“I decided this submissive has been working very hard and deserved a bit of a reprieve, so we've been enjoying the pool this afternoon,” he continued.
Alayna lifted her gaze to Rick once again. He'd lied to Dane. It was true they'd been swimming, but the part about their sessions being a success was a bold-faced lie.
“Excellent,” Dane said. “Well, I just came out to the house to collect some files, and now I need to get going. The restaurant awaits. Keep up the good work, you two,” he added and smiled at her. “I'm looking forward to reading your report, Rick.”
“Thank you, sir. You won't be disappointed.”
When they were alone again following Dane's departure, Alayna jumped in front of Rick. “You lied to him,” she said. “Why? I don't know where you've been, but from my perspective, things aren't that great.”
Rick inhaled a deep breath and held it several passing heartbeats. “I've got an idea, Alayna. Tomorrow we will begin a hands-on approach to the masturbation techniques I gave you to read up on, together.”
“Really?” She nearly cheered with excitement. Finally. Maybe they'd get somewhere. However, her excitement was short-lived. While she was anxious to finally get down to some nitty-gritty aspects of her training, there was only one man she truly wanted teaching her about her body and how to achieve climax. And he was being a giant ass.
Though she'd only crossed paths with Logan three times in the nearly week and a half she'd been at the mansion, his scent lingered throughout the house, and it was driving her crazy. When she caught a whiff of his cologne, no matter where she was, it assailed her and caused her body to hum with need she couldn't explain. Each and every morning she woke to his scent in her room, as if he'd been there through the night. But she knew that couldn't be.
Determination fired her blood. Alayna wasn't going to turn tail due to Logan's curt behavior toward her. No. She'd felt the weight of his stare for six damn months, seen his eyes flicker with need when their gazes met. The stubborn ass was interested, and her being there should be enough to prove to him that interest was reciprocated.
If it was the last thing she did, no matter the cost, Alayna intended to get him to act upon his attraction.
Chapter Six
Day Ten
The morning after their exchange with Dane, Rick made good on his promise that things were about to change.
Alayna blew a damp strand of hair from her brow as the need to scream slowly built inside her—the need to scream with frustration. Again and again Rick directed her in what she was supposed to do to bring herself to climax, but the build of arousal wasn't there. A subtle tremor moved through her body, but nothing earth-shattering. They'd been in playroom six for hours, and she had experienced nothing more intense than the tingle of an electric shock similar to the reaction that occurred when rubbing one's socked feet along a carpet before touching something metal.
It was like the other day when Rick had given her the reading material on masturbation and she'd lain atop the bed in her suite, propped up against the headboard, spread-eagle, her fingers working a furious rhythm against her pussy. And just like the other day, she was struggling. Her thoughts of giving up altogether must have been evident on her face, because Rick spoke up.
“Keep your hand there, Alayna,” he ordered. The firm tone and resolute gaze she'd become familiar with were in place. Just as his expression was familiar, so was the glimmer of unease she could spot in his eyes.
“Yes, Master Rick,” she responded in as demure a tone as she could muster, despite the irritation growing inside her.
It was her. It always had been. Perhaps her ex was right; she was frigid. Despite her efforts, she wasn't even the least bit damp.
“Softer, Alayna,” Rick instructed, watching, seated at the foot of the bed. “You're trying too hard; use a gentler touch.”
Easing up on the pressure, she continued to concentrate her attentions on her sex. Alayna lost track as time passed. What was minutes felt like hours as she pressed firm circles against her clit to no satisfaction. There was no tingling of her skin, no hardening of her nipples, no clenching of her intimate muscles as Rick said there could be as her arousal climbed.
She was nowhere near aroused.
“Take a couple of deep breaths, Alayna,” he continued. “You're tensing, and not in an orgasmic sort of way.”
She did as he suggested and attempted to wiggle out the tension in her shoulders.
“Keep it up,” Rick said. He stood up from his perch on the bed.
Once on his feet, his head turned toward the mirror on the wall. She saw the muscles of his bare shoulders tense. It happened so fast that if she hadn't been watching, she would have missed it.
Her cheeks flamed at the thought that someone could be watching them through the one-way glass. She suspected someone might be and wondered who could be standing on the other side, observing. Rick had informed her the facilities at the mansion were also used by other Dominants from time to time. Anyone could be watching her masturbate from the adjoining room. Whoever it was, if anyone, was witnessing her failure.
“I have a couple of toys for you to try.” Rick's voice drew her attention from the mirror.
He walked across the room to an armoire and pulled a door open. From inside, he collected a bottle of lube, a cylindrical object, and another that appeared to be a giant bulbous head on the end of a wand. A long cord dangled from the end of the latter. After plugging the cord into the wall beside the bed, he knelt just shy of settling himself between her splayed thighs.
Rick set the wand with the big head on the bed and popped the cap on the lube. The vibrator in his left hand possessed a black shaft tipped with gold. Its smooth length glistened with the lubricant he smeared on it. Though the object was long, its girth was narrow.
“Enough,” he ordered and dropped the bottle of clear gel to the bed. “I want you to squeeze those pretty nipples of yours,” he said, bringing the toy close to her body's opening.
