My dearest Cate,
I have enclosed an outfit, along with toys for your use. You are to wear the outfit tonight as you meet up with Michael at Wet Dreams. Your trainer is to show you off for me. Michael knows to give me a report in the morning. Tell your trainer I want plenty of pictures sent to the email at the bottom. That goes for at the club, as well as you––
She paused.
––with the toys. I expect them in my inbox by first thing in the morning.
Sir
P.S. I’ve set you up with an email account. You are to write me daily and tell me how your training is going. I’d like to know more about my submissive, so be sure to add in details about your interests, etc. I’m enjoying the pictures that Michael sent me of you at the holiday parties. Can’t wait to see how your progress is going. By my calculations you should have dropped about 7 lbs. by now. Keep up the hard work. It’ll pay off.
The fear on Cate’s face turned Torrance’s stomach. There was no way he was sending pornographic pictures to her master. And what was it with him and weight? Torrance clenched his jaw so he wouldn’t say something to make the situation worse. He was definitely talking to Michael tonight about who this guy was.
She pulled the short black dress out. “I’ll be right back.” She grabbed the box and headed for her room. Torrance set there for over an hour, waiting for her to return. The sound of the door opening made him look up. Slowly, Torrance rose from the couch. The black dress hugged her curves perfectly. She’d applied make-up and had her hair up high on her head. The stiletto heels she wore had his hand coming to his mouth.
“You look…beautiful.” And she did. Absolutely gorgeous.
“Are you sure? I didn’t think it would fit at first, but it does. I guess my master was right. My hard work is paying off.” She smiled brightly. Seeing her happy definitely made him feel better about the letter. He still didn’t like this guy, though. Not one bit.
Torrance ran his hand through his hair. “You have been working hard. I can definitely tell the difference.”
“Awesome.” She turned to leave and stopped, facing him again. “Tor?”
“Yes, doll?”
She smiled. “Never mind.” Cate walked back to the room. When she appeared again, she was wearing a new pair of workout clothes and had her laptop. “Can you help me set this up? I’d like to check my new email real quick.”
Great. Now he’d never get to spend time with her. She’d probably be on there checking the damn thing nonstop. “Cate, about the pictures.” He put in the code and handed the computer back to her.
She blushed and quickly looked away. “No worries, Torrance. I can take them on my own. You don’t have to subject yourself to that.”
The email was quickly brought up, but Torrance couldn’t stop staring at her. “You’re actually going to send him the pictures of you with toys?”
One message awaited her in the email and she clicked on it and started downloading the attachments. “That’s what my master wants. Are you saying I should deny his orders? Torrance, you know better than that.”
A picture of a man with dark hair appeared on the screen. Torrance leaned forward and his hate grew by the second. This whole time he’d been expecting some fat, middle-aged, balding guy, but Cate’s new master was far from that. He looked to be in his early to mid-thirties and very attractive, for a man. Cate was smiling as she flipped through the different pictures of his trip to Brazil. Most of them were with fighters––MMA, by his best guess.
“He’s very handsome. I guess he’s mixed in with this sport?” The last picture of him was from the waist up. The muscle on the man’s defined body had Torrance clenching his fists. She closed out the screen and started reading through the email. “Oh, he’s a strength and conditioning coach! It makes sense now. He’s coming home after the big fight.”
Torrance pushed from the couch as she re-opened the pictures. He couldn’t stand to look at the guy for one more second. The possessiveness he felt over Cate surprised even him. He’d already claimed her, dammit. She should have belonged to him. The masochist inside of him made him take one last glance at the man’s face. His appearance shouldn’t have mattered, but to Torrance, it did.
“Hey, you want go for a walk downtown? We can browse in some of the shops if you want.” He grabbed bottled water from the fridge and noticed she was still glued to the computer screen.
Cate turned after a few seconds. “I was actually going to work out a bit more. If you want we can go after I finish. Maybe we can catch lunch at the new vegan restaurant in town. I’m sure if I got to look at the menu I could find something I liked.”
