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Master John had stilled on top of her, his weight now oppressive, suffocating. She felt the boom of his heart against hers. She longed to wriggle from beneath him—to get away, to hide. But she didn’t dare move.
Please, please, please let him not have heard me, she silently begged the universe.
After a long, interminable moment, Master John finally rolled from her to his back. The silence crackled between them as Rowan held her breath. Master John shifted to his side and reached for her.
She flinched, expecting another slap, but he only traced the line of her jaw with his thumb. He regarded her silently, his eyes flinty and cold.
He had heard her.
Shit, shit, shit.
Somehow, she had to make it right.
“Please, Sir,” she began, shrinking beneath his hard gaze. “I don’t know what—”
He cut her off with a glare. “Silence, worthless cunt. You have lost the right to speak. You will not utter another word.”
He rolled from the bed and strode quickly around it. Bending down, he scooped her into his arms. Before she could react, he carried her to his large, walk-in closet. Without preamble, he dumped her onto the carpet and pointed to the punishment cage set up in the back beneath a row of tailored suits.
She hated that cage. She hated its tight, hard confines, and being left alone. She’d only been in it twice before, early on in their relationship, and had fervently hoped never to be forced into it again.
But she couldn’t deny or undo what she’d done—what she’d said, however unintentionally. Whatever else he was, Master John was a man, and his ego had to have suffered a blow just now, having his woman say another’s name in the throes of passion.
The stupid thing was, she hadn’t even been thinking about the damn trainer! At least not consciously. How dare he insert himself into her brain, into her mouth, without her knowledge or consent?
It was ridiculous to blame Eric, and she knew it. It was hardly the trainer’s fault that she apparently couldn’t control desires she barely recognized in the first place. No—she’d made this mess, and now she’d have to lie in it.
Hopefully, once Master John’s anger had cooled, she could make it up to him. For now, however, all she could do was accept her punishment with whatever modicum of grace she had left.
She crawled meekly toward the cage, the door of which was ajar. She glanced back at him, in case he might grant her a reprieve. But Master John stood implacably, his hands on his hips, his face dark.
Biting back a sigh, she forced herself into the small space, shuddering as her bare skin met the cold metal flooring. Master John strode forward and crouched in front of her. He slammed the cage door with a clang and clicked the combination lock on the latch closed.
“You will remain there until I decide to let you out. In the meantime, I don’t want to hear a peep out of you, you understand?”
Rowan swallowed hard, her heart racing. She could see by the glint in his eye that her best chance of getting out quickly would be to obey. And so she just nodded, despite the feeling rising inside her that this was wrong. Very wrong.
Without a backward glance, he stalked out of the closet, sliding the door shut behind him, leaving her alone in the dark.
The cage was actually a dog kennel, its dimensions four-foot long by two-and-a-half feet wide. How sexy it had seemed at the time, the two of them moving together along the aisle of the large pet store, examining the various animal crates as if they had a large dog waiting at home. The idea of the cage—of being held captive like a sexy harem slave girl—had thrilled her in the abstract.
But the reality of it was something else again. She could barely sit up in the small confines, hunched over, her head bent forward. With a sigh, she eased herself onto her side and curled into a ball. He’d be back soon to let her out. Punishment over, hopefully her slate would be wiped clean.
Again, Eric’s admonition returned to her. “If something doesn’t feel right, you need to pay attention. You need to speak up.”
I’ll talk to Master John in the morning, she promised herself.
Not tonight, not when the insult to his ego was still so fresh. Tonight, when he came to get her, she would crawl out of the cage and kiss his foot. She would apologize and promise to do better.
This is my fault as much as his. I’ve gone along with things that didn’t always sit right with me, in an effort to please him. Once he really understands that this isn’t working for me, we’ll make changes.
Heartened by this, she relaxed as best she could in the darkness, cradling her head beneath folded hands. She would accept this punishment with silent obedience.
