“Kate, what are you looking for in a Dom?” Will smiled pleasantly at her, but she remembered not to look up.
“You can look at me,” he added when she opened her mouth to answer to the coffee table.
“Someone kind, who I’m compatible with. In my daily life I’m not a submissive woman, so being twenty-four-seven isn’t going to work.” Why did she suddenly sound so sad? “I like it in the bedroom, but not as a constant way of life.”
Nick smiled. “I’m sure if you were twenty-four-seven material, Banner wouldn’t have invited us over.”
“How does she respond to pain and discipline?” Josh’s gaze was too intense for Banner’s comfort. He wasn’t known for being rough with his subs, but Banner didn’t like him for her now.
“Kate responds well to small amounts.” He’d have to be careful here. Some Doms hated dealing with challenging subs. “She’s a very good girl if given the right incentive, but she can get a little bratty. It’s part of her personality, though, so I don’t think that should be crushed. However, that would be between her and her Dom.”
They were all nodding, but the gleam in Josh’s eye worried him. Kate didn’t need a hard-core sadist Dom. That wouldn’t be a good match, unless she was more into pain than he thought.
A discussion about discipline ensued, and he felt the tension gradually ease out of Kate’s body.
Later, the caterer signaled that dinner was ready, then left the premises. When they arrived in the dining room, Banner put a cushion beside each chair.
“While we eat, Kate will take turns kneeling next to each of you so that you can get to know her better. You can choose to have her sit on your lap, but while she wears my collar, I know you’ll respect my wishes that she not be touched in a sexual manner.”
They served themselves, and Banner unclipped the leash and sent Kate to visit Nick, who sat directly to his right.
Jakob, on Banner’s left, passed him the steak. “She’s beautiful. Did she have any kink experience before you?”
“No, she was vanilla before me. She wasn’t sure she’d be interested in submission, but it runs deep. I think with time and trust she’ll be less cautious about handing over control.”
Jakob turned his attention to eating and watching Kate. At first, seeing her talk to Nick bothered Banner, until he realized that although they were being polite, there didn’t seem to be a spark there for either of them.
When she returned to Banner, he directed her to kneel at his side. He cut some meat and fed her by hand while she looked up at him. She slipped farther into subspace and with the third bite of food, instead of taking the morsel impersonally, she sucked the juice from his thumb. His cock jerked, hating to be left out.
He leaned down and put his mouth to her ear. “Bad girl. You do that again, and I’ll punish you when our guests leave.”
“Yes, Sir. Sorry.”
Like hell she was.
Her eyes narrowed with interest, and he wondered if spanking her now, in front of all of them, would freak her out too much.
“Go to Will, then to Everard, Josh, and Jakob, in the order of the table. Come back to me to eat your dinner in between.”
She nodded and rose. The grace and sway of Kate’s hips while she walked to Will kept Banner’s gaze glued to her ass. His mouth watered, and it had nothing to do with the steak. The two talked for a while, but there didn’t seem to be much of a connection there either.
Kate returned to him, looking slightly bored. He fed her a few cubed potatoes, and with the second bite she brazenly swirled her tongue around his index finger, with none of the others the wiser.
With a low growl, he gave her the Dom eye. Kate smirked, even knowing he’d threatened her earlier.
When Kate got to Everard, he pushed his chair back and settled Kate on his knee. She watched the man shyly through lowered lashes but laughed at his jokes and was gradually drawn into conversation.
Jealousy ate at Banner, and he wished he’d never thought of inviting the man. The two glanced down the table at Banner at one point, and he wished he could hear what they were whispering about.
She returned, but refused food. “Sir, I need to . . . use . . . to go to . . .
Banner got to his feet and clipped the leash onto her collar. They left the room together and went upstairs to the private section of the house.
“I don’t need help in the bathroom.” Kate smothered a laugh, sounding intoxicated even though she hadn’t drank.
“No?” He pulled her to face him.
“No, Sir.” She blinked up at him, waiting.