Master (6 page)

"For fuck’s sake,
why?
Seriously, you knew why I was shit
scared, and you still went ahead and threw me to the lions … okay maybe not
lions, but king rat at least."

 
To her credit
Linsey
didn't even try to look contrite.

"You needed it. Whatever you think, you need to
confront him. Sort your mind out. Let's face it, Anna; your past is so shaping
your now. Don't let it mess up your future too. Even if you decide that it's
all over for good and you don't want one of the best Master's around—which I
may add would be a crying shame—you need to move on. Master
Caden
is just that.
A master.
Be sure if you don't want him,
hundreds of others are queuing up for him."

Never, he's mine.
Lord, did she say that aloud?
Luckily, it seemed not.

All of that, Anna accepted, was one of the reasons she
dithered. Not only was
Caden
a Master, he was also a
hot-
bod
man. She'd never felt she measured up to what
he needed in a partner. Okay, she accepted an inferiority complex wasn't a
reason for bailing out, but it added to it.

"I know," she said quietly.
"Oh
god how I know.
Although seriously, how can I measure up?" There
was silence, and Anna squirmed. Judging by
Linsey's
face,
seemed she couldn't. Oh how wrong could someone be?

"You silly cow!"
Linsey
exploded. Her voice was harsh, and her face red. "
Shibari
-above
Anna, he wants
you
.
No one else, just you.
Can't you get that into your thick
head?
Caden
McCourt,
Shibari
master and Dominant extraordinaire, doesn't measure you against other people,
you're who he wants. Why the hell do you think he offered to come here if not
for you … oh
hell."
Her voice
trailed off, and she ran her hands through her once perfectly styled hair. Now
it looked like a herd of Wildebeest had trampled through it.

Anna stood up and walked around her desk to stand in front
of her boss.
Linsey
was a good six inches taller,
even though Anna still had her heels on.

"Say that again," she said ominously.
"In words of one syllable.
You had him here even though
I told you what'd happened. I thought, yes, that’s okay because it was all
sorted before I told you who he was. I spewed my guts out to you. Let you know
all my murky secrets, and still didn't say don't bring him." Her voice
rose. "I even spoke to him. And now you're telling me I was why he came
here? How many more lies? Oh see, I think it's time I said goodbye, and not add
thanks for employing me." With as much dignity as she could muster, Anna
reached into the drawer of her desk and grabbed her bag.

Linsey
stood motionless. Anna
couldn't bring herself to feel any sympathy for the stricken look on
Linsey's
face.

"I do expect a good reference though. And that you
won't pass my hereabouts on to
Master,"
she gave the title as much scorn as she could,
"
McCourt. You owe me that." Without waiting for an
answer, Anna walked past
Linsey
and out of the
office.

By the time she reached her car she was shaking. As she sat
in the driver's seat, Anna realized she was in no fit state to drive, but she
knew she had to get away from the building. Out of the corner of her eye she
noticed
Linsey
appear and begin to run toward her.
Anna started the engine and drove away.
Around the corner and
into the nearest car park, where she parked and sat shaking.
It was
stupid, she acknowledged. She couldn't spend the rest of her life like a
gibbering idiot, scared of what might happen. She began to plot.

PART THREE

Resume

Chapter Five

She
planned everything carefully. A new
netbook
and even
a new email account in a different name and then she
googled
Master
Caden
McCourt. She wasn't taking any chances
that her searching would get back to him.

His
professional qualifications were impressive. The link to his club dared her to
open it. Anna hovered between nosiness and fear. In the end, nosiness won out.
She said she was moving on, didn't she? Therefore, checking out just what he
was up to was the first thing she needed to do. The second was to get Athol on
her side.

To say Athol was surprised to see her was an understatement.
After a couple of weeks of self-pity, Anna had taken herself in check. It was
time to slay the dragons and move on.

Anna timed her appearance to coincide with the end of
Athol's shift. Her dress was understated and showed she had no intention to
play. As she stood behind a girl in an almost there skirt and peek-a-boo
blouse, Anna began to wonder if she was ready for the funny farm. What the hell
was she doing, queuing to go into a BDSM club, on 'Meet the Sub' and Demo
night? When the girl in front moved away with a "cheers pal," to
Athol, Anna moved forward and glared at him.

"If you say one negative word, comment on my clothes,
or ask if I'm a member, not only will I deck you with my handbag, I'll make you
sing soprano for weeks. And we both know that even if you look a pretty boy,
you aren't," she threatened.

Athol blinked, winked, and smiled.

"Well, good evening, and aren't you a sight for sore
eyes? Am I allowed to say our esteemed boss is shit scared, and the phone lines
between here and somewhere have been red hot?"

Anna scowled, and then grinned.

"Yeah, you can say that." She paused. "Look,
Athol, I need a
favour
, a big one, and you can say no
if you want."

"Try me." Athol encouraged her.

She took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"Will you
chum
me in? Hold my
hand, and make me keep my eyes open? Tell me I can do it, and not let me run
away? Please?" She waited anxiously.

Her reply was a big hug.

"Aw, doll, you know I will. But don't you want
Linsey
?"

Anna shook her head.
"Oh no.
She's
gonna
squirm for a bit. And if I do wimp out,
faint, or scream in a bad way, I want you to be there. I'm scared, Athol. Shit
fucking shaking scared." She sighed. "But if I don't slay my demons
now, I'm never going to get my life back. The bugger was right. I'm letting my
past shape my future in the wrong way," she added in a gloomy voice.

