By noon the next day, Reagan was ready to crawl out of her skin. Why on Earth had she promised Rafe she wouldn’t leave the house? Just the thought of being cooped up for another thirty-six hours made her want to jump off a bridge. In between Rafe’s call and texts, she’d polished everything she could reach, including the three cars in his garage. Why does one man need three cars? She could understand having two. After all, it wasn’t hard to imagine one being unavailable due to repairs or maintenance. But three? That seemed like overkill to her.
When she’d questioned him about his fleet, he’d laughed and informed her she hadn’t seen the cars he kept in the shed behind the house or the ones in San Francisco. Her mouth dropped open, and he’d burst out laughing. When she’d scowled at him, he’d given her a heated stare. “Oh, baby, that glare just earned you time over my knees. Glaring at your Master is never a good idea.”
Before she’d been able to pull the words back, she’d snipped, “You were laughing at me, and I didn’t like it.”
“I’d have thought you would be pleased because you’d given me something to smile about after a very difficult day.” She hadn’t thought of it that way, but it still didn’t seem fair that she was going to be punished just because his ego couldn’t tolerate a frown. “You’re overthinking it, Reagan. Did you read any of the material I forwarded to you?”
“Yes. I read it all…twice.” And she had. She’d also done some on-line research of her own. Not that it had done her any good, because now she had more questions than answers.
“Questions?”
Yes, but none that I’m brave enough to ask you. How am supposed to ask you if it’s true that some Masters give their submissives to other men to fuck? How do I tell you how much that idea terrifies me? How will I ever be able to explain how worried I am Brandt Morgan will follow through on his threat to help give me a paddling I’ll never forget?
“Reagan.” His sharp tone startled her out of her musing. Focusing on his face, she suddenly realized this was the perfect opportunity to ask those very questions. He wasn’t here. He was several states away. If he got angry, she could leave before he returned, and she’d never have to face him and admit she was too frightened to really try.
“I don’t know what’s going through that sharp mind of yours, but I’m starting to appreciate Karl’s dilemma with Tally. It seems very bright submissives present a whole new level of challenge.” She couldn’t hold back her smile, because being compared to Tally wasn’t an insult. The doctor and Kodi had been checking on her so often, it was a wonder she’d had time to get cabin fever. “What are your questions, Peach?”
Taking a deep breath, Reagan let them all spill out without pause. When she’d finished, she gulped in a deep breath to banish the black dots dancing in her vision. This time Rafe’s soft laughter made her smile. “Decided to spit it all out while I wasn’t there, did you?”
Heat immediately infused her, and she was certain her cheeks were flame red. Busted. “Yes, Sir.” There was no reason to deny what was evidently perfectly obvious.
“First of all, remember I agreed to train you. That means I expect you to ask questions. I’d be more upset if you didn’t, because I’d worry you weren’t showing enough concern for your own well-being.” Was he serious? He wanted her to ask questions? She hadn’t done a lot of dating, but those few men had never invited questions. “As long as your questions are stated respectfully, I’ll answer them. Until we know one another better, I’ll expect you to talk to me about anything that concerns you, particularly anything that frightens you.”
Relief washed over her, and she felt herself sag in the chair. His expression softened, but his dark eyes were as intense as she’d ever seen them. “The single most important part of the D/s lifestyle is communication. Until we are intimately familiar with each other’s preferences and habits, we’ll negotiate everything. That requires your honesty. I’ll need to know that you’ll tell me if something isn’t working for you or if you’re frightened.”
“I don’t want another Master to…well, I don’t want them to have…”
“Sex with you? Is that what you were trying to say? That you don’t want another Master to fuck you? Peach, the last thing I want to do is share you. Leaving you in their care these past few days has driven me to distraction.” And the thought of sharing her pleasure with another man made his gut tighten. He’d never been the jealous type, but everything was different with Reagan.
“Nothing happens that you don’t want to happen, baby. You have safe words for a reason.” Her eyes filled with tears, but she fought to keep them from falling as she wrapped her arms around herself. As if he’d read her mind, his next words sent the tears spilling down her cheeks in a cascade of pain-filled loneliness. “I wish I was there to hold you, Peach. No one should ever underestimate the healing power of touch. A hug from someone who genuinely cares about your well-being is the best medicine in the world.” Short of bursting into a full-blown crying jag, nodding was her only option. “You’re breaking my heart, baby.”
“I’m sorry…it’s just that I’m not used to having so much free time. I haven’t watched television in so long I don’t even know where to start. And it’s not fair for me to expect Kodi and Tally to be here all the time. And for some reason, Sheriff Morgan insisted I not contact Kelsey.”
Rafe had hoped to have this conversation in person rather than during a video call, but it would be wrong to not explain now that she’d mentioned Kelsey. “How much do you know about Kelsey outside of work, Reagan?” He suspected it was the use of her real name that made her sit up a bit straighter before she answered.
“Not much at all. We had drinks after work a couple of times, but it was always with a group so our conversations weren’t private. I ate lunch with her a few times, but all she did was talk about a Master at the club she wanted to hook up with.” She must have seen something in his expression that caught her attention, because she paused, leaning forward fractionally. “When I asked her about it several weeks later, she said she’d gone to the west coast to see him, but it didn’t go well.”
