Although Danielle didn’t trust a word out of Cassandra’s mouth, she couldn’t help the doubt from creeping into her thoughts. “He doesn’t have a collared submissive.”
“And you know that for a fact?” Cassandra asked. The redhead’s eyes softened. “They have somewhat of an open relationship, at least on his end. After all, he’s the owner of Benediction, and not only can he have whatever slave he wants, he has.”
With every word Cassandra uttered, the vise on Danielle’s heart tightened. “He doesn’t have sex with the slaves.”
“True,” Cassandra said. “He mostly gets off on watching us. Matching us up with Dominants or sometimes other slaves. That’s when he becomes the director. He sets up a scene for the slaves and tells us what to do. He’s done scenes with slaves, but he refuses to penetrate. That’s because of her.” She pointed to Cole’s closed door. “Right, Sedona?”
Sedona gave Danielle an apologetic shrug. “I can’t confirm it, but she is a member of the club, and she’s the only woman who he takes to his private residence. Why else would she go upstairs with him?”
“Listen,” Cassandra said, throwing an arm over Danielle’s shoulders. “I know you think I’m a bitch, and well, yeah, I guess I am, but I’m going to be straight with you. Everything that happens here is make-believe. When he’s touching you and saying how wonderful you are, how beautiful, how special. When you’re vulnerable and in the arms of a Dom, receiving after-care, you begin to think maybe you mean more to him than just sex. Maybe it’s the real deal. Maybe we could have something permanent. Then the next night, he’s playing with another sub and you hear him saying those same words.”
Although the words certainly applied to Danielle’s situation, she had a suspicion that Cassandra was speaking from personal experience. Could that be why she disliked her? Was it possible she had fallen for Cole as well?
Danielle toyed with her locket. Feelings were irrelevant. The only thing she should be concerned about was whether Cole had a collared slave, because if he did, he’d be much more difficult to seduce.
Cassandra removed her arm and turned Danielle to face her, gripping her by her shoulders. “Cole DeMarco doesn’t only train, he remolds his trainees into individuals with self-esteem and self-worth. Just remember that.”
Sedona shoved Cassandra. “Cassandra, how’s she supposed to have any self-worth if you implied Master Cole is lying to her?”
Cassandra took her usual haughty stance and tossed her hair over her back. “Not my problem if she needs a man to bolster her self-esteem. I have it, and I know the truth. Same as you.” She turned to Danielle. “Enjoy your time here. Enjoy Master Cole. But don’t hang your heart on a happy-ever-after with the man, because you don’t mean anything more to him than I do.”
“Have you played with anyone but Master Cole yet?” Sedona asked.
To her, Adrian didn’t count, since he was a slave acting on Cole’s orders. “No. He hasn’t let me.” Not that she’d wanted to play with anyone else.
Cassandra and Sedona shared a look, then Sedona grinned at Danielle. “Are you finished with your assigned service?”
Her cheeks flushed as she thought about how Cole had made good on his promise to change service into sexy play. But Cassandra was right. That was Cole’s job as her Master and owner of Benediction. He would do it for any slave trainee. “I took a break, but I’m supposed to deliver waters to the members.”
Sedona linked their arms together and pulled her toward the stairs leading to the dungeon. “The rule is you can play so long as you’ve finished your assignment for the day. I’ll take over for you, and you can play.”
“I don’t know . . . ”
Cassandra joined her other side. “How’s this then? You learn firsthand how to negotiate a scene, and then if you want, you can follow through.”
Danielle didn’t trust her, but what was the worst that would happen? Cole would punish her? If she didn’t mean anything to him, he wouldn’t care. Besides he was busy with the perfect pantsuit. “Okay.”
Was she crazy? The minute she saw Cole with that woman she must have lost her mind, because she was actually taking Cassandra’s advice and accompanying her and Sedona into the dungeon. Could she allow another man to touch her? She knew if Cole had ordered it, she could, but without his knowledge? She wasn’t even sure she wanted to find out.
As they advanced toward the good-looking man she’d served water to earlier, she told herself it didn’t matter what Cole thought because right now, he was with another woman.