At Master Jack’s direction, she remained naked beneath the garment. Because the fabric of her dress was sheer, it was evident to anyone who looked that she wasn’t wearing a bra.
He, of course, looked gorgeous as always, in black linen trousers and a pale-yellow button-down silk shirt, Italian leather loafers on his feet.
As they ate breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant, she was keenly aware of the hungry stares of their overly attentive waiter as he surreptitiously ogled her breasts, the nipples of which poked against the sheer fabric of her light summer dress. Fortunately, Master Jack made no demands that might embarrass her further, though his hand resting lightly on her bare thigh throughout the meal kept her aroused.
He spoke easily of this and that during the meal, telling her about what mutual acquaintances back in London were up to. She listened, trying to pay attention while quieting the fears racing in her brain. If only he hadn’t made love to her like that!
Masters, at least every Master she’d ever been with, didn’t make love. They took what they wanted, and that had always suited her. But he’d crossed the line this morning, taking her to a place too intimate to be safe. Where had her resolve gone? In spite of her determination to remain strong, he’d broken through carefully erected barriers with a flick of his tongue and the whisper of her name.
After breakfast, they headed to the Masters Club. Master Jack eased his car into an empty space in the large garage, which had been converted from its original use as a horse stable.
Cleo was glad for the distraction of the upcoming training session with Eric and the new slave trainee. She wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about Master Jack tagging along, not that she’d been consulted on the matter.
On one hand, it would have been good to get a breather from the intensity of their time together so far. She needed some space to figure out what the hell was going on, and how she should handle it if she was going to survive until he disappeared again.
On the other hand, as hard as it was to admit, she didn’t want to be apart from this man even for a second. After all, their time was limited by definition to a few days. Then he’d be gone, flying back to her hometown, while she remained in his.
Maybe she should just give in and stop fighting her own emotions. After all, he was just using her as a fun diversion before heading back to his real life. Why shouldn’t she do the same?
Master Jack turned off the ignition and faced Cleo. “I’m meeting Eric in the auction room to get acquainted and to discuss scene parameters. You’re to go straight up to the training room with the straddle beam. The new trainee, Rowan, should be there waiting.”
Cleo experienced a sudden pang as she thought about Rowan arriving at the Masters Club without Cleo being there to greet and acclimate her. She always tried to welcome newbies—pleasure subs and trainees alike.
Ah, well. Brandon would have seen to Rowan. And at least she’d get a few minutes alone with the girl to introduce herself.
As they stepped inside the brownstone, Cleo at once removed her dress and sandals, as service slaves and pleasure subs were always to be either naked or in whatever fetishwear pleased their owners. Cleo, not at all shy about her body, preferred to go naked during the day, saving the outfits for dungeon play.
Her hand fluttered reflexively toward her throat, with its missing collar. She understood Master Jack’s removing it for the duration of their brief contract. But she felt its absence more keenly now that she was home. She wanted to ask him if she could wear it while on the premises, but she decided against it.
This was his show, after all. He’d paid a pretty penny for the privilege, and she would go along as best she could.
And anyway, the real symbol of her slave status was the silver band with the gold O-ring she wore on her right-hand ring finger. She hadn’t taken off the ring since she’d earned the status of Masters Club service slave, and wasn’t sure how she would have handled it if Master Jack had required it.
It being mid-morning, the place was mostly deserted. She parted ways with Master Jack and walked up the wide staircase past the main dungeon on the second floor to the private dungeons and training rooms on the third.
When she arrived at the straddle beam room, she entered to find a young woman kneeling on a yoga mat. She had a tumble of black curls framing a pretty face with huge, dark eyes, a strong nose and full, sensual lips. Her breasts were high and firm, the prominent nipples pierced with gold barbells. The girl didn’t appear to be much past her early twenties, if that. She looked up as Cleo entered, flashing a nervous, shy smile.