Page 26 of Master My Love

“Before we go further, let’s correct something. The last time you were here, I told you how to address me while in my dungeon. Do you remember?”

She did, but using the title felt awkward, silly even. It seemed important to him, and to the others she’d met so far, however. Figuring, while in Rome it was better to follow the rules than tick off the Romans, especially Eric, who in this world, was as good as the emperor, she nodded. “Yes, master. I’ll try to do better.”

He ran the tip of his index finger lightly along her jaw and his lips were very near her own when he replied, “Trying is imperative for a newbie. Succeeding, not so much. And for me, it’s not nearly as much fun.”

His blue eyes twinkled, and his grin flashed. She hoped he might kiss her again, but he took her by the hand and they joined the group at the center of the four rings. Julianna was walking amongst the students, passing out cuffs and collars. When she approached Eric, he shook his head and reached behind him, unhooking a pair of white leather cuffs from his belt, which Val hadn’t noticed before now. Lined with soft fur, they fit snugly around her wrists when he secured them. After that, he withdrew a matching collar from his shirt pocket.

“Lift your hair for me.”

Obeying without question, she froze the nextsecond;the air getting trapped in her lungs when he dipped his head, leaned in close, and buckled the thin strip of leather around her throat. He smelled as fantastic today as he did before, but different. Rather than a fragrance, he smelled of soap and leather, though the latter was probably the collar and cuffs, not to mention the leather-covered furniture and yards upon yards of straps filling the place. The underlying scent she hadn’t been able to place remained. It belonged only to Eric, she realized, and simply put was mouthwatering.

The brush of his fingers against her neck and the sensitive underside of her chin rekindled the desire that had been simmering since seeing him earlier. Her nipples contracted tightly and the already damp space between her thighs became drenched.

Val rolled her lips inward and bit down, trying to keep the moan building within her from slipping out.

“Breathing helps, little one.” His whisper sent a delicious shiver down her spine. Following his advice after that was impossible.

With him this close, she couldn’t breathe, think, or otherwise function, and expected any moment to melt into a big, gooey puddle at his feet.

Master Thomas directed the students to select a station and wait for further instructions. Eric moved her quickly to the far side of the room. As though he had it all planned out, he led her behind the ropes of a station with a spanking bench.

“Mount up,” he ordered, patting the top.

She eyed the A-frame bench skeptically. The kneelers on either side would leave her thighs spread, and all parts in between exposed and once restrained, vulnerable. That wasn’t a horrible idea with Master Eric as her top, but the metal eyebolts embedded in the bench freaked her out, and her anxiety soared.

She swallowed hard, her dry throat feeling like sandpaper. “Aren’t we supposed to wait for instructions?”

As soon as she spoke the words,she recognizedthe foolishness of her question. He was in charge for cripe’s sake and didn’t need permission from another dom for anything. But she was nervous and delaying the inevitable seemed entirely rational.

His fingers wrapped around the nape of her neck, firm, warm, and reassuring. “Take a few breaths and relax, Valerie. Nothing will happen here that you don’t want.”

She inhaled, deliberately blowing out through pursed lips then nodded, to convince herself as much as Eric, she wasn’t on the verge of a full-scale freak-out.

His hand on the small of her back guided herforward. “Up you go, now.”

Lying facedown on the thickly padded bench, her stomach quivering with equal parts anxiety and excitement, she was trying to remain patient and quiet. Behind her, Eric used foot pedals to adjust both her and the device to his height. Focused on calming the pounding of her heart, Val didn't hear someone approach and jumped when they spoke.

“You have a naughty newbie there, boss.”

It was Mistress Tara; her words dripping with unmistakable smugness. Uncomfortable with the too-eager-to-punish domme behind her, where she couldn’t guard against her claws, Valpushed up on the top rail, intending to getup.

“Lie still,” Eric ordered firmly.

Her tension didn’t lessen when his heavy handon her shoulder eased her down. It grew exponentially worse when he moved to the front of the bench, dropped into a crouch, and linked one of her wrist cuffs to a bolt on the bench. He didn’t acknowledge Tara that Val could tell, notuntil he had her other wrist secured. Only then did he look up, first at her, a brow arched in silent inquiry,thenover her head at her accuser.

“What did she do?”

“She zoned out in class. I caught her daydreaming rather than listening to the safety presentation.I think she should return in a few weeks and repeat the entire first session. We can’t have a submissive running around who doesn’t know the basics. I discussed it with Thomas, but he wanted to run it past you first.”

“How disappointing,” he murmured as he rose, his face impassive. But as he made his way to the foot of the bench, his knuckles grazing her cheek then his fingers trailing down her spine left a comforting warmth.His hand came to a stopon the full curve of her bottom, his fingers splayed wide while addressing the domme’s concerns. “I’ll handle this.Rest assured,she will be well-versed in all our safety rules by the end of today’s session.”

“But—” the mistress began then halted abruptly. Val wondered at the silent interaction going on behind her because the woman eventually muttered, “Yes, boss.”

The creak of her leather get-up tapering to silence was the only sign Val had that she’d walked away.

Tara had taken an instant dislike to her. Was it as simple as her inattention in class or something else? Jealousy, maybe? But of what? Or who?

She’d have to figure it out later becauseright now,Eric was sorting through a long black bag on the floor near the bench. When he rose, he held a round leather paddle bigger than his hand, a scary-looking leather flogger, and a riding crop which she’d read and fantasized about but had never seen in person.

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