Chapter 9
The weight of his palm as it settled on Joanne’s
hair created a warm wave, and it worked its way down to her toes and back up
her thighs to settle low in her belly. How had she not known what a true
dominant could do to her body with such a simple touch? Certainly not something
she’d gotten from what’s-his-name all those years ago.
His fingers dug into her hair, nails
scraping against her scalp and sending tingles of pleasure along neglected
nerve endings. The pulse in her chest intensified to a tribal drum beat.
“You’ve worked hard today. I appreciate
your eagerness to take on responsibilities unfamiliar to you. Master Derek will
be proud of you.”
“Thank you, Master Mark.”
“I am proud of her progress.”
Joanne drew air in through her nose and tried
to keep her spine straight while Derek greeted Mark. His voice shouldn’t move
her, but it did and she couldn’t change her body’s response. Master Mark was
merely a warm up for Derek’s intensity.
Then he touched her, his finger trailing
across her shoulders, left to right and back again, a gentle caress meant to
sooth but instead, it caused her pulse to jump.
“Has Mark taken good care of you, Joanne?”
A simple question, but Derek’s tone made it
seem as if they’d been humping their way to nirvana. Was he jealous? Did she
want him to be? Dammit. This place, these men, were driving her crazy in ways
she’d never imagined.
What else could she say except, “Yes,
Master Derek.”
Warm breath floated across her cheek along
with the distinctive scent of Derek. “Maybe you should offer him a kiss.”
Her hands quivered where they lay across
her thighs. A kiss in this club could mean many things and she had no point of
reference for what Master Derek suggested. If anything, she’d rather kiss
Derek, but he hadn’t offered.
“Yes, Master Derek.”
A hand appeared in her sight line. Derek’s.
She placed her hand in his and let him help her to her feet while Master Mark
waited for his kiss. She’d never heard of a boss needing a kiss for giving an
employee a task to perform, but she’d never worked in a BDSM club. Who knew?
He’d lowered his backside to a sawhorse
left by the contractors, a concession to her height, and she was glad she
wouldn’t be expected to climb his body for this kiss. Eyes down, she moved into
place between his open thighs.
“Joanne. Look at me.”
Damn that masterful voice. She lifted her
chin until she could see all of him from his clavicle to his messy brown hair.
The hint of a flirty smile made her relax a bit but the slumberous Dom-at-work
eyes negated the feeling. Master Mark
was all about power and lust, and he had both assets in spades. Any woman
tangling with him would be squashed into submission in a heartbeat.
Nevertheless, she offered him her mouth.
He met her halfway, a soft brush of mouth
to mouth, the slide of his tongue across her open lower lip, and then the
pressure of his full mouth on hers, invading and investigating until he’d
finished.
“Joanne, go and wait for the next delivery
truck.”
Unsure as to who gave the order, she turned
on weak knees and left the empty restaurant, pleading with her legs to keep her
upright and moving until she was out of sight of the two men.
Derek kept his eyes on her until she’d
reached the end of the rear hall and turned toward the front entrance, sure
she’d fall before she made it. Once sure she couldn’t overhear their
conversation, he asked, “Do you really want her?”
To his credit, Mark didn’t even consider the
question. “No. You know I don’t do commitment, and Joanne is one of those women
who craves a happily ever after. I prefer the happy for the night version.”
Relief trickled and seeped under his scalp,
and irritation he didn’t need. “Then don’t mess with her.”
Fucking hell. Where did that come from?
“You want her for yourself. Fine. Take her.
I won’t interfere unless you want to share.” Mark’s easy expression gave
nothing away, making him an excellent poker player and a master manipulator
with the women. His sense of fairness was his only redeemer when it came to his
sex life. He never seduced a woman unwilling to take him on his own terms.
Even with the little he knew about Joanne,
he knew she wasn’t a play-toy for Mark. “I don’t want her. I just don’t want to
see her hurt.”
Mark made rudimentary sounds of agreement
but one dark brow rose in question. Best to ignore the issue, Derek said, “Are
we on schedule with the opening?”
Mark’s smirk made it clear he
hadn’t been fooled. “Pretty much. I have interviews set up all day today and
tomorrow. Care to split the list with me?”
"Sure. What am I looking at?” Derek asked.
“Why don’t you
take the bar staff? Since Joanne has some experience in that area, she can help
and you can continue her training.”
“Thanks, buddy. I thought she was handling
deliveries all day.”
“Nope. She’s all for you, my friend. Enjoy
the gift.”
Mark strode down the rear hall as Joanne
led the delivery men in through the front of the building. Her hesitation as
she came into the dining room made him feel like a jackass. He stepped aside
while she spoke to the crew then stepped behind her before she could leave.
“Joanne. Follow me.”
Satisfaction stirred when her chin lowered
and she fell in step without comment. Derek stayed to one side of the wide
hall. They moved against the traffic of the workmen, but he wanted to be in the
bar area before the applicants arrived for their interviews. He had a schedule
in mind for her training and he didn’t want to deviate too often.
He fact that he wanted a few minutes alone
with Joanne had nothing to do with his feelings. She needed training and he’d
agreed to school her on submission. Today they would play in the guise of
training.
Knowing she followed without question didn’t
make it any more or less a job. Just as thinking about her outside of the club
didn’t mean he had feelings for her. She was a trainee, nothing more, and he wanted
to be sure her training progressed to the point she’d be well-prepared when the
club opened.
The bar had been installed during the
reconstruction, a long, curved wooden expanse that curved from one side of the
room to the other. Half the room was designated as dance floor, the other half
providing tables and chairs for drinking and socializing. Unlike the rest of
the club, the floors in this area were hardwood, stained in a rich brown, and
sealed to keep them durable. A few tables, those sent as samples before Mark
chose the décor, peppered the floor.
Derek pulled a chair over to one of the
tables and set it to face the door. To Joanne, he said, “Arrange a few of these
chairs outside the door and return to me.”
Her easy compliance encouraged him to push
harder.
When she returned from the hall, she
carried a manila folder. “Mildred asked me to give this to you, Master Derek.”
He sat at the table and opened the folder,
glancing at the list while he made her wait. After a moment or four, he lifted
his hand palm down and extended it to his side. Joanne paused and he could feel
her anxiety in the air around them before she went to her knees on the wooden
floor.
“Good girl. Face the wall behind me, with your back to the main entrance.”
She adjusted her body and settled into the
submissive form. A check of his watch and the schedule Mildred provided gave
him ten minutes to play.
“Remove your blouse.”
Drawing a settling breath, Derek watched
from the corner of his eye as her fingers dove to the hem of her top and pulled
it over her head. Folding it neatly and placing it in front of her knees, she
reached for the clasp of her bra and added it to the shirt.
“You honor me with your compliance,
Joanne.” He pushed his chair back enough to enhance his view. “You’re a
beautiful woman.” One finger traced her collarbone from the left side of her
body to the right, then slid lower to circle her breast, beginning at the
outside swell and swirling inward until he fingered the tight bud.
Eyes properly down and breath moving a bit
faster than normal, she maintained her pose. Impressive.
He repeated the tracery with the left
breast, and when he reached the apex, he palmed both mounds, rubbing and
pinching the nipples until spikes formed.
“Beautiful, Joanne. Just beautiful.” Derek
shifted his chair back to the table and quietly told her, “The first applicant
has arrived. Stay as you are until I release you.”
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