He resisted the urge to tell her exactly what he would do with it. Instead, he pulled an armchair closer to the end table so the tray rested between then. "I see no problem at all with someone who speaks her mind openly and honestly. In fact I prefer it." Brent remembered many years where he'd held his tongue for fear of censure, teasing, or outright bullying. He swore when he'd reinvented himself that he would never do that again, or require it of anyone else.

"What would you think of us eating while we talk...and watch?" He glanced toward the gla.s.s and the scene below before turning back to watch her chew her bottom lip as she considered.

Finally she raised her chin, her confidence slowly returning before his eyes. "That's the best idea I've heard in at least the last hour."

Her self-deprecating laugh made him frown. "You need to take better care of yourself. Why didn't you eat before you came tonight?"

Color blossomed in her cheeks and she visibly swallowed before trying to speak. "To be honest, I lost track of the time trying to make sure I was dressed well enough, and was brave enough, to come here."

He nodded but felt his frown deepen. "From now on, you take care of your body's needs as a priority. Understand?"

Her brow furrowed briefly and he realized he'd slipped into the mode as her Dom. He wondered if she would get spooked, but then she dropped her chin and murmured, "Yes, sir."

Chapter 5.

Heat seared through Brent at her giving him the honorific "sir," which she would call him as a sub-his sub. Subs in Club Desire never used "sir" or "ma'am" with anyone but a Dom they'd entered into a play arrangement or agreement with. But until he had her official permission and she'd outlined her limits, she was most likely answering a strong command out of habit.

No matter. It would be official soon enough.

He dropped his gaze to the tray and scanned the drink offerings. The kitchen had sent his normal preferences-c.o.ke and several bottles of water. He usually drank c.o.ke with the Jack, Crown, or Parrot Bay he also kept stocked in one of the wide drawers against the far wall.

He didn't drink at the Club often, and even then only in his own suite of rooms or one of his alcoves. Running a place of this size and type did come with its fair share of headaches, though, and sometimes he did come here to watch, drink, and unwind. Although he was always very careful that none of his members ever saw him drunk, tipsy, or in any way out of control. That wasn't to say he never allowed himself to be out of control, just that he didn't allow the members to see him that way. A trusted few, like Jake, Dex, Cameron, and some of his other main Doms, could and did back him up when he needed to escape. That meant inside the club or into the outside world, and it was only they who had seen him drunk or otherwise in those situations. He knew he could trust them in their discretion.

One thing he'd learned well from growing up as a pariah was to choose carefully those he put his trust in, and he'd become very good at making those choices. None of those in his current inner circle had made him regret the trust he'd extended, and he hoped that trend continued.

He twisted the top off a bottle of water and pa.s.sed Sandra the cold bottle.

She took a large drink and he enjoyed watching her throat work as she swallowed. She took another long drink before leaning over to study the a.s.sortment of finger sandwiches stacked neatly on plates.

"They look like the little sandwiches served at afternoon teas. I've always wanted to go to one." Her features were animated, her gray eyes bright as she met his gaze.

He smiled, pleased that she knew some details of what afternoon tea was beyond something the British did. Most Americans didn't. And she wanted to attend one.

Vivid fantasies involving Sandra, clotted cream, and a corner booth at a very busy tearoom filled his mind. He shifted in his seat to try to find a more comfortable position for his aching erection, without much success. "They are sandwiches from an afternoon tea. For my first job I spent several months in Britain and fell in love with their tradition of high tea. I don't usually have hot tea except for breakfast, but when I order finger foods from the kitchen, they know I mean these."

A smile blossomed over her face, making her even more beautiful. "You have a pretty nice setup going on here. And your staff apparently keeps you pretty spoiled."

He loved the teasing light in her eyes, and hoped he got to see this side of her more often now that she'd come back into his life. In high school he had only seen it infrequently when she was with her best friend, Mich.e.l.le, or one of the few others she was close to. He had always longed to be in that small group, but he might as well have been on a different planet for how far apart in the social high school hierarchy they were. He pulled himself back to the present and the conversation at hand.

"There's chicken salad, salmon and cuc.u.mber, and watercress egg salad. They're all excellent." He gestured to the small plate of scones, clotted cream, and jam. "We also have something sweeter if you're interested."

When Sandra continued to watch him with rapt attention, Brent picked up a small triangle of a chicken salad sandwich and held it out to her.

