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He nodded. “On both sides of the club. But I don’t want to get paid for sex, even if I probably could get away with it. I don’t have anything against anyone who does. To me, if I started making appointments and invoicing, it would become another job. Can you imagine getting up one day and groaning, ‘I have to have sex with two women today? Man, I can’t wait until it’s over’?”

“Honestly, I can’t imagine that.” Mallory was going to blame her hot cheeks on the wine. “Look, the doctor in me has to ask—how safe is the sex here?”

“Very. All of the members and the instructors are tested monthly for disease. We’re all clean or we don’t play. If a member wants to play without a condom, Couture requires proof of birth control.”

Mallory nodded. “I’m glad.”

“Colleen is all about safe, sane, and consensual.”

“She would be. You’re a good ambassador for her. I can see why she likes you.”

“I don’t mind helping people enjoy their time at Couture. I’ve been told I’m good company.”

“Colleen told you to keep an eye on me, didn’t she?”

“She did, but it’s part of my job to show the prospective clients around.”

“You do have a way about you.”

Their food came and they enjoyed it in silence for a bit. Mallory tried not to eye the pasta dishes with cream sauces and other fattening things that were passing her by.

“I don’t want to train to run a marathon,” Mallory said. “If I take your class, you’re just going to teach me how to punch and kick, right?”

Max pushed his plate away from him. Mallory resisted snitching the last piece of flaky goodness. He drummed his fingers on the table for a moment. “Look, I don’t want you to feel forced into this.”

“I’m not really good at being physical.”

Max smirked.

“Oh, there I go again,” she said. “I mean I’m not very coordinated. I’ll probably hurt myself or someone else.”

He nodded. “You’re better off in bed.”

“What?”

“With your books.”

His innocent tone made her unsure if he was putting her on or not.

“So you don’t think you could teach me?” She decided to play with fire. Licking her lips, she twirled a strand of her hair. His eyes locked on the motion and then tracked back to her with a force that touched off a shiver. Suddenly, it was getting hard to breathe.

“I’m very capable.”

I bet
.

Mallory took a steadying breath. “If someone were to grab my arm and force me into the car, you could show me what to do?”

Max nodded. “We’d go over pressure points and how to break out of holds.”

“So if a robber comes at me with a gun, I can go all Chuck Norris on him?”

“If someone pulls a gun and wants your purse, give it to him. Better yet, throw it down the street and run in the opposite direction.”

“That’s not very badass.”

“That’s called survival.” He toasted her with the last of the wine.

“Would you do that?”

“I don’t carry a purse.”

“If a mugger wanted your wallet and he was pointing a gun at you, you would just hand it over? You wouldn’t kick it out of his hand?”

He shook his head. “I’m fast. I’m not faster than a bullet.”

“Good point,” she said and looked down at her empty plate. She wasn’t hungry, but she was still stressed and when she was stressed, all she wanted to do was eat.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

“I’m not disappointed.” She flagged the waiter down and ordered the chocolate lava cake, watching Max’s face carefully. He ordered the apple pie, so she felt better. “I guess I watch too many action movies.”

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll show you some cool moves and maybe you can show me yours—the belly dancing, I mean.”

Looking forward to it
.

After about a week, Max stopped seeing Mallory as another chore and started to look forward to seeing her every morning. He still couldn’t convince her to go jogging, but he did guilt her into eating a better breakfast. They worked on stretching and he sent her to yoga class. She hadn’t ventured into any of the members-only areas yet and he wasn’t going to force her. It was bad enough that Colleen couldn’t convince her to fill out a restraining order against her ex. Every time the subject got broached, Mallory had a bunch of excuses. She didn’t want to deal with his cronies at the courtroom. Max watched Mallory almost physically shut down when Colleen pushed her, so he stepped in and separated the sisters. He told Colleen to let him handle it. So far he hadn’t had any better luck, but Mallory was still getting comfortable around him and around Couture in general.

“I’m going stir-freaking-crazy,” she said to him while they sat in the large Jacuzzi in the pool room. Models were walking by on impossibly high heels, but he found he only had eyes for Mallory in her sensible one-piece bathing suit.

