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  She blinked, trying to get her thoughts off the swirling heat between her thighs and into the conversation. Once she managed that feat, she realized what he’d said. “You did what?”

  His eyes narrowed. “I’ve arranged for you to have fancy lady things done to you to treat the body I shall play with.”

  Not like she’d refuse a spa day, but he didn’t need to do that. Besides, it didn’t make any sense. Why would he give her a gift if he were irritated that she had left him last night? “But—”

  Once again, that stern eyebrow arched. “Doll, you’re in enough trouble as it is. It would be wise to stop talking.”

  Under his fierce stare, she ate back the rest of her objections, and at her silence, he inclined his head. “Good decision.”

  He released the tight hold between her thighs and now worked her clit with incredible circles of his palm. The side of his mouth curved at the hitch of her breath, then he brushed his nose along her jaw, inhaling deeply as he slid his nose all the way down her neck.

  His tongue snaked out and licked the sweet spot on her neck, and her knees weakened. She gasped and he stole the sound by sealing his mouth over hers. Long, slow strokes of his tongue clashed with hers, and when she moaned, he deepened the kiss. Not a one-night-stand type of kiss but emotion-packed, which didn’t resemble his kisses from last night. Each press of his lips against hers and tangle of his tongue became more heated, and her body erupted into flames under the intensity.

  By the time he broke the kiss, the wall was the only thing holding her up as heady arousal burned through her blood, and Dmitri grinned in his wicked way. “There’s that look I like on you, doll.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Five days of absolute hell had passed in a slow blur. Presley woke each morning and spent all day—including late into the night—somehow dreading and looking forward to Friday. Finally, she could stop thinking about what Dmitri meant by “deal with this,” because tonight she’d find out.

  Now, striding through the long hallway toward the back of the mansion, as instructed by Master Aidan when she and Cora arrived in the dungeon, Presley tugged the black leather skirt down over her bottom. It didn’t help much; her ass cheeks still hung out, exactly what Master Dmitri had ordered: The thing was too damn short. Even her mauve silk halter top rested just under her breasts to show off her midsection. She wasn’t wearing a bra—another demand—and it made her feel more naked than ever.

  At least her skin looked smooth and shiny from her spa day. Dmitri’s “fancy lady things” consisted of manicure/pedicure and skin treatments, including an amazing exfoliating scrub. All of which had cost a mint; Presley had looked at the prices in the brochure.

  As she closed in on the doorway at the end of the hall, her anxieties doubled and her heart raced. She had wondered if she’d be as uncomfortable in the dungeon, or if the edge had worn off, now that she had experienced her first scene. The sweat along her spine declared that she was still susceptible to the jitters.

  With each step she took toward the closed door, the tighter her muscles became. Sure, excitement fluttered through her at the thought of seeing Dmitri, but she was also worried. At the dental clinic, his approach had been so forceful, and she didn’t doubt that everything he said and did had a purpose.

  The other cause for concern was what awaited her tonight. Would Dmitri be the growly man she’d seen on Sunday, or would he be the man who’d seduced her right down to her toes before he left her plastered to the wall?

  Topping off all her reasons to be tense: Why was she walking to a room she’d never gone into, rather than meeting Dmitri in the dungeon? Her mind had come up with at least twenty reasons. Perhaps he’d made the request to create the nervous flickers in Presley’s stomach and to cause the anxious thoughts rushing through her mind.

  Stopping at the doorway, she inhaled a stabilizing breath then—as Master Aidan had ordered her to do—opened the door. First she noticed that she’d entered a game room with dark taupe paint on the walls and a fancy dartboard, then she noticed a huge bar to the left. After which she discovered that four of the Club Sin Masters stood around the pool table in front of her: Miles, Sawyer, Kyler, and . . . him.

  All heads turned to her, and her breath caught in her throat, but not from the stares of the other Doms. The only man she saw in the big room was Master Dmitri. He was dressed in all black, with his cuffs rolled up on his forearms. His dress pants were fitted against his long, muscular legs, and the first few buttons of his dress shirt were open, revealing a smooth chest. When his piercing eyes caught hers, all her worries left her on a long sigh.

