by Lexi Blake
Ally stared her way. “You think that’s a good idea? You might not like him.”
Whoever he was he would be Kai Ferguson approved, and that gave her some confidence. Kai was smart and cared about the people he counseled. He wouldn’t put her with someone she wasn’t compatible with. “I’ll like him.”
“Like you like Eric?” Tiffany asked.
She was pretty sure she turned beet red. “I don’t. I mean I like him because he’s nice, but I don’t like like him.”
She totally like liked him. She simply wasn’t going to act on her like liking.
“I have to ask you why.” Ally moved forward, her eyes steady on Deena. “Eric is amazing. I know he’s a little scary, but he’s also wonderful.”
She caught on the part she could use. “He can be scary when he wants to be.”
The door opened again and Jenni bounced in. “Oooo, are we talking about Eric? He’s totally scary. The other day I very innocently mentioned that his mole sauce needed salt and I’d put some in for him and I nearly peed my pants when he looked at me.”
Deena’s jaw dropped. “You’re lucky you didn’t get your ass fired. You don’t screw with a chef’s sauce.”
Jenni shrugged. “Chef yelled at me for a long time and I cried and then everything was all right. And it needed salt.”
Now there was a girl who would get her ass spanked if she ever tried to take a training class. “Yeah, well, he should be scary when you do that.”
“Oh, he’s kind of always scary,” Jenni said. “The scar freaks me out. That is one ugly dude.”
She got in the twenty-year-old, never had a real problem in the world until Daddy made her get a job’s face. “Don’t you dare call him that, you shallow bitch.”
Jenni’s eyes were huge in her face and she took a step back. “Okay, now you’re scary. I’m going to go and set up for dinner.”
She rushed back out.
“Hey, we all know Jenni’s got issues. There’s no need to start a fight,” Tiffany said, her voice calm.
“She’s a mean girl and I don’t like mean girls.” She couldn’t stand bullies.
“Don’t be so hard on her. She’s young and this is her first real experience outside a prep school.” Ally frowned and looked over at the door.
“I can make it her last.” She had no right to call Eric ugly. It was false in the first place. That scar made him heroic, manly. There was nothing wrong with that man’s face. Absolutely nothing.
“Please don’t.” Ally put a hand on her shoulder. “She’s the daughter of one of Ian Taggart’s biggest clients. He got her the job and she’s usually all right at it. Since they moved her to the hostess station, she’s been okay.”
“She spends all her time flirting.”
“She’s also excellent at table management and she’s good at making sure we all get customers,” Tiffany said with finality. “That girl can smell a good tipper from a mile away and she spreads out the wealth. It’s a thing that brings harmony to all of us, so let’s ignore the fact that she’s not interested in your honey.”
“He’s not my honey.” After tonight she wouldn’t have to worry about it. “And he’s not interested in me. We’re friends and coworkers.”
And that was the way it was going to stay.
CHAPTER TWO
Eric watched her as she moved out onto the main stage. Deena walked in with the other subs, two women he didn’t know and Tiffany. Work was about to get very interesting. He wasn’t sure what Deena and Tiffany would do when they realized he and Javier were here, too.
His lips had started to curl up when he realized she wasn’t dressed like the other women. Tiffany and the two others were in full fet wear, complete with beautiful corsets, frilly thongs or boy shorts, and stunning heels. Deena had on a leather miniskirt and a tight tank top that had likely come straight from the same place her everyday clothes came from. Her feet were bare, making her inches shorter than the rest of the girls. She smiled, but when she thought no one was looking, she would smooth out her clothes as though attempting to make up for their lack of flair.
“Those are some fine women.” Javier stepped up next to him. Like Eric, he was wearing leathers—pants and a vest, no shirt. Javi had cowboy boots on while Eric preferred the combat boots he’d worn for years. You can take the SEAL out of the Navy, but try to take his fucking boots and he would shoot you. That was his motto anyway.
