Page 11 (1/2)
Chapter One
She was going to have to book an extended session with her therapist
Sasha Blake closed her eyes and tried to take deep cleansing breaths like she’d been told to do when the familiar panic started to take over But the sharp claws of fear and dread grabbed onto her chest and the sith than necessary
“Sasha?” Nathaniel asked “Are you okay?”
She cracked one eye open The Do looked at her with concern She focused on hi and everyone else
“Yes, Master West,” she said “I’m fine”
Fine Her pat reply to everything She was fine Work was fine Her back was fine And being told the Partners in Play senior roup after a retraining with Cole Johnson?
Abso-freaking-fine
She was sitting in a ston’s playroos were held Only the senior members were present, whicharound the oval table at the moment
The side of her face tingled as if so at her and she slipped her hands under her thighs to keep fro the spot She used aze directed on Nathaniel and not to let it wander just a touch to the right, where he sat
Iteh five hundred twelve to discuss with her therapist: Cole Johnson
Based on conversations she’d had recently—with Nathaniel; his wife, Abby; her own best friend, Julie; and Julie’s Do She’d even looked forward to it: experiencing the thrill of letting so the peace that ca to protect her—and, she wasn’t even going to pretend otherwise, having earth-shattering orgasms
It’d not once crossed her onna-happen-roup would pick him
Cole
She shivered just thinking his name An alien spaceship must have transported her to an alternate universe because that’s how hard it was to believe Cole was going to retrain her He was an altogether intriguing h he was usually laid-back and easygoing, talk aroup’s sub Dominant in the playroom
She didn’t have to glance to Nathaniel’s right to knoho she’d find watching her She pictured him all too clearly in her head Dark tousled hair, devilish blue-green eyes, and a body that seductively hinted at sexual pleasure with every carefully controlled move And then he’d speak in that oh-so-smooth British accent
Yes, she’d call her therapist tomorrow
“Are you okay?”
She jumped at the sound of her friend Dena’s whisper
“I’ the same lie she’d told Nathaniel
Dena narrowed her eyes in disbelief and rubbed her just-starting-to-show pregnant belly “Hmm”
But she was stopped fro Perfect If she h, she could probably be on her ithout having to talk about anything
Unfortunately, Dena was onto her ploy and grabbed her aret away “Not so fast; I want to talk It’s been a long night for you How do you feel about Master Johnson?”
Her body shook a bit She had to leave before the panic came back But Dena looked determined and wouldn’t let her leave that easily
“Conflicted” Sasha took a deep breath “He’s not who I iested” She didn’t add that he was the very last person she iested She narrowed her eyes “Wait a roup member Did you know?”
“No, I excused myself when the topic came up for discussion I knew I couldn’t be objective”
“And Jeff?”
“Yes, I’m sure he knew”
Sasha put her hand on her hip She found it hard to believe Jeff, Dena’s husband, wouldn’t have told Dena even if she’d excused herself from the discussion—which made her wonder if Julie knew After all, she lived with Daniel
She turned to find the lady in questiona beeline toward her
“I had a feeling that was going to happen,” Julie said “Are you okay? If you don’t want Cole, I’ll—”
“Julie Dena,” the smooth British accent she heard in her dreams said
Sasha spun around and found Cole standing off to her side
“Sasha”
He spoke it like a caress Soft and gentle and tender, but with an underlying strength that couldn’t be denied and with sensual pro desire to hear hiain
She opened hercaht when I stood up
“Master Johnson,” Julie and Dena said in unison
“Master West,” Cole said to Nathaniel, who stood a few feet aith his arm around Abby “If I may, I’d like a word in private with Julie and Sasha”
Nathaniel didn’t answer right away but eyed Sasha up and down, as ifsure she was okay He frowned Hell, did she look that bad?
“Fifteen minutes,” Nathaniel said “You can use the kitchen Master Covington?”
“I’ll coet Julie then,” Daniel said from his spot beside Abby
Cole extended his arm “After you, ladies”
TheyCole pulled chairs out for both of them and then settled into his own He ss she’d heard about him
This was the Badass Brit?
“Anyone care for a drink?” he asked “I should have asked you before sitting down”
“No, thank you, Sir,” Julie said
“I’m fine, Sir,” Sasha quipped
At her flippant reply, Cole narrowed his eyes and his smile faded away into a frown of displeasure And in that moment, Sasha knew