Savannah's Sentinel (Mountain Mastery Book 2)

by Avery Gale

  He watched her expression soften as she came to the same conclusion. She finally grinned. “I rarely check my social media accounts anyway, but I’ll cop to enjoying the videos on Tumblr.”

  Landon couldn’t hold back his chuckle at her honesty. “I assure you you’ll have no need for mini-pornos while we’re together.” What the hell? He needed to get his head back in the game.

  Chapter Six

  Savannah worked hard to ensure her expression didn’t give away her surprise at Landon’s comment. She certainly didn’t plan to read more into it than she should…she’d already made the mistake of misreading his signals once. She wouldn’t subject herself to that humiliation again. Voices sounded from the next room, breaking the uneasy silence. When she started to turn her head, strong fingers stopped her. The callouses on the tips of his fingers attested to a man who didn’t spend all his time behind a desk, and she wondered how much more there was beneath his cool exterior.

  “Eyes on me, Princess. My staff is not your concern. You have a single objective, pleasing your Master. When you are with me, it’s my job to worry about who sees you, who touches you, and who speaks to you.” Landon’s gaze never left her face, he was studying her. But rather than feeling like some sort of science experiment, it gave her an odd sense of safety that she couldn’t explain so she pushed it aside.

  “Your eyes are so expressive—every thought, every emotion plays in them for all the world to see.” His last words were spoken almost reverently, and she felt her body lean toward him. Stiffening her posture, Savannah reminded herself why she was here…and it wasn’t to open her heart to another thrashing.

  “Any other questions before we begin? If not, I’ll make the change to the contract and reprint it later.” He still held her chin firmly in his grasp, focusing her attention on him. Savannah drew in a deep breath. He smelled of soap and warm sunshine. She’d noticed the tips of his sun-bleached hair were still damp when she’d arrived, making her wonder if she’d arrived earlier than he’d expected. Since she’d slept very little last night, she hadn’t considered how early it was until after she’d already driven through the security gate just off the highway. The gates swung open as she approached, and she’d laughed because it was obvious Nate or Taz had given him a heads-up she was on her way.

  “Princess, you are going to have to learn to stay present or you’re going to earn a lot of time over my knees.”

  Blinking him back into focus, Savannah wanted to groan. “Sorry. I didn’t get much sleep, and fatigue makes it hard for me to concentrate sometimes.”

  He nodded once and then firmed his lips into a tight line. “Understood. I’ll watch for that.” She wasn’t sure exactly what he meant, but didn’t think this was the time to push the issue. “Do you have any more questions?”

  Licking her lips, she considered all the questions that had been running through her mind since the meeting yesterday. His eyes dilated as they focused on the tip of her tongue tracing the curve of her lower lip. Her breath hitched at the fire she saw in his eyes. She’d never reacted to a man the way she did with Landon. He was her kryptonite…and she needed to remember that.

  “I’ll be able to ask questions later, right?”

  He raised a brow as if he wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly. “Savannah, you are not a prisoner. The restrictions I’ve imposed are to help you focus while you’re learning. It ensures the integrity of the mission. I’ll always answer your questions, if they are asked respectfully. Keep in mind being respectful includes asking at the appropriate time, either before or after a scene. You’ll be using the stoplight safe word system most clubs use because it’s simple and I don’t want you focused on anything but learning what you’ll need to know.” He studied her for several seconds before continuing. “If you don’t have any more questions, we need to get started. You’re overthinking this, and I want to get you out of your head.”

  “I’ll get my things, and then I’ll be ready to start.” Her voice was more tentative than usual, but she hadn’t run out the front door screaming…yet, so he was counting their first encounter as a win.

  “Your bag has already been brought in, and your car is secured in the underground garage.”