“They certainly are.” Though she was dressed more modestly than the other women, she was the one who held his attention. Her hair was pulled back in a sweet braid that was simply going to have to go. He wanted to see her with her hair around her shoulders, her head bent and waiting for his command.
Damn, he was already hard. He started naming all the ingredients he would need for tomorrow night’s Provençal chicken dish. Chicken thighs, kosher salt, cracked black pepper…
“Are you doing that thing where you prepare a dish in your head so your dick will go down?” Javi asked.
“Yes.” There was no point in denying it. Herbes de Provence. Flour. Lemon.
“You know most of us think about baseball,” Javi pointed out. “Damn, Tiffany’s got a fine ass on her. If I didn’t think of that like a sister, I would be praying she’s my partner.” Javi stopped. “Shit, what if she’s my partner? I don’t think I can spank her.”
“That was all up to the big guy and Kai.” He seemed to have his dick under control for the moment. “It’s only six weeks.”
Six weeks where they would practice and train and be partners. Six weeks where Deena would be forced to lean on him and he could prove to her that he could take care of her.
Damn. There it went again. She was talking to a tall, severe-looking woman who couldn’t possibly be a sub and Deena’s eyes lit up.
“Come on,” Javi said. “We’re wanted on the stage.”
It was time. He hoped she didn’t run the minute she saw him. The other two men he’d met earlier in the locker room moved by him. Gage Jensen was an ER doc and Harrison Keen was one of Dallas’s top-rated criminal attorneys.
So who was the obvious baby Domme for? That was interesting. Eric was looking forward to the evening. He walked with Javi to the main stage.
Stage was just a name, but it could be meaningful on certain nights. Tonight was not one of those nights. Tonight was merely a training night.
His first training night.
Despite the fact that he’d been in more clubs than he could name, he’d never had formal training and that meant he was a baby Dom at Sanctum.
Alex McKay and Liam O’Donnell were out on the main stage, talking amongst themselves. Alex had a clipboard in his hand and was pointing out things to his partner. Both Masters were large men, overpowering and obviously dominant. Both men were also married. Their wives, Eve and Avery, would be mentoring the submissives.
He saw the moment she realized he was here. Deena’s eyes widened and she walked over and started whispering to Tiffany, who immediately looked over and her jaw dropped.
Had they thought they were the only ones who had been invited?
“What the hell are you doing here?” Deena asked, her voice rising.
Alex stepped in front of her. Eric couldn’t see his expression but both women immediately looked down, heads bowed. “Lesson number one. Politeness is required at Sanctum. I expect it from everyone. Not only subs. If a Dom in this club is rude to another member, I will deal with it. If a sub is rude, then his or her dominant partner will deal with it.”
Deena brought her head up. “I’m sorry, Sir. I was surprised to see a coworker here. I don’t know that’s the best idea. Eric and Javier work with Tiffany and me at Top. It could make things awkward at work.”
Eric stared at her, not giving her a second’s sympathy. Javi joined him, standing at his side. Fuck. What if she convinced the instructors to separate them? He’d expected her to be surprised. He hadn’t expected she would make a scene.
Liam O’Donnell chuckled. “If we didn’t a
McKay seemed way less amused by the situation. “If you think it’s going to be awkward, then you should leave because the offer of training was given to all the Top employees, not simply you and your friend. If Eric and Javier are here it’s because they have needs. Should your needs come before theirs? I think if it’s going to be awkward at work, it’s because you’ll make it awkward. Lesson number two. Being a sub is all about making choices. You choose to submit. You choose what you’re willing to accept and what you won’t. So this is your first choice, Deena. Are you going to stay or go? Please understand if you stay, you’ll get the first spanking of the training class. You signed a contract that stated you would be polite at all times and treat your fellow trainees with respect. You broke that within two minutes of stepping out of the locker room. We’ll begin with a count of twenty from your training Dom, and no you do not get a choice in who that person will be. He was selected carefully and with mind to true compatibility. You’ll accept him and his discipline or walk away now.”
