Page 17 of Master My Love

“Quite a spectacle we have here, Lyla. Care to give us your perspective? Was Richard ignoring your safeword?”

“Uh—well...” Her eyes flickered to the two men standing by anticipating her answer then to the surrounding crowd, silently watching and waiting to see how the scene would play out.

“Look at me, not at them. Did you use your safeword with Master Richard or not?”

“Ask what specific word she gave him,” Val cut in to suggest.

A murmur of shock rippled through the audience at her interruption. That a submissive, especially a newcomer, would intrude upon a dom’s discussion without permission was unheard of.

“Stay out of this, nosey brat,” Lyla snapped.

This time, the crowd reacted with a collective gasp, drawing a pained look from the mistress. She’d broken character and proved to him without reservation that Valerie had hit the nail on the head.

“Richard, what safeword did you negotiate with Lyla?”

“We agreed to use the stoplight, of course. I’d never begin a scene without discussing it first. This is slanderous. I have a reputation to protect,” the man exclaimed. “I demand action—serious action.”

Eric addressed the angry sub next. “Marco, what word did you hear Lyla call?”

Val’s soft voice came again from beside him. “Take care, Marco. You are innocent here. Don’t compound the crime by trying to cover for her. Think of all the witnesses.”

He pulled her in front of him, and with his hands firmly planted on her shoulders, murmured a low warning in her ear. “I’ll take it from here. You’re new and don’t know our protocols. Going forward, I expect you to remain silent.” His patience pushed to its limit, Eric challenged the young submissive. “Well, Marco?”

“Daisy, sir. It’s my mistress’s favorite flower. I heard it clearly from across the room.”

“Marco! How could you betray me?”

Eric’s tone was stern and uncompromising as he addressed the manipulative woman. “You deliberately called a safeword Richard wouldn’t recognize, expecting your sub to react as he did. What is this about, Lyla? And don’t think about lying. I’m this close to suspending your membership and tacking on a lifetime ban.”

“Permission to explain, Master Eric?” Marco’s face was beet red, his fists clenched with anger.

“One of you had better.”

“We split up recently. Lyla called and asked me to come tonight so we could talk. When I arrived, she was already in a scene with Master Richard. She arranged all of this to make me jealous.” Turning to glare at Lyla, he demanded, “Didn’t you?”

“Yes,” Lyla’s voice broke with her admission. “When you left, I was crushed. You wouldn’t answer my calls. I didn’t know what else to do.” Her eyes swept from Marco to the glowering dom behind him. “My apologies, Richard. I never expected that he would hit you.”

With the condemning eyes of the membership upon her, she pleaded with Eric.

“Please, don’t blame them for my phenomenal lapse in judgment. I am the only one at fault here. My only excuse is that I haven’t been in a good place lately, and I haven’t slept or eaten for days.”

He despised manipulation and didn’t put up with liars. In his position, he couldn’t afford to be lenient, if he was so inclined.

“As an experienced dominant, you know better than to scene when you aren’t emotionally sound. You put your partner at risk, even in this case when you took on the submissive role. Lying and setting up another member in a warped attempt to deal with your domestic dispute is inexcusable. You are suspended, Lyla, indefinitely. The board will decide your future with the club when we meet next week.” Turning to the sub whose only crime was being hotheaded, he issued a warning. “Marco, although I recognize you are blameless in Lyla’s scheme, you struck another member outside a negotiated scene. The board will also review your continued membership. In the interim, perhaps you two need to see a professional to work on whatever is going on between you.”

“Yes, Master Eric. I’m very sorry for the disturbance. I will abide by the board’s decision, whatever it may be.” Having tempered his anger, he faced the dom he’d wronged and bowed his head respectfully. “My apologies, sir. It would be within your rights to press charges.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Richard replied, appearing somewhat appeased though he still dabbed at his bleeding lip. Clearly, he recognized the real villain in this drama. “I’ll let the board decide how to proceed.”

Eric waited until the younger man escorted his tearful mistress from the room before addressing the still-bleeding dom.

“We have a first aid kit at the bar. If you haven’t already had your two-drink limit, please do so. Tell Sam I saidtop shelf, and that it’s on the house.”

Richard inclined his head, and like the conscientious member he was, started cleaning up after his scene. Eric hadn’t finished making it up to him, however.

“I noticed Judith is here tonight. She’s a nurse by day, if I’m not mistaken. Inform her of my request to look at that lip.”

As he expected, Richard visibly brightened. He’d had his eye on the pretty brunette for some time. It took only a moment for him to gather his equipment and head for the bar. With the combatants no longer fodder for gossip and gawking, the members resumed their play.

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