  A wave of coolness washed across her heated flesh, and the reaction was so strong, it made her pause. Why did she go so quiet in Master Dmitri’s presence? She had thought the scene last weekend had settled her, but no, it couldn’t have, because why did she feel so peaceful now?

  In his presence, something inside her shifted and became content, and there was no denying it. A peace filled her, as if she didn’t need to worry or fret, and all she could do was stare at him and try to understand why.

  Master Dmitri turned to face her fully, and his gaze roamed over her body. Under the heat of his slow examination from her head to her toes, her nipples puckered, even in the warm room, which he noticed, since his mouth curved. By the time his study rose to her face, Presley squirmed on her heels, feeling the swell of arousal between her thighs and a shift in the air between them. Her body ached for him to come closer, and she yearned to feel his touch, which must have shown in her expression, since Master Dmitri approached.

  With each powerful, fluid stride, his stare on her never wavered. She loved when he looked at her like this, as if nothing else mattered except that she had walked into the room. Once he reached her, he gave her that sexy half-smile, making her belly flutter. He took her hand and tugged her forward, bringing her farther into the room and closer to the pool table.

  Staying silent, Master Dmitri circled her, running his fingers lightly over her shoulders, and she shivered under his gentle touch. “I’m pleased that you followed my order in your choice of clothing.” His warm breath caressed her neck as he whispered by her ear, “Or lack thereof, Presley.”

  “I’m glad, sir,” she managed.

  His finger slid across her lower back, and when he returned to her front, his expression didn’t match his touch or his sensual voice. Darkness deepened the color in his eyes and made the blue look stormy. Before her wasn’t the man who seduced her but the one who overpowered her.

  “Now, Presley, we have a matter to deal with,” he stated.

  At her pinched expression, half curiosity and half hesitation, he chuckled. “Ah, a little concern I see in those beautiful eyes of yours, and that’s a good thing. But I won’t leave you to squirm, Presley. You are to be punished for your behavior last weekend. Submissives do not run from their Doms, love.”

  Her heart dropped into her stomach. Punished? Like what, something mortifying or humiliating or even painful? Of course, she’d known this was coming, had known it all week, but she’d done her best to think he wouldn’t go there.

  Dmitri’s mouth twitched as he watched her, then he folded his arms. “Strip.”

  Presley blinked, pulling herself out of the horrifying images playing in her mind, and she glanced at the three Club Sin Masters behind Master Dmitri, who all grinned at her. To Dmitri, she asked, “Here, sir?”

  He gave her a full-blown smile that might have caused a stirring down south if she weren’t faced with the idea of being naked in front of four incredibly confident and good-looking men. “No place better than right here, in front of men who will appreciate the view.”

  Awareness filled her at the slight twinkle in his eyes, and she understood why she’d been brought to this room and why the other Masters were present. The power exuding from these men would make any woman feel uncomfortable, and Master Dmitri had brought them for one reason—to discourage her.

  Perhaps her punis
hment was simply this: being naked in front of men, forced to do something he knew would embarrass her. Compared to what she imagined could be her punishment, this didn’t seem that bad.

  Besides, Presley remembered what Master Dmitri had told her in their first meeting: “You are the bottom in the relationship and will need to accept that. You don’t make decisions. You don’t ask questions. You do what your Dom tells you to do.”

  She couldn’t select which rules she’d follow and which she wouldn’t. Every Club Sin submissive followed through with punishment. Now she understood why her leaving had upset Master Dmitri—he hadn’t told her to go. She had made a decision, and he’d made it perfectly clear that that right had been stripped from her.

  “If you refuse your punishment, you will be escorted from the dungeon and not allowed to return.” This statement she saw even now in his stern look. She couldn’t be a submissive under her rules. She had clearly disrespected Dmitri, and that, as per his rules, came with a punishment. To give up control, to be a submissive at Club Sin, wasn’t only about the kink but about the power exchange, and she realized that now.

