Master Connor

by Natalie Dae

  The barman clunked a large bottle of soda water on the bar, bringing me out of my thoughts. Master Connor thanked him, offering no payment, and I supposed he had an account. Going by his appearance, it stood to reason he’d have a tab, didn’t it?

  “I was poor once,” he said, seeming to pick up on my thoughts.

  “Oh, right.” I felt stupid not saying anything more, but what could I say? If I mentioned his obvious wealth—his suit gave him away, as did a beautiful gold ring—he might think of me as a gold digger.

  “But everything changed when I—” He smiled at me, not in the least perturbed at having stopped midsentence, and jerked his head, indicating that I follow him to one of the booths.

  The booths the couples occupied.

  “But they’re all full,” I said, looking up at him.

  He held two glasses in one hand and the unopened water bottle in the other. “Really?” His smile reached his eyes, then he walked on, weaving through the crowd.

  I remained where I was, watching the sway of his suit jacket, unsure whether to follow or just turn tail and run. I wanted to do both in equal measure and, frustrated, dithered from foot to foot, deciding which option to take. He turned then, glancing back at me with one eyebrow quirked, and as though my feet had a mind of their own, I took a step forward. He’d stopped in front of an empty booth. Where had the people who’d been inside it gone? Had I been that wrapped up in him I hadn’t noticed them leaving? It was possible, but I prided myself in staying alert in a strange place. Knowing I’d let my guard down so soon bothered me a little.

  “Oh, fuck it!” I breathed and strode toward him.

  One glass of water wouldn’t hurt, and besides, I’d paid for this introduction, and I’d damned well get at least a half hour of his time to make the payment worth it. Whether I could carry it off, acting like someone I wasn’t, I didn’t know, but I’d try—try to be sophisticated and all the things he was bound to expect from a woman. So far, I’d shown him I might possibly be denser than wood in the brain department and I was someone who gave stupid answers to completely normal questions.

  Lack of self-confidence was a bitch.

  My basque squeaked again as I sat in the enclosed booth. He situated himself beside me, thigh once again pressing against mine, and smiled such a devilishly charming smile that I just knew it had something to do with that sound. What on earth did he like leather-wise?

  Before I could stop myself, I asked, “So. You like leather?”

  “Oh, I do.” He winked then focused on pouring the water. “And so do you.”

  “And you know this how?” I reached forward to pick up a glass then took a long sip of water. The cold fluid pooled in my empty stomach. I looked at him over the rim of the glass.

  “I know lots of things,” he said mysteriously, with a hint of the sexy danger I’d only ever dreamt about. “Lots of things about you.”

  If I didn’t know Mr M vetted everyone, I might have found Master Connor’s comment creepy. But it did make me wonder whether his background search on people extended to poking around in private lives to the degree that he had people out there asking questions. I wasn’t sure, but Master Connor’s comment about me liking leather…

  It could just have been because you have a basque on. A lucky guess.

  “Mr M,” I said. “He finds out quite a bit then, does he?” I asked.

  “He does.”

  “So how come I don’t get the same privilege? How come he’s told you all about me, but I know nothing about you?”

  “Did you tick the box for information?” He leaned back against the seat, slightly to one side, a pose that gave off the impression he liked to lounge, to take things in his stride.

  “I didn’t see that box,” I said, feeling foolish and utterly ridiculous that I hadn’t even been able to get that right.

  “Then imagine you ticked it, and I’ll fill in all the answers.”

  I nodded. “All right, Sir.”

  “Banker, kind-hearted, usually a private Dom—settings such as this place are all right, but I like my sub all to myself. There are private rooms here, but they never seem private enough, which is why I like renting a suite upstairs. I’ve lived in this city all my life. I’m thirty-eight, well over six feet tall, and my dark hair is natural, although I may well have to resort to a dye or two in a few years.” He laughed. “I’m fond of sports, although I tend not to participate much beyond running on a treadmill at the gym. Never been married. Never had a relationship that has lasted more than two years. No children. Should I go on?”

