by Skylar Kade
Her mother had been a model, her father a politician. She was the recessive-gene child who embarrassed them with her inability to fit into the society-girl mold. Lara had, years later, finally come to terms with her weight. Never would she be a perfect size 2 like her mother, nor would she ever want to marry and become a proper society wife. Graduate school had given her a PhD, not an Mrs.
Up ahead, she saw a quaint wooden sign with Maison Domine and an arrow pointing right carved into it. She pulled onto the tree-lined drive, and the butterflies in her stomach went into hyperspeed. Taking three deep calming breaths—yeah, like meditation was going to work—Lara drove the last few yards of the road and pulled into a clearing. All of her concerns, all of her misgivings, were momentarily forgotten at the sight that greeted her.
She knew the resort was high in the mountains, but for most of the drive she’d been surrounded by trees. The retreat was housed in a log-cabin-style mansion at the edge of the mountain. Behind the cabin, peak after mountain peak glistened with fresh snow, and Lara drank in the view like a starving woman. It was beautiful to behold.
She hadn’t been out of town, much less to the beach or mountains, in far too long.
As she parked her car and gathered her bags, a curvy brunette exited the rustic cabin and made her way over.
“Bonjour! I’m Katrina Lamont, the owner and manager of Maison Domine,” the woman said in a sultry French accent. “Welcome. Please, let me help you with your bags, and show you to your room. You are Lara Brunner, oui?”
Reaching out to shake the woman’s hand, Lara was immediately put at ease by the woman’s casual appearance. “Yes, I’m Lara. It’s nice to meet you.”
Lara followed the vivacious woman into the building as the two made small talk. The down-to-earth surroundings gave no hint as to what purpose Maison Domine served, and neither did its owner. Part of Lara had expected leather-clad Dominatrices and naked submissives running around the cabin, but it was all very…normal. Exactly what she would have expected for a mountainside spa. They stopped in front of room 204, and Kat handed over a plastic key card.
“Voilà. Please let me know if there is anything you need. The numbers for the kitchen, main office, and my cell phone are next to your room phone. There is a meet-and-greet on the bottom level in an hour. Just follow the noise down the stairs. Settle in, and I’ll see you shortly.” The brunette paused. “Most people only go by their first names, and others have scene names. Go with whatever makes you comfortable, but know everyone here understands the need for discretion.” She left, throwing a little wave over her shoulder.
Lara opened the door to her room. Again, no whips and chains to give away the BDSM aspect of the retreat. It was a cozy, welcoming room, and while Lara was tempted to flop down on the bed and hide from her submissive desires all weekend, as she had done for most of her life, she also realized Sam had had a good point. Lara needed perspective—and a few good orgasms. It was time for her to embrace her secret fantasies, if only for the weekend.
Chapter Three
Lara easily found her way down to the basement level. Halfway down the lower staircase, she heard the voices of the other guests, their indistinct mutterings gaining clarity as she descended.
Lara followed the noise through a well-lit hall as finely finished as the rest of the cabin. There were quite a few doors lining the hall, but it was the open one at the end of the walkway that enticed her. Laughter poured from the opening, putting Lara at ease. She didn’t hear the crack of a whip or any moans so this was indeed a casual meet-and-greet.
She stepped into a cozy, guest-filled room. Almost two-dozen people were scattered across the large space, sitting on overstuffed dark green couches against the far wall and gathering near tables laden with finger food directly ahead of her. A fireplace crackled in front of the couches, warming the room to a comfortable level. A flash of red from the corner of her eye caught her attention, and Lara turned to see Katrina, in a gorgeous red dress, coming her way.
“Oh, Lara, I’m glad you decided to join us! I know how tired you are from the drive, but I can guarantee this will be more fun than sleeping.” She gave a little wiggle of her eyebrows, making Lara chuckle.
“I must admit, Katrina, the lodge, and you, are completely putting me at ease. I think I’m actually ready to stop running from this whole submission thing.” She grinned.
