Page 20 of Master My Love

That made him chuckle. “To prepare for your visit, I imagine.”

“Yes. It eased my anxiety a bit.”

“Tell me about yourself. You’re what, 35, 36? Obviously, you had an interest in spanking before now. Why are you only now testing the waters?”

“Thank you for the compliment, but I'm 40. I was married to my high school sweetheart and finished my degree while raising two kids and working. There has been little room in my life for anything else until recently, when my youngest went away to college.”

“You didn’t have time for sex? What a shame.”

She arched a brow. “I take it you don’t have any kids.”

“You’re correct. I don’t.”

“Take it from an expert. Toddlers and teenagers are years apart in age, but not in behavior. And I swear they have built-in radar that alarms when their parents get”—her blush returned with a vengeance—“well, amorous because that’s when they demand attention.”

“You and your husband have my sympathy. I can’t imagine. Where is he?”

“Kent died a few years ago from cancer.”

“I’m sorry, sprite,” he said, seeing a brief flicker of pain in her eyes. “That’s rough.”

She nodded, looking down at her hands.

“You weren’t practitioners?” he asked, returning to their previous, much-lighter topic.

“Kent was a good provider, but sexually, he was rather conservative. I think you’d call him ‘vanilla.’” She began fussing with her skirt hem again. He doubted she was aware she did it habitually.

“What did you hope to accomplish by coming here?”

You may not feel like hearing this, but you and Master T have a noticeable commonality. You both ask a lot of questions... sir.”

His mouth quirked. She’d barely remembered to tack “sir” on at the end, saving her from sounding quite so disrespectful.

“You’re avoiding the question, but I’m happy to give you some answers. You’re an untapped sub waiting to be freed. Your marriage didn’t fulfill you because your partner couldn’t. It wasn’t his fault. You needed a dominant to take charge, to bend you over his knee for a spanking, not only for play but for punishment. Does that sound about right?”

“Y-yes.” This time, her voice was a hesitant whisper, barely audible over the noise in the club.

“The thought of relinquishing control excites you, doesn’t it?”

She sat nervously, her head bowed, fingers twisting anxiously in her lap.

He leaned in. This close, he could see the fluttering pulse in her neck, and the rise and fall of her chest as she took shallow breaths. Poor frightened little sprite, the courage it took to come here, to go after what she wanted—no, needed—was truly awe-inspiring.

“Look at me.”

She hesitated, and he waited. When she didn’t move, he captured her busy hands in his own and stated firmly and deliberately, “Talking to the top of your head is becoming tedious, Valerie.”

When she lifted her head, her eyes were bright with tears.

“You’re not alone in your struggles. Everyone here has gone through it,” he reassured her. “They’ve questioned why exerting control or submitting to a dominant stirs a primal urge deep within them. They’ve pondered why the combination of pain and pleasure is such a powerful aphrodisiac. And they’ve wondered why the sound of the whip, a groan of erotic pain, and the smell of leather makes their heart race, their mouth parched with anticipation, and their bodies respond faster and hotter than ever before.” He lifted a hand to her cheek and gently wiped away a tear with the pad of his thumb. “Live and let live is my philosophy; we are what we are. If others find it wrong or dirty or sinful, that is their problem. As long as it’s between consenting adults and no one gets hurt—unless that’s what they want—I say screw what others think.”

Her lips twitching into the barest hint of a smile. “I like that philosophy, sir. You are a wise, and very kind man.”

Eric laughed, pulling her in for a hug. “I’ll accept the wise part, but if word gets out that I’ve turned kind, and possibly soft, all hell will break loose.”

“You have to be a bit of a hard-ass to keep the Lylas and Marcos under control, huh?”

His laughter filled the confined space, utterly charmed by her. “That’s putting it mildly. I have to rule with an iron fist. It’s a jungle out there, baby, and the natives often get restless.” He shuddered and earned a little giggle. “I’m afraid the drama has eaten into our time. It will have to be the nickel tour. We have an event planned at midnight, and I want you safely on your way home by then.”

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