  Savannah was only marginally surprised. Her brother was much the same way. Bossy. Luggage always magically appeared in her room, and her car seemed to move about the estate all on its own. His posture shifted just as she opened her mouth to speak. “Do you know my brother?” Not sure why she’d asked the question, Savannah hated the fact the words had tumbled out before she’d taken time to consider the consequences. The shift in his posture wasn’t nearly as subtle. He’d gone on point in an instant, and that made her more than a little curious about why he was so defensive.

  “I do. But that isn’t relevant to what we’re trying to accomplish, so I’m not going to discuss it now.”

  Not going to discuss it now? Well, then when? If he thinks I’ll just walk away from this without bringing it up again, he is in for a big surprise.

  “If you don’t have any other questions, we’ll get started. And this is your one and only reminder. Once we start, all the rules are mine to make. Your body and your attention are mine to command. You are mine to protect, and I’ll often do so in ways you may not agree with, but make no mistake, everything I do is with your well-being and the mission in mind. Think of me as your private sentinel.” He waited for her to respond, and when she didn’t, he frowned. “Once we are better acquainted, you’ll know when I expect a response. And the only acceptable responses are ‘yes, Sir’ and ‘yes, Master.’ Remember, the rules are different for sex slaves. They don’t have the option to deny their Master anything. It’s all or nothing.”

  On a cognitive level, Savannah knew he was telling her the truth, but the whole scenario boggled her mind. How could anyone willingly surrender all their decisions to another person? She’d fought too hard to get out from under her family’s thumb to walk into another situation where she had to ask permission before doing anything. Reminding herself that she was only training for a mission helped re-center her thoughts, and she finally nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

  Landon could almost write the script of what Savannah was thinking. The fire inside her would take a lifetime to tame. Not that he thought it should be done—it would be a travesty to contain such wild sprit. How she’d come out of her family with her zest for life unscathed was a mystery to him. He hadn’t been lying when he said he’d met her brother. But knowing and respecting were not entirely the same. Landon wondered if she’d learned the real reason her big brother Brit was no longer married to Amaryllis’s mother. He seriously doubted the twisted bastard had shared the details of his sexual perversions with his family, but only time would tell. Landon had been at the D.C. club the night Brit had burned his wife with hot wax. Personally, he’d never believed the incident had been accidental.

  Watching Savannah try to wrap her head around voluntary sexual slavery was almost funny. Her eyes narrowed as she mulled over what he’d said. She didn’t doubt what he’d said, but she didn’t understand it, either. Not a problem for him, because he’d never understood why any man would want a partner he had to lead around by the hand. He liked obedient subs, but he also liked his women smart and driven. Where would be the challenge in having a sub who never challenged him?

  Training Savannah without tarnishing her interest in the lifestyle wasn’t going to be easy. He wanted her to come out of this thing ready to pursue a D/s relationship with a Dom who could give her everything she needed. As that thought passed through his mind, Landon felt something in his gut twist, and it felt too much like jealousy for his comfort. How could he be jealous of a woman who didn’t belong to him?

  There had only been two reasons he’d agreed to this train her for the rescue rather than relegating the task to someone else. First, she needed to understand exactly what it meant to have him as a Dom. It might have been possible for her to switch from the Dom who’d trained her t
o him, but it would be difficult. Their covers stated she’d been his slave for over a year, so any hesitance on her part would be a red flag during the party. Party, my ass. Wish we could call it what it is—a fucking auction.

  The second reason was far more selfish, and he was trying to shove it to the back of his mind. He’d pushed her away before because he’d known she wasn’t ready for what he’d demand from her. But the thought of another Dom touching her, teaching her, and guiding her had set off an explosion of denial. At the end of their time together, it would be his imprint of the lifestyle she carried with her into any subsequent relationship, and he was more pleased by that than he should be.

  He knew she was curious, but the nature of this mission was far darker than what he thought she was prepared for. Landon planned to train her, but he wanted to leave as much of her free-spirit in place as he could. The silence surrounding them was broken by voices coming from the kitchen. Savannah’s muscles tensed beneath his fingers, but her gaze never left his. “Good girl. I aware that conflicts with your previous training, but the men holding your niece are expecting a well-trained slave, not an operative.”