  I cleared my throat. “Um, no, I think I have enough information for now, Sir.”

  “Good. So what would you like to talk about now?”

  I took a deep breath. Stared into his lovely eyes. “Tell me everything—everything I need to know, Sir. I want to claim my one-nighter, thank you.”

  * * * *

  Now suddenly uneasy after he’d made me relaxed while talking, I wavered in the doorway to Master Connor’s suite. Oh, I’d agreed to come up here, the chat giving me courage, and told myself that if a person signed up for a one-nighter then that’s what they should get. Master Connor was a dream to look at, had impeccable manners, and seemed to genuinely find me amusing, someone he wanted to spend time with. We’d talked about anything and everything and lots more in the booth I would always think of now as our own. How had Mr M been able to find someone who fitted me so perfectly? I just had to hope he was a fit in other areas too.

  Rather than dissect the whys and wherefores, and how Master Connor seemed to know one hell of a lot about me—more than a casual search would show up—I took a deep breath and promised myself one night of pain and passion. Shit, I’d never get the chance again, not with someone as divine as Master Connor, so I might as well go for it.

  Master Connor had walked over to the large living room window while I’d been wobbling in the doorway. He turned now, gave me a lopsided grin then motioned with his head that I join him. I closed the door then tried my best to walk without teetering, feeling ungainly in my heels.

  “Much as I adore those heels,” he said, “get them off.”

  My stomach muscles contracted—my God, he was going to send me into the crazy land of creaming my knickers if he commanded me like that again.

  “And come here.”

  I’m there. In Crazy Land. With creamed knickers.

  I kicked off my heels, concentrating on not falling over. Trying a sexy saunter, I made my way toward him. I thought I’d pulled it off well enough, and if I went by the glitter in his eyes, I definitely had.

  Standing before him, with my heart pattering way too fast and my knees weakening beneath his smoldering gaze, I waited, wanting more commands to spill from his lips.

  “Please, tell me what to do. I have no idea how to act, how to do anything like this… Sir.”

  “Then I’ll teach you. Show you.”

  I swallowed deeply to combat my nerves. “But you don’t under—”

  “Don’t question things, pet. Just for tonight, accept that this is happening, and tomorrow will take care of itself.”

  What was he, some kind of magician? I couldn’t refuse him. Not when he looked at me as he was doing now, all half-lidded brown eyes and a smile that would charm the birds from the trees. He’d charmed me on glass of water number one, and if I was honest, he’d charmed me right from when I’d first set eyes on him. Love at first sight just didn’t happen, not to me, but lust at first sight did—and I could recognize this situation for exactly what it was.

  “I signed up for a one-nighter, Sir.”

  “Oh, but it’s far more than that. Much, much more than that. Don’t you remember? I don’t come here often…”

  “Yes, Sir,” I whispered. “You said that, but I—”

  “Didn’t believe me?” He pulled me into his arms, settling one hand on my arse, twining the other in my hair. “I know you didn’t, but I promise you, I do not come here often. To this kind of
setting.”

  “What?”

  “I’m…I’m more of a—”

  I opened my mouth to ask why he’d stopped mid-sentence, but he crooked a finger beneath my chin, tilted my head up then swooped down to cover my mouth with his. That kiss, it burned brightly with the promise of so much—everything I had wanted from a kiss. Soul-searing, special, soft and perfect—so perfect that my knees weakened and my heart rate picked up speed. I returned the kiss, loving the feel of his tongue brushing mine, the way his fingertips massaged my scalp. If I died tonight, I’d die a happy woman, just from this.

  A whimper sounded, and it took a moment for me to realize it had come from me. I embraced him, smoothing my hands up and down his back, and I risked a daring move to cup both his arse cheeks. He stiffened against me, a groan rumbling in his chest, the reverberation transferring to mine. Oh, God, he was delicious, tasted of a good night to come and a whole lot of sexiness. I pushed myself into him, memorizing how it felt to be near someone so masculine, so beautiful.

