She nodded slowly, then glanced up at him. “I’m kind of freaked out about the whole thing. What if I can’t convince that Grant guy?”
He smiled and stepped closer to her, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. “I have faith in you. All you need to do is channel whoever you were back when you were Reid’s sub. You have it in you. The key is going to be to not focus on anything but your own personal reasons for being there. Give yourself over to the experience. Once you’re past initiation, you can worry about tracking down your sister.”
“Right,” she said, trying to convince herself.
“You’ll be fine. I bet after a few days there, the sub role will become second nature to you again.”
“Wait? A few days?” she asked, her voice coming out too high.
He stepped over to his desk and grabbed a few papers. “The Ranch is a retreat, not a drop-in club. You can’t sign up for anything less than a three-day stay.”
“Shit.”
“I had to pull some strings to get you in this quickly.” He handed her the documents. “Fill these out and fax them back to me by tomorrow morning, and I can get you in for the retreat starting on Wednesday. There is also a rule sheet in there for you to go over.”
She set her beer on the side table and took the pages from him. A hopeful thought hit her. “Are you going to be there?”
He gave her a rueful smile. “Doll, I’d love to take you on as my sub for a while, if you’d have me, but I can’t bail on the store without more notice.”
Her shoulders sagged.
He sighed and kissed the top of her head. “You’re going to be fine. Just trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to use your safe word if someone pushes you too far.”
She managed a shaky smile and stood. Now she needed to make sure she pulled off this ruse to the nth degree for yet another reason. She definitely didn’t want to get Jace in any trouble with the club or screw with whatever business dealings he had with The Ranch.
“Thanks, Jace. I really appreciate you risking your hide to help me.”
“You’re welcome, doll.” He pulled her in for one last bear hug. “Make sure you call me and let me know how it goes. And don’t be a stranger. I can get you discounts on all kinds of naughty stuff.”
She laughed. “It’s good to have friends in high places.”
“No doubt.”
Jace sank into his desk chair with a groan. He’d been looking forward to seeing Brynn again, but he hadn’t anticipated the raging hard-on she would inspire. The hopeful look on her face when she’d thought he might be able to go to The Ranch with her had sent him over the edge. God, he’d love to be the guy who got to experience the sweet submission he knew she was capable of. But he was under strict orders.
Author: Roni LorenHe adjusted the crotch of his jeans, then picked up the phone to dial a familiar number.
“How’d it go?”
Jace tilted his chair back and closed his eyes. “It’s done. She’ll be there on Wednesday.”
“Thanks, man.”
“Dude, are you sure you want to do it this way? I kind of feel like a dick.”
Reid sighed. “Trust me. I know what she needs even if she doesn’t.”
Jace snorted. If he were a betting man, he’d put his money on Reid’s balls getting handed to him on a plate, but he’d learned long ago not to try to change his friend’s mind once he had it set on something. “I hope you’re right. For both your sakes.”
EIGHT
then
Brynn rolled her wrist, her hand aching from all the notes she’d taken during her boss Davis’s staff meeting, and sank back into the conference room chair. She glanced around the oval table and noticed everyone’s eyes had glazed over. Davis stepped around the whiteboard he’d been scribbling on and stood behind Brynn. “Any questions, people?”
Most shook their heads.
Davis’s hands settled on Brynn’s shoulders and squeezed, the unexpected touch jolting her from her daze. “Did you get all of that, Brynn?”