One True Master (Desire Island 1)

Just the words—orgasm control…impact play…bondage—got Skylar’s juices flowing.

“I don’t have an issue with the sexual aspects,” Skylar replied. “I think my problem in the past has been that I scene with guys I don’t know very well. Won’t this just be more of the same?”

“To some degree, yes, insofar as you won’t be submitting to a lover but rather a trainer. But he won’t just be some random guy in the scene. He’ll have the opportunity to study your profile and your responses to the questionnaire. You’ll have the chance to meet him beforehand, if not in person, on video chat. You’ll be able to engage in a give-and-take about whatever you have questions about.

“I think our Master Caelan would be a good fit for you. He’s been an active member of both the New York and the Durham BDSM scenes for the past ten years. His non-scene background is interesting in that he’s a medical doctor who did his residency in psychiatry.”

Skylar instantly pictured some boring, old guy sitting in a black leather chair, scribbling notes and nodding knowingly while a patient clutching a tissue babbled on about their fucked-up childhood. “That’s…different,” she offered uncertainly. Did she want some guy psychoanalyzing her?

“He’s been involved in some cutting-edge research into BDSM as a healthy alternative to the mainstream. He’s published several papers in the psychiatric journals providing hard data to support what we in the lifestyle have long been aware of—people who practice BDSM are happier overall than their vanilla counterparts.”

“Wow, that’s cool,” Skylar said, thinking about how happy Rhi and James were.

“Isn’t it? He’s also an experienced trainer. He worked at Le Chateau in New York for several years, where he honed his skills as a Dominant, training dozens of submissives to realize their deepest potential. With his psychiatric training, I think he brings a unique blend of insight, empathy and understanding to his role as a BDSM trainer.”

They talked for a while longer, delving deeper into some of Skylar’s BDSM fantasies, along with her goals and desires. “I think you’ll be an excellent candidate for submissive training,” Mistress Ella eventually said. “Master Caelan will be in touch.”

After they hung up, Skylar opened her laptop and clicked on the staff bios. She opened Master Caelan’s page and focused on his photo. She liked the name Caelan. He looked to be in his mid-thirties. He was dressed in the requisite black leather, a large, scary-looking whip coiled in his hand. He was a big man—not fat, but tall and broad-shouldered, his build muscular. He was staring directly into the camera, his expression serious. He wasn’t classically handsome—his nose a little too big, his deep-set gray eyes a little too close together. But there was a kind of stillness in his expression, like some kind of Zen Master, that drew and held her attention.

She stared at the photo for a long time, mesmerized by those clear gray eyes, such a striking contrast to his dark, curling hair. “Are you the guy? Will you help me figure out who I really am?”

Chapter 3

Caelan Macaulay reviewed the applicant’s responses one more time before their scheduled video chat over WhatsApp. He’d helped to design the questionnaire, including multiple questions scattered throughout to get at the true underlying motivations and desires that went beyond mere sexual titillation. He got a sense of both Skylar’s desire to connect with her inner submissive along with lingering ambivalence about her feelings. This initial contact would give him a better sense of her before formal training got underway.

He served as both the island’s resident physician as needed, and as a trainer for the subs interested in the total immersion experience. It had been a long time—too long—since he’d had a sub girl of his own. At thirty-four, he’d yet to marry. The insane hours required in his medical training and career had made it close to impossible to find the time for an intimate relationship.

He’d been more than ready for a change when Ella Bertrand and Ryan Summerlin had approached him. In the three months he’d been on the island, he’d settled in nicely. The work didn’t feel like work at all, and the paradise setting didn’t hurt either.

He derived enormous satisfaction from training submissives to reach their fullest potential, but he had to always be mindful of his role as a professional. Because of that, it was sometimes a lonely business. He had an obligation as a trainer to keep his emotional distance. Trainees often engaged in a kind of transference, believing they were in love with him, when in fact they just loved what he was giving them, and who they became under his tutelage. He made it a point to maintain gentle but firm control over the emotional and sexually-charged side of things, not only for his trainees, but for himself.