Did Alex have to be so harsh with her?
Deena’s head came up and there was no doubt in her eyes. “I’ll accept him and the discipline, Sir. I’m very sorry for my rudeness. No, I don’t believe my needs come before theirs and I wish Eric and Javi every bit of joy they can find. I know that’s why I’m here and I promise to honor my contract from now on.”
“Then we’re pleased to have you.” Alex turned back to Eric. “Master Eric, you owe your submissive some discipline.”
He was going to need way more than his next recipe to get through this. He prayed Deena didn’t notice the massive hard-on he suddenly had.
His night was looking up.
* * * *
Yep. That was how her night was going.
“Are you really going to do this?” Tiffany whispered. “Are you going to let the sous chef braise your backside?”
The sous chef looked like sin on two legs. She thought the man was hot in chef’s whites. He was devastating in leathers. Tall and broad and muscular. He had those notches at his hips that made women lose their flipping minds. The leather pants rode low, exposing his six-pack and a whole bunch of bronze skin she kind of wanted to lick. She could push back that vest he was wearing and put her hands all over him.
He was going to spank her. Her hands were shaking at the thought, and not in fear.
“I don’t have much of a choice if I want to stay.” She looked over and Master Liam was talking quietly with Eric. Master Eric, though for now the term was simply honorary. He wouldn’t have full Master rights at Sanctum until he’d completed the training program to the satisfaction of Master Ian. It was far tougher for a Dom to gain access to the club than a submissive.
Eric was her Dom for the next six weeks. She was fairly certain that was a terrible idea, but there was nothing she could do about it tonight. She’d screwed up enough for her first five minutes as a sub.
“You should be glad you’re not my sub, sweetheart.” Althea stood over her. Althea Walsh had a good half a foot on her. The newbie Domme had been laughing and smiling in the locker room even as she’d changed into her latex cat suit with heels Deena was certain she wouldn’t be able to even stand in. The minute they’d walked out of the locker room, she’d become a different human being entirely. An icy calm had come over Althea and her eyes had sharpened like a predator scenting prey.
Deena totally agreed with that assessment. “Me, too. I think you’re probably rough on a girl.”
Althea’s eyes went to the other side of the stage. “Honey, I’m not anything on a girl. Give me a man to top.”
“Well, it won’t be Eric,” she heard herself saying.
Althea’s brow rose. “You’re aching for some discipline, sweetheart.”
“Or she got jealous at the thought of you touching her Dom.” Tiffany was grinning like this was the best entertainment she’d ever seen.
“I was not,” she shot back.
Althea’s perfectly made up lips curled. “Oh, this is going to be fun. I think I’ll make sure I get a seat.”
Master Liam seemed to be finished imparting whatever wisdom he had about beating her butt and Eric stepped back. He was perfectly calm and she was fairly certain her face was as red as her backside was likely to be. He walked over to Javier and started speaking to him as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
Why the hell was he here? She knew that was the very question that had gotten her into trouble, but she so wanted to know the answer. Eric Vail wasn’t supposed to want to spank a girl’s ass. He was supposed to be the guy who would be shocked at the thought of even harming a hair on a woman’s head. She would never in a million years have pegged him as a man interested in the D/s lifestyle.
Damn he looked good in leathers.
“I can’t believe he’s here.” Tiffany stepped up with her, watching the other side of the room. “Javi, I can see. He’s a total pervert, but Eric is so…noble.”
Yep. He sure was. “I have no idea. And apparently we’re some kind of match, which I don’t see at all. I don’t think there’s anything I can do about it tonight.”
Tomorrow was an entirely different thing. Tomorrow she could sort everything out. She would still have to be in the same class and deal with all the issues that would arise from that, but she wouldn’t have a coworker as her Dom.
For one night only, maybe she could indulge in a fantasy.
