Finding Master Right (Masters Unleashed 1)

Now she had to find a way to end her date with Ambrose.

***

Faking cramps worked to get out of the rest of their night together. He hadn’t even seemed that broken up about it, which only made it sting more.

At her place, she rubbed Pixie’s belly until Janine arrived, armed with her favorite flavor of Ben & Jerry’s.

“What happened?” Janine said after they doled out huge bowlfuls of ice cream. “Why

the sudden crisis?”

Kate shook her head. “Nobody likes me, and I think I’m going to die childless and single with a vibrator as my only sex partner.”

Janine choked on a bite of ice cream and half coughed, half laughed for a minute. “That’s ridiculous. What would make you think that?”

“Ambrose won’t fuck me. I put out so many signals. The last step is a flashing sign above my vagina that says ‘For a good time, stick your cock in here.’”

Janine choked again, laughing at the same time. “Seriously. Stop it. I’m trying to help you wallow in ice cream here.”

Kate sighed. Even Cherry Garcia wasn’t making her feel better.

“Don’t be sad, Kate,” she said, sobering. “There’s someone out there for you. If Ambrose can’t see how hot you are, and how kinky, and maybe a little desperate . . .”

Kate tossed her a glare.

“Then he’s an idiot and not meant for you. Personally, I think you had more of a shot with Banner. At least you didn’t need a vagina sign for him to satisfy your slutty urges.” She winked.

“You know why that ended.” Though lately, she’d been questioning that. But it was too late. Banner had probably moved on. Plus, even if she did want the Master/slave thing, did he even want her? From the way he insisted on foisting her off on Ambrose, it seemed unlikely. He could have anyone. He was loving and sexy and a damn good Dom, and there were so many submissive girls out there who would do anything to be his. And what did she have to offer except a big ass and a hell of a lot of work when it came to submission? Maybe if she hadn’t challenged him so much, she’d have stood a better chance.

“Yeah, that was a bunch of bullshit,” Janine said, catching her attention. “You’re both being stupid.”

“What?” Janine was the one person she could count on for support. They bitched about men, vented about work, and watched trashy reality TV to make themselves feel better about their lives. They definitely didn’t call each other out on stuff.

“You two are good together. You just don’t see it.”

“I’m not what he wants.”

“Bullshit!”

She shook her head. “You don’t understand.”

“I’d spank you myself if I had an ounce of dominance in me,” she scolded.

Even the lame threat didn’t make Kate laugh.

Janine stuffed a bite of ice cream in her mouth. Kate had let the rest of hers turn to soup, feeling nauseated with anxiety.

“I’d get Chris to spank you if I didn’t think Banner would blow a gasket.”

Kate froze. What?

“It’d be hot to watch anyway,” Janine said, more to herself.

“Why would Banner care what anyone does to me? He’s the one who threw me at Ambrose.”

Janine scraped the bottom of her bowl, then licked the spoon clean. “Yeah, well, he’s been moping around for weeks. You should see him. It’s so obvious he’s jealous.”

Kate rejected the idea immediately. She didn’t mean that much to him. If she did, he wouldn’t have been encouraging her relationship with Ambrose every time she called or dropped by. He always seemed so happy for them. Maybe she’d been exaggerating about how well things were going because she wanted to show she’d moved on and that they could still be friends. But really, she was lying to herself. According to her fantasies, she hadn’t moved on. And staying friends was killing her. With Ambrose not putting out, and her constantly comparing him to Banner, her sex drive was through the roof. It was a good thing they hadn’t seen each other in a while or she’d have trouble not jumping him.