Lara felt a plate being shoved into her hand, along with a glass of what looked like champagne. “Fill your plate—everything is delicious—and then I’ll take you over to the couches to meet some of the guests. I know Sam mentioned we had a Dom set up to train you this weekend, if you’re so inclined. He’ll be here later, but if you don’t click with him, or meet someone else instead, there’s no pressure to work with him.”
Kat scampered off to greet a couple who had entered the room. She reminded Lara of a butterfly, flitting here and there with boundless energy.
Realizing how hungry she was, Lara filled her plate with the delicacies overflowing the two buffet tables. The foods were so elegant, she didn’t know the proper names for most of them, but knew they would be delicious. She had just popped something light and flaky and cheese-filled into her mouth when another guest arrived to the party. His broad shoulders filled the doorway, his face still trapped in the shadows of the hallway. Tight jeans encased his muscular thighs. Her eyes were drawn to the promise of length and girth tucked to the left of his zipper. Lara immediately started to drool. Wow, she thought, there is one man who would be able to satisfy a woman over and over…and over.
He wore a tight black T-shirt stretched to its limit across his hard chest, giving a hint of the sculpted muscles lying beneath. A black leather motorcycle jacket framed his torso. Lara was such a sucker for motorcycles, and the smell of leather. But her passion had been long buried, another victim of the need to be practical and staid as one of the only women in chemistry academia. She both desired and dreaded meeting this man, hoping he would be attracted to her, and knowing men built like Greek gods did not fall for zaftig chemists.
Lara savored the taste of the cheese puff, and the sight of her new fantasy. He stepped into the light just like her fantasy man had. Part of her sunk into déjà vu, imagining the man was Jaxon Greene.
She gasped, inhaling a piece of flaky puff, and started coughing uncontrollably. It was Jaxon Greene.
Jax was glad Maison Domine had an opening for the weekend. He desperately needed to get away from life for a bit. He loved teaching, seeing his students grow to love a work of literature, or a movie, or seeing the flash of insight cross their faces. But, at the same time, he was overwhelmed by his obligations. His agent was making noises about him writing another book or working on another script. Greedy bastard.
When Kat mentioned there was a shy new submissive coming this weekend, and asked if he would show her the ropes, pun intended, Jax jumped at the chance. He loved introducing newbies to the BDSM world. It suited his purposes, as he had no interest in a full-time submissive. He still got to play, but there were no messy emotional entanglements to deal with. After the Jenny fiasco, that was the last thing he wanted.
Evidently this new woman had been referred by one of the regulars, and from what the regular had told Kat, she was total submissive material, but had trouble giving up control. Jax had been so eager to meet this new sub, he had barely thrown his weekend bag into his room before coming down to the meet and greet.
He stepped into the cozy game room, eyes searching for Kat. Finding her in a stunning red dress, as usual, he took two steps towards her before being distracted by coughing. Whoever it was sounded like she was ill or choking. Jaxon spun to see who was making the racket, and his eyes settled upon a lush figure with her back to him. She wore a bright red top, but it was the creamy expanse of skin exposed between her short black skirt and knee-high boots that tempted him most. Hoping to dash to her rescue, Jax reached the woman right after Katrina. She had stopped coughing, and he could hear a melodic voi
ce arguing with Kat.
“I think I should go to my room, Kat. I’m obviously too tired to chew, much less meet a room full of people.” Jax could tell the woman was embarrassed by the attention.
“No, no, don’t be silly. Inhaled a piece of flaky dough, did you? I do it all the time.” Katrina looked over the woman’s shoulder at him. “Jax, would you grab a glass of water from the end of the table? Bring it over for Lara, and let me properly introduce you two.”
Jax saw the woman, Lara, tense when Kat called out to him. He guessed she didn’t want another person witnessing her supposedly embarrassing moment.
“Excuse me,” he started. “Would you like a glass of…” He couldn’t remember how to finish the sentence.
