Page 20 of Training His Pet

Dax clenched his teeth. The wrong person was doing the petting.

* * *

The café was set upnear the main dungeon in the center of the resort. Dax kept an eye out for any guest that might make Erika uncomfortable.

“Good morning,” Erika called out to a couple walking past them. As Dax had warned her, they were both nude. The man carried a bag, Dax assumed holding their toys. They were heading toward one of the outside play areas.

“Morning,” the woman responded with a grin while her partner nodded with a smile.

Dax returned a little wave.

“There.” Dax pointed to the café building.

“I think you’re more uncomfortable than I am,” Erika teased as she opened the door. The aroma of pancakes and bacon filled the area. Erika’s belly rumbled.

“Guess you are hungry,” Dax chuckled, placing his hand on the small of her back and ushering her inside.

“I didn’t eat last night,” she admitted, pulling out a chair and sitting down. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, but she still had a fresh look about her. Her curiosity seemed to bring life to her, even as tired as she had to be. They’d only gotten a few hours of sleep.

He sat across from her. “No dinner?”

“No. I was too nervous to eat.” She turned and pointed behind her. “I think it’s a buffet.”

Dax got up with her and followed her to the buffet. He watched her while she filled her plate with pancakes, eggs, bacon, and then grabbed a bottle of water from the icebox at the end.

“I’ll pay, just go sit,” he told her when she started to dig through her purse at the cashier.

“Thanks.” She flashed him a warm smile and headed back to their table.

Dax paid for their meals and joined her. She was halfway through her stack of pancakes.

“What were you nervous about last night?” he asked, digging into his own pile of eggs.

“I wasn’t sure if I’d get in.” She shrugged, shoving a forkful of pancakes into her mouth. He was impressed. Most women went all dainty around him, taking tiny bites of food before declaring they were stuffed after half a dozen bites. Not Erika. She didn’t have any qualms about getting in the most important meal of the day.

“You were on the list, which I’m still not sure how you did that.” He pointed his fork at her.

She grinned. “Now, if I tell you, how can I do it again?”

Good point.

“Someone on my staff isn’t following the rules, I’ll find out who it is,” he vowed.

“Rules are important to you,” she observed.

“Rules keep people safe,” he responded.

“This place isn’t new to you. This sort of thing.” She waved her fork in the air, gesturing at their surroundings.

“We aren’t here for any of that though. We’ll stick here until Corbin gives me the all clear then we’ll go back to Chicago. Shouldn’t be more than a few days.” He focused on his breakfast.

She wasn’t wrong. Everything about the resort resonated with him. It always had. The authority, the domination, earning and cherishing the submission of a woman—all of it filled a dark, empty space that had been left unchecked for too long.

“What made you open Velvet? I mean why not a club like this back home?” she asked, picking up a slice of bacon from her plate.

“Corbin wanted the club. He was going to do it with or without me, and I figured it was safer with me,” he answered.

“He’s quite a bit younger than you?” she asked, biting into her bacon.

---