Finding Master Right(6)

The guy sounds like a dickhead. Just ignore him. I’m not explaining what figging is. If you really want to know, Google.

He hit SEND then banged his shin hard on the planter by the administrative assistant’s desk and swore under his breath.

Belle snickered. “Don’t walk and text. Are you coming back later, or are you gone for the day?”

Another text alert summoned Banner’s attention back to his phone. “I don’t know. Do you need me?”

“Nah, take the rest of the day off. You came in early.”

The new administrative assistant, Tanja, sputtered and started to cough. Belle had been with him so long she could get away with almost anything.

“You’re the nicest employee, ever.”

“I know.”

Both men walked to the elevator and Ambrose grimaced. “The new paint job in here makes me claustrophobic.”

Banner looked at the freshly painted walls and the new table thingy with the glass bowl full of wooden balls that stood outside the elevator.

“Belle said it was cozy and soothing.”

“It’s dingy.”

“It’s cappuccino with an ecru pinstripe. Classy.”

“Baby poop smeared on the wall is classy? Who knew?” Ambrose picked up three of the balls and started to juggle them. While he was busy, Banner hazarded a glance at his phone.

Oh jeez. I just looked it up. I’m not sure if I’m more embarrassed about having asked you or having seen it. Mental note: never Google pictures if you don’t know what to expect.

He couldn’t help but be a smartass. So I take it you’re not into figging?

The elevator door opened, and he walked in, stumbling over the crack between floor and elevator.

“You’re not coordinated enough to text and walk. And your tongue sticks out when you text, idiot.”

His phone buzzed.

I don’t know. For the right guy I might try anything.

Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck. Didn’t she know she was playing with fire? His mind took her insinuation and ran with it, picturing her collared, leashed, and crawling to him. Crying from a caning. Begging to come.

If Ambrose hadn’t pushed the button he might have stood in the motionless elevator all day. He thought through his answer before responding.

You might want to be careful who you say that to. There are a lot of bad men out there.

There was a pause. Are you one of them?

Ambrose gripped his elbow and guided him off the elevator and through the lobby.

I wouldn’t trust me, if I were a pretty little girl like you. Remember that you don’t like what I like.

How was a text conversation turning him on?

LOL I think you’re the first guy that’s ever said, “Don’t trust me.”

Though it nearly killed him to rein himself in, he had to think of what was best for her. He typed back, I’ll find someone to play nicely with you, before you and I get ourselves into trouble.

There was a lengthy pause as his phone informed him she was writing. Was she writing him a bratty book?

Yes, Sir.

How many responses had she deleted before settling on that? And Sir? She didn’t even know him.

They walked the short way to the restaurant on the corner with Banner staring at Kate’s last two words. He vaguely heard the ding from the bell over the door as they entered, but he was trying to think of something clever to respond with.

Ambrose shoved him into a seat. “You want her.”

“She’d be better off with you. She doesn’t want a guy like me.”

“I’ll wait until you’re done with her.”

“Don’t tempt me. It’s not supposed to be like that.” Banner looked down at his phone again, wondering if she was looking sly or giving him big eyes or what. Texts should come with facial expressions.

Ambrose flicked a sugar packet at him, hitting him square in the chest. “You need to do something for yourself once in a while. You’re getting to be a boring old man way ahead of your time. Just because you’re having trouble finding the right girl doesn’t mean you should give up.”

“Okay, Dr. Phil.” He flipped Ambrose the bird good naturedly.

I’m going to arrange for you to meet a few Doms that I know well, who might be more your speed. Are you free on Saturday afternoon?

Was she brave enough to jump in like this? Did she trust him that much already?

Sure. You’re not going to bring them all by and line them up, are you?

“I’m not going to lure this sweet thing to the dark side. Do you want to meet her?” he asked Ambrose.

“Not yet. Break her heart first.”

“Fuck you.”

“You wish.”

He thought about who his next choice would be for her after Ambrose. No, I’ll just introduce you to one this time. My friend Trev, I think. Meet us at the coffee shop on Marcus Street at 1pm?

Banner held his breath, waiting for confirmation.

Okay. But how do you know he wants to meet me?

