The way her lower half turned into a heated pool, her body agreed. She stared at the silk of his shirt, knowing she was wet. Please, please, please, don’t let him notice how he turns me on.

“As a trainee, you’re supposed to learn about new kinks. Meet and work with different Doms, searching for the one with whom you fit. Why aren’t you doing that?” While he talked, he used one hand on her left breast as a restraint, and the other slid under her halter bra to roll her right nipple. The skin-to-skin sensation grew more intense with each second. Her toes curled.

What had he asked?

“I—” She shouldn’t have looked up. Tanned skin. Green eyes. Sun streaked hair the beautiful brown of chocolate, falling over his forehead, luring her to touch. She closed her eyes.

A light pinch on her breast made her gasp.

“Eyes on me, trainee.”

Between his unyielding grip and his resolute focus on her, she couldn’t seem to concentrate. “I’ve tried out new things. It’s just… I-I don’t know.” I’ve given up. There’s no one out there for me.

“I think you’re not giving me the complete story, sweetling.” His focus had locked on her in a way that had her very bones trembling. “It’s time your reasons were examined.”

His grip gentled. “Right now, make me a mental list of which Doms you’ve decided against and the ones you’d like to play with.”

She stared, mouth open, unable to find a reply.

He actually grinned. “You sit here and think until I return.”

Chapter Three

As Jake moved away from Rainie, he saw her pretty face scrunch into a scowl.

What a cutie. And more. She’d responded like a dream to his hands, his will. Even as he’d watched her mind and emotions war, her body had been sweetly compliant. God, she was beautiful.

But something was going on with her, and it was more than her difficulties in honest refusals.

Whenever a trainee was unsettled by a scene—whether performed by a Master or another Dom—her file got a note, so a follow-up could be performed. Jake had found no notes for months.

On her own, she requested scenes with lightweight Dominants, which wasn’t necessarily wrong. However, he doubted she’d be content with a Dom who didn’t push her.

Yes, a Master needed to have a long talk with her. Jake planned that Master would be him.

He picked up the short length of chain from behind the bar and returned.

Curled in the chair, Rainie felt her anxiety increase as Jake approached. The seriousness of his expression made her rub her sweaty palms against her skirt.

“Thinking done?” he asked. He stood over her, arms crossed over his chest, legs braced apart. His black jeans clung to his muscular thighs and cupped his bat and balls.

Bad Rainie. Pay attention.

With some effort, she lifted her gaze back to his face. “Started, but not concluded.”

“Not a problem. This week, write everything out. Handwritten, not typed. In addition to the Dom lists, make another of your strengths and weaknesses as both a submissive and a person. Next weekend, we’ll read over your homework together.”

The thought was completely unnerving. Put her thoughts and emotions down on paper for him to read? To discuss? She’d rather have a root canal.

He held his hand out. “Let’s walk, and you can tell me which Doms you know. Which ones you’ve rejected.”

His nonchalant strength when he pulled her to her feet sent a dizzying desire through her. “I haven’t played with everyone, but I’ve met most. I haven’t—haven’t rejected anyone.”

Although a muscle flexed in his jaw, he merely nodded. When he put his arm around her and ran the knuckles of his other hand over the tops of her breasts, the casual intimacy of the touch blanked her mind.

“Since you haven’t said no to anyone, should I assume any Dom here would make you a good permanent Dom?” he asked.

“Not permanent. I mean—”

“Mmmhmm.”

She got the uncomfortable impression he saw right through her.

After pulling a short length of chain from his pocket, he secured her arms behind her back. The chain between her wrist cuffs was only about twelve inches, but long enough to prevent her shoulders from feeling dislocated.

On the way across the room, he picked up two tubes of body paint and a rag from a table.

She glanced at the tubes with a twinge of anxiety. Why did he need paint?

He guided her to a sitting area containing four Doms. “Gents, the trainee here needs to be decorated. Anyone up for the task?”

“Sure.”

“Why not?”

“You bet.”

All three single Doms indicated interest.