A groan came from his mouth. “Don’t you just want a big, juicy steak instead? Maybe with some steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes? Or how about some ribs, or a hamburger? Come on, Cate.” He laughed as her eyes closed. “You know you want to.”
“You torture me, Tor! That’s not fair.”
He scaled the back of the couch and landed next to her. “Give in to temptation, Cate. It’s a delicious act.”
The atmosphere changed when he saw her looking at his lips. Her eyes rose and met his. “Temptation usually has consequences. It’s good while going through the act. What happens after that?”
“Only one way to find out.” Torrance gently brushed his finger over her full lips. The strength behind Cate’s hand as she grabbed his to still the motion was surprising. The silence as they stared at each other was about to take a good turn, or one hell of a bad one.
Cate stood. “Give me an hour of hard training. Vegan food, afterward.” She walked away and Torrance collapsed back to the couch. Bad turn, indeed. His sub was, for all intents and purposes, no longer his sub. For the first time he’d lost control. Lost the girl. The rejection was an eye-opener. There wasn’t anything he hadn’t been able to get if he wanted it badly enough. Yet Cate was more determined than ever to obey her real master. Where had he gone wrong? He was growing soft.
He needed to come up with a plan…something to bring Cate around to being his sub again, in all ways. The sound of his phone ringing had Torrance more agitated than ever. The number threw him off––he had no idea who was calling. Torrance hit the button. “Yeah?”
“You must be Torrance McLaren. My name is Christopher. I’m Cate’s master.” Heat poured from Tor’s skin. Why in the world was he having this reaction? The guy hadn’t necessarily done anything wrong. He continued when Torrance remained silent. “Did she get my package?”
“Sure did. Got it this morning. She just read your email, too.”
“Excellent. Can I talk to her?”
Torrance gripped the countertop. “She’s actually in the gym working out, right now.”
He made a sound. “Yeah, don’t interrupt her, then. She needs to focus and stay in the zone. Well, listen. I have some downtime today. Can you just get her to call me back later? I’d have called sooner, but the fighter I work for keeps me pretty busy. Especially so close to fight night.”
Torrance looked toward the hallway to see if Cate were nearby and then headed for the balcony. Once he got outside, he sat on the lounger. “Listen, I need to talk to you about something.”
“Sure thing. What’s up?”
The grey clouds covering the sky couldn’t have gone better with the mood he was in. “What are your intentions for Cate? Because I have to admit, she’s a hell of a sub. If this is just a new thing for you, or you’re at all iffy, I’d love to take her as my own.”
A laugh came through the phone. “This isn’t my first sub, Torrance. I’ve been living this lifestyle now for over ten years. Cate is exactly what I’ve been looking for. And I’m keeping her. Thanks for your concern, but your job is to train Cate. Nothing more.”
Fuck. Torrance felt his heart sink. Well, that hadn’t been the answer he was hoping for. “I’ll tell Cate to call you when she’s done working out.”
“Sounds good.” The line disconnected and he closed his eyes. It was time to
face reality. Cate didn’t belong to him, and the sooner he faced this fact, the easier things would become. The warmth was perfect outside and it wasn’t long before Torrance felt himself drifting off to sleep. Although his mind tried to push Cate away, his dreams were all for letting him master her.
Chapter Seven
Cate looked at herself in the mirror. Holy shit! She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Excitement rushed through her. She needed to buy a scale and really keep tabs on this weight loss thing. Her master would be so proud by the time he returned. She was going to put everything she had into getting in the best shape she could over the short period of time. Although she knew he wanted her fit, she also couldn’t deny that she was mainly doing this for herself.
The sound of the blow dryer filled the guest bathroom. She had a date with Torrance tonight and she couldn’t wait. Not for the going out part, but just because they hadn’t really connected lately. They were on day fourteen, and the last few days had been a bit rough. Supposedly, Torrance was trying to land a new client. She had no idea how his business worked, but it seemed important to him. Although she offered to help in any way she could, he didn’t seem interested.
