Temporary Master (12 page)

Sighing,
Sabella finally abandoned the silverware. “You know, you sure know how to kick
a girl right in the teeth. It’s not a crime if I want to keep from making the
same mistake with Ethan that I did with Louis.” She swallowed hard. “It was
just like this when it started out. Everything was new and exciting. I thought
I’d found the Dom for me, and look at how it turned out.” Shaking her head, she
tried to deny herself. “I can’t do this again. I can’t give everything and then
have it fall apart on me later.”

Understanding
dawned in Lauren’s eyes. “You’re scared you’re going to fall for the wrong man
again.”

Sabella
shrugged her shoulders. “It’s happened before.”

A
sympathetic look crossed Lauren’s face. “I understand. But tell
me,
is Ethan anything like the last creep?”

“Honestly?”
She paused as the waitress set down their food. After she left, Sabella met
Lauren’s gaze.

“Of
course - honestly.”

“I
don’t know Ethan well enough to know if he’s different than Louis. My gut
screams he is. But I don’t know if I can trust what it’s telling me.”

“Then
tell me what you
can
trust about Ethan. Surely in your role as his
submissive, you’re beginning to trust him.”

She
nodded, thinking of Ethan’s refusal to do more than touch her for the actual
rope bondage. While she’d found each brush of his fingers arousing, he hadn’t
touched her anywhere intimate until at the very end when he’d cupped her
breasts. Even the memory of his warmth encasing her breasts hadn’t been
remotely sexual on her part. “He keeps his word.” She grimaced. “He has no
problem keeping it either. It’s as if he has total control over every aspect of
not only me, but himself as well.”

Lauren
looked skeptical but finally gave a small shake of her head. “That’s the
impression he gives everyone, but somehow I don’t think he’s as in control as
you think he is, Bella-mía. It’s going to take a special submissive to push
past his reserve, especially after what his wife did to him.”

Dread
warred with shame. Had she actually been lusting after a married man? She’d
done more than a few things in her life as a submissive she wasn’t necessarily
proud of, but she’d never moved into another woman’s territory. A low hiss
passed her lips. “Please tell me you didn’t set me up with a married man,
Lauren Haskell.”

“Hell,
no…Ethan’s wife…” Her voice trailed off and her face flushed.

“My
wife is dead.”

The
sound of the slightly accented voice of the man who’d dominated not only her
thoughts but her vivid dreams startled Sabella. Glancing over her shoulder, she
was surprised to see Ethan standing next to their table. Wearing a lightweight
sweater, pleated trousers and a pea overcoat, he was immaculately dressed. But
all that ran through her mind was where had he come from, and why did he look
so darn good to her?

“Master
Ethan, I was just…” Lauren stumbled over her words.

“Telling
your friend about my wife.”
He moved closer, his emerald gaze locking with Sabella’s. “May I sit?”

“Of
course, Sir.”
The soft term of respect slipped out without her permission, but other than a
quickly stifled flare of his nostrils, he seemed unfazed by her response. Sliding
over in the booth, she made room for his slender body. As he settled into place
next to her, she tried to ignore not only the warmth radiating from him, but
the oh
so familiar scent of incense clinging to him. It was
as if he’d been in his training room recently. Envy tried to worm its way into
her heart but she forced it aside. He’d promised her while he was training her
it would be only her. Despite their short acquaintance, she didn’t think he’d
lie to her about that considering it hadn’t been one of her stipulations. Since
they weren’t sleeping together, she had no right to impose such a stipulation
upon a man as virile as Ethan Tremaine. Besides, if he wasn’t getting
satisfaction from her, he had every right to find it elsewhere.

“Continue,
Lauren,” Ethan urged the blonde as he settled in next to Sabella. When he’d
dipped into Bistro Sabor for a sandwich, he hadn’t expected to see his little
submissive and Lauren sitting at a table with their heads bowed together. From
the animated way Lauren had been conversing and the hunched shoulders of
Sabella, he’d immediately grew concerned for his sub. Even though Sabella
thought their relationship only extended during their training sessions, his
own personal code of honor claimed she was his to protect until their
arrangement was over, or he found her another Dom. He’d been drawn to their
table like a moth to a flame. Imagine his shock when he’d realized Lauren was
talking about him!

“I…I…”
Lauren flushed and
stammered,
her embarrassment and
discomfort quite apparent. He could only assume it was because of his position
as the co-owner of New Beginnings. She was afraid she was risking her
membership by answering him.

“Relax.
Go ahead and tell your friend what you know. I promise it’ll have no bearing on
your membership, Ms. Haskell.”

Sabella
shifted next to him, her soft jasmine scent teased his nostrils. “She wasn’t
being malicious…Sir…Dr. Tremaine. She was merely trying to give me a swift kick
in the rear while putting things into perspective.”

Placing
his hand over Sabella’s, he shushed her. “There’s no need to try and protect
your friend. Even if her purpose was to warn you off,
which
I’m sure it wasn’t, I don’t see you as being one easily led.”

“Damn
girl, he knows you better than I thought.” Lauren chuckled nervously.

“Language,
Ms. Haskell. While my partner may find coarse language a turn on, I prefer if
women - particularly submissive ones - do not swear.”

Lauren
tilted her head before sighing. “Sorry. I’ll try to clean up my language. It’s
an occupational hazard when working with male mechanics. They have a tendency
not to filter their mouths.” She gave him a hopeful smile. “As I was saying,
you obviously have begun to figure my Bella-mía out. Most mistake her nice
girl,
go with the flow attitude, and polite submission in
most things as having a weak spine.”

Ethan
could see how that might happen. “Submissive isn’t interchangeable with weak.
In fact, it takes more strength to submit than it does to dominate a person.
But I believe I asked you to continue with what you were saying
,
not to discuss ideologies.”