“Are you ready to emerge into the real world?”

“I’m going to have to bite the bullet and ask my sister for a loan.”

“I’m sure she’ll just give you the money.”

“I’m not taking money from my sister. I didn’t work my way through medical school so I could freeload off her. I’ve been thinking about what I went through and I feel so ashamed.”

“Don’t,” Max said. “You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

“There was such a stigma that I attached to myself about David’s abuse. I know there were programs for me and places I could have gone to for safety. But I didn’t.”

“That’s all behind you now,” he said.

“It is and it isn’t. I just wish there were something for me to do around here.” She cupped the frothy bubbles in her hand and let them slide between her fingers.

“What am I, chopped liver?”

She looked up at him and blushed. She had the most amazing eyes. “I meant, I want to earn my living again.”

It was good that she was starting to come around. She had been so scattered and skittish the first few days. He’d like to beat the crap out of her ex just on general principle. “Do you think your old job will take you back?”

Mallory nodded. “In a heartbeat, once I tell them why I flaked. I’m not there yet.”

“We’re working on that, right?” Personally, he thought she needed to have it out with
David first, but she was nowhere near that yet either. She still got that deer-in-the-headlights look whenever his name came up.

“Right,” she said.

“So give yourself a break. Take baby steps.” He splashed her with a quick flick of his hand, but she didn’t respond. Max thought she was afraid to trust that he wouldn’t escalate the water fight. “What are you going to do with the money you borrow from your sister?”

“I want to go shopping!”

“I thought Istvahn and his crew got you everything from your apartment. I think they were sorry David wasn’t around so they could
accidentally
introduce his head to the wall.”

“Mostly everything.” Mallory gave him a small smile. “I don’t want to seem ungrateful. But I want some freedom. I’ve been in self-exile too long.”

“All right, let’s go, then. Clear it with big sis and I’ll see if Clint can take my afternoon classes. How does mall food for lunch sound to you?”

“Better than it should,” she said with a grin. “You sure you don’t mind babysitting me?”

“It’s my job.”

Her face fell and he felt like an asshole. She hopped out of the hot tub and Max watched her go, unable to figure out a way to take his words back. Mallory needed to let her hair down and let herself relax. He had a few ideas, but most of them were erotic and a little dark for her needs right now.

It would be a cold day in hell before she’d ever agree to be tied up by him. But that didn’t stop him from wondering what she’d look like in his dungeon. He let the heat ease into his body and willed his hard-on to go down before he left the tub. The tantric lessons he was taking helped a bit. But during weak times, he just wanted to drive himself into something wet, willing, and wild. He had a feeling Mallory could be that for him.

Boss’s little sister
, he reminded himself and got dressed.

He was in the dojo setting up for tomorrow’s class when Angie Wilkes walked in.

“Hey, Hot Stuff.”

“Hey yourself,” Max said and looked around for Clint. Having Clint here wouldn’t necessarily stop her from coming on to him, but it would give her another target. Angie was the type of woman who would hump a doorknob. Normally, he liked that in a woman. Except Angie had claws and wasn’t above using sex as a weapon. Max just wasn’t up for her games. Of course, Clint was nowhere around.

“I want to talk to you about a scene.”

Max shook his head. “Not here. Anyone could walk in.”

“That’s the idea,” she said. “I want to risk getting caught.” Her breathing was erratic and Max could see she was very turned on. She was one of Couture’s best customers—on both
sides—and he didn’t want to risk pissing her off. Of course, he couldn’t risk exposing the members-only side to the vanilla members.

He checked his watch. He had about a half hour before meeting up with Mallory.

“I’ll make it worth your while.” And she knew him well enough to show him a fifty-dollar bill instead of her tits.

“What are we talking about?” Max pocketed the cash. It was going to his dad. He wondered what the old man would say if he knew how Max paid for his care. Of course, his dad would have to remember who Max was first. Forcing those thoughts down, he concentrated on Angie. She wore a tight leather miniskirt and knee-high boots. He could work with that, but her shirt had to go.

