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  Roman smiled. Here in his dungeon, with a beautiful woman in submission, he was his happiest. Today he probably felt happier than usual, even. Was it because of Jessica?

  Possibly.

  She cried out when Mistress Lauren flogged her with more intensity, instinctively pulling her hips against the wall in an effort to escape the lash.

  “Uh-oh, someone moved,” Lauren sang. “Roman, if you’d please.”

  Roman tossed the paddle from one hand to the other, loosening up. “I’m going to support your waist with my arm, if that’s okay,” he said to Jessica.

  She looked at him and nodded. “Okay.”

  Roman leaned next to her, wrapping his arm around her petite hips, her ass pushed out, waiting for his paddling. But he had to go easy on her, since while her back was a lovely shade of pink, her bottom was not.

  “Are you still scared of me?” he asked, not sure what he wanted the answer to be.

  She laughed a little, and looked away for a moment as if she were feeling shy. It was so cute. “In a good way. Yes.”

  “You need to be warmed up,” he said. He gave her a couple of light spanks, relishing the feel of her skin, of her firm, round buttocks beneath his palm. Her ass was meant to be spanked, absolutely.

  “Here we go. Breathe,” he ordered, and gave her one swift swat with the paddle.

  Tears came to her eyes immediately. “Ow.”

  “You’re the one that moved out of position, knowing that if you did I would paddle you,” Roman said, fighting an unusual desire to comfort her. Emotions had no place in his training, they never did until Elisabeth, and look where that had gotten him.

  Lauren glared at him. What?

  “Are you okay, pretty girl?” she asked Jessica.

  “Yes, ma’am, I’m fine. Just wasn’t expecting that to hurt so much.”

  “Roman tends to do things that hurt,” Lauren said. “So remember that now, and try not to move.”

  “Yes, Mistress Lauren.”

  “Still green?”

  “I sure am, ma’am. Thank you.” Jessica got back into position, facing the wall.

  Lauren looked at Roman and winked before bringing the flogger down twice in quick succession.

  Jessica rolled out of the way to avoid more, then quickly got back into position. “Sorry! Sorry, that doesn’t count. I didn’t mean to.”

  “Oh, but it does count,” Lauren said. “Doesn’t that count as moving, Roman?”

  “It does,” he agreed, and wrapped his arm around Jessica’s waist again to stabilize her. “Another spank with the paddle might help you remember not to move next time,” he said, and brought the paddle down hard.

  “It was an accident!” Jessica said.

  “Doesn’t matter,” Roman said, holding her still in his arms. She felt so good, so close. Fuck. Focus. “Moving out of position puts you in danger. The goal here is to teach your body to obey for your own safety. Getting whipped on your back won’t harm you, but getting a lash to the eye certainly would. We want to avoid that.”

  “Sorry, sir.”

  Roman spanked her with the paddle twice in a row, and she bit back a squeal even though he really held back from giving it his all. He didn’t want her to be scared of a paddling, or a spanking from him. Not too scared, anyway.

  This time when she got back in position against the wall, she held it.

  Later that afternoon, they finally emerged from the basement dungeon for lunch. Jessica felt amazing, full of energy and excitement. Her body ached but she didn’t care. She wanted more. Specifically, more from Roman. But how would she tell Lauren that without hurting her feelings?

  “I love crab,” Jessica said as she scooped another bite into her mouth. “Your cook is fabulous.”

  They ate outside to enjoy the weather. If only Roman let some nature into his home as well. The man could at least open the curtains for the view of his expansive lawn, for crying out loud.

  But apparently Roman liked it dark. Hmm.

  “I think,” Lauren said, sipping her soda, “that we need to go over some things you’d be interested or not interested in for the future.”

  Roman nodded. “We should have done that before. If you had, Lauren, you’d have known ahead of time that Jessica didn’t want to be called a little whore.”

  Jessica blushed at the words coming from Roman’s lips. After all, he was the one who’d paid her. Surely the irony didn’t escape him.

