your submissive side, giving yourself over to me. It won’t be easy, and I’m not one to go lightly. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Master.”
He flashed his smile at her, and she felt a tingle of happiness that he’d approved.
Then she frowned. She shouldn’t be happy about that. This was a work assignment. She wasn’t here for herself. She was here for the sake of the case she was on.
“I just lost you.”
Her gaze darted to his, and he was searching her eyes. “Sorry. This is a lot to take in.”
“I know, but if this is something you truly want, Shelby, you will experience pleasure like you’ve never known before.”
But this wasn’t something she really wanted. She was undercover. No. She buried that thought deep down to keep it from surfacing again. From here on out, she would not think about this as an assignment. She would make it as real for her as she could, so it would be as believable as possible. She had no other choice.
“Have you tried anything kinky before, even minor things like being spanked during sex?”
Shelby felt her face get hot, and she shook her head quickly. She might be willing to embrace this experience, but she wanted this conversation over like yesterday.
“All right. There’s a process I like to follow when training a new sub. If you can accept my terms, I’ll agree to help you.”
His gaze told her there’d be no negotiation on the matter. If she wanted to do this, she’d have to be on board with whatever he was going to say. This was it. Would she be able to do this? Get close to Mason Showalter and get the intel needed to crack this case? She was frozen in her seat as he continued.
“It involves putting you through four scenes. One each week. Normally, I’d want to start immediately if you’re willing. You’re new and a bit skittish, though, so I think you need a little time to adjust to the idea before we begin. You have to be absolutely sure this is what you want. Do you want this, pet?”
“Yes,” she whispered. Jeez, was he not even going to tell her what kind of stuff these four scenes consisted of? Would they be public? Please, baby Jesus, don’t be public.
“Are you free on Friday?”
Shelby nodded, unable to say anything.
“Good. We’ll meet here, but I’ll give you my number in case you change your mind.” He stroked her sweaty hand. “This process will help you not only discover if this is the lifestyle you truly want, but also what you do and don’t like sexually. Keep in mind, a submissive wants to please her Master, just as a Master wants to please his submissive. Sometimes one does things only for the benefit of the other because he or she knows it’s what they want. This won’t be easy, but hopefully, you’ll reach a point where you embrace your submissive side, realizing submission is what you truly crave.” He shrugged. “And if not, then you’ll know for sure because what I put you through in these four scenes will give you a taste of what this life is about.”
Her brain was swimming. Four scenes. She knew from her research that meant he was going to do four BDSM activities with her, which may or may not include sex. She knew this was going to happen, and she felt her resolve settle in. She could do four. Putting a number on it seemed to make it more manageable. And one a week wouldn’t be bad. It’d give her time to prepare for the scene and to decompress after it was over before another would start. Plus, it’d give her time to maybe work in some visits outside the club and get him recorded, maybe stopping her from doing all of them anyway.
“So what scenes will we be doing, Master?” It was slowly getting easier to call him that. Still felt weird, though.
He smiled at her. “I normally don’t tell my subs the answer to that question, pet. The element of surprise plays a factor in building trust. But this is all new to you, and since this visit wasn’t prearranged, you do need to know what you’re getting into.” He watched her closely before continuing. “First, we’ll try spanking. It’ll give you a taste of pain and help me test your tolerance. Next we will do bondage, then whipping, and finally, fire play.”
Fire? Her mouth dropped. What the heck did he mean by fire?
“Uh-uh. I won’t go into it any more than that. I don’t want you focusing on the details while we are in the moment. Besides, we might not get to all of them if things don’t work out.”
“Work out?”
“Yes, pet. Depending on how you do one week will determine if we continue on to the next week.”
“So if I’m not ready then we will wait?” She frowned at him. Why wait? He wasn’t making sense.
“That’s not what I mean. If you don’t give me your absolute best while we are playing, then we will stop. We might stop during the scene, or we might finish it, but if I feel you aren’t trying, or you’re not as into it as you should be then our association will be over. I don’t dominate women just because I like to order you around. I do it because I thrive off the response I get. If I’m not getting what I need, I can’t give you what you need. It may seem mean to you, but that give and take is how it works. For me, anyway.”
