One True Master: Desire Island Series - Book 1

by Claire Thompson

  Silently, she willed him to climb into the hot tub and, to her astonishment, he’d done just that. She wasn’t entirely sure if what he was doing was a breach of island protocol, but she hadn’t cared in the least. All she knew was she’d never been so turned on in her life.

  When he’d held her on his lap, she could feel his cock, hard and hot as it nestled against her ass. She had been dying to swivel and face him so she could straddle his huge shaft, slowly lowering herself over him until she’d taken it all inside. After all, he’d climbed naked into the tub, his cock bobbing between them like an invitation—surely she was within her rights to accept it?

  But before she could act on her impulse, he’d abruptly thrust her aside and gotten to his feet. He’d left her alone, confused and filled with longing. Her body still tingled with the memory of his touch, his warmth, his arms around her. She slipped her hand between her legs to ease the throb in her clit.

  As she realized what she was doing, she pulled her hand away with a jerk. She was already breaking her promise to herself to fully engage in the process, whether or not there were witnesses. Master Caelan would want her to control herself right now. Maybe he even got into the tub with her to test her?

  But, no. What had happened in those few amazing moments hadn’t been about training. It had been personal. But then he’d rushed from her, leaving her confused and frustrated. What was she supposed to do now?

  The whirlpool must have been on a timer, because the frothing bubbles suddenly ceased, the water going still. She was thoroughly warmed up now. In fact, she was starting to overheat. Getting to her feet, she reached for a towel.

  As she was drying her hair, she heard someone entering the water room. She turned, expecting to see Master Caelan, again fully dressed and fully in control. Instead, Abbie stood there. She had changed out of her workout attire and now wore a dark green satin bustier that barely covered the tops of her nipples, with matching thong panties, her feet bare, her long red hair flowing prettily over her shoulders.

  “Oh,” Skylar said, confused. “Where’s Master Caelan?”

  “He asked me to come let you know you can take an hour’s break. He apparently had something urgent he needed to see to. I actually have some free time right now. Want to go check out the beach? It’s good to take a break from the intensity of training now and again.”

  “Um, okay. I guess,” Skylar said, still not sure what was going on. She didn’t really want a break—not from Master Caelan, at any rate. She wanted to continue where they’d left off. She wanted to ask him what that was all about.

  She followed Abbie from the room, leaving the towel behind. They walked together through the main dungeon, past various scenes in progress, and down the corridor where the slave bedrooms were. “Let me just grab some sunscreen and beach towels,” Abbie said, leading Skylar into a bedroom two doors down from hers.

  Abbie’s room was set up just like Skylar’s, with a bed, a bureau, a St. Andrew’s cross, and a sliding glass door at the back that opened directly out onto the beach. She’d added some personal touches, including some framed prints on the walls and a colorful throw rug by the bed. She slipped into her bathroom and emerged a few moments later with a large beach bag. She’d changed out of her bustier and now wore only the bottoms of a bright yellow bikini, her hair tucked up under her floppy straw hat.

  She went to her closet and pulled out two pairs of flip-flops. “The sand can get a little hot now that the sun’s up. Want to wear a pair?”

  “Sure, thanks,” Skylar said, taking the offered sandals and slipping them on her feet. She felt mildly ridiculous, dressed only in a slave collar and flip-flops, but Abbie didn’t bat an eye.

  Abbie grabbed two bottles of water from her mini fridge and they went out the sliding door and onto the sand. The warm sea breeze felt refreshing against Skylar’s skin. There were large red and blue beach umbrellas set up all along the shore, many of them occupied by couples and individuals, some as naked as Skylar. They walked to an available one and Abbie pulled out two huge towels, which they set up side-by-side under the shade of the umbrella.

  As they sat down, Abbie pulled a can of sunscreen from her beach bag. “I don’t tan,” she said with a laugh. “I just turn into a lobster.” She sprayed herself liberally with the sunscreen and then held it out to Skylar. Skylar sprayed her body but not her legs, which she stuck out from the umbrella, hoping for a little tan. Lifting up on her elbows, she dug her toes in the sand as she stared out at the vast ocean.

