However, even though she didn't want to date Barge, his scenes were fun. She wasn't looking for anything more intense-not after her horrible week.
"Sure." After a warning look from Jake, she amended her answer to, "I'd like that, Sir."
"Okay then. Let's go, subbie."
"Yes, Sir." She followed Barge across the room and managed to check over her shoulder only once … to see Jake watching her thoughtfully.
Jake's hour of serving as a dungeon monitor was over. After handing off the gold-trimmed vest and getting a bottled water, he dropped down in a leather chair between two scenes to admire the light show. In the shadowy room, the glow-painted floggers, canes, and paddles were mesmerizing.
There were also some enthusiastic body-paint jobs, especially on submissives' breasts and pussies. Stripes, circles, dots. In one shadowy section, a pair of glowing green breasts seemed to float in the air without a supporting body.
Z had developed a great theme, as usual. During Jake's travels in the Army Veterinary Corps, he'd appraised several BDSM clubs and none suited him as well as here.
Being voted in as a Shadowlands "Master" had been an honor he hadn't expected. He didn't mind putting in the extra time Z requested of the Masters. He figured mentoring new Doms, supervising scenes, and protecting submissives were all activities any experienced Dom should perform without being asked.
Of course, Z did have his favorite project. And during the past hour, Jake had made a point of checking on the trainees. Uzuri had gone upstairs with Holt, one of her favorite Doms. In the far corner, Tanner waited in a dog kennel while a married couple-a Mistress and a switch-prepared for the scene they'd do.
And here was the third trainee.
In the scene area to Jake's left, Barge and Rainie finished cleaning the equipment and sat down to talk. She had her back turned to Jake, and he spotted a few light pink areas on the untattooed parts of her shoulders, but no welts. She hadn't cried, hadn't reached subspace, didn't appear stressed. Then again, not much frazzled Rainie.
She definitely had an interesting personality-and a confusing one. Damned if he could figure out why she had such an aversion to him.
He turned away to observe the other scene where Mistress Anne was caning a male submissive. The sub groaned with each smack of the cane and yelped at the lightest touch to his genitalia. The lack of expression on Anne's face conveyed her displeasure. The Mistress liked to dispense pain, and she didn't play with lightweights. As often happened, the submissive had probably tried to impress her by claiming to have a high pain tolerance.
Now they both knew the truth.
Barge's lifted voice drew Jake's attention.
"C'mon, Rainie. I'm willing to work around your schedule," Barge said. "Surely you've got a night free next week."
"I really don't. It's a busy time at my company, and I'm sorry, but my career comes first."
She didn't sound particularly sorry, Jake thought. She sounded like a woman flicking an impertinent bug off her arm. His jaw clenched as memories rained down on him. "I'm sorry, Jake. I have my future to think about. I can't turn down an opportunity like this." At least, Heather hadn't been cold. No, she'd cried. Told him she loved him.
And then she'd moved to the West Coast the very next day.
Fair enough. He'd picked himself up and worked through the defeat. Live and learn, right? He still wanted a wife. Children. Damn straight. He just needed to fall for a woman whose priorities matched his own-and someone who would at least talk about compromise.
Feeling as if his presence was an intrusion, he rose. Their argument was polite enough. No need to intervene … although he'd keep an eye on them from farther away.
As he retreated, he noticed Z and Sam also within hearing range. Sam had on a gold-trimmed dungeon monitor's vest, so he was on duty.
Z wore his usual tailored black clothing, right down to the black leather, black-faced watch. He tilted his head in an invitation to join them. "Jacob, did anything of interest occur this evening?"
"No disasters." Jake smiled. "I think you'll lose Tanner from the trainees shortly. The Coltons plan to ask him to become a third in their relationship."
"That would be a good match for all three," Z said.
"Agreed." Sam glanced behind them with displeasure. "Barge and Rainie, though. Not a match."
"Not even close." Jake's brows drew together. On a different night, he wouldn't have permitted the scene with Barge. She didn't need lightweight play. "I'd say she's in a rut. Doesn't want to be pushed. Doesn't want anything heavy."
