Hang on a minute and I’ll have Erika print them out for you.” Picking up his phone, he tapped out a quick message and sent it.
“Okay then, we’ll see you back here in three days,” Fletcher stated.
Standing from his seat, he held out his hand and waited for Mallory to lay her hand on top of it. Wrapping his fingers around her hand, he helped her to her feet.
“Sounds like a plan,” Master Derek rose and followed them to the door to the lobby. “Have a good time.”
Chapter Seven
“How about a snack before we move your things from your room to mine?” Fletcher asked after stopping in Erika’s office and picking up printed copies of their interests and limits lists. “I know we just had lunch, but we skipped out before dessert and drinks. Which do you prefer? Dessert or something heavier?”
“I love dessert,” Mallory admitted softly before thinking about the boldness of her answer, “but I’m fine with whatever you prefer, Sir.”
She was surprised when Fletcher laid a hand on her shoulder to stop her before stepping in front of her and facing her.
“I know you’re new to BDSM, but your opinions count. Most Dominants don’t want a doormat, and if you ever meet one who demands you keep your thoughts and opinions to yourself when a decision is to be discussed, run fast and far because he is not a good Dom.”
Mallory looked into his fierce expression and swallowed hard before she whispered, “Yes, Sir.”
At her agreement, his expression eased and one corner of his mouth tipped up just a bit. Taking her hand in the one not carrying her shoes and the papers Erika had just handed him, he laced their fingers together and started walking again.
“Very good, pet.”
Mallory was surprised at the warm feeling that began in her chest. She’d never experienced such a fuzzy ball of heat just from receiving a man’s approval before. Not even Benjamin had given her such a feeling, and they’d been married for two decades.
When he didn’t say anything further, Mallory clenched her jaw to keep from asking the typical get-to-know-you questions first dates often required. But then, this wasn’t a typical first date. Or a date at all.
Sharing dessert would no doubt be spent awkwardly negotiating more rules and limits. She just hoped that she would get to know Fletcher, the man behind the Master title, during the next seventy-two hours or so they would be spending together.
Once they were seated in a quiet corner of the cafe with menus, Fletcher asked, “Would you like coffee and cake? Or cookies? Or something else?”
She glanced at the menu before closing it and laying it aside. “Could I have hot chocolate and maybe we could share some sugar cookies, please, Sir?”
She was surprised when he copied her motions with a nod. “That sounds good.”
Mallory remained silent when Julie appeared at their table with two glasses of water.
“Hi, what can I get you today?” she asked and when Fletcher ordered, the waitress smiled and nodded. “Excellent choices. The sugar cookies were just delivered from Angel’s Heavenly Bakery and Chocolate Shoppe and the hot chocolate is to die for. I’ll be back in a jiffy,” she assured them as she slipped away again, taking the menus with her.
She jumped when Fletcher broke the tense silence with a question. “How long have you been living at Rawhide Ranch?”
“Almost four months. I came for a two-week vacation to explore BDSM and at the end of it, I asked to stay. Master Derekkindly allowed me to become a service submissive and assigned me to work in the Dungeon. I’ve taken most of the 101 classes for submissives they offer, so I have book knowledge, but not a lot of hands-on experience.”
“You’ve been here for almost four months without Derek matching you with a Dominant? He must be falling off his game,” Fletcher muttered as their waitress returned with a plate with five cookies and two mugs of hot chocolate.
Mallory’s face began to burn with embarrassment as she defended the resort owner. “I think he was giving me a chance to heal and learn before he threw me to the wolves.”
“Wolves? Is that what you think of the Dominants who visit Rawhide?”
She picked up her hot chocolate and took a sip. As she stared at the plate in the center of the table that contained the cookies, fear welled up in Mallory’s gut. She wondered what would happen if she left and ran back to her suite and hid under her bed for the next three days.
Then she took a deep breath and stiffened her spine. Lifting her gaze to look into Fletcher’s sky-blue eyes, she said, “No, I don’t think they’re wolves, it was just an expression. But I do believe he was giving me time to heal.”
Fletcher immediately frowned at her. “Who hurt you? Tell me his name and I’ll take care of him for you.”
Mallory smiled that he’d immediately jumped into protection mode. “It’s not physical healing, it’s emotional. My mother died almost seven months ago and it hit me hard. She was my last family member. She was also the one who encouraged me to come to Rawhide Ranch and follow the passions of my heart.”
Fletcher relaxed at her explanation, but it took a moment to release the rage that built when he thought of someone hurting this woman. She was turning out to be much sweeter than he’d imagined and sitting here sharing cookies and hot chocolate while they talked had him imagining her naked, or nearly naked, and bound in the most colorful ropes he could find.