  “No punishment would ever exceed your limits. One thing you can count on is your punishment will be fair.”

  Master Dmitri would be fair, that she believed. Even Cora had said that he’d likely take it easy on her because she was so new to the lifestyle. Presley didn’t want to leave Club Sin, but most important, she didn’t want to leave the Dom currently waiting.

  Keeping her eyes on Master Dmitri for strength, she grabbed the hem of her top, sliding it over her head, and handed it him. She followed with her heels and her skirt, which left her stark naked, the warm air caressing her nipples and making them pucker tighter.

  Presley never looked away from Master Dmitri, and in his stare, she saw a glint of pride that she’d followed through with his order. Seeing his pleasure in her made her feel equally good, almost fulfilled somehow. But as he did a very slow once-over of her body, all the warmth dancing in delight turned into wicked burn.

  Glancing over Master Dmitri’s shoulder, she noticed that the other Masters, who had looked casual before, now stood straighter. Heat flamed between her thighs, and her breath whooshed from her lungs. Their examinations of her naked body, how their features shifted to raw, primal male need, and how she was put on display, set her body aflame.

  A whisper of a touch trailed down the front of her neck, and she turned to Dmitri and discovered the other Masters’ heated looks had nothing on his. His baby blues burned with a fire she craved would consume her. “Yes, doll, I’m there, too.”

  At her smile, since she enjoyed making him as hot as he did her, he turned and gestured the Club Sin Masters forward. All three of the men stepped up next to him, circling her. Their powerful presence simmered in the air and slowly erased her smile. A cold sweat washed over her very naked skin, and her breath caught in her throat.

  Master Dmitri chuckled. “Not to worry, doll, we’re not going to gangbang you.” His gentle touches continued on her neck. “That’s a hard limit for you.”

  Presley nearly exhaled a relieved breath but thought it might insult the other Masters to know she didn’t want to have sex with them. She did not intend to get herself into more of a tight spot with her bare ass showing. As she looked upon their amused expressions, especially Master Kyler’s, she realized their presence was only to increase her level of discomfort.

  Just so happened, it worked.

  “Now, Presley,” Master Dmitri said, commanding her gaze, and the softness was replaced by his stern look. “When I place you in my bed, you are to stay there. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Leaning toward her, he brought his eyes down to her level. “I do not like you thinking for me. That is my job. In my care, you don’t think, you do not question, you only do.” His eyebrows arched, increasing the tense set of his features. “Understand?”

  He waited for her nod. “While I’m not a Dom who demands submission twenty-four/seven, you appear to have too much going on in your head, so I expect your submission whenever you step foot in this house, including when you’re in my bedroom. Meaning—and this is what I told you before—you, as a Club Sin submissive, don’t make decisions such as sneaking out of my bed.”

  Again he paused for her nod before he went on. “After you are better trained and more confident in what is expected of a Club Sin submissive, I will loosen those rules. Clear?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He dropped his chin lower and stared at her dead-on. “Like I’ve already explained and do not wish to continue to repeat, if you’re upset or have concerns, you are to tell me. I don’t want actions such as glaring or running out of my house. I want you to sit down and talk with me about it.” At her wince, since he had told her that before, he added, “You should’ve woken me up that night, told me what you were thinking, and I could’ve dealt with it.”

  She sighed, realizing what bothered him more than her running out. Yes, he didn’t like that she’d run, but more than that, Dmitri clearly liked to talk things out, and well, she wasn’t used to that. Steven had never been much of a talker. “I’m sorry, sir.”

  “I know you are, doll.” He smiled gently, tugging on a strand of her hair. “However, to ensure that last night’s mistake won’t happen again . . .” He spun on his heels, heading toward the pool table, where he set her clothes on top. “Your clothing is gone.”

  She blinked. “Gone . . . as in, for the whole night, sir?”