"Indeed." The lines bracketing Z's mouth deepened. "I need to carve out more time for the trainees."
Jake shook his head, seeing the guilt drop onto the Dom's shoulders. The owner considered the trainees-hell, all the members-to be his responsibility. "I don't think you have more time available, Zachary." He deliberately used Z's full name. "And you have new obligations, like a pregnant wife. Time to lighten the load and learn to delegate."
Sam's sandpapery chuckle held approval.
To Jake's relief, Z gave him a wry smile. The best Doms saw themselves clearly-and had a sense of humor. "Perhaps so, Jacob. In fact, I think you should take over the trainees."
"Me? I don't-"
Gray eyes alight with amusement, Z squeezed his shoulder. "You're not only equal to the challenge, but you would also enjoy it."
"Maybe." Probably. Jake held up his hand to stall. To think. After a minute, he said, "I might like being the Trainee Master, but I need to refuse."
"What the hell?" Sam growled.
"The responsibility isn't a concern." Jake's gaze drifted to Rainie. Since she'd come into his clinic, he'd had an … urge that grew stronger each day. Time to ante up. "I believe a Trainee Master shouldn't meet a trainee outside of the Shadowlands. Which is why I'd prefer to avoid the job."
Z followed his gaze, and a faint smile appeared. "I see. And respect your honesty. Will you have a problem working with her as a Master?"
"Not at all," Jake said.
"Excellent," Z said.
Sam shifted his weight. "Got a chore for you then. The girl has trouble refusing a Dom's orders. Maybe she's intimidated, maybe wants to please too badly, maybe both. I figured she'd conquered the problem, but"-he nodded toward the couch-"she's lying instead of just saying no."
Work with Rainie? Hell, yes. "I'll take that project."
"Very good," Z said. "Thank you, Jacob."
As the two men continued their rounds, Jake stayed in place, considering. " … trouble refusing." Not good.
As a veterinarian, Jake was skilled in reading body language-although admittedly, humans were vastly more difficult. He'd never exceeded a submissive's boundaries, spoken or not. But not every Dom had learned to read a submissive.
And even in a pick-up scene, a submissive and Dominant performed an intricate dance. To be fulfilled, the sub needed to give up control. Yet, a Dom had to trust that a sub would say stop if he pushed too far.
Sam, being a sadist, certainly knew the danger of a bottom lying to a top. Was he right about Rainie having a problem?
As he drank his water, Jake considered. When she'd agreed to scene with Barge, her body had been relaxed. No conflict between her body language and her words. But later, she'd refused a date and insisted she had to work. At that time, her head had jerked sideways in unspoken contradiction. She'd widened her eyes and fixed her gaze on Barge, a technique often used by liars to show their honesty.
Yes, she'd lied to Barge. If Sam was correct, she'd been uncomfortable saying "no" to a Dom.
The thought of Rainie caving in and doing something she didn't like sent a trickle of anger through him. Knowing she'd lied didn't make him happy either. His job-tonight-would be to change that behavior.
Jake tipped his head back and studied the ceiling. How best to achieve that goal?
She'd have to practice saying no … but in a realistically intimidating setting. One where she'd find refusing difficult.
He'd have to find more than one Dom to assist. She might find it easy to decline a stranger's orders, so he'd create a tenuous bond between her and the Dom-and punish her for anything other than a firm no.
Plan forming in his head, Jake looked around and picked out the Doms he'd trust to follow instructions.
This is ridiculous. Rainie couldn't put up with more of Barge's bullshit. With some effort-stupid low-slung couch-she struggled to her feet. "I'm going to clean up."
To her relief, Barge remained sitting.
She gave him a token bow. "Thank you for the scene, Sir."
Brows drawn down in anger, he didn't answer.
She turned away, annoyed more with herself than him. She was totally a sniveling, spineless slug. Why hadn't she simply said she wasn't interested in dating him? That he did nice scenes, but she didn't want anything else from him? But no-o-o, instead, she invented excuses. With a disgusted grunt, she shoved her hair back.