“I have Mistress Irena now, along with four other Dominatrixes, plus three male Dominants, including me. We’re not hiring any more Doms.”
“Pity. I have an impressive résumé. And a huge client list. Everyone’s on it.”
“Everyone?”
“Your dad’s on it.”
Brad burst out laughing and Nora only waited with a smile.
“You should be punished for bringing my father into this discussion,” Brad said, raising a hand to her face. Nora didn’t pull away. He might slap her. He might pinch her nose. He might even kiss her. She wouldn’t have objected to any or all of those possibilities.
But instead of a slap or a pinch or a kiss, he simply caressed her cheekbone with his thumb. She started at the gentleness, the intimacy of the touch, and took a step back.
“What was that for?” she demanded, raising a hand to her cheek. The caress burned more than a slap would have.
“You’re beautiful.”
“And you’re huge and handsome. You don’t see me going around getting all personal with your face.”
“Would you like to get personal with my face?”
“I …” Nora stopped and swallowed. She needed to get back into control of this situation. She could handle Brad. She could handle any man. Well, except for one … “You’re trying to top me, aren’t you?”
“I told you. We’re all stocked up on Dominatrixes. What we really need are a few good subs.”
Nora’s spine stiffened.
“I don’t sub.”
“Not anymore, right?”
Nora glared at him.
“Come on, Nora. Everyone knows who you used to belong to. It’s not a secret.”
“Not a secret, no. But not anything I want to talk about.”
“Was it all that bad, being a sub for him?”
Nora let her most dangerous smile spread across her face.
“No. It was that good.”
“Then you should enjoy doing it again.”
“You’re a big man, Brad, but not even you could fill his shoes.”
“Worth a shot, isn’t it? You want to meet The Dame, then you have to get through me.”
“Through you? Or under you?”
“Both.”
Nora fell silent and considered the offer. Wasn’t like she’d never subbed before. She’d been a sub longer than she’d been a Dominatrix–ten years she’d spent in a collar. Ten beautiful years. But she couldn’t do that again. Could she?
“No collar,” she said with finality. “One hour of you on top. I’ll sub. Then I get my five minutes with The Dame.”
Brad leaned against the stair railing and studied her with his pale blue eyes.
“Nora … we both know you’re not going to leave King for Black Forest. Why are you so interested in talking to The Dame?”
“I have my reasons.”
“Are you going to tell me your reasons?”
“Nope.”
“Of course, if you submit to me, I suppose I could order you to tell me your reasons.”
At the utterance of the words “submit to me” Nora’s heart started to race a little faster, her breath quickened. She licked her bottom lip in nervous anticipation.
“Yes, I suppose you could.”
“Call me ‘Sir’ if you want to see The Dame,” he ordered, pressing closer.
“So …” Nora stopped and took a breath, “what are our rules here … Sir?”
“No rules.”
“No rules? Not even …”
Brad grinned at her with such hunger Nora wasn’t sure if he planned to beat her or eat her.
“I’ll take that as a ‘not even …’ ” Nora said. She took a long breath in and slowly let it out through her teeth. They didn’t need to spell it out. No rules meant no rules. And the one rule of the professional Dominants? No sex with the clients. But she wasn’t a client. She was a Dominatrix, a Dominatrix who really needed to get laid.
A month off.
No Kingsley.
No work.
Europe.
“Fine. Done. One hour. No rules. I’m yours.”
Brad only stared at her with his lips a thin hard line. He raised his eyebrow. Once more Nora sighed.
“I’m yours … Sir.”
“You are now.”
Brad didn’t hesitate, no doubt not wanting to give her the chance to change her mind. With his right hand he grasped Nora by her upper arm and half-dragged, half-carried her up the stairs. Nora dropped her eyes to the floor and let him lead her to a room near the end of the hallway. He kicked it open and threw her in. She landed on the plush carpeted floor and stayed there not looking at him while he closed and locked the door.
“When’s the last time someone hit you?” Brad stood in front of her, his feet on either side of her knees.