She held his gaze and surprised him when she didn't reach out and take it, but instead, leaned forward and took a small bite.

Heat seared through him as her even, white teeth cleanly cut a small bite out of the sandwich.

She chewed quietly, a small crumb of bread on her bottom lip, and he couldn't resist the urge to brush it off with his fingertip.

Before he could pull his hand back she snaked out her tongue and licked the tip of his finger, making him suck in a large breath as if he might never get enough air.

"Hmmm, that's good too." She looked at him speculatively, which nearly snapped all of his control. "May I have the rest of that sandwich?"

Brent mentally shook himself and handed her the rest of the small sandwich, and then took a small empty plate off the tray and filled it with an a.s.sortment of sandwiches before he handed it to her. It would be much more fun to feed her, but also much more dangerous to his weakening resolve to keep his hands off her.

"Eat. You'll need your strength."

Her gaze snapped to his and he realized that he'd once again taken on the Dom role with her without even thinking. He watched her reaction carefully, but she slowly nodded and began to eat.

Silence fell around them for a long moment. He thought about trying to eat something so she would feel more at ease, but the only thing he wanted to feast on was the woman sitting on the end of his sectional.

He couldn't count the number of times he'd lain on that sectional watching the activities below, fantasizing about playing with his high school crush while he stroked himself to a thundering o.r.g.a.s.m. He wondered how much better it would be to have her place both hands against the gla.s.s again, to pull up that peasant skirt and reveal her shapely a.s.s. To put a spreader bar between her ankles and tease her with his fingers before he thrust inside her and f.u.c.ked her while they both watched the scenes below.

He struggled to break out of the haze of raging l.u.s.t and need, and back to coherence. Thoughts like that wouldn't get him through the next few hours without taking her, and he needed to get a handle on himself.

Because no matter the man he had become, and no matter that she was in his club now, she wasn't his, and he had to face the fact that even if she chose to play scenes with him, she might never be "his" exclusively, although his body and his mind were in definite disagreement over that decree.

"These are all really good. Thank you for feeding me." She looked stronger, more confident, and her skin was flushed as she exchanged glances between the actions on the floor below and him. "Although being fed was fun too." She smiled, and it was like the sun had come out from behind a cloud. Her inner personality shone clearly, reminding him of what had fascinated him about her in high school.

"I'd have to agree. But I was sure you'd eat more food this way." He took a large drink of water to give his hands something to do. She surprised him when she pointed toward the bas.e.m.e.nt floor below.

"What's that electric device she's using on him?"

Brent's brow furrowed as he glanced down at the scene she'd indicated. If she'd never seen a violet wand in use before, either Mason's dungeon was much more on the vanilla side or she wasn't a very experienced sub, or both.

As he thought about everything he'd seen from her since she'd arrived, suspicions curled in his gut, but he kept them to himself. There would be time enough to discuss that when they took care of the administrative details.

"That's called a violet wand." He watched as the man, who dangled upside down tied by his ankles to a beam overhead, was teased with the wand by his female Domme. The man squirmed as the arcing energy snaked out to touch him, but his clearly visible erection showed he was enjoying the stimulation.

"Is it some kind of electric shock?" She sounded almost horrified as she watched.

He laid his hand over hers, pulling her gaze away from the hanging man. "It gives a low-level electrical current, and can feel like anything from lush tingles to sharp shocks depending on the setting. It brings the blood to the surface and heightens the senses. It's arousing if used correctly. But it can also be used for temporary or permanent body modifications, so limits have to be clear when using one."

She shuddered. "Body modification? You've tried it?"

"I haven't used it for that purpose, but many do, and it's a definite fetish." He glanced down at the Domme below, pleased to see she was letting the energy arc into the man's body as it found its ground instead of holding it against his skin, which caused the types of marks he'd mentioned. "I wouldn't give anyone a permanent mark like that. I'll admit, I do enjoy marking a sub with a flogger or rope, but those marks aren't permanent, and last just long enough to remind them of the intense pleasure they reached during our scene."

A visible shudder ran through Sandra and she sucked in a small breath, but he pointedly ignored her signs of arousal from his words. With his already weakening resolve, he couldn't let himself become distracted. Brent took a small breath and continued. "As for the regular use of the wand, I couldn't see using it on someone else in good conscience without knowing what it felt like to have it used on me. I was surprised, but I enjoyed it."

