Page 51 of Master Cole

“Sorry, Cole, but I’m a free woman and so is Janie. Why shouldn’t we go investigate and see things for ourselves?” Alicia delivered the words with a sweet-as-sugar tone, but Janie wasn’t fooled. She was trying to get a rise out of Cole. “We’re both of age and besides, I’m ready for some adventure.”

Before her eyes, Cole’s head came up, and there was his Dom coming out full force. His eyes grew hard, and Janie knew that look. “Umm, Alicia,” she started.

“You want to go to Whips?” he asked, staring at Alicia.

“Yes, I do.” Alicia stared right back at him, not backing down.

Oh, hell. Alicia was challenging Cole, and while Janie enjoyed her friend’s spirited conversation with Cole, this was going to take a bad turn. “Alicia,” she started.

“No, I mean it, Janie. I want to go. I want to discover what the hoopla is all about.”

Janie rolled her eyes. Alicia was like a dog with a bone when she got something into her head. She turned to look at Cole. He stood at the end of her lounger, his body stiff, but a muscle ticked in his jaw.

“Fine,” he bit out.

“What?” Did Janie hear him right?

“If Alicia is intent on going to Whips—”

“I am.”

“Then we do it tonight. I will lay out clothes for each of you to wear, and you will wear them. At the club you will follow my rules. I mean it, if you don’t, I’ll march you both out of there, and we’ll come straight home.”

“I can live with that,” Alicia said, with a big grin on her face.

“Ah, sure.” Janie shook her head. Cole was actually going to take them to Whips. Not that she expected him to let them play, but at least Janie could see how the other half lived.

“All right. I’ve got some calls to make to arrange this visit. Lunch is in the oven warming, so don’t forget to get it out in thirty minutes.” With that he turned and marched into the house.

“Holy crap,” Alicia said, collapsing back onto the lounger.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Janie asked her friend, trying to catch her breath after storm Cole.

“I wasn’t going to tippy-toe around the elephant in the room.” Alicia ran a hand over her face. “I didn’t expect that.”

“I can’t believe he agreed to take us.” His easy agreement had surprised her.

“Not that.” Alicia waved her hand. “Cole has one hell of a Dom presence, doesn’t he?”

“You don’t know the half of it. He means what he says, Alicia, one fingernail out of line and he’ll haul our asses to the car without even thinking about it.”

“I’ll behave, but now I have to cool off.” Alicia stood up and then made a perfect dive into the pool.

Janie took a drink of her tea. The pool wasn’t going to help her cool off. Only one man could do that, and right now he was off limits. But maybe tonight she could get him to loosen up.

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