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Flushing, she curled both hands into fists and shoved them under her thighs. “I know,” she muttered.
They continued the drive in silence as Beau headed up the mountain. Once through the gates, he entered the large circular driveway that fronted the mansion and put on the brakes. The sky had grown overcast while they drove up the mountain, the temperature dropping as they ascended. The thermometer on his dash claimed it was still sixty-eight degrees, but it would probably feel chillier than that for Lia as she knelt naked on the stone stoop waiting for her Master.
Not her Master, he corrected himself.Her trainer.
Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out her rope collar. “Unbuckle your seatbelt and face me.”
As he tied the collar back into place, she sighed. Was that a sigh of irritation, relief or satisfaction? He couldn’t quite tell.
When he was done, he said, “I’m going to park the car. You will wait for me at the front door, naked and on your knees, clothes folded neatly beside you.”
Lia’s eyes widened, her collar bobbing as she swallowed. “Yes, Sir,” she said in that deliciously husky voice.
He left her standing in the drive and made his way to the parking area. Grabbing Lia’s overnight duffel and his own bags, he entered The Enclave through the back door. It opened onto a mudroom that contained hung jackets and coats, boots of varying sizes and types neatly arranged below them.
As he came into the front hall, Lawrence emerged from the dungeon. Beau could hear the sound of whips cracking and breathy cries from inside. The trainee Juliette crawled on her hands and knees behind Lawrence, her short, dark hair hanging around her face like a curtain.
Lawrence held a leash that had been secured to Juliette’s collar. “Hi, there,” he said when he noticed Beau. Glancing around, he asked, “Where’s your trainee? Don’t tell me she bolted again. Not that it would surprise me.” His lip curled slightly in anticipatory disapproval.
“No, nothing like that,” Beau said, feeling protective of his trainee. “She’s waiting at the front door on her knees.”
Lawrence grunted his approval. He glanced down at the naked girl waiting beside him, eyes downcast, cheeks flushed. “This worthless slave disobeyed me,” he said, giving her leash a sharp tug. “A stint in the punishment cage will give her some time to think about her transgressions.”
As Lawrence pulled the hapless girl along behind him, Beau thoughtfully watched them go. What would it be like to work as a full-time trainer here? To put these trainees through their rigorous paces, using them in whatever way amused or titillated, graduating them after a few weeks or a month, and then sending them along to whatever adventure next awaited them?
The idea held some appeal in the abstract. All the intensity of a D/s relationship without the strings or complications. Several of the resident Doms still had careers outside the compound, and they made it work. Perhaps he could find the perfect submissive in the process as Mark had—a loving partner who embraced the lifestyle with every fiber of her being.
Even as these thoughts flitted through his brain, he dismissed them. The idea of working with an ongoing stream of temporary trainees wasn’t for him—not for the long term. He’d only agreed to train Lia because… Whyhadhe agreed? Because of their intense connection that first night? Because Anthony was too compelling to refuse? Because of the challenge that he might succeed where others had failed? Because the gig was finite by definition?
All of the above.
Enough ruminating. Beau set the bags by the stairs and strode toward the double front doors.
As he pulled one open, he was greeted with the lovely sight of Lia kneeling up, back straight, hands behind her head, her slender torso still bound in his ropes. He couldn’t help but feel a trainer’s pride at how well she seemed to be progressing after just a few days in his care. Yes, she was still irreverent at times, even downright disobedient. But she seemed to be making a genuine effort.
Had Anthony been right? Was it really as simple as changing the approach—giving her one-on-one attention versus multiple trainers in a more institutionalized setting? Or was there more at play here?
Something more…personal.
Careful, Jackson, he cautioned himself.Thisisn’tpersonal. Remember your role and stick to it.
Yes, he would remain vigilant.
He held out a hand to pull her upright. “I’m pleased with you, Lia. Come inside so I can reward you.”
Her face lit up at the praise. Or was she just excited by the prospect of a reward?
“First, let’s get this rope harness off. I want to bind you a different way, something more challenging.”
“Yum,” she said so eagerly that he had to chuckle.
The rope between her legs was damp and scented with her spicy-sweet musk. A pleasing pattern of indentations remained on her fair skin. Resisting the urge to trace the shallow grooves with his fingers, he tucked the rope into the outer pocket of his gear bag for later cleaning.
Returning to her, he saw her skin was still goose-bumped with cold from waiting outside in the autumn air. Without thinking it through, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to warm her chilled body. She leaned into him, resting her cheek against his chest. When her arms snaked around his waist, he came to his senses and pulled away.
He’d left the door ajar and noticed her clothing still in a neat pile on the stoop. Bending down, he retrieved it and stepped back inside. Lia stood with her arms wrapped around herself, as if completing the hug he’d pulled away from. He held out the pile of clothing.
“Put these in your duffel. We’ll take our stuff up later.” Hoisting his gear bag over his shoulder, he said, “Let’s go see what’s happening inside.”