  He lifted me then, into his big strong arms—the warmest embrace I’d ever had, and broke the kiss to look down at me. He turned, taking me to the window, and I rested my head on his shoulder, holding on tight with my hands about his neck. For the first time in my life I didn’t feel embarrassed. It was as though I were precious. That was a new experience, one I would treasure forever.

  “Look at the lights out there, Dahlia. Aren’t they beautiful?”

  I stared out of the window, taking in the sight of the city in the distance, the multitude of sparkles in various colors were breathtaking. I felt so safe, so wanted here that I was hard pressed to remember a time that rivalled it. I went down Thought Road, where I recalled that for most of my life I’d been alone, had felt unwanted, in the way, someone who didn’t fit. I’d come to this area to start again, the glamour and glitz of the city an enticement I hadn’t been able to ignore. After all, I could lose myself there, was able to meet so many different people.

  “The stars are bright, I must say, Sir.”

  “You’ll always feel like a star with me if you decide I’m the right Master for you.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and dared to glance up at him. He held me easily in one arm and smoothed my hair back from my face, swiping until all strands of it were gone. I wondered, just for a moment, what it would be like to be with him for all time.

  “You can find out everything you need to know about me by asking either me or Mr M, if you want,” he said. “Mr M does a thorough check on all applicants, as you can imagine. And I know you have many questions as to how I got into the lifestyle, but they can wait until tomorrow. Tonight? Well, I’m going to take you in my arms and love you. And you want to be loved, don’t you?”

  I nodded, and he left the window, carrying me through the living room and into a bedroom that came right out of my dreams. He lowered me to the plush-carpeted floor then set about lighting candles that were on every surface—two sets of drawers, a sideboard and a small table.

  In a rush to explain why I wasn’t doing what subs were meant to do, I said, “I don’t know anything much about this lifestyle except that it offers me something I seem to need.” I wanted to get it out there so he knew exactly what he was letting himself in for. “I’ve read the rules but don’t know or understand them all. I know there are certain ways to behave. That I even got accepted here…it feels like a dream.”

  “It’s no dream.” He reached out and drew my basque down then off. Holding it against his stomach as he studied me, he said, “Now, take off that skirt.”

  Chapter Three

  His voice had held authority, and reams of sex-laden visions flickered through my mind. I closed my eyes for a second. My nerves rattled.

  “What are you looking at behind those pretty eyelids of yours? What can you see?” he asked.

  I blushed. “It’s… Private things.”

  “If you can’t even tell me a simple thing like a sexy vision…”

  “It’s not that. It’s just…”

  “Who is in those visions? You? Me?”

  I nodded, caught up watching myself and Master Connor in sexual poses I’d never thought possible.

  “And do you see where we are?” he asked.

  I nodded again. “On a bed, in what looks like a bedroom in a castle. Here.”

  “That’s right. Here. Somewhere far away from the strains and stresses of life. And on that bed I’ll take you places, so you understand who I am, but ultimately, you’ll go home understanding a bit more about who you are.”

  My breath caught, and I shook my head, opening my eyes and staring at him as I shimmied out of my skirt. I let it pool on the floor then stepped out of it, surprised at my lack of embarrassment at standing before him in just my black knickers, bra, and stockings.

  “Now the rest. Take it all off. I want to see you naked.”

  Now the embarrassment came, in the form of a heated blush that grew from my chest, up my neck, and settled on my cheeks. I immediately worried that my face flamed an unsightly bright red.

  “I’ve seen redder arses than your face, pet,” he said. “So don’t worry about what you look like. You need to relax, to learn that showing me your body is something to be proud of, to enjoy, not something that makes you embarrassed. I’m not here to study it in the way you might think. I’m not looking at the size of your thighs or judging how heavy you are.”

  “Then what are you looking at, Sir?”

  “I’m thinking of how those thighs will feel when I slap them. How your arse will ripple when I whip it—if that’s what you’re after. I see things very differently to other men.”