Cate bent over and dried the back of her hair. Her cleavage was practically falling out of the new dress she’d bought to go to the club. At least when she stood, it wasn’t as bad, but she had to admit, she liked the small tease of what it did show.
The music came in clear once she turned the hair dryer off. As Cate applied her make-up, she thought about the talks she’d had with Christopher. He seemed like an okay guy. They never lacked for conversation, that much was certain. Sometimes, he never shut up. His story was truly inspirational, though. He’d been overweight his whole life, but once he took control, he never looked back. It had turned him into the successful man he was today. Now he was looking forward to molding her into the woman he wanted her to become. At least that’s how he’d said it. What he had in store, Cate had no idea.
Knocking had her shutting off her music. She opened the door and smiled at Torrance. He was dressed in a button-down white shirt and a pair of dark jeans. His hair was gelled in a messy style. Butterflies immediately took over Cate’s stomach.
“Look at you.” He smiled and held his hand out, spinning her around. “Wow. I’m going to have to beat the men off with a stick.”
Cate rolled her eyes and laughed. “Yeah, right. You’re the one who’s going to attract all the attention. Maybe we should walk in separately, that way I don’t scare them away. We wouldn’t want them thinking we were together or anything.”
His brow creased. “But we are.”
“Yeah, but not like that,” she said, shaking her head. “Don’t let your training me get in the way of, you know…” Cate didn’t want to say it. Just the thought of him being with someone else made her nauseated. It was stupid, but she couldn’t help it. She missed the way they’d been at the beginning. Couldn’t they try again? No. She had a master, and although sex was perfectly okay for training, she knew she and Torrance were already past that part. There was no going back.
“No? What happened to you not wanting to get mixed up with my ‘drama’, as you put it?” Torrance leaned against the doorframe, and Cate focused on fixing her hair.
His steady gaze felt like it was actually caressing her skin. “Things change, I guess. As long as I’m not brought into it, I don’t care. You’re free to bring home whomever you want. Just pretend I’m not even here.”
A sound came from his mouth. “Did you send your pictures to Christopher?”
Cate cut her glance over to him. A mix of emotion pushed through her. “I couldn’t do it.” She turned to face him and noticed he’d stood up straighter. “I told him my camera was broken. And that you didn’t have a camera, and my computer didn’t have a webcam. Let’s just say that he wasn’t very happy at all. He’s sending me one in the mail, or something.”
Torrance laughed. “You lied to your master. I can’t believe it. You, the perfect sub? No way.”
“Perfect sub?” Cate gave him a look. “Yeah, right. I’m like the worst sub ever. I can’t even send a few pictures. Wait until I tell him no on the videos he wants to do. I’m never going to please a master.”
“Hey.” Torrance stepped forward and she lowered her head. The softness of his fingers made her look at him. “You make me happy. Everything you do in training is spot on. You’re a natural. If he doesn’t appreciate you, he’s a fool. And video-tapes and dirty pictures are not required. He can’t force you to do those things. If you agree, you’d be giving him a gift. But that’s it. Don’t resort to doing anything you’re not comfortable with. Say you did send him those photos. What if it didn’t work out between the two of you? Do you really want to have those floating around?”
Cate shook her head. “No.”
“That’s right.” Torrance pulled her into his body and hugged her. “Never let a master make you feel bad for not going beyond your comfort zone, doll. If he does, he’s not a very good master.”
Maybe Torrance was right. She hadn’t admitted to him how much Christopher was pushing the issue. It was the only thing really turning her off to the guy. “How angry would Dr. Henry be if I told him I didn’t think things were working out between his friend and me? I’d hate to get anyone upset.”
Torrance hugged her tighter. “The last thing you need to worry about is how upset anyone would be. You are in control of your life. They’re not the ones having to live it. Don’t worry about them. I can take care of it, if you want out.”