Jake turned Rainie toward the first, and she tensed. She’d hated her single experience with Donald. Some tops were deliberately sexually rough—which was hot. Earlier, when Jake had hurt her nipples, he’d done so with awareness of exactly what he was doing. He wasn’t so self-absorbed to have missed her response.

Although Donald never overstepped the club boundaries, he was rough, because he was careless and selfish.

Rainie forced herself not to step back, and then realized Master Jake was watching her face. He arched a brow and directed her to stand in front of the other two. Although she hadn’t played with them, neither had a bad reputation with the submissives.

“Brand, Casey,” Jake said, ignoring Donald’s annoyed grunt. “Show us your artistic talents.”

Brand had silver at the temples and in his mustache, but his latex body shirt showed rippling muscles. His sweeping gaze took her in, and he smiled. “Who could resist painting those tits?” He glanced at Casey. “I’ll take the outsides of her breasts and leave the nipples for you.”

After tossing them the paint tubes and terrycloth rag, Master Jake wove his fingers into her hair and immobilized her. Her arms were already restrained behind her back. His other hand gripped her upper arm, ensuring she’d remain in place.

She looked at him from the corner of her eye. “You don’t have to hold me,” she muttered.

“But I like to,” he murmured.

His woodsy masculine scent wrapped around her—which was just wrong. Anything that smelled that temping should be licensed. Regulated. Dispensed in very small amounts.

A touch on her chest startled her. She forced herself to hold still.

In front of her, Brand ran his finger over her halter top to circle her breast. Her breasts were sensitive. Responsive. And being touched there together with Jake’s merciless control slid her body straight into a flustered arousal.

“Gorgeous breasts,” Casey commented as he watched his friend paint. He glanced at Jake. “She’s fair-skinned. Bet her nipples are a pretty pink.”

“Be fun to find out, wouldn’t it?” Still holding her hair, Master Jake undid the halter ties at her back and neck and pulled the top off. Her nipples contracted at the cool wash of air…and the heat of the men’s assessing stares.

Jake’s warm breath brushed her ear as he whispered, “You’ve got gorgeous breasts, trainee.”

His hands. She wanted his hands on her so badly her knees wobbled.

“Magnificent,” Brand said. “Guess I need to start over.” After squeezing out some red paint, he drew filigree patterns on her bare right breast. The paint was cool over her heated skin.

He handed the second tube to Casey.

The younger Dom circled her left nipple with a bright yellow streak, then used one finger to massage in the paint.

God, having Jake standing so close, restraining her, watching her…somehow turned everything the others did into a type of foreplay. By the time the two men finished, her breasts were swollen and throbbing and sending urgent messages to her pussy.

Trying not to rub her thighs together, she shifted her weight.

Brand chuckled. “Your trainee is aroused, Jake. We’d be happy to co-top her in a private scene upstairs.”

Dismay ran through Rainie like a whip of icy rain. I don’t do threesomes.

Jake’s steady gaze provided the only warmth in the suddenly cold, shadowy room. “Rainie, what do you say?”

Hadn’t Jake read her papers? “I-I…”

Brand and Casey watched her with open anticipation, obviously expecting her consent.

She faltered out, “I—I have other things to—”

“Yes, you do have a problem, don’t you?” Jake didn’t release her hair as he stepped completely behind her. His hand smacked her bottom far, far harder than a fun swat.

Pain burst like fire across her buttocks. She bit back a yelp.

A second and third stinging spank followed. Ow! God, what had she done? Tears hazed her vision. She exhaled, trying to chase away the pain. “Why? Why, Sir?”

Jake straightened and turned her to face him. His palm cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his grim gaze. “Sam said you’d already received a lesson on this.”

“Master Sam?”

“Rainie, when you don’t want to play with a Dom—or date a Dom—what is the proper answer?”

Her thoughts whirled in her head, but all she could think of was how her bottom hurt. A tear escaped.

Jake’s eyes softened, although his jaw remained stern as he positioned her to face the two Doms. “What do you say to them, Rainie?”