The woman was Lara Brunner, the uptight chemist he had to share a classroom with. But she wasn’t in a stuffy suit, and her hair wasn’t scraped back from her face. Instead, it fell in soft waves around her face, and her clothes. Wow.
“Dr. Brunner. How nice to see you again.” Jax knew his tone was less than enthusiastic, but he couldn’t bear to reveal how torn he was upon seeing her here, not to mention how very surprised he was to find she was into the scene.
“Jaxon, I mean, Professor Greene. I didn’t expect to see you here. Not that it’s not pleasant to see you, but it is surprising. Shit. First I choke, and then I stick my foot in my mouth. I’ll shut up now.” She flushed again prettily. How he wanted to put color there, to make her breath catch like it had when she was stumbling out her greeting. Except he wanted to do it while making her submit to him, and only him. It was something Jaxon hadn’t felt in years.
“Oh, great, you two have already met! Jax, this is our new submissive, the one I was hoping you could work with this weekend.” Kat grinned, obviously pleased with herself. Jaxon groaned silently. He had planned to say a brief hello and make small talk before hiding in his room for the weekend to avoid the torture of this temptingly unbound version of Lara Brunner.
Lara shook her head. “Kat, I’m sure Prof…I mean, Jaxon…has better things to do than baby-sit me this weekend. I’ll just sit back quietly. You know, watch and learn. No tutor, or trainer, required. Or maybe I’ll relax in my room and read one of the novels I brought. I don’t want to inconvenience anyone.”
Jaxon snorted. “Watching won’t give you a near-enough idea of what it is to submit, to completely give over control to someone you trust. It’s a high, as much of one as it is for a Dominant to be trusted to that extent. Besides, most of the scenes at Maison Domine are private. And it won’t be an inconvenience.” He’d be damned if anyone else would introduce her to this world. Although sex was not a mandatory part of any scene, play was always an incredibly intimate thing. The idea of another man touching her, playing with her, clawed at his insides.
He took a step towards her, the rest of the room fading into the background. Like a dance, she followed, moving backwards a pace. Step, step, shuffle, and he had her against the wall. Jax wanted to give her a quick demonstration of watching versus doing.
“What…what are you doing?” Lara’s tongue flicked out to moisten her bottom lip. Her lips had never looked more kissable. Not to mention, her fiery personality turned him on. She certainly wasn’t a weak-willed yes woman like other submissives he’d trained. All of his good intentions fled and he gave up on the teachable moment.
He pressed her up against the wall, and tilted her face to meet his gaze head on. “This is how it starts. I can see the signs…the flutter of your pulse right here.” His finger trailed from her chin down to her neck, and Lara released a barely suppressed shiver. “Your eyes dilating in anticipation, excitement, and a slight hint of fear. You are, after all, putting your body and mind completely in my hands. Giving up your tightly-held control.” He wrapped his hand ever so gently around her neck, putting enough pressure for her to walk the edge between certain safety and the gray space of what if most submissives thrived on.
“Who…do you think…you are?” she managed to whisper in between shorts gasps for breath. Jax knew she would be beautifully submissive. She walked the edge of pain, of fear, of arousal perfectly. A flash of panic from the loss of control made her blue eyes light up until they almost glowed with intensity.
“I’m your new Trainer. And you, Lara, are mine…for the weekend.”
Chapter Four
As soon as Jaxon Greene’s hand settled around her neck, Lara was pulled under his wicked spell. It had to be magic. It was the only way she would be shamelessly flirting, and in public nonetheless. She was surrounded by people, and he wasn’t even caressing her, but she was wet. Soaking, actually. What was happening to her? She never let her dates manhandle her, never gave them such control over her body.
“You…jerk! Let me go.” Lara felt the need to put up a token resistance. Who was he to stalk in and claim her like a caveman? She was a renowned scientist, dammit! And more importantly, why the hell was he interested in her? Lara may have accepted her body, but she was a realist. Jax ran in Hollywood circles, and she would never be that type of woman.
