Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88350 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88350 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Instead of instantly obeying, she remained immobile. A brief scowl flitted over her features, giving Beau another inkling of what her previous trainers had had to deal with. Well, there was a new sheriff in town, one who would nip that sort of insolence in the bud.
Bending over, he grabbed her by the hair, using it to force her face down to his shoe. “Do as you’re told,” he said, his voice hard as stone. He kept his grip tight until she brushed her lips against the toe of his shoe.
Letting her go, he commanded, “Get to your feet and stand with your arms at your sides.”
To his relief, there was no further balking. She rose to her feet and assumed the position without protest. Her cheeks were scarlet and she kept her gaze on the ground.
“Look at me,” he said.
She looked up, both trepidation and defiance in her eyes.
“This is not how this is going to go,” he informed her. “You agreed to a complete power exchange. I don’t give a fuck if you don’t like what I tell you to do. You obey, instantly and with grace. Period. If I see another display like that, Lia, I’m done. Got it?”
“Yes, Sir,” she replied, sounding genuinely contrite. Suddenly she looked very young, reminding him yet again of the significant age difference between them. “I’m sorry, Sir.” She looked down again. “It’s just…” She trailed off.
He moved closer. Placing his hand beneath her chin, he lifted her head so he could see her eyes. “Go on. It’s just what? Talk to me. I genuinely want to understand.”
“I don’t like being bossed around. I know that sounds weird for someone who claims she wants to find her inner sub. But when that particular button is pushed, I get this, I don’t know, this knee-jerk reaction of resistance.”
She sighed heavily.
“It’s what constantly had me in the punishment cage.”
Beau smiled in spite of himself, suddenly feeling a little sympathy toward Lawrence. Lia was definitely a handful.
She took a step back, wrapping her arms around herself. “I appreciate your giving me a chance, Master Beau. I really do, especially since they probably told you all about what a total fuckup I was during training.” She looked down. “But we might have to accept the fact that I just don’t have what it takes to be a submissive.”
Beau placed his hands on Lia’s shoulders. “Look at me.” He waited until she lifted her gaze to his before continuing. “I don’t believe that, Lia. And neither does anyone here, and that includes Lawrence.”
At Lia’s skeptical expression, Beau elaborated, “He said this morning that he believes in second chances. And let’s be honest for a moment. You wouldn’t be here right now if you believed in your heart of hearts that you’re a lost cause. I think you want this, even if it’s scary or hard. I think you need it.”
He paused, half expecting her to protest, but instead, he saw an unmistakable glimmer of hope in her eyes.
“Sometimes in the scene we get bogged down with labels,” he said gently. “Let’s not worry right now whether you’re submissive or just a bossy little masochist.” He grinned to soften his words and was pleased when Lia smiled back. “That’s something we’ll explore intensively during our time together.”
He allowed a bit of steel to return to his tone. “But if this is going to work, Lia, I need your full cooperation. I’m going to require a lot more than just kissing my shoe. I have no intention of dragging you kicking and screaming into anything and fighting you at every turn. Either you’re all in, or you’re not. If you stay, you find a way to stop controlling every interaction.”
On an impulse, he reached for her cheek, cradling it gently in his hand. But not before he saw the involuntary flinch. She’d been expecting a slap.
“I’m asking you to trust me, Lia. That’s a big ask, especially given that we’ve only just met. I get that. But I think you’ve been in the scene long enough to know that BDSM connections happen a lot more quickly than vanilla ones, by the very nature of the intense interaction. I wouldn’t have volunteered for this if I didn’t have faith in you. So, I’m also asking you to trust yourself. Do you think you can do that?”
“I’ll try, Sir.”
He nodded, accepting that for now. Some of the tension had eased from her body and her smile was less tentative. She nudged gently with her cheek against his hand, reminding Beau of a cat eager to be petted.
He would need to be careful. They were to be trainer and trainee. Nothing more.
Dropping his hand, he took a step back.
≈
Lia nearly leaned forward, wanting his touch again.
Cut it out, she ordered herself. He signed up to be your trainer, not your boyfriend.