He took a deep breath and shook his head. “No, Peach. It didn’t go well at all.”
“It was you? You were the Master she was so convinced was her ticket out of what she called the drudgery of working? She must have been really amused when she figured out I…”
“When you what, Reagan?” Rafe was fairly certain what she’d been going to say, but he wanted to hear her say the words.
The crimson tinting her cheeks made him want to brush his fingers over them. It would be a joy to feel the heat of her embarrassment beneath his fingertips. “She always laughed at my interest in you. Her mocking attitude makes sense now. I feel pretty foolish for not putting it together.”
“Don’t. If there is one thing I’ve learned from my encounters with Kelsey, it’s that she is very capable of masking her true self.”
“Did you? No. Never mind, it’s none of my business.” She’d suddenly realized how personal her inquiry would have been, so she cut it off before she embarrassed herself.
“Reagan, I’ve already told you I expect you to ask questions. There will be times I won’t answer, but I’ll always explain why. If you were going to ask if I fucked her, then the answer is no. I did a couple of scenes with her at the club, but I’m not as fond of public sex as some of the other Masters. Scenes can be very intimate, but for me, they are more about pushing the sub’s boundaries and helping them explore their sexuality. When I’m balls deep in your tight little pussy, I don’t want you thinking about an audience.”
Her face flamed again, and he wondered if she would always be embarrassed by the blunt language that was considered normal among club members. “I don’t think I’d be comfortable having sex in front of a large group of people.” Rafe didn’t doubt her self-assessment was accurate. He’d read her club information, but he’d also asked Phoenix for a background check. Rafe’s family connections made him cautious. His father’s international tech company had made him a multi-millionaire before he was thirty. But it had been the elder Newell’s marriage that cemented him as a force to be reckoned with on Wall Street. Rafe’s mother was a member of one of Europe’s oldest banking families.
Rafe had never been interested in either his dad’s tech business or his maternal family’s banking business. Remarkably, his parents had always encouraged both Rafe and his sister to pursue their own dreams. In many ways, he’d considered medicine a way to give back after having been given so much.
Reagan, on the other hand, had been born into a lower-middle class working family. She’d studied hard in order to get the scholarships she needed to attend college. Her parents were killed on their way to her college graduation when a drunk driver crossed the centerline hitting them head-on. Drs. Kirk Evans and Brian Bennett told Phoenix they’d been blown away when she shown up to work a week later.
The two gynecologists had recruited the newly minted Physician’s Assistant during her final semester, but when they’d heard about the accident, they’d offered her a later starting date. She’d politely refused, hit the ground running, and had never missed a day of work until the attack at a nearby prison. She’d worked hard for everything she’d had and then lost it all because she’d turned down a power-hungry ass hat who refused to take no for an answer.
The scars from that attack, both physical and emotional, would likely make her reluctant to be completely vulnerable in front of an audience. Knowing the security staff at the prison watched the attack before interceding would make the most exhibitionistic submissive think twice before fucking in public.
Deciding it was time to lighten the mood, Rafe gave her a sly smile. “We’ll discuss the details soon, Peach. But before we end this call, I have a surprise for you. Kodi and Tally will be arriving soon. Nate and Koi will be escorting the three of you to the spa at Mountain Mastery.” He frowned when she started shaking her head.
“I’m sorry. I know you are trying to help me stay busy, but I don’t have the money to spend on spa treatments. I’m sure they are really expensive…not that I’d actually know. But it seems like a reasonable assumption. Tally makes good money as a surgeon, and Kodi’s books are selling like hot cakes. Unfortunately, waitresses don’t make enough to have disposable income. But I really do…”
“Stop talking.” His barked command garnered him glares from a couple of women walking down the corridor. It’s a wonder Reagan hadn’t fallen off her chair if he’d shouted loud enough to be heard through the glass wall of his office. “Baby, I’ve already made all the arrangements. It’s a Master’s privilege and duty to provide for his submissive. I assure you, neither Tally nor Kodi are paying for their own spa treatments. Their Masters have already chosen what treatments they’ll have and paid for them. When I learn your preferences, I’ll take those into account, but this time, I’ve made the selections.”
Leaning closer to the screen, he gave her a smile guaranteed to make even the most inexperienced submissive shudder. “Remember, you only have two obligations at this point in your training—keeping yourself safe and pleasing your Master. It will please me very much to know you are having fun this afternoon at the spa with the ladies. And I’ll enjoy the fruits of this afternoon’s visit when I return.” When her cheeks flushed, he couldn’t hold back his chuckle.
“Thank you. You’re too kind.” Her sweet voice reminded him just how new she was to the lifestyle. Most subs would know their Master had something up his sleeve, and Reagan would learn that lesson soon enough.
This time, he laughed out loud. “Oh, Peach, you might not think I’m so sweet later this afternoon. Since you’ll have a designated driver, I encourage you to enjoy the drinks they’ll be serving.”
After they’d ended the call, Rafe didn’t waste any time getting back to work. With a little bit of luck, he’d be back in Montana in time for dinner tomorrow evening. He sent up a silent prayer that fate didn’t choose to ignore his grandmother’s third time’s a charm rule.