“I want to be tied up and blindfolded and put somewhere where anyone can see me.”

“What do you want to happen when they see you?”

“I’ll leave that up to you.” She put her hand on his arm. “You know what I like.”

His cock twitched in spite of himself. He did indeed.

Max led her down into a break room that Couture no longer used. It was central enough that you could hear people coming and going, but far enough off the beaten path that they wouldn’t be disturbed by anyone except for the few Doms Max was going to call in.

“Kneel,” he told her.

She sank to her knees gracefully. He blindfolded her.

“Take off your blouse.”

Easing out of it, Angie’s hands went to her bra.

“Stop,” he said, grabbing her hands and pulling them behind her. Tying her wrists with a long length of silk rope, he made sure it was tight but not cutting off the blood flow. He stopped to admire his work. His mind automatically pictured Mallory in this position and his cock hardened. Letting out a slow breath, Max touched his tongue to the roof of his mouth and visualized energy flowing from his root chakra near the base of his spine to his crown chakra at the top of his skull. His erection stayed firm, but the overwhelming desire to orgasm faded slightly.

“Stay.” His voice sounded hoarse to his own ears.

Max left the room and walked down the corridor to get some air and much needed distance. He texted three of Couture’s Doms and let them know he had an impromptu scene that he needed help with. Two responded right away, but the third didn’t. Needing one more for what he had in mind, Max tried Clint, who was onboard.

“I’ll be right there,” Clint said.

Max checked in on Angie, who shivered when the door opened.

“Max?”

“Yes.”

“When are we going to start?”

“When I say so.” He put enough bite into his voice that she quivered. He closed the door on her.

Steve arrived first. He was bald, with a skull tattoo on his head. He was also pierced in more places than Max wanted to know.

“Who’s the sub?” he asked.

“Angie. Her safe word is ‘Versace,’ but she won’t use it. She likes to give oral.”

“My lucky day,” Steve said. Max followed him into the room and sat on the break table.

“Open, slave,” Steve said.

“Max, are you there?” she said.

“I’m here.”

She opened her mouth wide. Steve unbuttoned his pants and guided his cock into her mouth. He held her head as he went deep until she made a little protest in her throat, and then he rocked with a hard rhythm.

Micah was next. He had to tap Max on the shoulder to get his attention. He was transfixed by the way Angie relaxed into Steve’s thrusts.

“You need me?” Micah asked.

“Yeah, Angie’s wearing too many clothes. See what you can do about that.”

Steve eased out of her mouth. “You okay with that, Sunshine?”

“Yes,” she croaked.

“Yes
what
, Sunshine?” Steve guided his cock over her lips.

“Yes, Master.”

“Better.” He plunged himself back into her mouth and resumed the relentless assault.

Micah knelt behind her and unclipped her bra. “Aren’t you pretty?” he said, sliding his hands down her sides.

Steve groaned. “She likes that.”

Unbuttoning her skirt, Micah rolled it up so it was like a belt around her waist, leaving her butt cheeks exposed.

“Make those nice and red, if you please, Master Micah,” Max ordered and watched Micah swat Angie several hard wallops. Angie screeched around Steve’s cock with each slap. Max’s eyes drooped and he shifted his erection so it was more comfortable. He controlled his breathing like the tantric lessons taught. But damn, he liked to watch.

Steve’s body went rigid. “You want to swallow, Sunshine?” he gasped out.

Angie was beyond rational thought; she strained closer to him.

“She gives permission,” Max said.

Steve finished with slow, sure strokes. Angie gasped when he finally pulled free, darting her tongue to catch every last drop.

“Very nice, Sunshine.” Steve buttoned himself up and kissed her on the forehead.

“Thank you, Master,” she said.

“I think you owe Master Micah thanks, too,” Max said.

“Thank you, Master Micah,” she breathed.

“Not that way. Micah, take her at your pleasure.”

Micah shed his clothes and lay on the floor. “Over here, slave,” he said, guiding her leg so she straddled him. “Ride me,” he ordered.

Angie’s balance was off because her hands were tied behind her back, but with a little help from Micah, she engulfed his cock and moved up and down on it.