She nodded.
He frowned at her, giving this beauty an easy test.
“Yes…Master?”
He smiled. “Very good. Come with me.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her toward one of the couches disbursed throughout the first floor. He wanted a quiet place for them to talk. If she was interested in submission, he was going to be the one to help her, and communication was the key to that. He tried telling himself she was probably no different from the others in his past, but for some reason, he felt drawn to her. He wanted her to be a good fit for him…even if just for a little while. Maybe it’d help him get out of his slump and, at the very least, embrace new opportunities to dominate women who challenged him. He knew better than to hope for more.
Once they were seated, Shelby crossed her legs and placed her clasped hands on her lap. She was still tense, so he needed to navigate these waters carefully.
“Communication is very important, pet. For a man to fulfill your sexual desires, you must be open and honest with him at every step. Now, I’m going to ask you some questions. I want you to be completely honest with me.”
“Yes, Master,” Shelby said, whispering his title.
Mason smiled and rubbed her hands. Then he gently pried them apart and held one between his.
“I see no wedding ring on your finger. Are you married?”
She shook her head. He didn’t correct her. She was very new to this.
“Are you in a relationship of any kind?”
“Nope, er, Master.”
“Good. So you’ve never done anything like this before. Why’d you choose this club as your maiden voyage, so to speak?”
She cleared her throat and sat up a little straighter, her chin jutting out a little as she seemed to be gathering her nerve.
“I came here for you.”
Mason gaped at her. What kind of answer was that? He’d never seen her before. He was absolutely sure of that. He would’ve remembered the auburn hues of her hair or the deep emerald of her eyes. Mason pinned her with his gaze. He also didn’t flaunt his lifestyle. Nor did he like setups or women throwing themselves at him because of his money. Now he felt as if he was being played, which cooled any ardor he’d felt.
He was a man of control, but at this moment, he knew he had none. That fucking pissed him off, but he pushed down the need to toss her out without another word. He wanted an explanation, and he was going to damn well get it.
Instead of asking questions about her sexual experience, he’d switch gears completely and try to figure out just what the hell this woman was up to. His instincts about her must be way off, and that was something else he didn’t like. He’d always been able to trust his instincts in both his personal and professional life. His jaw locked just thinking about both extremes. If on a personal mission, she would be sorely disappointed if she thought she could land him by pretending to be something she wasn’t.
But she could also be tied up in something regarding his business, and that was another matter entirely.
Either way, he didn’t take kindly to liars, especially those who did it out of disrespect for his lifestyle.
No, he didn’t like that shit at all.
Shelby was about to bolt. She couldn’t do this. The man was very intimidating, much more so than his sexy photos had hinted.
Sexy didn’t even cover it. The amount of confidence he oozed would make even an average-looking man sexy, and Mason was so far beyond that category the word average probably wasn’t in his vocabulary. Even his hair was perfect, and his eyes? God, they were a beautiful liquid brown. Like smooth whiskey. He was tall, and his body had been very hard when he’d stood behind her. She felt her face flame at the memory. Yes, he had the entire package, and he’d been willing to help her just as she’d hoped—with the case, of course.
But now he looked mad. Strike that. He looked furious.
Great, you just managed to piss off a tall, muscular Dom who might also be a criminal. Good job, Shelby.
She needed to get herself together and stick to the story. She’d come prepared. Even showing up on a night she knew wasn’t open to the general public had been part of the plan. She just had to play it cool. Right. Only that was easier said than done.
“I-I have a cousin who works in information technology,” Shelby quickly began. “She recently transferred to California. Anyway, I went out to visit her a couple of weeks ago, and we started talking about sexual fantasies. I told her I’d never been truly satisfied by a man—um, I mean, the sex is usually okay, just not amazing—and that I’d often thought about what it would feel like to let go of any responsibilities in the bedroom. Um, I mean, I’d like to know what it would feel like for a man to take control. She encouraged me to try, but when I told her I was too scared because I didn’t even know where to start, she mentioned I should look you up.” God, had she gotten it all out without messing up? She was trembling too hard to think clearly.
“Why me?” he asked without so much as a pause.
“Um, Sasha said her best friend had tried submission with you once. My understanding is the lady seemed to trust you enough to try and that she really enjoyed it, but she was more into occasional play,