"He said that?" Athol didn't pretend not to know
whom Anna was talking about. He pushed the register at her. "Sign in
then."

Anna scribbled her name, amused to see she'd written
McCourt, not Jason.
A Freudian slip?
Who knew, but it
seemed it hadn't taken long to revert in that case. How the hell would she cope
in others?

"Not in so many words, but he meant it. And I need to
get over the wall. So, be gentle with me.
And Athol?"

He looked at her, one eyebrow raised.

"I'm not playing. Not at anything. This is simply to
see if I can walk through those doors and stay sane. If I start screaming or
salivating, you have my permission to shake me."

Athol pulled her into a hug. He was all earthy male, with a
clean citrus scent that teased her nostrils.
The same as
Cade
.
But on Athol it didn't make her clit throb or her body tremble with the urge to
kneel.

"Five minutes." He promised, and rubbed her arms.
It might have warmed her up … body wise, but not in a sexual manner. Anna noted
the difference. Athol grinned.

"You'll be fine. Uncle Athol will look after you. Fiona
is just getting changed, and then we can go."

"Fiona is changed." A tall, athletic-looking
blonde appeared from the employees lounge dressed in a long vivid red evening
dress that clung so tightly Anna wondered how she wriggled in—or out—of it.
"What are you two plotting?"

"To run away," Athol said smoothly, as he spun
Anna round and pointed her in the direction of the employees lounge.
"Shove your stuff in your locker,
hon
, and let's
pop your cherry, eh?"

Fiona's eyes widened. "
Er
,
Athol?" she spluttered. "I hope that doesn't mean what it sounded
like."

Athol winked at Anna, who in spite of the
1812 Overture
being played in her tummy
grinned at him.

"That depends," he said in a voice that could melt
ice. "What
did
it sound
like?"

Fiona chuckled. "Oh no, you're not putting me on the
spot like that. Go away and play."

"She'll think you've converted me," Athol
whispered as they left the vestibule and went into the comfortable rest area.
"Either that or you're a doppelganger. You okay now?"

Anna dug her nails into her palms. "Honestly? I'm not
sure. I feel sick, my tummy is cramping, and my mouth is dry. But I'm going to
try."

Athol stroked her cheek. The caring gesture helped Anna to
regulate her breath and slow her heartbeat.

"That's my brave girl. Let's do it." He took her
hand. "Hey, have you forgotten everything you ever knew? No shoes."

She blushed. How could she forget that when she said it so
often to members as they signed in? Anna slipped her feet out of her shoes and
wriggled her toes in relief. Truth to tell, subbing or not, she hated shoes and
wore them as little as possible. She put the shoes into her locker and
scrambled the combination on the lock. At least it was still her locker. It
seemed
Linsey
hadn't given up on her then.

"Right, I'm ready."

"Can you at least undo the top button of that
blouse?" Athol flicked her silk blouse as if it were a piece of dirty rag.
"Or you'll be taken for a
Domme
and my street
cred
will go down the toilet big time."

 
Anna was remorseful.
She hadn't considered what this would mean to Athol. "Athol, do you mind?
Really?
Because if you do we'll forget
about it."

"For fuck's sake, Anna.
Watch my lips. I. Do. Not.
Mind.
Okay? Even if a certain Dom tries to have my hide, I'm
solid with it. We're friends, good friends, and this is what said friends do
for each other. Help. And before you ask, I know no more than you told me in
our confess-fest, except I reckon he's not going to let you go again if he has
any say in the matter. Now move that luscious ass and let's get the first stage
over."

"First stage?"
Anna queried as she followed
him out of the lounge and back into the foyer. She was certain Athol had read
Cade
correctly, and had wondered at his silence before she
realized he was giving her space before he moved in for … whatever. "And
couldn't we go through the employee's door?"

"First stage is through those doors. So, no, you're not
sneaking in. We're doing this all the way properly. Come on, love, pull up your
big girl panties. And open that top
button,
or I
will." The last words were spoken in such a way, Anna stiffened.

"What the?"
The words were hardly out of
her mouth before he took hold of her blouse and undid three buttons.

"Anna, I may be nice to you, but we do this my way. No
need to Sir me, but you will do as I say."

His tone and the look on his face made her skin tingle. Yes,
he was her friend. Yes, he was gay. And oh yes, he was dominant.

"Sorry." She bit her tongue to stop the title he
commanded slipping out. There was no way she was going to add Sir on to her
apology. Athol rolled his eyes.

"Oh, Anna, you are so receptive, you know. Why are you
denying your true self?" He didn't wait for an answer, but opened the
large doors that led into the main room of the club. "Right, stay close,
and okay, don't be my sub, but for fuck's sake
respect
those who're here."

That stung. "Of course I will."

"Yeah, I know." Athol hugged her and put his hand
to the small of her back. "But I've got to get a reaction from you
somehow. Just to pander to my ego, you know. Ready?"

Spots danced in front of her eyes. Her skin crawled as if
hundreds of insects made their way over it, and her heart pounded. She was
amazed her companion didn't comment on it. Anna took a deep breath and squeezed
her eyes closed.

"Yeah.
Let's do it."

The tap to her ass made her jump. Not because it hurt—it
didn't—but it was unexpected.

"Open your eyes, or there's no point. And you'll lose
me all my Dom
cred
."