“Then you haven't.” He studied her until she squirmed. “When you were in the clubs, did you hook up with a Dom and do some scenes?”

She nodded.

“Did you do as he ordered?”

She stiffened. If she admitted what an inadequate submissive she was, then he'd toss her out.

“Answer me, pet.”

Pet. Wrists leashed. Restrained by his hands. Commanded. Everything in her body melted, not with heat but with something far deeper, and the building seemed to drop away, leaving her without any security. Falling. “I did. At first. But they were… I didn't have to obey them, so I didn't.”

“I see.” His fingertips stroked her cheek gently, and she couldn't keep from tipping her face into his palm.

“What about me and Master Dan?”

God, with them she'd rolled over like a dog, especially with Master Cullen. She stiffened.

“Uh, uh, pet. Pulling an ice-queen act won't work.” His eyes held her in place as thoroughly as his big hand on her face. “Did you want to obey us?”

The confusion that swept through her surfaced as a hard tremor. “You know I did,” she whispered. “Mostly.”

“Your honesty pleases me.” His thumb under her chin tilted her face up just an inch higher, increasing her feeling of helplessness. Of exposure. “Andrea, do you trust me?”

“No.” But part of her did. She'd never let anyone do this to her before. Hold her in place. Order her. Not even the boyfriend who'd tried bondage with her. “Some.”

The harsh lines bracketing mouth lips disappeared as a laugh rumbled through him. “Some will do. Trust takes time.”

When he rubbed his rough thumb over her lips, his muscular forearm grazed the tips of her breasts, sending sparks sizzling across every nerve. A startling wave of heat ran through her.

His eyes crinkled. “Well, now. Maybe this next part of the discussion won't be as hard as I thought.”

“What do you mean?” No, that was a cop-out. She knew what he'd implied, although the fact he'd watched her closely enough to see her sudden arousal unsettled her. She closed her eyes for a second, and then nodded at him. “Go on.”

“Brave girl.”

Why did two words of praise please her so much?

“You got a taste of what is involved in being a trainee tonight. Bear in mind, you might be dressed one night, and aside from your cuffs, completely nude the next.”

She bit her lip, then nodded. “I understand.” If I could handle tonight, I can handle the rest. Especially since the looks from the men here don't make me feel dirty, just nervous.

“In a way, trainees belong to all the Doms. So the regular Doms are allowed to ask you for waitresslike service. They can also touch you, within limits…as you discovered this evening.”

“That's no problem.” Mostly. Unless they moved too fast.

“You handled yourself well, Andrea. However, the Shadowlands Masters have full authority over the trainees, and the Masters have no limits.”

“Isn't every master here a Shadowlands Master?”

“No, pet. There's only a few of us with that title.”

But a few was more than one. She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. “What…what can they ask me for?”

“Whatever they want, pet, depending on your cuff ribbons.”

“If I don't wear the green, how far can you…they…go?”

“In the Shadowlands, not having a green ribbon puts cocks and pussies off-limits. Otherwise a trainee's body is available to any Master.” His hand cupped her breast, his palm hot against her chilling skin. “We will touch you anywhere but there. Possibly put on breast clamps.” He pinched her nipple gently, and she gasped at the hot zing of pleasure.

“Although you won't be asked for blowjobs or handjobs, a Master might display you bent over or spread-eagled, your pussy exposed for all to see but not touch. You'll be kissed, have your breasts sucked.”

Her gaze fell to his mouth, and the thought of his lips on her breast made her tighten inside.

His thumb rubbed over her nipple as if to illustrate, and she could feel the aching tightness. Then he leaned back…and yet, his hands moved up her thighs until his thumbs rested in the crease between her hips and her crotch. So close to her wet pussy that she felt the warmth of his skin as he showed her exactly what he meant.

A shiver ran through her at the controlled heat in his eyes. She tried to ignore how the proximity of his hard hands made her pussy grow more and more sensitive.

Her hands jerked within her chains, and she looked away from his perceptive gaze.