  “May I ask a question? Well, make that two questions.”

  He grinned at her quick thinking. “Yes, though I reserve the right to not answer. I won’t ever lie to you, Princess, but I won’t always answer, either.”

  “Who else is here? Do they live here full-time? Am I allowed to speak to your staff? How many people work in the house? Do you have security staff, also?”

  When she finally took a breath, he chuckled. “That’s more than two questions, but since they all seem to center on one topic, I’ll answer. There are three people here full-time with others who come and go as needed. The three who are here twenty-four seven have been apprised about who you are here and why you’re here. They can be trusted, Princess. Anything they see or hear will never leave my home. Remember, above all, it’s the Dominant’s job to cherish and protect his submissive.

  “Your safety and well-being are my responsibility, and I take that seriously—even if we’re training professionally rather than personally.” Her eyes widened as her pupils dilated with desire, and suddenly, the moment felt much more intimate than it should. Stepping back, he noted the flush covering her chest. Do you realize how revealing that pretty, low-cut blouse is to a man trained to read every sexual signal?

  “Unless you’re told otherwise, you’ll strip as soon as you enter the house.” Her eyes went as wide as any cartoon character he’d ever seen, but he didn’t pause as he led her back to the entry. “You’ll remove your shoes first and set them on the bottom rail of this table.” He gave her a pointed look before moving his gaze to her sparkly sandals. She quickly unbuckled the dainty footwear and set them carefully on the mahogany shelf. “Then you’ll remove your clothing. Fold it neatly and place it on the top. One of the staff will return everything to your closet.”

  When she didn’t move, he waited a few seconds before arching his brow. This time her eyes darted around the room, and he saw unease bordering on fear reflected in the bright blue pools. “Eyes on me, Princess. Ninety percent of your training is going to center on trust. I know you don’t trust me yet, but you will. Until then, try to remember why you are here. We both want to get Amy back. Trust me to get you ready to go to Costa Rica and bring her home. Any hesitation to strip on command would immediately raise alarms and would require me to punish you. They’d expect a severe and public reprimand, and I’d have to comply or we’d both be exposed as frauds.”

  He tried to steel himself against the tears he saw shining in her eyes. Landon knew he should feel ashamed for emotionally blackmailing her into compliance, but it was his only leverage at this point. Eventually, she wouldn’t want to disappoint him, but there was too much tainted history between them for her to care about that, yet. It would be a few days before he’d be able to replace that memory with something more pleasant, but by the end of the week, things would be much easier for her.

  Landon studied the play of emotions in her expression and wished he could read her thoughts. He’d often wondered what it would be like to be able to hear what someone was thinking and had asked Taz Ledek more than once to explain how it worked. Both Ledek brothers were empaths, but Taz’s skill eclipsed his older brother’s. Taz swore the gift was more curse than blessing, but Landon wasn’t convinced.

  Savannah inhaled a deep breath and moved her fingers to the buttons on her blouse. Her movements were clumsy as she rushed. “I’m going to enjoy watching you unwrap what’s mine. Slow, graceful movements are the hallmark of a well-trained submissive or slave. Your yoga skills are going to serve you well during the next three weeks, Princess.” She stilled and lifted her gaze to his. He smiled. “Your silhouette show last night was something to behold. I was tempted to sit in the parking lot and watch.” Instead he’d come home and taken an ice-cold shower before calling Dean and Tally.

  Every inch of bare skin she revealed sent another surge of blood to his cock. Jesus, the woman was killing him. Once she’d focused and slowed her movements, they’d become perfectly fluid. Savannah was doing a sultry dance of seduction that made him want to push her up against the wall and fuck her senseless. The irony was that he didn’t think she was doing it intentionally. “You’re beautiful, Princess—just as I knew you would be. Ivory skin that looks as smooth as silk. I can’t wait to explore every inch.”

