“Her name?”
Shelby licked her lips and tried to take a calming breath. “Um, Cassie Cope, but she’s married now. I-I don’t remember her maiden name, but I can call Sasha and ask.”
Thankfully, the name seemed to click with Mason. His shoulders relaxed, and he nodded slowly. Shelby was able to find the air in the room and fill her burning lungs. This story was key to getting close to Mason. At first, they’d considered making a connection to Blade’s family, but they needed a link Mason couldn’t easily check out, and they figured tying in to his lifestyle would be the better option. The higher-ups somehow secured Sasha’s help, providing Shelby a viable connection to a woman she’d never met and the man before her. It was a close enough link to Mason’s personal life to be of use, but not so close that he’d easily find the holes in the story.
Going this route was the best chance they had to ensure Mason was the one who helped Shelby with her supposed sexual rediscovery. She hadn’t expected him to walk right up to her, though.
“I’d heard Cassie got married,” he finally said.
“When you came up behind me and that security guard called you by your name, I sorta panicked. I thought I’d have some time to work up the nerve to find you. Then you’d found me, and I started second-guessing myself.” She laughed nervously because that much was true. She’d been ready to leave this place and never come back. Field work be damned…hello desk job.
“I see. Well, I apologize if I came off a little harsh. I’m a very private person—”
“Oh me too,” Shelby blurted. “I don’t think I want anybody knowing about this. I mean, it’s no one’s business what I’m into. I mean, what I might be into.”
“Relax.” Mason grabbed both her hands and put them in his lap, causing the butterflies in her stomach to practically riot. “I understand you’re nervous. That’s why we need to talk.”
Shelby nodded, not sure she’d be able to find her voice.
“Since you brought up Cassie, you should know more about why we didn’t work out—because it wasn’t an isolated incident—so you’ll understand what I want, and how I go about things. It might not be relevant tonight, but if we continue, I don’t want there to be any surprises.”
Oh shit, it was really happening. She tried not to flinch or make any sudden moves while mentally ordering her body to relax.
“I want complete submission in the bedroom. I’m not one to demand it outside of sexual encounters. Having a slave is, frankly, too much work, and my life is already demanding enough as it is. But in the bedroom, I will call the shots.”
She nodded, absorbing it all. That s-word had her feeling anxious since it wasn’t something she’d considered, but thankfully, it didn’t seem to be an issue anyway.
“I understand trust is something earned, and will take time, but from the very beginning, I have to believe you are doing your very best to embrace your submissive side, giving yourself over to me. It won’t be easy, and I’m not one to go lightly. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Master.”
He flashed his smile at her, and she felt a tingle of happiness that he’d approved.
Then she frowned. She shouldn’t be happy about that. This was a work assignment. She wasn’t here for herself. She was here for the sake of the case she was on.
“I just lost you.”
Her gaze darted to his, and he was searching her eyes. “Sorry. This is a lot to take in.”
“I know, but if this is something you truly want, Shelby, you will experience pleasure like you’ve never known before.”
But this wasn’t something she really wanted. She was undercover. No. She buried that thought deep down to keep it from surfacing again. From here on out, she would not think about this as an assignment. She would make it as real for her as she could, so it would be as believable as possible. She had no other choice.
“Have you tried anything kinky before, even minor things like being spanked during sex?”
Shelby felt her face get hot, and she shook her head quickly. She might be willing to embrace this experience, but she wanted this conversation over like yesterday.
“All right. There’s a process I like to follow when training a new sub. If you can accept my terms, I’ll agree to help you.”
His gaze told her there’d be no negotiation on the matter. If she wanted to do this, she’d have to be on board with whatever he was going to say. This was it. Would she be able to do this? Get close to Mason Showalter and get the intel needed to crack this case? She was frozen in her seat as he continued.
“It involves putting you through four scenes. One each week. Normally, I’d want to start immediately if you’re willing. You’re new and a bit skittish, though, so I think you need a little time to adjust to the idea before we begin. You have to be absolutely sure this is what you want. Do you want this, pet?”
“Yes,” she whispered. Jeez, was he not even going to tell her what kind of stuff these four scenes consisted of? Would they be public? Please, baby Jesus, don’t be public.
“Are you free on Friday?”
Shelby nodded, unable to say anything.
“Good. We’ll meet here, but I’ll give you my number in case you change your mind.” He stroked her sweaty hand. “This process will help you not only discover if this is the lifestyle you truly want, but also what you do and don’t like sexually. Keep in mind, a submissive wants to please her Master, just as a Master wants to please his submissive. Sometimes one does things only for the benefit of the other because he or she knows it’s what they want. This won’t be easy, but hopefully, you’ll reach a point where you embrace your