  “It’s okay,” Jessica muttered. “I suppose I am.”

  “No,” Roman said. “You’re not. You’re completely un-whore-like. It’s not flattery, just a fact.”

  “And he knows from experience,” Lauren laughed.

  He shrugged, as if to say, what of it?

  “I haven’t cashed that check you gave me,” Jessica said. “I wanted to make sure I was actually into this scene first, you know, in real life.”

  Lauren was in the middle of cracking open a crab leg, but she didn’t miss a beat. “Any thoughts, so far?”

  This was it. Now was the time to tell Lauren that she wasn’t interested in being trained by her. But what if Roman didn’t want to train her as a sub? What if by ending it with Lauren, she ended any chance she had of seeing Roman again?

  “I don’t know,” she lied.

  “Do you like kissing me?” Lauren asked bluntly. “You can say anything, I won’t get offended. In fact, let’s make it less about me, more about you. Do you like kissing girls?”

  Okay, this she could do. She would just be honest. “I do like kissing girls, but that’s pretty much it.”

  A glance passed between Lauren and Roman. “So, how do you feel about a woman touching your breasts, your nipples?”

  Jessica shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m just not that into it. It’s not that I would hate it, but . . . it doesn’t do anything for me, sexually. I’m into men, mainly.”

  “How about oral sex with a woman, giving it, I mean?” Roman asked.

  She tried to keep from looking at her crab, but couldn’t help it. “Not into it.” That was putting it mildly.

  Roman laughed. “Okay, how about receiving? If a woman tied you down and licked your pussy?”

  Oh my God. Hearing Roman talking about her pussy was too much. She flushed. “I like the idea of being tied down and eaten out,” she said slowly. “But when I imagine it, I’d like it to be a man, not a woman. No offense.”

  “None taken,” Lauren said. She squeezed her lemon slice over her fingers, rubbing them together.

  “What if a woman used a vibrator on you?”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Lauren. Kissing you in the pool was one thing. And I love the idea of being trained as a submissive, because I know there’s a lot to learn, and I want to learn. I do. But I . . . I may have been too quick to agree to be your submissive. I’m sorry.”

  She looked up at Lauren, whose face didn’t betray any emotion one way or another. “You’re right, Jess. Marc didn’t even ask you, really, before he offered you the experience.”

  “It’s okay,” she said.

  Roman sipped his drink, watching them. “Jessica, you don’t have to continue with this if you’re not into it. In fact, I’d highly recommend that you don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

  Her eyes stung with unshed tears. “I feel like such a loser. Like I led you on for nothing. It wasn’t my intention.” She took Lauren’s hand, hoping to rekindle the easy friendship they seemed to have before. “I really like you a lot. You’re gorgeous and strong and amazing. Would I sound like a complete douche if I said it’s not you, it’s me? Because it is.”

  Lauren clasped her other hand over Jessica’s. “Don’t worry about, sweetheart. It’s fine. We can still be friends.”

  “Really?” But what could Jessica possibly offer her if not her
admittedly poor submission?

  Lauren laughed. “Of course really. Besides, I think we’ll be seeing a lot of each other if you plan on continuing your training.”

  Roman cocked his head to the side. “Are you offering my services on my behalf, Mistress Lauren?”

  “Oh come on, you know you want to. I saw how you looked at her today.”

  “Lauren. We need to speak privately.” His tone was sharp, clipped.

  Uh oh. It seemed pretty clear that he didn’t want to train her. Jessica looked down at her plate, her appetite gone.

  “Excuse us,” Lauren said, and stood.

  Roman followed her back into the house, leaving Jessica sitting alone at the table. Feeling like a fool. An unwanted fool. If she had a car, she would have left right then and there. But Lauren was her ride, so that wasn’t possible. She’d just have to stick it out.

  Damn it, she shouldn’t have told them the truth. Then at least she’d still get to see Roman while Lauren was training her.