“I’m not saying I do, yet, I’m just wondering in case the time comes.”
“Let’s go sit down.” Torrance led her into the living room. They sat on the sofa and he grabbed her hands. “The moment you decide, come to me. You can say the words and never look back.”
Cate nodded. Now that she knew there was a way out, she didn’t feel as trapped. She’d see where this thing with her master played out and if it was good, then great. If not, at least Torrance was here to help her through it. “Thanks, Tor.” She picked up his hand and kissed his knuckle. “I’d be lost without you.”
The grin that came to his face was so different than the one she’d seen weeks ago. At the beginning, he was so happy. Now, she wasn’t sure what was bothering him.
“You ready to head out? If not, we could always stay here and, I don’t know, get drunk and watch a movie or something.” He shrugged.
Cate kicked off her shoes. “Thank god! I was dreading wearing these heels out, again.” She plopped down on the couch and noticed he was smiling.
“I’ll get us some wine.”
Her mouth twisted. She really wasn’t in a wine kind of mood. “Do you have anything different?”
Torrance paused. “You want liquor? I have a bar full. Just go through and take your pick.” He put up his hand. “You sure you want to do that, though? If you get drunk and start coming on to me, I’m warning you now you’ll be bent over that couch faster than you can blink. Choose wisely, because I’m not apologizing tomorrow.”
Shivers raced down her body. His words, alone, made her wet. “I’m a big girl, drunk or not. If I come on to you, then I’m doing it because I want to. Not because the alcohol is making me.”
“Okay, I’m just warning you.” He walked over to the bar and she joined him. The multiple bottles were things as simple as cheap vodka to expensive bottles of Scotch. He grabbed one and poured the dark liquid in a small glass. “Try this. See what you think.”
Tears came to her eyes. Although it was smooth, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had liquor. “It’s strong.”
“That means it’s good. You want this or something else?”
“This.” Torrance poured more in her glass and carried the scotch back to the couch. Cate picked up the remote and turned on the TV. “So what kind of movie do you want to watch?”
He took a drink and placed the bottle on the coffee table. “We can order something.”
Torrance took the remote and clicked through the preview channels. “Hmmm. Love story. Drama. Thriller. What sounds good to you?” He paused. “Wait, you’re a love story kind of girl. How could I forget? You know, we could turn the TV off and you could read more of our book. It was getting pretty good.”
“It was,” Cate smiled. “Let’s do that. I’m curious to see what’s going to happen.”
Torrance stood up and jogged into the room. When he came out, he was wearing nothing but a pair of black pajama pants. Cate couldn’t take her eyes off the muscles flexing in his stomach. She cleared her throat and stood. “I’ll just grab my glasses.”
The moment she walked in her door, she came face to face with all Tor’s toys. She moaned. How many times had she used the vibrator Christopher had given her to get herself off as she fantasized about him strapping her into the stalks, or the cross? Almost every damn night.
Cate grabbed the glasses and rushed from the room before she got any hotter than she already was. The moment she sat down, she downed the rest of her drink. Torrance’s eyes got big. “Slow down or else I’ll have to read to you. I won’t be able to understand you if you’re slurring.”
“I’m good.” She poured her more and put on her glasses. Torrance handed over the book and she opened it to the section where they’d left off. As she began to read, Cate knew this was going to get very steamy, and fast. She drank heavily and pushed herself through the next chapter. As she started reading into the sex scene, she paused and looked at Torrance. He was slightly leaning forward, completely enamored as she spoke. The word cunt flowed from her mouth and he closed his eyes. The more she read, the more wet she got.
Torrance’s hard cock was evident through his pajamas. Just before the climax, Cate placed the book on the coffee table and finished off her glass.
“Hey. Why’d you stop?” Torrance sat up and she shrugged. “Cate, come on, don’t leave me hanging,” he laughed.
The 30 Day Sub Page 5