  “I realize that now.” I let out a shaky breath. “Sir.”

  He smiled then chuckled, a sexy rumble that wet my cunt and set my clit to throbbing.

  “You look prettier when you blush. It makes me want to ensure your arse matches the shade of your cheeks. Please, take off the rest.”

  After taking a deep breath, I slipped my bra straps off my shoulders then unhooked the band. I took a moment to gather myself, to accept that once I was undressed, I wouldn’t want to go back. I’d signed up for a bit of a slap to my arse, and the man who could give it to me was standing right in front of me.

  “Will it hurt, Sir?” What a stupid question.

  “Of course it will, especially if you’ve never experienced it before. What you need to begin with is a very light spanking.” He paused, then, “Although to you it might not feel light at all.”

  I swallowed then busied myself by peeling the lace bra from my body and dropping it on the bed. Still looking at him, I slid my thumbs into the waist of my knickers then drew them down my legs, before tossing them to settle with my bra. With a surge of courage that came from nowhere, I lifted one leg and rested my foot on the mattress edge, then rolled my stocking down. I repeated the action on my other leg, never so thankful that I’d shaved before coming out tonight.

  “Very nice. So beautiful. Turn around. Let me see all of you.”

  I took my foot from the bed and planted it firmly on the floor. The courage that had so recently soared through my veins had disappeared, leaving me part vulnerable, part brave. Despite that, I pirouetted, shoving the vulnerable away and welcoming the brave, hugging it to me so I could get through this without making a fool of myself.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “Just be yourself. Pretend you’re not nervous. Pretend you’ve done this before, with me. Just go with whatever feels right for this evening. If you enjoy it and you want to see me again—”

  “I do already, Sir.” I faced him, purposely not covering my breasts or cunt, sensing that he wished to inspect all of me, to teach me that being nude in front of him was something I should revel in, not shy away from. “I want to see you again. After tonight.”

  He stared at me, perusing my body from head to toes. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel under scrutiny in the sense that I was uncomfortable—more that I felt adored, as though he
looked upon me as someone of incredible beauty. His expression—something I hadn’t seen on any man before, all wide-eyed amazement and lazy grin—told me that by some miracle of fate, this man, this gorgeous, hunk of a man, found me desirable.

  “You’re very beautiful, pet. Never doubt that.”

  Of course I doubted it. Men didn’t say such things to me. In the past they’d fucked me then left me the next morning—sometimes even the same night. I could say Master Connor was an expert in making a woman feel at ease, in letting her think he meant every word he said—that he was a Master in more ways than one, being able to manipulate my feelings the way he had. But I got the sense it wasn’t that way at all. I couldn’t imagine him saying these things if he didn’t mean them—he was so secure in himself that if he didn’t like me he would never have brought me up here. Would never just use me for a spank and a fuck.

  “Now get on the bed,” he said.

  I shivered at his tone and obeyed, loving the spirals of desire that surged from my core to my clit. I was on my hands and knees, facing away from him, conscious that my arse was on show as well as my cunt. I imagined him looking, wondered what he thought and wished he’d tell me. Should I ask? I doubted it very much. I turned over then settled my head on the puffy pillows, arms by my sides, trying to show him that I didn’t need to cover myself, that I was comfortable. I waited for what he would do or say next. He stared at me, his gaze going from my face to my cunt, then scooting down my legs that were slightly open. If he’d just climb on the bed and get between them I’d come before I knew it.

  He threw my basque on the bed beside me. “Put that back on.”

  Oh, God. Oh, God, this is so hot. So damn hot…

  I shifted my attention from his face down to his shirted chest then came to a stop at his pelvis. His erection bulged beneath the fabric of his trousers, and I sucked in a breath of wonder. I could only imagine how big it was, how it would look when freed, how it would feel in my hand. Heavy, long, thick. My mouth watered—I wanted to suck his cock—and I swallowed in order to stop myself asking him to slide it into my mouth and pump in and out until he came, hot and hard down my throat.