Master Greene lived in an up-and-coming neighborhood not far from her apartment and shop. Several cars already lined the street in front of his house when they pulled up. Her heart pounded a little faster.

Cole turned the engine off, but made no move to get out of the car. Instead, he turned and looked at her. “How are you feeling?”

“Scared, excited, nervous.” She took a shaky breath. “Ready to get this over with and willing to sit here all night.”

He smiled softly at her. “I know this is a big step for you. Rest assured, I’ll be with you every step of the way. And if you get overwhelmed, let me know immediately. Understand?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Once we’re inside, we’re going to find Master Greene. You are free to talk with him.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Ready?”

She closed her eyes, took one last deep breath, and honestly replied, “As I’ll ever be.”

He didn’t say anything further and didn’t ask for additional reassurances, but opened his door and crossed in front of the car to open hers.

She fiddled with her red bracelet as they walked to the house. She could do this. Cole was with her. She didn’t feel panic, just a bit of trepidation. Surely, that was normal.

Cole rang the doorbell. As they waited, he glanced down at her. “I’m proud of you, little one.”

She was still smiling when the door opened and they stepped inside.

Chapter Five

“Good evening, Master Johnson,” a sub she’d known for years said as he welcomed them inside and took her coat.

Cole nodded in reply.

“Good to see you again, Sasha,” he said.

She looked over to Cole since he’d told her she had to have permission before speaking to anyone. His expression was blank, though, and offered no acquiescence, so she only smiled and nodded.

They walked farther into the house and she felt oddly at home hearing the familiar buzz of the group. It was a sound unlike anything she heard anywhere else: the hum of conversation, a moan of pleasure here and there, even the occasional smack of skin on skin.

“There’s Master Greene,” Cole said, walking toward the back of the living room.

Master Greene stood apart from everyone, observing. Once he saw them approaching, he pushed back from the countertop and held out a hand to Cole.

“Master Johnson,” he said. “Let’s go into my office.”

She followed the two men into the small room and for the first time felt a twinge of anxiety. Which was uncalled for, since, she scolded herself, she’d be with Cole. She would be safe.

Cole remained standing. So she wouldn’t have to kneel, she supposed. Master Greene had a calming expression and it only took one look at him for any remaining fear to ease away.

“Thank you for allowing me this opportunity,” he said to Cole and then tilted his head her way and raised an eyebrow.

Cole nodded.

Having received permission, Master Greene spoke to her. “Sasha, I can only imagine how difficult this must be for you. I want you to know you have the support of the entire group.” He lifted his hand and glanced at Cole. His hand dropped when Cole shook his head.

Sasha breathed a sigh of relief, and since Cole had told her in the car that she was free to speak with him, said, “Thank you, Sir. That means a lot.”

“We take a participant’s safety extremely seriously. Peter broke that trust once and we gave him the benefit of the doubt. But when he called you, he proved once and for all that he couldn’t be trusted.”

She’d known she’d never be able to play with him again, but there was a part of her that remembered her joy at the beginning of their relationship. That once joyous person had held out some small hope for him. Maybe one day, if he made it through the mentorship, he’d find someone better suited for him.

Master Greene continued. “Peter is no longer welcome in this group. Please accept my apology for not being able to ensure your safety where he was concerned.”

She swallowed around the lump in her throat. “I appreciate your apology, Sir, but please know I in no way hold you accountable for Peter’s actions. It’s hard enough to control ourselves, much less someone else.”

Master Greene chuckled. “True, but I still feel some responsibility. We all do in fact.” He turned to Cole. “Thank you for coming tonight and allowing me to talk to Sasha. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back out to the party. You two enjoy yourselves.”

“You’re welcome,” Cole said and then added with a grin, “And we intend to.”

•   •   •

He led her out of the office and through the kitchen. “Let’s see if we can find a demo to observe.”

At his calmly spoken words, she grew clammy. For a split second she wasn’t at Master Greene’s, she was at Master Covington’s guesthouse getting ready to head up the stairs for her demo with Peter. She had watched a demo a few weeks ago with Abby and Nathaniel, but this felt different. Because she was dressed more like a submissive?

“Please, Sir,” she managed to whisper. “Can we wait a few minutes before we do that?”

There was no surprise in his expression when he turned to her, almost as if he’d anticipated her reaction. “Of course, little one. Would you like to find a place to sit for a while?”

At her affirmation, he changed course and went into the living room, where he sat on a couch. With a sigh of relief, she dropped to her knees. The position now felt comfortable. Cole always had her spend time kneeling when they were in a training session.

She closed her eyes and felt her body relax. She took a deep breath and uncurled fingers she didn’t know were in a fist. Yes, she could do this.

“How are you feeling?” Cole asked.

“Better, Sir.”

“I’m going to touch your head.” His voice was soft and gentle and though she knew they were getting some stares from curious group members, she relaxed even more when his hand slid into her hair.

His hand soothed away any remaining nerves. Ever so tenderly he rubbed her scalp in what quickly became an almost erotic massage. She could have easily rubbed herself against him, but she held still, knowing he wanted her obedience.

“You did very well, little one,” he said. “You became uncomfortable and you stopped and told me. Though we Doms often act like we know everything, we’re well aware we don’t. That’s why honest communication works both ways.”