“W-what are y-you going to d-do with that?”
“Have you never used a vibrator or a dildo while masturbating?”
She shook her head.
“This vibrates on multiple speeds, but we'll start off with low. It will create new sensations. I want you to concentrate on how it feels against your pussy. Okay?”
Alayna nodded, wondering why in the hell she'd never thought to try a sex toy in the past. If that was all there was to it, using something made to help a woman reach climax, she might have solved her own problem ages ago.
Rick's hands trembled as he reached for her. He slid the tip of the vibe along the parted lips of her pussy several times. The lube was cool, and the device itself was hard and unyielding. When he reached her clit, he reached over with his free hand and gave the dial at the end a turn. The vibrator came to life, pulsating against the knot of nerves. She jumped. Clicking it off, Rick pulled the toy away and glanced up at her.
“You okay?”
“That felt…weird.”
“It'll get better. It's just new and an odd feeling. Give it a chance; it will feel good.”
Again she nodded.
Rick dragged the vibrator along the length of her inner lips a second time before slowly pushing the tip inside.
“Pinch your nipples, Alayna. Tune into the various sensations.”
Sweat peppered Rick's upper lip and brow as he worked another inch of the vibrator inside her. With his free hand, he reached for the other toy he'd brought to the bed and turned it on.
“This is called a magic wand,” he said. He touched it to her inner thigh. The contact tickled, making Alayna shift her position away from it. “I won't turn the vibrator on again, but I am going to press this against your clit, Alayna. Ready?”
Again she nodded and continued to palm her breasts and tweak her nipples.
The slender tube's gentle manipulation against her vaginal walls felt good, but Alayna still didn't experience a tightening of her belly that was suppo
sed to signal her arousal's ignition. It simply wasn't there. Then Rick touched the broad head of the wand to her clit. The intense vibration against her intimate flesh startled her. The toy pressed against her, humming like mad, felt awesome. She squeezed the semihard peaks of her breasts harder, trying to make them firm and achy.
“Close your eyes and enjoy the sensations,” he told her.
Alayna closed her eyes, but despite her best efforts to find the pleasure Rick was attempting to show her, she soon grew disappointed. Moments passed in virtual silence. The only sound in the room around them was the low hum of the magic wand, which on anyone else probably lived up to its name—working magic. But with Alayna it was no use. No matter how badly she wanted to, she wasn't going to come.
Frustration gaining the upper hand, she sighed in exasperation and opened her eyes. When she met Rick's gaze, she wasn't sure what to make of the look on his face. It wasn't one of censure; it was more like acceptance mixed with a hint of confusion. She understood Rick's bewilderment: with all that wonderful vibration against her pussy, she should have achieved orgasm. So why in the hell couldn't she?
“Are you all right?” he finally asked after he silenced the toy and pulled the vibrator free.
Realization hit her upside the head like a wooden plank. It was most definitely her with the problem. Alayna shrugged, blinking back the burn of tears building in her eyes. “I suppose so,” she replied.
“I am not giving up,” he added as if reading her thoughts. “And I'm not about to let you give up either. We are going to make this work for you, Alayna.”
Rick's expression and words carried sincerity, yet Alayna wasn't so sure they could succeed.
Excitement seemed to flicker in Rick's eyes as his gaze dropped from her face to her chest. He hitched his chin and gave her a smile. “We're making progress,” he said. Alayna glanced down to see what he found amusing. “There's perspiration between your breasts. That's something.”
Alayna returned his smile, and chuckled. “Yeah, I suppose it is, huh?”
Rick nodded. “Come on, let's change into our swimsuits and jump in the pool before dinner.”
As he helped her up from the bed, Alayna held his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.
“Thanks,” she said. The quizzical look on his face prompted her to continue. “Though it doesn't seem like it, you are helping me.”
“I know. Now come on. We've got less than an hour, and Shendah will be pissed if we're late for dinner.”
* * *
Logan sat at his desk, staring at the same contract lying on the blotter in front of him as he had for the last half an hour. He hadn't been able to concentrate on anything since he'd observed Rick using toys on Alayna in room six earlier that day. His thoughts were so unfocused he hadn't read past the date on the sheet of paper.
Sliding his chair away from the desk, he leaned back, crossed his ankles atop the corner of his desk, and interlaced his fingers behind his head.
After witnessing her failure when she'd attempted to bring herself to climax while he hid in the bathroom, Logan's guilt had gotten to him. He should have left well enough alone, but he couldn't. It was because of him that her training hadn't been going well. A few days after his encounter with Alayna in the hallway outside his suite, he'd cornered Rick and changed up her schedule, offering up several suggestions on how to assist her—including the toys. But despite Logan's good intentions, the Dom in him had put up a fight to the thought of Rick's hands on Alayna. So Logan had impulsively announced he would observe their session from the adjoining room. Once the words left his mouth, he could read the unease and frustration on Rick's face.
Logan had tried to reassure himself that it was the only way to control the situation between Alayna and Rick, to ensure Rick followed his direction to the letter. Logan couldn't stand the thought of another man touching what should be his. But then he realized that with those words, he'd sabotaged things for them. For Alayna. Yet again.