  “Something happened in there,” she said, her eyes still on the water. “Something…strange.”

  “I was wondering,” Abbie said. “I’ve never seen Master Caelan stop in the middle of training. He’s usually super focused, no matter what might be happening around here.” She turned to Skylar, who met her concerned gaze. “What happened? Are you okay?”

  “I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure it out.”

  Abbie looked worried. “Did he demand something of you that you weren’t ready or able to give?”

  “No. It wasn’t that. He…I…” Skylar trailed off. What she really wanted was to talk to him—not as trainee to trainer, but just as two people who might be falling into something neither had expected.

  “You can tell me,” Abbie said gently. “This is a very unusual place, Skylar. We live in a different, special world here. Sometimes things can get super intense. When you add in a mutual attraction between trainer and trainee, things can get really, uh, complicated.”

  Skylar glanced sharply at Abbie, her heart doing a somersault in her chest. “What do you mean mutual attraction?” she asked, unable to disguise the eagerness in her tone. “Did he say something to you?”

  Abbie laughed. “He didn’t have to. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. In the three months he’s been here, he’s worked with…”—she looked upward while apparently doing some calculations in her head—“oh, easily ten other trainees, but I’ve never seen him worked up like this. Whatever happened just now between you, it’s shaken him up as much as it has you.”

  She placed her hand lightly over Skylar’s. “What is it, hon? I won’t do anything with the information unless you want me to.”

  Skylar looked gratefully at Abbie. She was definitely someone she could be good friends with, she could already tell. She told her what had just transpired, haltingly at first and then just getting it all out there. Abbie listened without a word.

  “I don’t know what to think,” Skylar finally said. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say we slipped for a moment to something definitely more than trainer and trainee. But that can’t be, right? I mean, don’t get me wrong—it was amazing. I wanted it to continue—not stop.” Suddenly worried she’d said too much, Skylar asked, “He won’t get in trouble, will he?”

  Abbie shook her head. “No. There’s no rule in place that says he can’t get naked with you. In fact, part of your training, as I’m sure you were told, includes learning proper oral skills. Sometimes, trainers use a male sub for you to practice with so they can more objectively observe, but some use their own cocks to control the process more.” She rolled over to her stomach and rested her face on her folded hands. “Sounds like you’re telling me things started to get, uh, personal, and you liked it and he did too, but then he freaked out and brought everything to an abrupt halt.”

  “Yep,” Skylar agreed with a laugh. “I think that about sums it up. But here’s the question—what the hell happens now?”

  Chapter 9

  Caelan paced in his suite like a caged lion, unable to stop his brain from whirring. What was happening to him? How had he lost control like that? He had to talk to someone. Now.

  Grabbing his cell phone from the desk, he shot a quick text to Ella. “I’m having something of a crisis. Do you have a moment to talk?”

  He plopped down in a chair, his phone in his hand, and stared out the window while waiting for a response. He never tired of the beautiful beach view. Thankfully, after
only about thirty seconds, the wiggling ellipsis on his screen indicated she was responding.

  “Just finishing a session. Meet me in my office in ten minutes?”

  “Perfect. Thanks.”

  Caelan jumped to his feet and hurried out of the suite. He strode down the hallway, bypassing the elevators in favor of the stairs. As he pounded down the four flights, he thought about what he’d say to Ella.

  He was so confused, a condition he wasn’t at all used to. Normally, he knew just what to do in any given situation. It had made him the go-to guy during his emergency room rotation, and it had suited his naturally dominant personality and his chosen career as a trainer.

  He’d never—not once—lost control like he had this morning. He’d had any number of trainees think they were falling for him, when all they were really falling for was what he offered. And he’d been attracted to a number of his clients over the years, but he’d never let it affect his behavior.

  Until now.

  He pushed open the door at the bottom of the stairs and charged out of the stairwell, crashing straight into Ryan Summerlin.