Jaxon let his fingers slide from her neck. Callused fingertips brushed across her collarbone and down to her hand. She looked down, surprised to find their fingers intertwined. “I can’t let you go.”
Preoccupied by the delicious texture of his large, warm hand, she didn’t respond right away. And when she did, Lara could tell her voice was…distracted. “Can’t? Or won’t?”
“Can’t, Lara. I’m shocked to see you here. Although, I’m not too surprised. Had I known you were into the lifestyle, I would have asked you out much sooner.” He lifted their locked hands to his mouth. Warm, damp lips brushed over her knuckles. The caress was brief, but she felt the aftershocks zing through her body and settle in her clit. It throbbed in time to her heartbeat, which had started racing as soon as she saw Jax walk into the room.
“Why?” she squeaked, wincing at the undignified sound. Chemistry professors of her caliber were not supposed to be unnerved. She was becoming a disgrace to the profession.
He chuckled, and the vibrations tightened her nipples to the point of pain. She needed to escape, to go back to her room, and bury herself in grading and experiment research until she forgot the feel of him. Or come over and over until this desire went away. The latter was definitely more appealing.
She had visions of Jax looming over her, his hard cock filling her. Or of his mouth, his tongue, teasing her to the brink over and over, before filling her perfectly with his long fingers to send her careening into an explosive orgasm.
Lara came back from her wet daydream to see Jax smirking at her. The rat bastard. He knew she’d been thinking about them having sex. How dare he not offer to help her out of her misery, to take her over and over until she blacked out from the pleasure, instead of just offering to train her? As Sam had told her before she left, orgasms were not part of the so-called training sessions unless offered by the Dominant.
Damn, she was not the kind of woman to swoon for a man the second he looked her way!
He brought her hand to his mouth again, this time scraping his teeth lightly across the pad of her palm. Shivers zipped across every nerve ending in her body again. She let out a little whimper before she could bite off the sound.
“Because you are different from the others,” he said in between little nips and licks to her skin. “There is something seductive about seeing a woman submit for the first time. Especially one as controlling as you are. I can see it in your eyes, in the lines of your body. You don’t know how to revel in your sexuality, and you’re afraid of embracing it, for fear of losing yourself beneath the intense feelings you would be opened to.”
He, the famous Jaxon Greene, PhD, wanted her. The mousy little nerd. It was a sign of the Apocalypse, for sure. She opened her mouth to protest his assessment of her, true though it might be, but his mouth covered hers, shutting her up.
Oh, the taste of him! It was like sweet mint and sin, simultaneously cool and blistering hot. His
tongue reached out to lick across her bottom lip, silently begging entrance. Who was she to deny him, especially when he was making her knees oh-so-weak? She forgot she was not that kind of girl.
Her fingers tangled into the lapels of his jacket, bringing the intoxicating scent of leather closer to her. Lara’s head swirled and her knees buckled under her. But Jax was there with an arm around her waist, holding her up. The other twisted into her hair, pulling on her scalp with little pinpricks of pain. It only served to turn her on more.
Lara distantly heard a throat clear. The second “ahem” was a little louder, a little more forceful. With great difficulty, she pulled her lips away from Jaxon’s and looked over his shoulder. Kat stood there, hands on her slim hips, and a smug smile on her delicate face.
“I’ll take the tonsil hockey to mean you’ll work with her, Jax?” She looked like she was barely suppressing her laughter.
He groaned, rolling his forehead across Lara’s in a gesture of part frustration, part tenderness. He looked into her eyes and smiled wryly. “I lost track of where we are.”
She smiled back. “I did too.” The spell he wove around her was broken and she could feel the blush creeping up her neck. She was in a room full of strangers, and she was practically climbing all over the most gorgeous man she had ever met like she was one of his model/actress floozies—a man she had to see on a regular basis when she returned to the real world on Monday.
Awkwardness descended between them like an avalanche. The skin around his eyes tightened, letting her know he could feel it too.
