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“You have to call me Sir while people are here. It’ll add to your appeal if you remember to use some protocol.” He fussed with her hair for a minute, and she rolled her eyes impatiently.
“Well, we’re not out there yet. Even though you’re a Master, I don’t have to call you Master in public, do I?”
The word. She was hell bent on killing him with her pretty mouth.
“No.” It had come out rougher than he’d meant it to, but he couldn’t have her calling him that. Kicking all of the other Doms out of the house almost as soon as they sat down would be rude.
He uncoiled the chain on the side table and clipped the leash onto her collar. Behind her, the bed mocked him. Bringing her into the dungeon to get ready had probably been a horrible plan, but he’d thought it would get her into the right headspace. Instead, it had gotten him into the wrong one.
Showing her off. Giving her away. That was the point of the evening, not using her and reminding her who she belonged to, because that would be immoral, and he was trying to be an honorable man. Even so, once the leash was on she stayed far too close, too intimately near, for someone who supposedly had no attraction to him. If she wanted to put some space between them, there was plenty of slack in the leash.
She watched his face, her eyes attentive and soft, ready for Banner to lead her anywhere. The leash handle was wrapped around his hand, but which one of them was truly the captive?
“Everyone is here but Ambrose and Konstantin, but we knew they couldn’t make it,” he said, trying to build a wall with his words. “I wish Ambrose was here. He was my first choice for you.” If it couldn’t be me.
Kate stepped closer, the tips of her breasts brushing his ribs. “We’ll see. Maybe you could introduce me to him if none of these guys are right.” She blinked up at him, trusting.
Why couldn’t it be him instead of someone else?
She didn’t want him, that’s why. The intensity he needed in a D/s relationship didn’t appeal to her when she was calm and rational. Changing her mind in subspace didn’t count. But if she didn’t want him, why was she looking at him as though she wanted him to kiss her?
It was her instinctual reaction to him. Even if her hormones approved of him, her logic was telling her to steer clear.
With regret, he backed up a step and turned away. “We should get up there. They’re waiting for you.”
“Wait!”
He turned back, and she threw her arms around his neck, then dragged his mouth down to hers. Her kiss was long and sweet, and although he meant to be nonresponsive, he couldn’t help but kiss her back. His chest ached when he gently pushed her away.
“I–I just wanted to say good-bye, and thanks for everything.”
There was nothing left to say. He turned and walked from her, only remembering they were attached when the handle of the leash tugged his hand.
He led her down the hall into a roomful of men in suits. They’d been standing around, talking and sipping at drinks, but they fell silent when Banner and Kate entered the room. The air seemed
to buzz with their keen interest, and for a moment Banner struggled with the urge to drag her back to the dungeon.
Why do this to himself? Why not just leave her to her own devices to look for a Dom?
He cared too much who she ended up with. If the guy didn’t deserve her, it would make him crazy. He needed more control over her than that, even if it was all he was going to get.
Banner made introductions. Will, Everard, Josh, Nick, and Jakob all looked her over with interest. Matt and Oksana had bowed out at the last minute, but Kate hadn’t been sure about exploring relationships with other women anyway. Maybe that had been curiosity on his part.
He signaled for Kate to kneel on the coffee table, which was the twin to the one in his dungeon. She did, looking as though she’d rather run away again. The men all sat on the couches around her, and she stared fixedly at his pant leg.
He could have used a beer. And Ambrose around to make fun of him.
“So, gentlemen, as I said earlier, Kate here is interested in finding the right Dom for her. She had a bad experience with a friend trying to set her up last time, so I thought I should introduce her to some men that were worth her time.”
Something touched his leg. Kate had slid her hand sideways across the coffee table and her fingers had sought him out. For support? He touched the top of her head, and she leaned into him.
“I e-mailed all of you a list of what I think she needs and what she’s into.” He stroked her hair and drew a steadying breath.
“The two of you seem pretty connected,” Everard said. “Are you sure you’re ready to give her away?”
It was like a punch in the gut, but he had to do this now before he lost his nerve.
“Our relationship is just a training one. She wanted to learn more about submission, so I taught her what I could. She’s not bonded to me or anything. She’s just nervous right now.” He patted her head and deliberately moved his hand away from her.
