At the top of the staircase, she turned to the right. Based on the information she’d been sent, her room was at the end of the hall. She opened the door, surprised to find her roommate inside waiting.
“Hi,” the woman said. “You must be Andie.” She held out her hand. “I’m Maggie.”
Maggie was short, with shoulder-length red hair, eyes that danced with mischief, and a smile so infectious, Andie couldn’t help but return it. When she’d first heard she’d have a roommate, she’d thought it sounded strange. She’d questioned Terrence and he’d told her the thinking behind it was to form connections and have someone nearby to talk with.
“I put your stuff over on that bed.” Maggie pointed to the bed near a window. “We can change if that’s not good.”
Andie looked around the room. It was actually a lot larger than she’d anticipated. There was a massive sitting area, and the two beds, while in the same room, were separated from the living area by strategically placed furniture. The hardwood floor matched the flooring found throughout the rest of the castle, as did the rug.
“That bed’s fine,” Andie said. “This is a nice room.”
Maggie followed her as she walked over to her bed to unpack. “It really is. I keep wanting to pinch myself, I can’t believe I’m finally here. This was my third year applying for the summer session.”
Master Matthews’s words echoed in her head: Do you know how many people applied for those ten positions?
“Your third year?” she asked, making sure she kept her expression and voice neutral.
“Yes. I was starting to think they’d never take me.”
“Wow.”
“How many times did you apply?”
Andie stood up and faced her roommate. “Just the one time.”
Maggie tilted her head. “Really? Huh. You must have sent in one helluva application.”
Andie didn’t want to tell her that it was Terrence who took the lead in getting her application into the hands of Lennox MacLure. She shrugged. “I guess.”
“So are you with a Dom, or looking, or what?”
“I’m with a Dom.” Her belly fluttered as she spoke the words. She was with a Dom. Terrence. He was going to be her Dom. “How about you?”
“I’m single. Just wanted to get trained by the best. I’ve been in the scene for five years. Thought it was time to take it seriously. Tell me about your Dom.”
It was a reasonable request and one that, if she had been dating a noncelebrity,
she’d have jumped at the chance to answer. But while it was certain that Maggie knew who Terrence was, he’d worked hard to keep Andie out of the limelight. So far the paparazzi didn’t know who she was, though there had been rumors of his “secret girlfriend.”
“He’s great,” she said, feeling the rush of warmth that always accompanied any conversation about Terrence. “His name is John. John Knightly.”
It wasn’t really a lie. John was his middle name and he often checked into hotels as John Knightly.
“Do you call him ‘Sir’ or ‘Master’? I’m always curious about how different couples work.”
Andie hesitated. She didn’t want to tell Maggie she had zero experience. “Sir. I call him ‘Sir.’” She cringed inwardly because that was a lie. The only person she’d ever called Sir was Master Matthews.
“I figured as much. I don’t see a collar on you. Not that it means anything. He’s probably waiting for you to finish your training.”
She wasn’t sure what Terrence’s plan was. What Andie did know was that she needed to turn the direction of conversation away from personal BDSM discussions. “Did you check in with Master Matthews?” He’d said her roommate would be arriving soon. Andie had taken that to mean Maggie was his next appointment.
Maggie shook her head. “No, I got here earlier than expected. They said Master Matthews was busy. I guess with you. I met with Master MacLure.”
“The owner?” Terrence hadn’t told her much about the man, just that he was somewhat of a recluse.
“Right?” Maggie laughed. “I about died. Died! And everything you’ve heard about him is true. He’s impossibly good-looking, but I think his face would crack if he smiled. And no joke, he put the tense in intensity. What’s Matthews like? I heard he’s hot.”
“You did? Where?”
Maggie waved her hand as if brushing off the question. “There’s a message board about the academy on one of the online groups I’m a member of. They said he’s recently promoted, single, devilishly handsome, and a bit rough around the edges.”
“That about sums him up.”
“Just how devilishly handsome is he?”
Andie thought back to when she first saw him, standing in his office. His calculated stare. The way he looked over her body when she was naked. She shivered.
“That handsome, huh?” Maggie asked, obviously noting her response to the question.
“Yes, well, you know.”
“It’s okay. You have a Dom. You’re not dead. You can still think a man is good-looking.”
“Yes,” Andie said as her phone vibrated with an incoming message. “He’s extremely good-looking.”
“Good. I heard he’s going to be doing a lot of the lectures. I’ll be less likely to fall asleep if I have eye candy to look at.”
Andie smiled and checked her phone.
How are you? Everything okay? Haven’t heard from you.
Terrence. Damn. She looked at the time. It was almost one in the afternoon and she hadn’t contacted him to tell him she’d arrived like they’d agreed and she’d missed his reply to her earlier text.
She typed quickly. Sorry. Been so busy. Talking with roommate. All is well.
So relieved. Have a dinner to go to in a few. Call you tonight?
Yes!