“We
were talking about you…” Lauren began.

“Obviously
so.
What I want to
know is how the subject of my dead wife managed to come up in an idle
conversation with my current sub?” Out of the corner of his eye, Ethan saw
Sabella open her mouth to protest. “I will not debate this matter with you,
Sabella. Until we part ways, whether we are in a scene or not, or how I
actually treat you, I consider your well-being, emotional or otherwise, my
responsibility.”

He
wanted to nod in satisfaction when her mouth snapped shut and she slipped hands
into her lap, but he refrained. Instead he focused his considerable attention
on Lauren.

“I
mentioned to her about the incident last night at the club. No names of
course,” she was quick to reassure him. “…just that there was a Dom who’d
overstepped both his bounds and those of the club, and you promptly put him in
his place. You’ll have to admit you have some rather lethal moves.”

“It
probably has to do with
Hojōjutsu.
Those who practice it are quite fast. Most don’t realize a
takedown has happened until it’s too late, Lauren,” Sabella interjected.

It was Ethan’s turn to be surprised. He didn’t normally reveal his
training in the ancient art of
Budō
which included the
lesser known practice of
Hojōjutsu.
How had she known? His face
must have expressed his surprise, because Lauren actually giggled.

“You have the familiar look of bemusement most men get around
Bella, Master Ethan. You see she’s quite the brainaic when it comes to obscure
facts about things she enjoys. Considering your ethnicity and her love of
bondage it’s not surprising she’d assume you’re a practitioner of one of the
martial arts forms from which kinbaku originated.”

“Lauren! I do not stereotype! Even after one session with Master
Ethan, I could tell he utilizes the ideals of
Budō,
and
has many of the trappings of that martial art form in his training room inside
of his home.”

Lauren’s
jaw dropped. “You actually got to go inside the big house? You didn’t tell me
that. I figured for sure Master Ethan would take you to his playroom at the
club.” Then she mumbled something under her breath which sounded suspiciously
like ‘lucky bitch’.

Ethan
wanted to howl in frustration. This was one reason why he didn’t understand
Davis’s fascination with Lauren. Trying to follow her conversation was like
following American football. If he didn’t pay close attention, he was lost
within minutes. It was time to get this conversation back on track. “Enough.
While I wasn’t aware your friend could glean all that from merely visiting my
training room, we’re not discussing her observation skills. You were gossiping
about my dead wife. Why?”

Lauren
had the audacity to look ashamed of
herself
. “Bella
was doubting
herself, but I was trying to reassure her that,
despite your calm demeanor, she might be just be the person to see deeper
inside of you.” Her cheeks reddened. “There’s one thing my friend can’t resist
and that’s a puzzle. You, Sir, with your mysterious ways and soft voice, would
be the ultimate puzzle for her. So I was…”

“Trying
to tempt me into pursuing a relationship with you, Sir, by mentioning no other
sub has gotten close to you since your wife.” Sabella sighed bitterly, shooting
a dirty look at her friend. Shifting a minute amount, he could tell when she
turned her attention towards him.

“While
I’m sorry to hear about the death of your wife, Master Ethan, rest assured I’m
not going to throw myself at you, no matter what my friend thinks I need.” She
tossed her napkin on her untouched plate of food. “If you’ll excuse me, I find
myself not to be all that hungry anymore.”

She
wiggled, as if she were expecting him to move out of her way. Trapped as she
was between the wall and his body, she honestly couldn’t go anywhere until he
did move. It was a situation he used to his advantage. There wasn’t a prayer in
hell he was going to let this go. She had some misperceptions he was going to
clear up before she left, but he didn’t need an audience to do it.

“Yes,
I do mind.” He brushed his thumb over her cheek, before turning back to Lauren.
“I need a few moments alone with your friend, Ms. Matchmaker.”

“Of
course.”
Lauren slid out of the booth. “I’m just going to make a stop in the ladies
room.

He
nodded as she snatched up her purse.
“And Lauren?”

She
paused, looking over her shoulder at him. “Yes?”

“If
you pull something like this again, I
will
revoke your membership to the
club.”

Her
eyebrows drew together as Lauren opened her mouth to protest, but he was quick
to cut her off.

“And
while it probably won’t stick because of my partner, let me assure you, Davis
would attach such strings to the
reinstatement, that
somehow I don’t honestly believe you’d be prepared to accept. So unless you
wish to find yourself under his thumb, please refrain from interfering in my
relationship with your friend.”

She
nodded her understanding before scurrying away.

A
disgruntled sigh came from his right. “I can’t believe you just threatened my
friend. While she seems impulsive, I assure you she means no harm.”

Turning
his attention back to Sabella, Ethan shifted his body again until he
effectively had her trapped in the corner. “You’ll find I dare many things when
it comes to your well-being, Sabella. I won’t have you upset just because a
well-meaning friend speaks out of turn. You were upset when I arrived, and I
only can assume it’s because she told you I was married.”

She
stiffened. “I have no claim to you, Dr. Tremaine. I’m yours under only the most
temporary of circumstances. When we leave practice behind, we’re nothing more
than casual acquaintances - which I can only hope your wife, if she were still
alive, would’ve understood.”

“Really?”
He lifted his hand to her check.
“Somehow it didn’t feel that way last night when I was holding your nearly
naked body against mine, our breathing harmonious as I guided the rope over
your flesh.” He gave a sharp bark of laughter. “And my wife definitely wouldn’t
have understood.”

Her
breath caught, her eyes flaring with a desire she quickly banked at the mention
of his wife. “Last night was nothing more than the normal reaction to bondage.
My body always…”