The First Order [Safeword LLC 1] (Siren Publishing Sensations) (4 page)

James walked over to the switch and turned off the sound. “Would you like to speak with her personally? Or are you going to pass? Kennedy feels that Rebecca Schuler is a natural submissive at heart and needs the right men to tap into her desires. Either way, we’ll find a placement for her.”

Lane was surprised to find himself clenching his hand into a fist at the thought of Rebecca with other men. He had yet to even meet her, but watching her for the last half hour and observing her trepidation made him want to be the one to guide and protect Rebecca as their own. Thinking back, he realized he had already been visualizing Rebecca as their submissive as Kennedy had described the scene to her. Lane half suspected that Kennedy knew there would be more than one participant listening to the narrative she had just shared, playing to her client’s particular cravings. He and Ross had finally found a submissive that fit their requirements and they would be the only ones to touch her—train her. With any luck, Ross was thinking the same thing.

“Rebecca, have you come to a decision? If you have, I will see if we can arrange a meeting for you this afternoon.”

Ms. Van Camp, whom Becca couldn’t bring herself to call by her first name, was waiting patiently for her answer. Becca wasn’t sure what to make of the woman sitting behind the desk, as she changed her personality more than a chameleon changed its color. The woman could be compassionate one minute, like a patient and understanding confidant, while as intimidating in the next as a stern and unyielding drill instructor. As Becca took a deep breath to gather her senses, she could actually look back over the meeting and see how Ms. Van Camp had orchestrated it so perfectly. The thing was, the erotic scene she had spun was just a taste of what could possibly happen. Becca wanted more. She needed to feel that release that had evaded her thus far, but unfortunately, that didn’t negate her fear of the unknown. A Master’s hand could as easily be cruel as it could be liberating. Did she have the courage to take what was being offered? Ms. Van Camp was really good at her job. As a professional, she had to know what she was doing.

“Just to make sure of something, this isn’t a twenty-four hour thing, is it?” Becca didn’t think she could handle that. “I read where a woman was made to crawl on her hands and knees, used as an ottoman, and forced to use her tongue to clean the—”

“Allow me to stop you there,” Ms. Van Camp said, cutting her off. “There are various aspects to the role of a submissive, but what you are referring to is a slave. Do I have contracts for those types of relationships? Yes, I do. Although please know that a lot of people in the lifestyle don’t deal with contracts at all. Here—well, it’s my business that’s at stake and contracts are required. But I pride myself on listening to what people say and reading their body language. You, dear Rebecca, are not a slave.”

“And I can use my safe word at any time?” Becca asked, wanting more insurance that she could stop this if she felt she was in over her head.

“Yes, you can. But keep in mind, that word is the rip cord on the golden parachute. Once pulled, everything ends. The opportunities I am about to provide you will vanish. Once invested in this relationship, you may find that you become frightened of the eventualities your safe word might bring.” Ms. Van Camp stood up, pushing back her chair, and came around the side of the desk. She leaned back against the immaculately polished mahogany barrier, directly in front of Becca, and crossed her arms. “Control, in relation to BDSM, is a catch-22. The one thing your body craves is relinquishing that control to someone you can trust. But you, as a submissive, have complete control of the situation. Unfortunately, there are times when fear influences your thoughts and emotions. That is why trust is such an important factor.”

“But I don’t know these men,” Becca said, sitting forward on her seat in hopes to get Ms. Van Camp to understand her concern. “In my research this past weekend, every site mentioned trust. But isn’t trust built over time?”