Sandra beamed at him. "You're a good man, Master Brent. Do all the Doms here share your views?"

He frowned, wondering exactly what her experience with Diego had been. His protective instincts roared to life once again. "All the Doms here have gone through Dom training specifically for Club Desire. Part of that is an in-depth discussion of the philosophy of the consensual power exchange between Dom and sub, as well as the ethics and responsibilities that go along with that."

He kept her gaze, trying to read any clues there as to what she'd been through, but finding none. "Our motto at Club Desire that everyone is trained to abide by is 'Safe, Sane, and Consensual.' If anything doesn't meet that standard, it isn't done here. By the same token, our sub training makes sure that the subs know their rights and their ability to set limits-basically that they have great power in the D/s equation."

Sandra frowned. "I still struggle with the thought that the sub has power. I've heard the philosophy, but from my experience I haven't really seen it practiced." She frowned, a shadow clouding her expression. "Isn't the whole idea for the Dom to have all the power over the sub?"

Brent wanted to shake his friend for not ensuring Sandra knew the basic tenets of the lifestyle. "Sandra, the sub willingly gifts a Dom with trust to take care of him or her, s.e.xually and emotionally. The sub gains even more pleasure by giving the Dom pleasure. I try never to forget that." He saw her interest sharpen and knew she hadn't had such an experience in her own D/s relationship. He wondered if she'd ever even attended a munch or gone through any sub training. He'd call Mason at the earliest opportunity and find out the details.

His inner Dom burned to be the one to train Sandra as a sub...his sub. Not only to show her what pleased him, and find out what pleased her, but to introduce her to the idea and practice of true power exchange-which was the beauty of such relationships.

"Could we try it?"

Her softly spoken question sent a spiral of searing heat through Brent's body, finally settling in his c.o.c.k. He had to forcefully remind himself that she hadn't heard his thoughts so couldn't be referring to letting him introduce her to being his sub. "What would you like to try?" He wanted to make very sure he didn't misunderstand what she was asking for.

She nodded down at the scene playing out in front of them. "The violet wand. Could we try it so I can see what it's like? I feel safe with you, Master Brent. Like I can try out new things without being scared you'll push me too far."

Her last few words wobbled, and it cut him to the heart to know that some son of a b.i.t.c.h had mistreated her. The urge to protect her shoved aside the knowledge that he shouldn't be doing this right now before she'd set her limits, signed her membership agreement, met all the Doms, and willingly chosen one or more to play with.

She just specifically asked to play with you, his traitorous body reminded him.

So despite his better judgment he found himself nodding. "I do have one up here if you'd like to try it."

She cast one more glance at the man below, who was now being slowly lowered to the ground by his Domme and lovingly caressed and kissed.

"Wow. I've never seen that outside of aftercare."

She turned to watch him with interest sparking in her expressive gray eyes, and he had to clench his fists to keep from reaching for her.

"Most Doms and subs have quite a close, caring relationship. Play is intended to be pleasurable for both parties. That's the point."

She nodded but still looked as if she didn't quite believe him. Silence fell between them for a long moment until she tipped her head to the side and pinned him with a suddenly strong gaze. "Well?"

Confused, he frowned as he tried to puzzle out what she was asking. "Well, what, my dear?" He wasn't sure where the endearment had come from, but it felt right, and when she didn't react, he relaxed.

"Are we going to try out the violet wand?"

Brent laughed. This new Sandra continued to surprise him, and he loved it. His previous reservations melted away, and he rose to go to the large drawer where he kept toys and supplies in case he needed them.

He had to dig to the bottom of the drawer since he didn't use the violet wand often, but he finally found it. He set the case holding the attachments and other accessories aside and brought the wand to Sandra so she could examine it. As she did, he made sure he knew where anything metal or conductive was and glanced at Sandra's clothes as well.

"It doesn't look like much." She grasped the nine-inch wand and stroked it like she would a hard c.o.c.k, and Brent's b.a.l.l.s tightened as he vividly imagined her stroking him that way.

He took the power cord and snaked it over to the sidewall where the outlet was before returning to the sectional to sit beside Sandra. Before he could show her how to use the wand, she had it turned on and was testing the sensations against her palm, the spark jumping from the electrode to her skin.