  She blushed, and he chuckled. “Sweetheart, if that makes you blush, you are going to be crimson for days.” She’d folded her clothing piece by piece, stacking it perfectly on the table. When she leaned down to retrieve her lacy panties from the floor, he held out his hand. “You won’t need these—or any other panties while we’re together.”

  “I can’t…” She stopped speaking when he frowned. Good girl, you’re learning. He wouldn’t allow her to wear anything at all for the first several days. It was important for her to be comfortable nude.

  “I want unfettered access to you, Princess. If I want to do this,” he reached around her and cupped her ass in his hand, “I don’t want to have anything between my hand and your ass.” She’d jerked, but he shook his head. “Remember, you are mine to play with, and I assure you any reaction other than acceptance and compliance will be noticed by the slavers.” When she bit her lip, he shook his head and used his fingers to pull it free. “We’ve only just started, Savannah. I’m not scolding you—yet. I’m simply pointing out things I want you to be cognizant of, things that will scream newbie to anyone with an experienced eye.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Good, girl.” He was pleased when she took the hand he held out. “Come. I’ll give you a tour.” He took a step, but her feet were firmly planted in place. Landon had expected this reaction when he’d outlined what he wanted to accomplish with this initial meeting. But she’d done so well it was easy to forget every step was new for her. “Is there a problem, Princess?”

  He held her hand tightly in his own when she tried to pull back. Fidgeting, she seemed to be choosing her words carefully. He gave her a moment to think before repeating the question. “Can you give me a minute to…well, work this through in my mind? It was really hard for me to take my clothes off in front of you. And now…now other people might see me. People I’ve never met will see me and that’s even more terrifying.”

  Savannah’s honesty surprised and impressed him. He hadn’t expected her to level with him, and her admission pleased him more than he could say. Landon hadn’t planned to explain until after she’d met his staff, but her willingness to be forthright deserved a reward. “Princess, I’m more pleased than you know with your candor. I aware our history isn’t the best, and I’m honored you trusted me enough to be so transparent. All three of the people you’re going to meet are Mountain Mastery members—they all gave me permission to share that information with you. They are not going to judge you, and nothing you or I do will shock them.”

  She didn’t say anything, and h
e gave her a minute to mull over his words before continuing. “I’m going to push you, Savannah. Don’t ever doubt that. We have a short time to prepare, and the timeline alone necessitates an accelerated training schedule. But even if we had an eternity to prepare, I’d still push you because that’s what Dom’s do. They find your boundaries and they challenge you to expand them.”

  He pulled her into his arms and knew instantly he’d made a mistake. She melted against him as his arms surrounded her. Damn, she felt perfect molded against him like a second skin. And when her arms wrapped around him, it took every bit of his control not to tip her lips up to meet his. Her skin was chilled beneath his fingertips, and he berated himself for not adjusting the air conditioning. Barefoot, the top of her head tucked under his chin. So petite. So fucking perfect.

  “I wish we’d been able to review a limits list together and negotiate our scenes. But this isn’t that sort of arrangement.” When she stiffened in his arms, Landon felt a pang of guilt, but what he’d said was true even if it stung her pride. He’s seen the one the club owners insisted she complete, but they all felt that had been more about finding out how much she already knew about the lifestyle. Real sex slaves surrendered their ability to say no. It was an aspect of Dominance and submission Landon didn’t expect Savannah to understand—hell, he had trouble making sense of it himself.

  “Maybe it will help if I tell you what my limits are.” Pulling back enough to retain his hold on her, while putting space between them so he could look into her eyes, he smiled. “I’m not a sadist, though there are some who might disagree with that statement. I’m not into anything that involves bodily fluids or needles. And I won’t ever intentionally humiliate you. That’s not to say I won’t embarrass you as a punishment, but even that will be rare.”