Page 5 of Mastered By Desire

Cuddles and conversation for fifty grand? Ha.

Dmitri bursts into the room, his dark blond hair wild like he’s been running his hands through it in distress. “Leah, are you sure you’re okay with this?—”

Betty gives my hand a quick squeeze. “I think you’re in good hands.”

She steps out the hidden rear door, leaving me alone with Dmitri.

I face him, tears gathering in my eyes. All the confusion from being on the stage and seeing him bid on me again and again…it’s coming out in emotions I don’t know how to control.

“Why did you bid on me, Dmitri? Why did you do that?”

He opens his mouth to answer, but the door opens again.

This time the stranger steps inside. Now that stage lights aren’t blinding me, I can see him better. He’s still wearing the glasses. He has dark brown hair and a short brown beard—so short it’s almost stubble. His face is familiar, but I can’t place it. Surely a TV or film actor hasn’t come in and thrown an incredible amount of money away on this…

“Who are you?” I ask.

“You can call me Gage, unless we’re in a scene.” The collar that matches my belly chain is held loosely in his hand. Its pink crystalline beads glint in the light by the door. “Then, you will call meSir.”

The sound of his voice makes me melt in my borrowed robe. Low, growly, and oh-so-stern. I want to tear off this robe and fan myself with it.

Mick doesn’t sound like this. He doesn’t have this man’s presence.

Shit, I should not be comparing my boyfriend to the guy I’m about to fuck. Mick was never super clear about the rules ofour open relationship beyond allowing us to fuck other people. I’m pretty sure we aren’t supposed to play a comparison game, though.

The guy, Gage, doesn’t kick Dmitri out of the room. He wanted multiple partners…surely he didn’t mean…? Dmitri? No. No way.

That thrill in my stomach is dread, right? Because I really shouldn’t want Dmitri, not really. These kinds of thoughts about him are reserved for my most secret fantasies.

“Miss L, I want to call you baby girl, doll, and princess,” Gage says. “Do I have your permission? Can I saygood girlwhen you’re behaving in a way that pleases me?”

“Yes, Sir.” I try not to clench my thighs together the way I really want to. Maybe I have a praise kink. Maybe I just want someone to give me sexy instructions and tell me I’m doing a good job—things I don’t get at home.

I’ve always been tempted by the thought of coming to a sex club and being used. I wanted to be ordered around, forced to submit. Instructed to give and receive pleasure. Disciplined if I’m not quick enough to behave.

But here I am. And Gage is in-fucking-charge.

3

Leah

“Open your robe, doll.” Gage gets comfortable in one of the cushioned chairs. “But don’t take it off.”

I shoot a glance to Dmitri.

“Don’t worry about him yet.” Gage snaps his fingers, redirecting my attention to himself. “Look at me and show me what I bought for the night.”

Pulling open the robe, I close my eyes. There’s no way Dmitri can’t be seeing all of me right now. On stage, I could pretend he was looking away, that this was all some crazy mistake, and he wasn’t there.

But now he is very much here, and I can’t pretend he isn’t.

And the truth is, I don’t mind as much as I should.

Hell. What is Danica going to think? She’s my best friend. He’s her brother.

Danica can never know.

“Open your eyes,” Gage says. “We both like to look at you, baby girl. You should see us looking.”

---