Chapter Five
Cole waited outside the front doors as the car holding their guests for the week pulled up. Sasha watched him from her place off to the side of the door. She brushed her hands over the uniform Cole set out for her, and they trembled just a bit in excitement.
The week Cole had planned for them all was so unlike anything she’d ever done and she couldn’t imagine any of the players had done anything similar, either. He hadn’t told her much, just to expect a little bit of role play. She rather liked being dressed up in the servant’s outfit Cole had selected specifically today for everyone’s arrival. Especially wearing Cole’s collar. It wasn’t exactly like when he trained her in slave service for two weeks, but it was close enough.
Since that time, she’d done everything she could to get to the root of why she liked being Cole’s so much. In fact, she’d filled half a notebook with thoughts. On one hand, she felt like she shouldn’t like it. After all, she was a small business owner. She was intelligent and self-sufficient. So why did she get off on serving Cole?
She’d never questioned her submissive nature before, but once she’d experimented as his slave, she couldn’t help but question the way that experience made her feel. She’d found everything about serving him twenty-four/seven made her feel at peace and content. Even though he’d told her that they weren’t going to be in a Master/slave relationship at this point in time, her belly still quivered with excitement simply thinking about it.
Maybe that was why she had so looked forward to this week. No, it wasn’t exactly like being a slave, but it was pretty close. Already she could see Cole’s eyes grow dark with lust and wanting when he looked at her in the uniform. Even though it was only for role play. Of course, he probably also liked the fact that she didn’t have anything on underneath her short skirt.
“When you least expect it, I’m going to push you against a wall, lift your skirt, and fuck you good and hard,” he’d told her when he set out the uniform.
“Yes, Sir. Please and thank you and can you do it now?” she’d asked, but he just laughed, gave her backside a swat, and told her to be patient.
Cole opened the car door and let Abby and Julie out. The two women had their heads together looking over the huge house. The driver of the car let Daniel and Nathaniel out and then got the bags from the back. Cole motioned her forward.
Game on.
She scurried down the stairs to where Cole stood, talking with the foursome. “Ah,” he said when he saw her. “Here’s my servant girl, Ms. Blake. Ms. Blake, will you take the ladies up to their quarters? I’m sure they would like to refresh themselves after such a long journey. The gentlemen and I would like drinks in the library in thirty minutes.”
Thirty minutes. She hid her smile. Even though it was a role play, he was giving her time to chat with her friends. “Yes, my lord.” She curtsied and didn’t miss his wink as she stood. “Mrs. West, Ms. Masterson, if you don’t mind following me.”
Both ladies bid the men good-bye and walked behind Sasha as they all made their way to the entrance. They kept the roles up until they crossed the threshold and the heavy wooden doors closed behind them.
“Girl, look at you,” Julie said. “You look hot dressed like a maid.”
Abby nodded. “I have got to get me one of those uniforms. Nathaniel would die.”
“It has definitely fueled a few fantasies,” Sasha said, tugging at the short skirt. “I’d be lying if I said otherwise.”
“And look at this house.” Julie walked around the foyer. “It’s huge. How old is it, anyway?”
“I think Cole said at least a couple hundred years. It’s been renovated a few times.” Sasha motioned the women to follow her. “Come on upstairs. Let me show you your rooms.”
“Definitely won’t find anything like this Stateside,” Abby said. “It’s stunning.”
“Wait until you see the gardens. I think we’re doing something out there tomorrow. Cole won’t tell me all of his plans.”
Was it her imagination or did a look pass between Julie and Abby?
They didn’t say anything else, so she led them upstairs to the massive bedrooms. She stopped at the first one on the right. “Abby, you and Nathaniel will be in here.” She pointed across the hall. “Julie, you and Daniel are in there.”
Julie’s eyes danced with merriment. “And where do you sleep?”
“Servant’s quarters are up another flight of stairs.”
“Avoiding the question?” Abby asked.
The front door opened down the stairs and the sound of masculine laughter filled the air.
“Master Johnson sometimes requests assistance in the night, so he’s asked me to sleep in his chamber,” she said, trying to keep a straight face as she fell back into role. “But he wouldn’t want such scandalous information to get out. So you will keep that to yourself, yes?”
“Of course,” Abby said.
“So if you hear anyone walking the halls in the middle of the night, it’s probably me. No need to check.” Sasha tapped her lips as if in thought. “And if you hear any screams, or moans, or anything like that, it’s just me providing the assistance Master Johnson requires. He told me I have to try to be quieter, but sometimes I can’t help it.”
Julie didn’t even try to contain her laughter. “Deal. As long as you ignore it if there are any strange noises coming from our room.”
They shook on it.
Abby trailed her finger along the doorframe to her room. “I don’t feel like refreshing myself in my room. I want to see more of this place. Can you show us around a bit?”
***
Shit. Shit. Shit. Sasha ran down the hall to the library. Or as quickly as she could move while carrying a tray of drinks. The tour she gave the women had taken longer than she planned and she was ten minutes late bringing the drinks to the men.
Coming to a stop outside the door, she took a deep breath and knocked.
“Enter,” Cole said from inside.
She pushed the door open just a crack. Cole stood near the fireplace. She couldn’t see the other two men.
“Today, if you please, Ms. Blake. I believe you’ve kept us waiting long enough.”
Shit.
She pushed the door all the way open and stepped inside.
“Put the tray on the table to your right and then come kneel before me,” Cole said in a voice so chilling she shivered.
She hurried to do as he asked, still uttering curses in her head as she went to her knees in front of him.
“When did I tell you to have drinks here?” he asked.
“Thirty minutes after you bid me to take the ladies to their quarters.”
“I see, so you did understand?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“And was I not being generous in allowing you time to talk with the ladies?”
“Yes, Sir. Very generous.”
“And yet you thank me by disrespecting my guests here in the library.”
“I meant no disrespect, Sir.”
“Whether you meant it or not is inconsequential to this discussion. You were given a command, you did not follow it, and now there will be consequences.”
Damn it all to hell. This was not how she pictured the first day going.
“I asked Master West and Master Covington if they would like to assist in your correction. However, due to the relationships they have with the ladies upstairs, they have passed.”
She allowed herself a sigh of relief. How embarrassing would that have been? Bad enough for Cole to punish her, but for someone else as well?
“Heir Brose arrived twenty minutes ago, though, and he has no issue with helping me.”
Suddenly, there weren’t enough curse words to mutter in her head. Heir Brose was the man who had mentored Cole years ago. People thought Cole was a hard ass, but that was only because they’d never met Heir Brose.