“All right, let’s pair up and then get this class going,” Liam said, quickly calling out names and pairing people up. Javier ended up with the blonde named Mia. Althea was partnered with someone named Harrison. Unlike the Doms, he wore no vest, his cut chest on display. He had curly ebony-colored hair and piercing emerald eyes that turned down the minute Althea stood in front of him. Tiffany was paired up with a lean man with short golden hair and a ready smile. He shook her hand as he introduced himself as Gage.
Eric stood at the far side of the stage, staring at her. He made no move to come to her.
Maybe he was more of a Dom than she gave him credit for. She was going to have to smooth some things over with him. It wasn’t like he would really spank her. She expected he would lightly tap her backside and she would make some little crying noises. It was all in fun after all.
There was nothing to do but brazen through it so she started to make her way to him. She would give herself over to the experience and she and Eric would be able to laugh about it later. He couldn’t be any happier than she was because despite what they had talked about earlier, she was certain he wasn’t lusting after her. He was likely as horrified to see her here as she was him.
“I’m sorry.” She gave him what she hoped was an apologetic smile. “I got us in trouble on the first day.”
His eyes pinned her. Those dark orbs were radiating authority in a way she’d never seen from him before. It reminded her that he hadn’t always been a chef. Once he’d led men into dangerous situations. “You got yourself in trouble, Deena. The next time it happens, I’ll be the one setting the punishment and it will be harsh. Your behavior reflects on me. Try to remember that.”
Wow, he was good with the icy cold commands. “I will remember that. So you have to spank me now. Should we talk about that?”
“We don’t have to talk about it. Was it in your contract that you would allow spanking? You should have signed a rudimentary contract with simple answers about initial play. We’ll go over a much more detailed contract tomorrow night.”
When they would sign the contract that would bind them together for the next six weeks. The thought sent a shiver down her spine. And she had signed that initial contract. Her first spanking. She’d never tried it before. She read about it in books and thought about what it would feel like. Her whole life was nothing but work and study. The days had become endless. She’d worked two jobs after her divorce to pay for the mountain of debt her ex had piled up. She was finally free and clear. She was about to graduate. It was time to move on. It was time to find out if this lifestyle that called to her was truly right.
Was she going to turn away because the man giving her this first experience wasn’t perfect? Or rather was far too perfect?
“Deena?” His voice had softened slightly. He was standing over her. “Are you going to submit or not?”
It probably wouldn’t even be that good. After all, superheroes didn’t typically spank bad girls. This was her element. He would likely discover it wasn’t his. She was safe enough. She tilted her chin up to look him in the eye. “Do your worst, Vail.”
His hand came up, catching her hair and drawing her head back. “That’s Master Eric or Sir to you. Don’t make this worse than it has to be. I’ll expect submission for the rest of the evening. Let’s not look like the bickering couple everyone loves to hate. There’s always one in any group. I would rather it not be us.” He leaned in and she could almost swear he was smelling her hair. It should have creeped her out, but she found it ridiculously sexy that Eric Vail was running his nose over her neck and up to her ear. “This can be easy between us or it can be hard. It’s all your choice, sweetheart.”
Her skin was already tingling. “I’m ready.”
His words were hot against her ear. “I doubt that very much.”
He released her and when she looked over, Tiffany was staring openly at them. Most of the group had been watching her and Eric. He was right. They were already the problem children of the group. She was screwing up and she wasn’t going to do it again. She wasn’t going to embarrass Eric again.
She could do this.
“I believe we’re ready for the impromptu show,” Master Alex said. He took a seat in one of the folding chairs they’d set up for the class.
Before she could take another breath, they had an audience.
She was not going to be self-conscious. Nope. No way. This was all part of the lifestyle. Quite frankly, the idea of being watched was tempting. She could get her toe wet with a very staid, over-the-clothes spanking. She would get it over with and see that she could handle Eric. It was nothing more than a classmate relationship.
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