After a few long moments she moaned softly. "I can see how this might feel good on more sensitive body parts once you get used to it."

"Lift your shirt and try it on your stomach, unless you want to try your inner thighs. I know lots of subs enjoy that on the lower settings, although there are a few who enjoy the highest settings as well." A vivid memory of intense, lush tingles flowed along his inner thighs and he shivered, antic.i.p.ation of introducing Sandra to some new pleasure burning inside him.

"It's very much up to personal preference. But I find if you give it a few minutes to let your body get used to it, most of the settings can become quite pleasurable."

She started to lift her shirt and then handed the wand to him.

Arousal stabbed deep into his pelvis and he sucked in a breath.

"I'd like you to show me, if you don't mind." Her voice was soft but husky with desire, her eyes clear, her gaze steady and sure.

Brent hesitated, all the reasons why he shouldn't do this yet playing out inside his mind.

A sudden look of impatience crossed her features and she pursed her lips before speaking. "I know we haven't discussed limits yet, but to be quite honest, I don't know a lot of mine, except hard pain, and I'm very shy of being hit or slapped, especially on the face or neck." She looked embarra.s.sed at the admission, but she raised her chin and met his gaze squarely. "I've given you permission, and I'll 'yellow' or 'red' if I need to, so unless you don't want to, and you'd rather I go down to the dungeon floor to find someone else to-"

He cut her off by laying one finger over her lips.

The thought of her playing with any of the other Doms tied him into hard knots of jealousy and possessiveness.

"Fair enough," he finally conceded, happy his voice came out sounding calm and cool. "I'll be happy to show you as much or as little as you want. It can be used on most patches of bare skin, usually avoiding areas that are much too sensitive to that type of stimulation." He turned to face her.

"Why don't you pull up your top to bare your stomach, lean back, and get comfortable?"

Instead, Sandra leaned forward, pulled her top off, and tossed it on the floor at her feet.

Brent had to shift in his seat to find a more comfortable position for his suddenly harder c.o.c.k. He forced himself to breathe normally as he raked his gaze over her full b.r.e.a.s.t.s, the gauzy thin cups of the bra she wore showing wide pinkish areolas and hard nipples.

With effort he lowered his gaze to her smooth, white stomach, where he would start showing her the effects of the wand.

"Master Brent?"

He snapped his gaze to hers, feeling for a moment like that long-ago high school boy who had been caught staring at the most popular girl in school. "Yes?"

"When you look at me like that you seem so familiar." Her expression seemed wistful, as if she were trying to solve a puzzle. "So I'm sorry if you catch me looking at you a bit too long sometimes. It just feels like I've known you forever. But you're definitely not someone I would forget if we'd met before."

Brent's throat worked as he swallowed the sudden lump there. "I feel very comfortable with you as well, Sandra." He mentally kicked himself for not having told her who he was outright. It just wasn't the right time to tell her. Even if it was for the partially selfish reason that stretched before him. He cleared his throat and gently pressed her back against the sectional before taking both her wrists in one hand and pulling them over her head. He wished he could use restraints on her, but it was too soon.

"You'll be better able to absorb the sensations if you're less tempted to touch the area."

She nodded, trust shining in her eyes as she relaxed her arms back onto the top of the sectional just behind her head.

"All right. Close your eyes and relax. I'll start it on the lowest setting and let you get used to it."

- Sandra stretched out her legs, letting herself relax boneless against the very comfortable sectional. Master Brent's presence beside her burned over her skin, and she couldn't see the wand being any more erotic than that.

But when the first tingling rush hit the sensitive skin of her stomach she flinched, and a noise like a small squeak escaped. She glanced down, fascinated as the spark of energy jumped from the tip of the electrode onto her stomach, then sped out over her skin and down along her nerves.

"Relax and breathe. Allow your body to get used to it. I'll give you a minute to collect yourself."

His words were a strong command. The command of a Dom. She smiled as she obeyed and forced her body to relax as she blew out a long breath. When the sensation came again she still flinched, but found after a few seconds that she was able to keep her muscles from jerking and tightening and concentrate on what it felt like before it stopped again, abruptly.

The sensation was almost a lush tingling, and it ran along her nerves to pool in every erogenous zone in her body. After several more zaps, she wanted to come so bad she could scream.

But Master Brent's voice told her to relax and wait for the next higher intensity, so she did just that.