So not only did she have these scenes to do, but they would be like tests in a way. If she didn’t pass, her opportunity to investigate him would stop. Period. She was taking a big risk for herself and for this case. Exposing herself like this could get them nowhere in the investigation, yet could totally change her on some level. She wondered again why she’d agreed to do this assignment, but then an even bigger question suddenly came to her, and she blurted it out before thinking better of it.
“Why are you agreeing to this? I mean, you don’t know me.” She knew why she’d sought him out, but she didn’t understand why he’d agreed to it so quickly. It was wrong to question him because, at any time, he could reject her and she’d have to report back the failure, but on some level, she needed to know his reasoning.
“Because, pet, you came right when I needed a new challenge.” He leaned in and gently brushed his lips across hers. Shelby gasped, and he retreated with a smile. “And I’m very much looking forward to it.”
Chapter Two
Mason stood inside his plush new office and grabbed his tablet off his custom walnut desk. The leather of his executive chair still had that new luxurious smell, one he would never tire of. When he’d been promoted to senior vice president of capital management a couple of weeks ago, he knew all his hard work over the years had finally paid off. Being in his mid-thirties, Mason was the youngest VP at the company, but he was also the only one who didn’t have a wife and children at home who demanded some of his time. He’d climbed each rung of the corporate ladder with eighty-hour workweeks, new clients, and the appropriate amount of ass-kissing—though he loathed to look at it that way. He knew when to stand strong and when to schmooze. It was the nature of the business. He didn’t make the rules, but he knew how to play by them.
Especially when they got him something he wanted.
He deserved to be where he was at today. He’d earned his position the blood-sweat-and-tears way, unlike his boss, who could only claim blood as his method. Not because he’d spilled any of his own. William Baxter was one of the founding members’ great-nephew. He’d coasted into his position simply because of what coursed through his veins. The man was senior executive director of private clients and managed the funds of some of the wealthiest people in the world—a position Mason would do anything to get.
He would probably never become the CEO of Fieldstein and Baxter since he hadn’t been born into the family like William, but Mason was content with his track to one day take over his new boss’s position. Even if that meant he’d have to ruin the man’s career in the process. It wasn’t personal. Mason would never indulge in something as weak as emotion in his career. It was business, plain and simple.
He took the elevator up to the floor where the executive staff primarily w
orked since he was scheduled to meet with his new direct boss in five minutes for a conference call with some brokers. He knew how to play the game—come too early and William would think he wasn’t busy enough, but come too late and William would be insulted by Mason wasting his precious time. It was a tune he’d danced to way too many times, and he never missed a step.
He was a shark when it came to business and knew the game so well he could go through the motions of his job, saying all the right things without even really having to think much about it. But that also afforded him the opportunity to be someplace else mentally…whether it was intentional or not.
As he walked into William’s office, took the seat offered, and began to listen in on the call, his mind strayed to the place it had often sought since meeting the beautiful Shelby. On the outside, he listened to the execution of securities transactions, but in his mind, he was undressing Shelby, touching every inch of her body, kissing every exposed part of her, and bringing her to orgasm over and over while the voices of his colleagues droned on in the background. He’d envisioned paddling her bottom until it was rosy and hot to the touch, hearing her cry out as the confusion of pain as pleasure set in, and picturing her reaching subspace as euphoria took over her body and mind.
“That’s an interesting point, Carl, but not why we’re meeting. Mason will look into the hedge fund issue,” William said toward the speakerphone.
“Sure thing,” Mason replied easily. This wasn’t the first time he’d mentally played out the scenes he’d planned for Shelby, but that didn’t mean he liked her controlling his thoughts. He’d fantasized to the point of obsession, and that bothered him. He was a master at domination, yet could easily detach himself emotionally when it came to harmless play. For some reason, this one woman had perplexed him. He didn’t know her, had never met her before that night, but he was already attached to her on a primal level. He’d found himself dreaming about her at night, moaning her name when he took himself in hand in the mornings, and getting lost in the pools of emeralds that graced her lovely face whenever he blinked longer than a second.
