Protege (7 page)

Appreciating his attempt to ease her reservations, she smiled. “Thank you.” She scanned the long list of his expectations. It was quite a list. “Why do I have to exercise for an hour a day?”

“Because your health will be important to any good Dom, which Jude is.”

“What kind of exercise?” They were already going to be having sex frequently. She was going to exhaust herself with this agreement.

“That's for him to decide. Your application said you had no physical health limits. Is that incorrect?”

“No, but once I hired a trainer and I didn't like him very much. I don't much care for people bossing me around.”

He stilled, the incredulous look on his face giving her pause. “Right. Are you sure this is the sort of relationship you're interested in?”

She scanned over the ongoing list provided by Mr. Duval, turning the page under the detailed explanation of how she was expected to always be prepared for his attention and what she was and wasn't permitted to wear to bed. On the next page she found
her
list and a warm sense of longing stole through her.

Her Dom would listen and talk to her. He would take a genuine interest in the moments of her day with a common goal to find vicarious pleasure in each other's experiences. He would be mannerly and patient, never violent and always tolerant of her inexperience, assisting her to better understand her personal sexuality without judgment. He would put her safety first in all things and protect her from harm.

After reading such a list and imagining those requests being met, the rest seemed inconsequential. “Yes. This is what I want.” It was thirty days. She could do anything for thirty days when it encompassed such care and attention.

“Okay.” He turned another page. “Section four is what we refer to as the submissive's creed. It states that you will communicate honestly at all times regarding your limits, desires, and concerns. You will not attempt to top from the bottom, meaning you will not use tactics of manipulation. You will do your best to fulfill his wishes, and in the chance that your relationship sours or a scene fails, you will not place total blame on your Dom. You understand that he is human and also doing his best to fulfill your desires and needs. You will do your Dom honor by behaving as his sub proudly. And finally, you will be obedient, knowing he has a purpose behind every order and your obedience will lead to a deeper shared bond.”

Her nose scrunched at the term
obedient
. “Can we remove the word
obedient
?”

He laughed. “And what would we replace it with?”

She shrugged. “
Respectful
should suffice.”

He tapped the top of the page with his pen. “Respect is already required. Obedience is a cornerstone of a Dominant/submissive relationship, Ms. Banks. I'm afraid if you can't obey your Dom, this entire contract is a waste of time.”

“But what if he asks me to do something I don't want to do?”

“That's why we have a contract. You've listed your hard limits and selected a safe word. Is there more you'd like to add? You're allowed to write as many limits as you want.”

How was she supposed to know what she should exclude without knowing what he might ask? “What if he thinks of something I haven't?”

“You'll recall the section about not putting you in harm's way. I assure you, while Jude might push you emotionally, he'd only do so with a healthy goal in mind. He'd never physically harm or abuse you, Collette. You have my word on it.”

But she didn't know him any better than she knew Jude Duval.

He folded his hands. “You have the right to stop at any time. Did you select a safe word?”

“Yes.”

He turned the page and smirked. “Good one. My wife's is
spider monkey
.”

She drew back. Why had it not occurred to her that he lived in a similar fashion to the life on which she was embarking? “Oh.”

“You'll meet her eventually. She's readying the château for you and Jude.”

She frowned. What did that mean, readying it? “Is your wife . . . obedient?”

He chuckled. “Usually. Though she can be a brat when she's looking for attention.”

Her brow tightened, recalling when Jude called her such a thing. Shaking off the distraction, she asked, “What if I forget something?”

“You will, but that's when the fun part starts and you get to experience all the wonderful tricks your Dom has to help you remember.”

“Such as?”

“Not my place to tell you. I'm sure you'll find out.”

“If he hits me, I'll hit him back.”

He laughed. “I'm sure he'll love that. You have a note here about the overnight bag. Could you explain that?”

“Oh. I'm renting a room right now. I don't have a lot of things with me, but it didn't make sense to continue to rent a room I won't be occupying. I'd like to bring the remainder of my items. It's a little over three suitcases.”

“That won't be necessary. Jude will see to all your expenses. We suggest subs bring a bag in cases like this so they don't feel empty-handed. Chances are you won't need those belongings during your stay. It's just a courtesy. And your room will remain paid for by the company. We like to leave everything as it was during trial periods.”

They seemed to have thought of everything. “And what happens on the last day?”

“Your Dom relinquishes your services and you return to your home. Your application is completed and we add you to the system. After that, the members will have access to your stats and can put in a request for more information. If someone's truly interested, we run your compatibility scores and possibly arrange a meeting from there.”

“What about Mr. Duval?”

He frowned and folded his hands. “I want to be perfectly clear on this, Ms. Banks. Jude Duval is here to run a business. He doesn't involve himself with clients on a personal level.
Ever
. You are his
protégé
, an honor not every submissive gets and one you should certainly appreciate. Do not read more into this than there actually is. He's doing this to help you find a match, but that match isn't him. I promise you.”

She nodded, unclear how anyone could make such a claim. Life had taught her anything was possible. However, it also taught her not to underestimate how painful loss could be, which was why she forced herself to view this agreement as a temporary situation, nothing more. “I understand.”

“Good, now we just have to follow up with the clinic and once your blood work comes through as clear and you're implanted, we can—”

“Stop.” She shook her head. “What?”

His expression turned hesitant. “Didn't you read the section about contraceptives?”

She thought she'd read all of it, but she must have missed that part. “I assumed we'd use something safer, like condoms.”

“Typically that would be fine, but under the conditions and being that this contract will likely entail sexual acts several times a day for the next thirty days, Jude has requested you get fitted with an IUD. His blood work is clean and if yours is as well, there shouldn't be an issue.”