Over in the nearby scene area, a Dom used a thin cane on his sub, flicking it over her breasts until the woman rose on tiptoes with pain…and arousal. Face flushed, voicing high whines, the submissive gripped the eyebolts on the top of the cross. Unrestrained physically, yet totally under control.

Is this what I want? Andrea wondered. She'd left her virginity behind years ago and had lovers off and on. She'd messed around some at the downtown clubs. So strangers touching her shouldn't bother her that much.

And she really wanted Master Cullen to touch her. Touch her more, and yet… How could a man both attract her and terrify her at the same time? Dios, she was swimming so far past her depth she might drown.

“Is this what you want, Andrea?” Señor echoed her own question. His intent gaze never left her face. “To have someone else make the decisions, to be pushed past your inhibitions, to be enjoyed by someone without asking your permission?”

When he pulled her more forward, the friction of his jeans against her sensitive, swollen folds almost made her moan. Oh, yes, yes, yes.

“Remember if something becomes unbearable, either emotionally or physically, you use the club safe word, 'red.' Everything will stop. To slow down, you may use 'yellow,' and we'll talk.”

Although she nodded, her father's rules ran through her mind. Never admit to a weakness. She'd lived by that so long—could she even use a safe word if she needed to?

Cullen tilted his head, his eyes watchful. “I may push you to that point just to make sure you know when to use a safe word.”

“Great,” she said under her breath. His answering laugh was open and full and so contagious she had to grin.

“That's better,” he said. “Now come here, sweetie, and let me hold you for a while before you head home.”

He called her sweetie. The pleasure of that made her feel warm inside. As he snuggled her against his broad chest, she let herself sink into him, feeling safer than she had since a child, oblivious to the horrors of the world. The scent of leather and soap drifted up. “Don't you want to know my answer?” she murmured. Her fingers grazed his soft vest and touched the crisp brown hair covering his chest.

“I know your answer, little sub.” His hand ran down her hair. “In fact, after a couple more nights, we'll discuss adding a green ribbon.”

Chapter Four

The next morning, Cullen trudged down the sidewalk toward the riverside restaurant, breathing in the cool breeze off the Hillsborough and watching for Antonio. His eyes felt like he'd rubbed them in sand as he squinted against the bright morning sunlight.

Damn, but his ass was dragging. Last night, one nightmare had led to another and another, until he'd abandoned sleep to walk the beach until morning. Bad nights were just an occupational hazard for an arson investigator, but he couldn't handle dreaming of Siobhan or his mother.

He shrugged his shoulders, trying to loosen the tightness. He'd adored two women in his life, and both had left him.

His fiancée's death by fire had sent him into arson investigation.

His mother's death from cancer had left him scarred and bitter. She shouldn't have died, dammit. But not wanting to bother anyone, she hadn't sought treatment early enough. And as she wasted away to a fragile husk, so had his father in undeserved guilt and grief.

He spotted Antonio waiting on the riverbank outside the restaurant. The slender man leaned against a tree, watching the dark water flowing by.

Antonio glanced up. “You didn't have to intimidate her, you bastard,” he said without much heat.

Cullen snorted. “I'm a Dom. It's what I do.” He scowled at the reporter. “You might have mentioned that submitting is a bit of a problem for her.”

“Ah, yeah, I wasn't sure if you'd agree if you knew.” The slender man's expression eased. He pulled out a cigarette and rolled it between his fingers. “But you must not have been too much of an asshole; she said she's going back tonight.” A smile grew on his face. “Apparently you didn't terrify her too badly. Not that you could.”

“Care for her, do you?”

Antonio nodded. “We've been friends since grade school.”

Doubtful that a pretty face could prejudice the gay reporter. Not just anyone inspired loyalty like this, so two more points for the little sub. Cullen turned his mind back to business. “You got anything on the fires in Seminole Heights?”

“I asked my sources to check into them. If I find any dirt, I'll give you a heads-up.”

“Appreciate it. God knows you have better sources than me, however you do it.” Cullen shook his head. “You must have every hooker and lowlife in the city trolling for news.”

“I pay them better, and I talk their language. I came out of the gutter, you know.”