Page 24 of Master My Love

Awareness sparked between her thighs as she imagined them exploring her body. She watched him tuck a hand into his front pocket and pull out his electronic pass card. He was explaining about how and when they were issued, but she only half listened, her attention moving downward and fixating on his zippered fly. His dark jeans hugged him tightly, and she prayed there would be a reason for him to turn around. Eager for a glimpse of his ass in denim, she plotted how to make that happen. Maybe she could drop something so he would bend over to get it.

A sudden burst of laughter from the other students made her jump.

“In conclusion, a supportive community is important, whether you’re interested in weekend play or adopting it as a lifestyle. We all want you to feel welcome at Decadence LA, and should you need me, my door is always open. Now, I'll hand it over to Master Thomas. Enjoy your introduction to BDSM.”

Her classmates clapped some, thanking him, but all Val could think was, uh-oh! She hadn’t heard a word of his speech. With any luck, it wouldn’t bite her in the butt later.

As Master Thomas took over, Eric moved along the far side of the lounge toward the back. Was he leaving?

He hadn’t acknowledged her or made eye contact once. Had she gotten the wrong impression? She glanced down at her booklet, not seeing it at all. The hurt was so strong she was oblivious to whatever her teacher was saying as well as all the activity going on around her. Until a pair of large hands grasped her shoulders, she was oblivious to the presence behind her.

“I’ll join you for the interactive portion of the lessons, sweet subbie. Pay attention now. There will be a test later.”

The warmth of Eric’s murmured words brushed her ear and fluttered tendrils of her hair. Her nipples reacted immediately, becoming achy and tight. With a gentle squeeze from his fingers, he was gone, leaving her with a riot of emotions swamping her senses: anticipation, arousal, exhilaration. She lapsed easily into fantasies starring the gorgeous, confident, sexy AF master dom.

“Miss Thornton?”

The sound of her name snapped her into the here and now. The moment she lifted her gaze and saw the Mistress Tara standing in front of her, a wave of dread washed over her.

“Are we boring you?”

The question prompted a burst of giggles and whispers from her classmates.

“No, ma’am,” she immediately replied.

"Mistress Tara," the formidable domme corrected, a pointed edge to her voice.

“No, Mistress Tara,” Val echoed. “I’m anything but bored.”

“Then you must know of everything about the lifestyle to be so inattentive. Care to explain the concept of safe, sane, and consensual?”

Val squirmed in her seat, blushing furiously as all the others turned and looked her way. “Um, I have a general idea, but your instruction would be much more comprehensive, I’m sure.”

“Humor me,” the scary woman insisted, crossing her arms and waiting as the class once again tittered, thoroughly, enjoying watching Val being called out by the testy domme.

It was like seventh-grade English all over again. Mistress Tara even bore a striking resemblance to her teacher, Miss Ellerman, who paddled first and asked questions later.

“Now, Miss Thornton, or we will have to move our demonstration of disciplinary techniques forward in our agenda.”

Val swallowed hard before dutifully uttering, “Yes, ma’am. Safe, sane, and consensual is a BDSM philosophy, which includes practices like safewords, limit lists, and the use of condoms to ensure the safety and well-being of both participants. Sane includes the adherence to agreed-upon activities and the restriction of others that might cause harm, both physical and emotional, to either party.”

Pausing, Val silently thanked Eric for showing her the paperwork earlier, including the contract, or she would have been clueless and in deeper trouble.

“Go on,” Tara prompted impatiently.

“Consensual means obtaining a partner’s consent before a scene or activity starts. It can be verbal or extend to a written agreement between a dom and a sub. Either party may withdraw their consent at any time by using their safeword.”

“Excellent, Miss Thornton,” Master Thomas exclaimed. “You seem well-versed in the philosophy. Are you sure you need to be in the beginners’ class?”

“I have conceptual knowledge, sir. But no practical experience.”

Tara stepped closer. With her hands flat on the table, she leaned forward, her eyes sharp and assessing, and damn scary. Somehow, Val kept from recoiling.

“I’m watching you, newbie. Don’t think because Eric has taken an interest in you that you’re safe from my discipline. If you read your classroom agreement thoroughly, you’ll recall it includes corporal punishment at the instructor’s discretion.” She tapped her index finger on her booklet. “Memorize this cover to cover. If I ask a question, and your answer is incorrect, I’ll see that you learn it—personally.” She stroked Val’s hair, brushing it away from her face. “You are a tempting morsel. When you screw up—and you will screw up—I’ll enjoy having your delicious round ass beneath my quirt.”

“Mistress,” a soft voice interrupted. Together, they turned to find Julianna standing at the end of the table. “Master Samson asked me to remind you the newbies are off-limits.”

Tara stiffened and stood upright, irritation that didn’t bode well for her written across her face. Through narrowed eyes, with precisely winged black eyeliner, she glared at Val, silently reemphasizing her warning. Then she straightened her red leather dress and strode with a staccato click of her thigh boots to the front.

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