“Then tell
him
to get implanted. I don't want any foreign objects embedded inside me.”

“Ms. Banks, the procedure is minimal. Based on when your last cycle ended, the timing is optimal and you shouldn't feel any resulting discomfort.”

“I don't see how that's any better than using condoms.”

“What happens when you're in the shower and he wants to fuck you, Ms. Banks? Is he supposed to stop and find a condom?”

Her eyes widened. “Yes!”

He sighed. “Try to understand, there will come a time when you might resent that diversion.”

Possibly, but that time wasn't now—or yet. “Implanting birth control seems a bit extreme to me.”

“Imagine first thing in the morning when he's entering you before you've even opened your eyes. It's just more practical to always be prepared. That way there are no slipups.”

“Yes, we wouldn't want him to be liable for anything after his thirty days,” she grumbled—any sense of possible romance fading.

“That's just the sort of attitude that will get you a sore ass. Jude has agreed to put your well-being first, and that is exactly what he's doing. He's decided this is the best course for you two, and I suggest you trust his judgment.”

A sense of undesirable inferiority choked her. “I don't like being told what to put in my body.”

Ezra sighed. Slowly he said, “There are other options Mr. Duval might agree to. The shot is a possibility, but I assure you, speaking from my personal experience and the deep need to put my wife's safety first in all matters, I'm of the belief that the implant is the safest form of birth control on the market. There are versions that release copper into the female so the hormones aren't a concern.”

The fact that he could speak on his personal experience helped. “I just don't know. I haven't read any information of this.”

His expression spoke of patient understanding. “Speak to the doctor when you see her. She'll explain the procedure better than I can. After that, you can make an educated decision. So long as we're still negotiating the contract, you have a right to make changes, but this is what he wants and I have to say I agree with him.”

Obey.
She silently growled, still disliking everything that word represented. It was outside her ability to blindly agree to orders. She was too stubborn. “I'll talk to the doctor, but you better warn Mr. Duval it would be wise to research other options.”

“I'll save that warning for you, peach.”

Her eyes narrowed.

***

The next day she cursed every domineering male she knew as she lay on her bed, huddled in the fetal position. Her stomach was still cramping from the procedure, but it was nothing worse than average menstrual cramps.

After discussing her options with the doctor, she agreed with Jude and thought the IUD was the wisest choice. But she'd never tell him that.

There was a knock at the door, and she frowned. Lifting her body off the bed, she shuffled across the small room in her slippers, startled to find Jude on the other side. He stood in the hall holding a bouquet of lilies. “I heard you were a good girl today.”

Her stomach pinched pleasantly at the surprise, his words, and the flowers, helping her forgiveness along. He was the reason her stomach hurt. Then she frowned, finding his presence in the old Victorian boardinghouse disorienting. “You know where I live.”

He glanced at the ceiling and walls. “I know where you rent. I'd hate to consider this place your home.” He handed her the bouquet and shut the door.

“Thank you.” Placing the flowers on the dresser, she crawled back onto the bed.

“Are you sore?”

“Yes. I don't like you very much right now.”

His mouth pulled to one side as he carefully sat beside her. “Ezra said he received your signed portion of the contract.”

“Yes. I dropped it off after the doctor's appointment.”

His hand brushed over her hip as he studied her, expression easy. “And I'm told I can't make you cook bacon naked.”

She grumbled. “I don't know why you'd want to.”

His hand glided to the curve of her rear. “I'm a strange man, Collette. There's an endless list of the things I want that might surprise you, but you don't need to worry about that.”

His touch was gingerly as he appraised her. “How bad are you hurting?”

She sighed, knowing she was being dramatic. Her ego was more bruised than anything else. “At first I had some light cramping, but I haven't had any discomfort in about an hour.”

“Would you like an Advil? I brought some for you.”

He brought her Advil? Her discomfort was mostly his fault, but the fact that he'd made a special trip over here to bring her flowers and Advil, well, that just made her feel all gushy and nice inside.

She sighed. “Thank you, but I think I'll live. I'm more pissed off that this took me off guard. I wasn't really prepared.”

His lips brushed her cheek as he leaned over her carefully and whispered. “And so it begins, Collette. This is all part of trusting a Dom to care for you. I understand the implantation wasn't pleasant, but, sweetheart, now we're safe. I'd never want to risk your safety and I promise you that was my only motive here. Believe it or not, it pains me to see you like this.”

She glanced at him. His gentle confession surprised her, touching a sensitive part of her heart. “Really?”

He chuckled. “Yes. I'm not a brute. I derive pleasure from taking care of a submissive. Sometimes care isn't delivered easily. You made a wise decision today and I'm proud of you, proud of the way you kept an open mind, proud of the fact that you trusted me, and proud that you did as I asked even when it challenged you. You've pleased me very much.”

Unwilling to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much his words reached her and warmed her, she nodded. “You're welcome.”

He smirked and ran a finger down her cheek, pinching her chin lightly. “Cheeky peach. Thank you.” He sat up. “Are you ready to go?”

“What? I thought we'd start tomorrow.”

He shook his head. “The contract's signed. You're mine for the next thirty days. Is your bag packed?”

“But . . .”

He arched a brow.

“It's over there,” she grumbled, still not understanding the purpose of leaving the room rented for the entire month she was gone, but she supposed that was a precaution he wanted to take.

“Good.” He lifted the bag. “Shall we?”

“I wasn't expecting this. I'm not even showered.”

“You can shower at the château.” Glancing around the room, he said, “I think you'll find it more comfortable than your current setting.” He held out his hand and she frowned. Everything was happening so fast.