During the actual session in playroom six, Rick hadn't been able to stop glancing at the one-way mirror, which had made Alayna anxious. His nervousness was obvious; the man's hands had trembled slightly whenever he got close to Alayna. She had clearly picked up on his discontent. And behind the glass, each time Rick's hands neared her exposed body, Logan had held his breath and clenched his fists. Emotionally it was torture to observe from the other side of the wall, waiting for the other man to cross the line.
Logan attempted to shake off the new guilt worming its way under his skin—he had enough of the old shit to contend with. He sighed. His vacillating motivations were confusing, especially to him. On one hand he wanted to help her—that was the service they offered at A Master's Gift—but on the other hand, he wanted to keep a wall between them and hopefully discourage her from investing any emotion in him and further tempting his inner Dom. Why in the hell could he not just stay away from her? Her presence in his home was pushing him closer to releasing the final thread of control to which he clung.
When Alayna left the mansion, he and Dane were going to have a long talk. He intended to make clear to Dane once and for all that the issue of Logan never entering into another D/s relationship was now off-limits between them. Dane was welcome to his opinions on the subject, so long as he refrained from sharing them with Logan in the future. He wanted the discussion to happen sooner than later, but for now, it would have to wait. With his partner agreeing to take on Alayna's responsibilities at the café along with his duties with the consulting firm, Dane's presence around the mansion had become scarce. That and Logan was certain his friend was avoiding him because he knew Logan was less than pleased with him.
Six months earlier when he'd first laid eyes on the curvaceous Alayna, Logan had briefly entertained the twinges of need she caused to stir within him. There were several times in the beginning when he'd given serious consideration to approaching her. Her submissiveness flashed like a beacon in dark waters, calling to his dominance. What a perfect fit they'd make. However, every time he allowed himself a thought of what could be between them, Tasha entered his mind.
Tasha had known about the lifestyle, having lived it most of her adult life. She knew what to expect and what to give in order to make it a most satisfying experience for herself and for her master. But she hadn't been entirely submissive; she'd merely enjoyed playing the part.
Alayna knew nothing of the way of life he'd once enjoyed. At least nothing more than what she'd learned from the Internet, which was a piss-poor interpretation at best, and her experiences thus far with Rick, which hadn't been a truthful portrayal either.
But Rick wasn't all to blame for her lack of knowledge; in fact, he shouldn't be held responsible in the least. He wasn't true Dom material. He'd come to the mansion at the request of his fiancée, and he had done well where Sheila's needs were concerned. The two of them would be very happy with the knowledge they had gained from their sessions. Their experience at A Master's Gift was solely for them; Rick didn't possess what it took to dominate other women.
Logan's curiosity as to why Alayna accepted Dane's invitation regularly hovered in the back of his mind. True she was a natural submissive, but he was certain she had no idea what that meant or how to tap into it. With the right training and the right master, she would be amazing.
He'd known she didn't have a lover long before reading her interview profile. If she didn't have a lover, he wondered why all of a sudden she felt the need to explore her submissive nature. Did she have yearnings to be dominated? If so, then she must have had a specific dominant in mind. Jealousy ripped through him before he could assimilate the emotion. It was crazy. Perhaps she'd confided in Dane more than what was written in her file. Had Logan's undercover detective work—stalking was probably the more appropriate term, he now admitted—failed to uncover a lover or interest? Just because she didn't admit to being in a committed partnership didn't mean there wasn't someone who stirred her desire.
Images of her struggling
to reach orgasm flashed in Logan's mind. No, there wasn't anyone in Alayna's life who would even come close to lover—committed, casual, or otherwise. Until the right master came along, her sensuality would go untapped. Her needs unfulfilled.
That would be a shame.
Logan knew damn well she was oblivious to the power harnessed within her submissiveness. What he wanted to know was why the hell she was at A Master's Gift. Logan didn't buy the notation scrawled in Dane's chicken scratch about Alayna wanting to explore her inner submissive.
Something didn't add up.
He'd seen the interest in her eyes. Read it in her body language. It was obvious she felt something toward him. Could it be she thought he was the right Dom for her? If she did, she'd made a serious miscalculation. He would need to make more of an effort to dissuade and discourage her. She had no idea just how wrong she was about him.
Chapter Seven
Day Twelve
On Alayna's second Friday at the mansion, Rick proposed a day off. Twice more they'd used the toys to no avail. She'd been in the mansion for nearly two weeks now, and she was no closer to achieving orgasm than when she'd arrived.
That morning, Alayna made use of her free time to read—both for pleasure and her training. She'd brought a couple of erotic romance novels with her, and when they lost her interest, she pulled out the books Rick had given her.
But she found the reprieve left her with too much time to herself; her mind wandered places it probably shouldn't. She began to question why she was sticking things out at the mansion when clearly she wasn't making any progress. Then she recalled the reason that had brought her to A Master's Gift in the first place. Logan. The man had proved to be irritating, frustrating, exasperating, and his aloofness was annoying as hell. So why did she still want him so badly?
An Invitation: Alayna's Training Page 11