  She held her breath. Their voices, snippets of the conversation, carried out to the lawn. They must have left the front door open. Being on the side of the house, Jessica couldn’t tell for certain.

  “You shouldn’t have done that. I can make my own arrangements.” Roman’s voice. What arrangements? With her?

  “Give me a break, you’ve had your eyes on her since she started at the club.” Lauren sounded annoyed.

  “I sincerely hope Marc gives you a sound spanking when he hears about this.”

  Jessica gasped. She couldn’t imagine Mistress Lauren getting spanked. But she could easily imagine Marc Wilde doing the spanking. Yeah, she could imagine that.

  She squirmed in her seat. Finally, she stood and walked over to them. Sure enough, they stood in the front hall with the door wide open, in a heated debate.

  “I don’t want you guys to fight. Sir, I know you’re way too busy to train me, and I understand. Here.” She handed him back his check, slightly rumpled, folded in half. “Maybe I could just get my job back?”

  Roman turned to her, looking at the check. “You can have your job, if you’d like. You can also keep the money.”

  “I don’t want to keep the money, sir.”

  “Of course you do.” Lauren shook her head. “You should keep it, Jess. You earned it. And it’s not like this guy needs it.” She gestured her thumb toward Roman as if he weren’t standing right there, a look of amusement on his face.

  “That’s true,” he said. “Consider it a gift.”

  “I will not, sir. I can’t take it. I don’t want to be obligated to you. Especially when I’m not giving you anything in return.”

  Roman took a step forward until he stood, towering over her. He took the check from her trembling hand and crumpled it, dropping it to the floor like it was garbage.

  “There. Do you feel better now?”

  Did she? Yes. At least now she wasn’t in anyone’s debt, and she had been honest with Lauren about not wanting to be her sub. So she’d just have to go back to the status quo, working her ass off at the club and lying to her parents about being in school so they’d send her money for rent. That part was the worst.

  But if she told them the truth and had to go back home to Denver, she’d definitely never see Roman Chase again. Maybe that was actually the worst part. She’d never been as attracted to another person in her life as she was to Roman.

  “As much as I don’t like how Lauren handled things just now,” Roman said, “she did have a good idea. You could stay here, and train with me.”

  Oh my goodness. Jessica didn’t dare smile, in case it was all a joke. “Stay here?”

  “Perhaps it’s we who need to talk in private, Jessica,” he said. “Why don’t you stay here for a little while so we can discuss the matter.”

  Lauren nodded. “Only if you want to, hon.”

  “How will I get home?”

  “I’ll drive you now, if you want,” she said. “Or if you stay here—”

  “I will arrange for you to get home when you’re ready to go,” Roman said. “But, unlike last time we discussed your training, I will expect you to make your own decision about the matter. No one will take offense.”

  There was nothing to think about. Absolutely, she wanted to be alone with Roman. She looked at Lauren. “You won’t be mad?”

  “Jessica, I won’t be mad. Marc and I only want to scene with someone who’s into it. If you’re not, then we’re better off as friends. Besides, I have a feeling Marc might let me keep Tiff.” She winked at Roman.

  “Tiff has been good for you two,” Roman said. “You just might want to work a little harder to convince Marc you’ll be able to keep her work as his secretary out of it.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m on it.” Lauren gave Jessica a warm hug. “Thank you for giving me a chance to scene with you today. You did wonderfully. I’d love to take you out to lunch next week, if you’re up for it. As friends.”

  “I’m still trying to figure out why you’d want my company, Mistress Lauren,” Jessica said. “Especially after I messed things up here like this.”

  “Hey!” Lauren put her finger under Jessica’s chin, so she had no choice but to look straight into her pretty blue eyes. “Cut out the low-self-esteem crap. You’re supposed to get over that when you’re done being a teenager.”

  Jessica giggled. “Okay. And lunch sounds awesome. Thank you.”

