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)
It was on the tip of her tongue to quip, “Ah shucks, why not?” but she managed to stay quiet.
“My goal is to help you find and connect with your inner submissive. If you agree to this training,” he continued, “I will expect—no, command—your total obedience. That doesn’t mean I won’t allow your input. This will be a give and take, especially at first as we get to know each other better. But, make no mistake, if you sign up for this, you will, for all intents and purposes, belong solely to me for the next six days.”
“Huh,” Lia breathed slowly, overwhelmed with everything he was putting on the table. At the same time, she was giddy with squealy girl excitement at the prospect of spending more time with this gorgeous, masterful hunk of a man. And the fact they’d be at The Enclave made it even better. They’d have access to all the cool BDSM equipment, and she’d have the support system of Lucia and the other slaves around her.
The only thing stopping her was her own courage, or lack thereof.
At least Beau was a real flesh-and-blood man, not a figment of the Internet, as Master Pain had turned out to be. Master Pain. What a stupid moniker. That should have been her first clue. Even after they’d become heavily involved in their online Master/slave relationship, he’d refused to divulge his real name. What an idiot she’d been, falling for his bullshit.
“One day—one day soon—we will meet, my love. You will show me in person what an obedient, eager girl you are. You will wear my collar and my chains. I will wrap you in the warmth of my tender love. You will submit to me with every fiber of your being. You will suffer for me and serve me. I will claim you for my own, just as you have already claimed my heart.”
His words had spoken directly to her soul, promising something she’d longed for.
Stop it, she ordered herself, irritated she’d allowed thoughts of that manipulative prick to slide back into her consciousness, even for a second. Though the wound had healed over with scar tissue in the eight months since she’d learned the truth, it still hurt when prodded. Thank god she’d never told a soul what had happened. This was one shameful secret she planned to take to her grave.
Beau was watching her with the intense gaze of a true Master. He was no figment, and what he was offering sounded off-the-charts exciting, if also a little terrifying.
She tried for cool, calm and collected. “I have to admit, this all sounds really intriguing. But what if, say, after a day or two, I decide it’s not for me?”
“Ah,” Beau replied as if he’d been expecting that very question. “That’s one point that’s nonnegotiable. You may not run this time, Lia. You either commit to the full six days or there is no deal.”
“I see,” she said slowly. Yet, even as she asked herself if she really wanted to commit to something so intense with someone she’d only just met, a deep longing swept through her, nearly making her moan aloud. She blew out a breath in her effort to regain her control.
Again, her practical side asserted itself. “What if I have to go down to town for some reason during the course of the week?”
“Then I would take you, and you would still be expected to adhere to my rules. Obviously, I would do nothing to put you at risk in any way, but you would still belong to me, and behave accordingly.”
Lia pondered possible scenarios. It would be hot to interact with non-scene people while having this delicious secret with this dominant man. The whole thing sounded like a wild adventure. Only the night before she’d been fantasizing about Beau while she had her hand between her legs. Now she was being offered nearly a solid week of intensive one-on-one interaction with him.
What was the catch?
When she looked up, Beau was watching her intently with those sexy bedroom eyes. As their gazes met, he cocked his brow, one corner of his mouth quirking. “So, what’ll it be, Ms. Duvall? Shall we try this little experiment together?”
Could it really be she just needed a different approach, another chance, to find the submissive grace she longed for? Was Beau the man who could take her there?
While Lia ached for the deep peace and serenity Lucia and the other slaves seemed to possess, did she really have it in herself to submit? What if she blew it again? What if she was finally, irrevocably forced to admit she simply didn’t have it in her?
Don’t quit before the miracle…
Lucia’s endlessly optimistic words came into her mind. Lia clung to them, calling on her inner tough girl to give her courage. She felt as if she was stepping off a high cliff with no idea if she had the wings to fly.