  “Whoa,” Ryan said, grabbing Caelan’s arm as they both struggled to remain upright. “Where’s the fire?”

  Embarrassed, Caelan replied, “I’m so sorry, Ryan. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

  “No problem,” Ryan said with a laugh, rubbing his shoulder. “Fortunately, it’s not my whip arm.” As Caelan tried to smile, Ryan peered more closely into his face. “Hey, what’s up, bro? You look like you’re the bearer of some very bad news. Is everything okay?”

  Caelan blew out a breath. “Not really,” he admitted. “I was just on my way to Ella’s office. I have a problem I need to discuss.”

  “A problem?” Ryan queried, looking concerned. “Don’t tell me you’re leaving? Please, anything but that. Business is really picking up. We need to add trainers, not subtract them.”

  “No, no,” Caelan said quickly. “It’s nothing like that. It’s…”—he paused, trying to find the right words—“it’s something that happened with my new trainee. With Skylar.”

  “I’ve got a few minutes before my next session. You can tell us both all about it. I’m sure we can find a resolution to whatever the issue is.”

  What the hell—he’d tell them both at once. If they decided to fire him, then so be it. He might fire himself if he couldn’t get his head on straight.

  “Okay,” he agreed. “Thanks.”

  They walked together down the hallway that contained the business offices. Just as they entered Ella’s empty office, she came into the room, her distinctive brand of perfume preceding her. “Now, what’s this—oh, Ryan. Hi. I didn’t realize you’d be here, too.”

  “We ran into each other in the lobby,” Ryan said with a smirk, rubbing his shoulder.

  “So,” Ella said, gliding into her office chair as the two men sat on either end of the leather couch facing her desk. “What’s this all about, Caelan? Let’s see if we can’t put our heads together and solve whatever the issue is.”

  Caelan drew in a deep breath, trying to think how to begin. As experienced trainers themselves, they were both familiar with the intense dynamic that could emerge between trainer and trainee, even within the first few hours of an interaction. Hopefully, they’d help him to understand what was going on and give him some advice on how to proceed.

  “First things first. Where is Skylar now?” Ryan asked, glancing at his watch.

  “She’s on free time with Abbie. I asked Abbie to take care of her while I tried to pull myself together.”

  “What happened, Caelan?” Ella asked gently, leaning forward. “You can talk to us. Odds are we’ve both been there, done that, whatever it is.”

  “Thanks,” Caelan said gratefully, reminded yet again how much he liked living and working on Desire Island, and how much he’d miss it if he had to leave.

  Okay. Out with it, he ordered himself.

  “Here’s the thing,” he finally began. “I behaved inappropriately with Skylar this morning during a session. I had to excuse myself before I went too far. I’m-I’m not sure I can continue to work with her.”

  “Whoa,” Ryan said, frowning. “What the hell happened?”

  “Why don’t you start from the beginning, Caelan?” Ella added. “Just tell us exactly what occurred. Don’t worry about being politically correct or anything like that. Know that Ryan and I think very highly of you, and we’re so glad you’re here helping us bring our vision to life. We’re all friends, and we can figure this out together.”

  Caelan rubbed a hand over his face. “Okay. We’d just completed a successful water torture session and I had her get into the hot tub to take the chill off. I… She…”

  Shit. How did he say this?

  “I think I’m attracted to her,” he said in a rush before he lost his nerve. “Okay. That’s a lie. I know I’m attracted to her. As a result, I did something wholly inappropriate. With no reason other than my own lust, I took off my clothes and climbed into the tub with her. I pulled her onto my lap. I very nearly…” he trailed off, heat blazing into his face as he looked away from Ella’s kind, earnest gaze. “I was going to take it to a very personal level,” he finished lamely. “I ended up basically fleeing the scene and sending in Abbie to clean up my mess. I behaved unethically and frankly I’m not sure I should continue as her trainer.”

  He looked up, startled to see the knowing expression the pair exchanged with each other, both of them grinning like Cheshire cats. What the hell was funny about what he was saying?