I haven’t asked him yet, but I doubt he’ll say no. He’s a good guy. If he’s not available, there are others. If it’s just me, I’ll just come by with a BDSM checklist so you can think about things.

There’s actually a checklist? He pictured her eyes wide.

Yes, several.

Figging is off the table, by the way.

Then I’ll leave ginger root off of my grocery list.

Thank you, Sir.

He winced and scrubbed at his forehead in frustration. At some point he should tell her that calling him Sir wasn’t necessary. Worse, though, he wanted to hear that sexy voice of hers say the word “Master.”

Just once.

***

Trev walked into the trendy, upscale coffee shop looking like a douchebag. Between the ratty old T-shirt and the backward baseball cap, he looked thirty going on fifteen. Idiot. He’d been going through a midlife crisis or something since he and his wife split, but Banner kept waiting for the storm to pass. He was a decent guy.

When he sat across from Banner, his expression was unenthusiastic.

“Did I mention she’s hot?”

Trevor laughed. “If she was hot she wouldn’t have trouble finding a date. You’d be banging her.”

Really? “Trev, you’ve known me for years. Would I choose a girl based solely on looks? Fucking a hot girl does nothing for me if our kinks don’t match up.” He pushed an artsy menu at Trev. “As for Kate, if she was into what I was into, I’d never let you meet her. She’s hot, funny, and looking for someone to introduce her to kink without being a jerk about it.”

The server came and took Trev’s coffee order. His friend watched the girl’s ass as she walked away and Banner felt like rolling his eyes. Maybe Trev had been a mistake. He liked hanging out with the guy, and his last sub had adored him until she’d moved to Prague for work, but maybe he wasn’t the right guy for Kate.

“So, if she’s so awesome, why aren’t you training her for yourself? Aren’t you still free of responsibilities?”

A twinge of annoyance set his teeth on edge. “I am, but she’s new and not sure what she wants. Trying to convince her she wants to be a slave this early on doesn’t seem fair to her. I also don’t have the patience to train a new girl for ages only to find out that she finds my tastes disturbing.”

“What about working her up to it slowly?”

Not him too. Had he been talking to Ambrose?

“Stealth training?” Banner smiled regretfully. “That’s not exactly consensual. I’m not going to subtly brainwash her. She seems to have a strong submissive side, but I get the feeling it’ll be a cold day in hell before she lets someone master her.”

Trev’s coffee came along with a refill for Banner. He wasn’t sure if he should stay or let them talk alone, but he was worried Kate wouldn’t be open about what she wanted without moral support. But what did she want? Maybe he should have stuck with meeting her alone at first, until they got her interests sorted out, but the urges he got when he was around her, or even just texting her, were anything but gentlemanly.

Having the wolf guard Little Red Riding Hood had not only been a bad idea, but it was especially hard on the poor, starving wolf.

Through the big storefront window he watched Red as she slipped out of a Kia four door and made her way toward the café entrance. She was wearing a floral sundress that revealed a lot of bare skin and sandals that crisscrossed to her knee, showing her long legs to their best advantage. No tattoos or marks of ownership on her pristine flesh. No collar on her neck.

And this goddess wanted someone to teach her about kink.

Trev wasn’t good enough.

When her gaze met his, she smiled shyly and looked at the ground in front of her—probably looking for the curb, but for today he’d let himself pretend it was a reaction to him.

“She’s here. Be nice.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Trev craned his neck to see who Banner was looking at and then whistled low. “Fuck! Are you sure you don’t want her for yourself? That hair alone would win me over, but with the body and the pretty face. Damn, she’d better have the personality to make that a package deal.”

Pretty? He thought she was pretty? Pretty was like a seven. On a scale of one to ten, Kate was a solid twenty-three. Maybe Trev needed glasses.

That morning Banner had finally admitted to himself that he wanted her. He’d caught himself checking his phone more often than usual, half hoping for another text from her, but she hadn’t sent anything. He’d read over the figging conversation a few times, and although it was funny as hell, something about it turned him on. Whether it was that she’d gone immediately to him with her question, or that he’d thought of defiling her in several different ways since then, she’d been lurking in the recesses of his mind and making it hard to focus on work. Or maybe it was that Ambrose wouldn’t stop teasing him about her.