At His Mercy (Masters Club 1)

With gentle fingers, he lightly smeared the salve over her soft skin. She winced at his touch.

“You okay?” he asked, feeling more in control as he handled this routine aftercare. “That was quite a scene.”

She stared at him for several seconds without speaking. Her brow furrowed, her lower lip protruding in a slight pout. Her mouth worked a moment, no sound issuing, as if she were struggling over what to say. Finally, she replied, “Yes, Sir. I’m fine.” Her tone was respectful, but without warmth.

He regarded her. Something was going on. As her mentor, it was his responsibility to make sure things were going well for her as she got her bearings. “What is it? Did Oscar do something to make you uncomfortable?”

Her eyes widened, as if in disbelief. Then, to his surprise, she barked a small, sharp laugh. “No, Sir. Master Oscar was awesome. The scene was amazing. It’s just…I was surprised to see you there after…” She trailed off, not completing the thought. The sweet, slightly bleary expression of submissive satiation had vanished from her face. What was going on in that head of hers?

“You can tell me,” Cameron reassured her.

“To tell you the truth,” she blurted in a rush of words, “The way you left so abruptly, I thought you’d left the club.”

He could see why she thought that, as it had been his intention to do just that. As a pleasure sub, she had no right to question a Master’s actions, unless they directly endangered her. Not that she’d directly questioned him, but he felt the implied rebuke. Still, he had to admit, he had been kind of an ass, running away from…from what exactly?

From a hornets’ nest of feelings better left unexplored.

He cleared his throat. “Ah. Yes. I just, uh, I wanted to give you a chance to collect yourself before you went down to the main dungeon.” He busied himself with the salve, using a small, soft cloth to lightly dab away any excess. “You’ve comported yourself very well and are no longer in need of any active oversight. Of course, I’m still here for you as your mentor, and you should feel free to come to me with any questions or concerns regarding the club.”

His words sounded stilted to his own ears, his voice stiff. What the fuck was his problem?

His problem was that she looked so damn beautiful lying there, the mounds of her perfect breasts like ripe peaches, her coppery hair spread out in a riot of loose curls around her lovely face.

But it was more than that.

Normally, he thought of the pleasure subs and service slaves as lovely, compliant ornaments there for the Masters’ enjoyment. But he was having a hard time of it with Jess. She wasn’t just a nice piece of eye candy who knew how to submit with grace and passion. Despite her relative youth, she was a sexy, complex, intriguing woman he couldn’t get the hell out of his mind.

The thick, painstakingly built wall between his two separate worlds was in danger of crumbling.

It wasn’t that there was no overlap in those worlds, but, until now, it had always been manageable. There were a number of active members in the Masters Club with whom he crossed paths in the professional arena. Many of the members were influential movers and shakers in the finance, law, commerce and medical communities. It was an insider network on par with any old boys’ club. Except, unlike those often exclusionary, incestuous relationships, the Masters Club didn’t discriminate based on sex, connections or material wealth.

He just needed to shore up the wall—tap the few bricks that had come loose back into place. He’d had a temporary lapse in self-control, easily understandable given Jess’s considerable charms. He would do better. He would make sure their two worlds stayed separate. The Lansing merger was nearly complete, and their paths rarely crossed at work. He’d just make sure to keep it that way.

Jess sat up and got to her feet, and Cameron stood as well. “Thank you, Sir,” she replied, her voice as stiff as his had been. “I appreciate that.” She turned sharply away, but not before he saw the pain in her eyes, or the tears that welled there.

Jess is hurting, and it’s your fault.

All the resolve of a moment before fell away. Before he could stop himself, Cameron reached for her shoulders, turning her back to face him. A single tear slipped down her cheek and something cracked in Cameron’s heart. Lowering his face to hers, he gave in, the wall tumbling down.

Taking her face in his hands, he crushed her lips with his, urgent and hungry. Her lips remained closed at first, but after a moment, they parted. Her arms circled around his neck as they kissed. Her lips were soft, her mouth sweet and warm, her fingers cool against the back of his neck. Her hair smelled like honeysuckle and orange.