  “What?” he demanded, confused and a little affronted.

  “Ask Ella how she and Maya hooked up,” Ryan said.

  Caelan fixed his gaze on Ella, cocking an eyebrow. “Well?”

  “In a very similar situation to yours,” she said with a laugh. “I was conducting a training seminar at the BDSM facility Ryan and I used to work at just outside of Asheville. She was one of the submissive volunteers from the audience. The sparks started to fly almost instantly. It was all I could do to get through the demonstration before I took her back to my private dungeon.”

  “You should have seen them,” Ryan added with a chuckle. “I thought they were going to start making out right up there on the stage. It was cute, actually. I’ve never seen Ella lose control like that—not before or since.”

  “It happens, Caelan,” Ella added with a smile. “People often fall in love with the people they work with, especially when the situation is intense and personal. Look at all the actors who hook up with each other, especially when they’re playing each other’s love interest on the screen. When you’re put in close physical contact, and especially in our business, which is sexual by its nature, you’re bound to connect sometimes.”

  “That makes sense,” Caelan conceded. “But I’ve only known her for a day and a half.”

  “Oh, come on,” Ella countered. “You know better than that. A day and a half of intensive BDSM training is akin to about a month in vanilla time.”

  “Okay, maybe,” Caelan conceded, managing a weak grin. “But I have no indication my feelings are reciprocated. I mean, she might be attracted to me, but she might also just be a submissive with built-in erotic buttons that I happen to know how to push.”

  “Oh, she’s attracted, all right,” Ryan said.

  Caelan looked sharply at him, hope suddenly ballooning inside him, even as he struggled to quash it. “What do you mean? How do you know?”

  “Don’t you listen to the staff gossip? Word has it that something’s simmering between Master Caelan and the new trainee.” Ryan waggled his brows and smirked, channeling Groucho Marx. “And from what I’ve gleaned from my sources, the attraction runs both ways.”

  Caelan blew out a dismissive breath. “There’s always that kind of gossip when sexual training is involved. Even if—and it’s a big if—she feels the same, the fact remains that I was entirely inappropriate this morning. I took advantage of her and the situati
on. I wasn’t able to control myself.”

  “Oh, no,” Ryan said, putting his hands on his face in mock horror. “Ella, Caelan is human! What are we going to do? He’s not a robot like we thought when we hired him. He’s not Master Perfect. There’s only one course of action.”

  “Agreed,” Ella said, her expression deadpan, though her dark eyes were dancing. “I think we’ll need to take him out back and shoot him. We can’t have a man falling in love on our watch.”

  Caelan laughed in spite of himself. Then he processed her last sentence. “Wait. I didn’t say I was falling in love. Shit, I don’t even know if my feelings are genuine. I could be engaging in countertransference—projecting my own needs and issues onto her.”

  “Stop with the psycho-babble,” Ryan retorted with a good-natured grin. “I don’t think you’re engaging in anything except being a red-blooded male attracted to a woman he’s working intensively with. Call it whatever you want—you have the same goofy expression on your face that Ella gets when she looks at Maya.” A dark expression moved over his features, but it was gone as fast as it had appeared.

  Caelan vaguely recalled Ella mentioned some lost love, but now obviously wasn’t the time to ask.

  “I hope I get all goofy someday and lose control.” Ryan was smiling again. “I’ve yet to find ‘the one’.” He used his fingers to create air quotes around the words.

  “That’s because you’re too busy with ‘the many’,” Ella laughed, adding air quotes of her own. Turning to Caelan, she said gently, “Look. We get it, Caelan. You don’t need to label whatever it is you’re feeling right now, but you do need to acknowledge it. The odds are very good this is not a one-way street. You owe it to both Skylar and yourself to figure out just what it is that might be happening between you.”

  “Okay,” Caelan said slowly, trying to think it through. “But I still don’t see how I can continue in my capacity as her trainer. Obviously, I can’t remain objective. I’m afraid I’ll cross the line again.”