  He turned to her, eyes narrowed. “Doll, this punishment is extremely light. I suggest you take it without further fight.” He arched a brow. “Or would you rather I spank your ass until a chair resembles your sworn enemy?”

  Well, shit! “No clothes sounds just fine, sir.”

  He smirked. “Thought so.” He approached and offered his hand. “Come with me. The dungeon awaits us.”

  Once she slid her hand into his strong hold, he gathered her in next to him, and the warmth of his body engulfed her. With the other Masters out in front, Master Dmitri led her through the hallway and down the basement stairs to the dungeon.

  As she stepped off the last step into the basement, she glanced around at the stone walls leading to the wrought-iron door at the end of the wide hallway. When they reached the dungeon’s door, the other Masters all entered, and when the last of them, Master Kyler, crossed the threshold, Presley entered behind Master Dmitri. After the door slammed closed behind her with a loud bang, she stopped dead in her tracks.

  Good Lord.

  Every muscle in her body went from slightly tense to rigid so quickly that she groaned. The music drifted over her in the usual soft seductive rumble, and even the rich energy in the room seemed to raise the hair on her arms, but the fifty or so people sitting on the floor in front of a stage—that hadn’t been there before—stole any arousal that might have been.

  The crowd faced the stage, which was totally lit up by spotlights, and a rope dangled down from a large metal hook fastened to the ceiling. Two more ropes were tied to loops on the ground, and a tray covered with a black sheet was alongside them.

  Master Dmitri strode forward, and the murmurs grew louder as all eyes zeroed in on her. She understood his punishment. Her being naked around the usual crowd would unsettle her, but clearly, every member of Club Sin was in attendance tonight. This sucked, and wasn’t that a fine punishment?

  She also realized his intent with the spa day: He had planned to show her off and wanted her to look her best. His generosity didn’t seem as generous now. More important, why was everyone in attendance and sitting around a stage?

  Once in front of the crowd, Master Dmitri turned to her. “I need to speak with Master Kyler a moment. No one will talk to or touch you. I won’t leave you, Presley.” At her thudding heartbeat but slow nod, he skimmed a finger along the side of her neck and grinned. “To your knees.”

  Remembering what Cora had taught her about the proper kn
eeling position, she lowered herself to her knees on the hardwood floor, bowed her head, and clasped her wrists at her back. And oh, God, where was Cora? The last time she’d seen her was with Master Aidan, when they arrived at the dungeon, but was she somewhere in the crowd, watching?

  A minute passed. No one acknowledged her presence or talked to her; she assumed she looked like a statue. Oh, but there’s a lot of people behind you, and they’re looking at your bare butt!

  After another few minutes that were probably short but seemed like a damn lifetime, Master Dmitri’s voice startled her. “Good evening,” he told the crowd, and the people behind her stayed silent. “Tonight, for our demonstration, I have a special treat for you.”

  Presley’s heart skipped a beat, but her thoughts had to mislead her. Master Dmitri wouldn’t put her on display in front of all these people . . . and do things to her . . . wicked things, would he?

  A pin could’ve dropped, and it would’ve sounded like a loud boom on the floor as the air around her appeared to vanish. A hand came into her line of vision, as well as black shiny shoes, and she cringed. “Come now, doll.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Dmitri restrained the hot bursts of excitement rushing through his veins as he climbed the stairs of the stage. He chuckled at Presley’s sweaty hand tangled with his as they traveled to the center of the large steel platform.

  He stopped at the front of the stage, the warm spotlights beamed down on him, and he glanced at Presley, swearing he could see the hammer of her pulse along her neck. “To your knees.”

  The earlier event in the games room had happened for two reasons. Not only as a punishment, since he’d known she’d be uncomfortable. He had stated in the clearest terms he could that if she acted in such a way again, she’d end up nude and exposed. A clear consequence that would hopefully make her think twice before running again. He’d also administered the punishment in that manner to soften the blow of the scene he had planned for her tonight.