“Yes, it is. You need to understand that you are not just opening the door to something you feel is missing in your sex life, you are also opening an emotional obstacle you have placed before every potential partner in your past. These men will not only be in charge of the sexual aspect of your life, they will lead you in refining your potential in many facets. As you would find in any student/teacher relationship, the trust you place in your Dominants will directly affect the success of your relationship. This is why there are protocols and requirements stipulated inside your contract.” Ms. Van Camp reached behind her and picked up some papers. “The first week will be spent getting to know one another, although they will have complete access to your body. They will determine everything from how your hair is done to the color of your nails. You will learn positions, ascertain what your soft and hard limits are, and discover how to communicate with your Dominants. Scenes are acceptable, as it gives them time to discover your likes and dislikes. What they cannot do is have intercourse with you. Penetration is limited to toys, training devices, oral and manual stimulation.”

“And when will intercourse be? I was a little concerned with how this might come across to other people.” Becca felt both flushed and conflicted. A part of her was relieved that she wouldn’t be expected to have sex right away, but there was another part of her that didn’t like the restriction. What if she wanted to have sex with them? “Does something happen if a rule like that is broken?”

“Rebecca, it is my job to ensure that both you and your Dominants are safe, sane, and consensual during your placement. If, for any reason, you or they feel the need to alter the contract, I must be informed. I will then render a decision as to whether it is or is not in your best interests to modify any stipulations. As for your concern over your reputation, and I’m assuming you’re trying to compare our placement agency to that of an escort or call girl service, please rest assured that we are in our legal rights in regards to our contracts. You are not being paid to have sex. You might say we are set up more as a dating service and the initial contract more or less states this.”

Becca was a little taken aback at Ms. Van Camp’s superiority. It felt as if little was left to her discretion, but then she realized that this woman was who would help her if anything were to go wrong. She was to be the third party who would be looking out for Becca. Now it was crunch time. Becca needed to give an answer. If she said yes, the next two months could change her life. If she opted out, Becca would probably forever regret not taking a chance.

“Yes.” Becca inhaled. She didn’t know what she was waiting for, maybe the earth to end, but nothing happened. She slowly allowed the air to leave her lungs. “I’d like to sign the contract.”

“I’m happy to hear that. You won’t be disappointed.”

Keeping her eyes on Ms. Van Camp, Becca noticed that she was looking toward the door. Hearing the knob turn, she twisted in her chair to see the door open. How had Jenny known they were done with her interview? Becca felt her heart flutter as three men walked into the room. It wasn’t Jenny.

“Rebecca, I’d first like to introduce you to Mr. James Calihan. He is my chief of security and will be keeping close tabs on you throughout your placement. He works for me and not your Masters. He literally enforces the terms of the contract. You will be given a company cell phone with his direct number in case of any emergency.”

Becca stood up, forgetting that her purse had been in her lap. It landed with a thud on the floor. She quickly reached down to pick it up and accidently stumbled, ending up on her knees directly in front of the new arrivals. Not wanting them to see her mortification, Becca covered her face. Want kind of impression would they have of her? She recovered by climbing to her feet and rubbed her palm down the side of her sundress before extending it in a greeting.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Calihan.”

“Please, call me James. I won’t be requiring you to kneel for me,” he said with a wry smile on his face.

James reached out and grasped her hand. Becca was surprised at his statement and snuck a glance back at Ms. Van Camp. A small smile tugged at her lips as well, although she remained silent. James released her tiny hand from his massive paw, causing Becca to look at the two men that stood behind him. There must have been some mistake. Becca spun around to face Ms. Van Camp.

“May I have a word with you in private?” Becca whispered.

“Please give us a moment, gentlemen.” Instead of having them leave, Ms. Van Camp led her over to the window behind her desk. The windows overlooked the city, but Becca’s stomach was queasy enough without looking at the view to add vertigo to the mix. “Is there something wrong?”

“Look at them and then look at me.” Becca gulped, still maintaining a low voice. “I know I’m not ugly, but I also know that men like that don’t go for women like me. They want the thin, leggy models that can be worn on their arm at night. No offense, but I could work out twenty-four hours a day and still not get rid of my curves. You need to explain that to them. I’m pretty sure I checked the box where severe humiliation was a hard limit.”

