“I was filling in for Caren while she took a final. She told me there’s a stomach bug running through the service submissives and everyone else was sick and she couldn’t find anyone else to cover for her.”
“Why didn’t she come to me about this?”
“I don’t know, Sir,” Mallory answered honestly. “She stopped me in the lobby this morning and asked if I could cover for her while she took her final exam, and since my time with Master Fletcher was up, I didn’t think it would be a problem.”
“Why did you think our time was up, bunny?” Fletcher asked, keeping his tone gentle.
Until Derek said otherwise, he still considered her to be under his command, which meant this was his screwup as much as hers.
Mallory twisted her fingers together in front of her middle, a sure sign she was nervous. She tried to look into his eyes but dropped her gaze to his chest after a few seconds.
She cleared her throat and swallowed hard before she finally whispered, “Master Derek said three days, and I figured our time together was up at noon since you didn’t say anything about continuing longer.”
Understanding the mistake, Fletcher looked at Derek. “Can I take it from here?”
Master Derek nodded. “We’ll have drinks at five-thirty and dinner at six at the Big House.”
With that, the resort owner left them and walked over to where Master Randell was dressing his woman. Jaben had already slipped away, returning to his station just outside the Dungeon’s doors.
Pulling in a deep breath to calm himself, Fletcher turned his attention back to Mallory, who was now staring at his shoes. “Look at me, bunny.”
Her gaze slid up his body in an instant, and he was surprised to see tears rolling down her cheeks in a steady stream.
“I’m sorry, Master Fletcher,” she whispered, sounding heartbroken. “I thought I was right in stopping Master Randell’sscene. He didn’t seem to be paying attention to her, and it sounded like she was calling red.”
“I know, bunny. But you interfered with another Dominant’s scene. I’m sure that will require punishment. On top of that, you broke your rules and didn’t ask me whether you could even work here today, isn’t that right?”
“Yes, Sir, but …”
“No trying to explain your way out of it. Let’s go.”
Fletcher held out his hand and waited until Mallory laid hers on top of it. It didn’t take nearly as long as he’d thought it would. Closing his fingers around her hand, he led her over to where the offended Master and his submissive were still talking with Master Derek.
“I understand why she did it,” the other master was saying. “She didn’t know that we didn’t use red as our safe word, but she does need to be punished for interfering with our scene.”
“And she will be punished. Master Fletcher will see to it,” Derek assured the Dominant. You can stay and watch or trust him to take care of it.”
Master Randell looked at his submissive who, even though she was dressed, was visibly trembling in his arms, though Fletcher couldn’t tell if it was from sub drop or horny need. “We’ll stay and watch.”
His submissive whined in need but quieted as soon as he smacked her ass through the blanket.
With that, Master Derek turned to him. “I’ll trust you two to work it out. If you need me, I’ll be in my office.”
Fletcher nodded. “I’ve got this.”
Leading Mallory to a station where a padded sawhorse stood all alone, he released her hand and pointed to the floor. “Kneel while I get everything ready.”
Chapter Thirteen
Though she was more scared than she’d ever been in her life, Mallory knelt and assumed the slave position she’d been taught in one of her classes since she and Fletcher had never discussed how he preferred she display. Back straight, knees spread apart, hands resting on her thighs, and her head bent so she stared at the floor just in front of her. It wasn’t the most comfortable of positions, but she held it, not wanting to call any more negative attention to herself.
She listened as Fletcher opened the armoire. She tilted her head slightly so she could watch out of the corner of her eye as he picked through the contents. He finally pulled out a coil of rope and several other things that he kept hidden before laying them out on the station’s rolling table. When he walked out of her sight, Mallory had to fight the urge to watch him.
Instead she kept her face down and returned her gaze to the floor in front of her. She peeked when he returned a few seconds later, carrying a cane she was pretty sure was the same one she’d taken from Master Randell. It went on the rolling table with everything else.
She watched as he shook out the rope. Once he found the middle, he laid the rope around one end of the sawhorse before turning his attention to her.
“Stand up, Mallory,” he ordered, his voice low and filled with Dom power.