  “Good.” Lauren gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and then stood on her tippy toes to give one to Roman. “I’ll let you know how my spanking goes, sir.”

  She laughed and walked out the front door, leaving Jessica and Roman alone in the front hall.

  Alone. With Roman.

  “Do you think Marc’s really going to spank her?” she asked.

  “No. He’s only her Dom in the bedroom. But if she were my submissive, she’d absolutely be spanked.” He paused. “How do you feel about that?”

  Her feminist younger sister would have a heart attack. So would her parents. But Jessica kind of liked the idea of being taken in hand by a man like Roman.

  “Well, if the woman consents, it wouldn’t be abuse, right?” she asked. “I only ask because, you know, some people would say spanking a woman for behaving inappropriately is terribly old-fashioned.”

  “It is that,” he agreed. “Let’s continue this conversation in the living room.” He started walking without waiting for her to respond, so she followed.

  Roman’s living room had huge floor-to-ceiling curtains covering one wall. Jessica looked at them wistfully, wishing he’d open them. It was so nice outside, and so gloomy inside. She walked over to the window and pushed the curtain to the side a bit, peering out.

  “It’s a beautiful day,” she said, and left the curtain slightly open before sitting on the plush white rug.

  “Why are you sitting on the floor?” he asked as he sat on the sleek black leather couch.

  “It’s soft.”

  “It’s a very submissive thing to do,” he said. The way he said it made it sound like a high compliment, and she smiled. “I’m going to be very up front with you, Jessica. Lauren was right, I do want to take over your training.”

  “I thought you were trying to stop doing that?”

  He smirked. “Yeah, I did say that, didn’t I? I think what I meant was I’m sick of the merry-go-round of girls. I’d like you to consider living here, with me, for a while, as my submissive.”

  Living with him? She looked around at the luxury he surrounded himself with. His living room alone was five times the size of her entire apartment. But how could she be his submissive if she didn’t know the first thing about it?

  “I’d like that,” she said. “I have no idea what I’m doing, but I’ve been thinking a lot about you, and wanting to get to know you better. It seems kind of extreme, though, movi
ng into your home when we don’t even know each other.”

  “We know enough. Think about all of the arranged marriages that work out because they’re essentially business decisions. I’m a Dom, and I need a submissive. Someone who will stay awhile and is willing to submit to me. You’re a natural-born sub who needs training to bring out your true self. And you’re attracted to me.”

  Jessica didn’t bother to deny it. Who wouldn’t be attracted to him? He looked like a celebrity and he knew it. But . . . “Arranged marriage?”

  “No, don’t misunderstand,” he said quickly. “I’m never getting married. I have no expectations of us . . . falling in love, or anything of that nature. I merely want a submissive. If you think it’s something you’d like to do, then I think we should jump in with both feet. You move in.”

  Jessica raised her eyebrows. “I don’t even know what I’m signing up for, sir.”

  “As my submissive, you would do as I say. You would respect me, obey me, and serve me. As your Dom, I would take full responsibility for your well-being. That includes paying off your student loans, incidentally.”

  Another generous offer. Another way to sell herself for money.

  “I don’t want to be your whore, sir.”

  “Not my whore. My submissive. As my submissive, you will never again be allowed to speak poorly of yourself, and if you do I will spank you. Do you understand what I’m saying here? Because that’s a good example of the sort of rules you’d have to follow. Mistress Lauren was right that you need to get over your hang-ups and insecurities. I . . . can help.”

  The rug beneath her had a stream of light across it from the curtain she’d left partially open. Did he notice? She put her hand in the light, watching the sunlight play across her skin. Roman wanted her. She wanted him. So what if he didn’t think he could fall in love with her? Did it really matter, as long as she got to be with him every day?

  “Would this be a . . . a sexual relationship, sir?”

  “Yes.” He stared down at her, not elaborating. He didn’t even look particularly lustful. It was if they were discussing having tea instead of negotiating sex.