Ms. Van Camp placed a hand on Becca’s arm. “Rebecca, I’m good at my job. Remember our conversation about trust and control? You need to give me some leeway. I want you to look at those men. Tell me what you see in their eyes.”

Becca gave a quick glance over at the two men. Their suits probably cost more than every piece of clothing in her closet put together. The taller of the two was wearing a black tailored suit, while the other was wearing an equally perfectly fitted gray suit. Both had crisp white button-down shirts, with conservative silk ties. They had lean builds, while their stances screamed confidence.

“Rebecca, look at their faces.”

Ms. Van Camp’s voice brooked no arguments. Becca found herself looking up to finally meet their eyes. Brown. Sensual. Enticing. The man in the gray suit never broke eye contact. She expected his eyes to roam over her body like every other man she had ever met. Becca instead felt only the heat of his stare. She switched and connected her gaze with the taller man. His cheeks were chiseled, leading up to a traditional haircut of his black hair, which only added to his aristocratic demeanor. Full lips tilted to the left side in a half smile, as if he knew something she didn’t. His eyes were tender, yet commanding in their stare. He was telling her that she was exactly what he wanted. Somehow, that made Becca all the more nervous.

“Now that you see what I know to be true, allow me to introduce you to your probationary Masters.”

Becca faltered in the steps that brought her face-to-face with the men who were about to claim her body. She just hoped that she didn’t lose a part of her soul to them. These were not the type of men that kept a woman like her for long. Never had she felt such a strong physical attraction to a man—or men, as the case may be. She was quite literally wet. Was it because of what they stood for, with their confidence and conviction? Or was it because her body was aware it was about to finally be given what it craved? She wanted to take a moment to figure out why, but Ms. Van Camp had already started the introductions.

“Lane and Ross Ellison, please allow me to introduce you to Rebecca Schuler.”

“Rebecca, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Ross said, closing the gap between them and surprising her by kissing her on the cheek.

“It’s just Becca…Sir.” Becca’s voice had dropped to a whisper, although that wasn’t her intention.

“You must earn such an intimate nickname,” Ross replied, taking a step back and causing Becca to want to follow him. A part of her didn’t like the response her body was giving. He sounded as arrogant as Ms. Van Camp and that had a tendency to irritate her. “For now, Rebecca will do.”

Lane, the taller of the two, stepped forward and placed a hand on the side of her face where Ross had kissed her. Lane brushed his lips across her other cheek, while tracing his thumb across her lower lip. Again, it felt as if the end of a scolding brand stroked her skin. A shiver of anticipation shot through her. Her previous irritation washed away under his touch.

“You have a sensual depth that I look forward tapping into,” Lane said, his rich tone leaving her wanting to hear more. “I’m curious as to how deep your newfound submissiveness runs.”

There was that throbbing of emotions that Becca couldn’t sort out. It was sitting in the middle of her chest causing her heart to palpitate. Adrenaline was running through her at a fast pace, yet she hadn’t physically exerted herself. If their words affected her in such a manner, how would she react to them physically?

“Shall we proceed with the signing of the contract?” Ms. Van Camp asked. “Afterwards, Mr. Calihan will escort you back to your apartment so that you can arrange for him to take care of any loose ends while you are in the care of your Dominants. He will then accompany you to the spa to be prepared and then on to your new residence. He will ensure that you are properly settled in. Rebecca, would you like to sign first?”

Becca’s emotions were in turmoil. After leaving Safeword, James had followed her to her apartment in the South Side. Her fingers had clutched the steering wheel for the entire drive. She couldn’t count the number of times she looked in her rearview mirror making sure James was still behind her. Once Becca had parked, James found a spot close to her vehicle and proceeded to follow her up to the stairs to the second level. She didn’t know what surprised her more—the fact that he alerted the apartment manager’s office of her two-month absence or that she didn’t have to pack. James informed her that Lane and Ross would choose her wardrobe and that she would have everything she would need at their residence.