Chapter 6

He ignored that. “I’ll join you when time permits. In the meantime, please sit in the chair behind my desk and take time to read some of the books I sent you.”

“I’m not—” Infuriatingly, he walked away from her without another word, going to the next room. Left with the choice of following him and screaming like a fishwife, or obeying his command, she reluctantly headed to the den. After all, she did need some time to read that stuff, and if he wanted to micromanage the movers, let him. It wasn’t a task she wanted.

To be contrary, she took the stack of books and moved them to the coffee table near the loveseat before curling up on it and settling in to read. The contents were fascinating, but she still didn’t understand the actual appeal of living the BDSM lifestyle, especially for those who committed to twenty-four/seven relationships and didn’t regard it as just a way to spice up bedroom games.

Reading about the specifics of training a sub made her stomach churn with nerves. As much as she loved Sabrina, and wanted to find her, there was no way she was letting Julian whip her, or whatever other physical tortures got his rocks off.

She was several CHAPTERs into “The Loving Dominant” when Julian finally joined her in the den. Reluctantly captivated by the book, and the insight into both dominants and submissives, she closed the door with some unwillingness. “Is everything unloaded?” He nodded. “Good. I’m starving. I’m going to grab a bite to eat and swing by the grocery store.” Feeling it was polite, she said, “You’re welcome to join me.”

Julian bent down to lift up her feet so he could sit on the cushion beside her. It was disconcerting to have him put her feet on his lap. He took the book from her, and she tensed.

“I asked you to sit in the chair.”

Sable arched a brow. “The loveseat is more comfortable.”

“It wasn’t about comfort.”

Sighing, she said, “What difference does it make?”

His expression was solemn. “It makes a huge difference, Sable. A lot of the Dominant/submissive relationship is subtle and nuanced. I asked you to sit there for a reason, which was to see if you would obey.”

“Sorry, but I’m not great at obeying. I’m not Sparkles.” With a grimace, she said, “It’s not like I’m really your sub.”

He inclined his head. “I suppose, but if you want to be convincing, you have to immerse yourself. We have a short amount of time to build rapport and forge the trust necessary for you to surrender your control to me.”

“I doubt there will be much need. It’s only for appearances’ sake.”

Julian shifted slightly, but his hands remained on her legs, as if locking her in position. “Appearance is what we’re trying to create. An experienced Dom will immediately know from your body language if you’re defying me, or if you’re even thinking about it when I ask you to do something. Take the cleaning incident, for example. Your body language screamed your annoyance at my command to clean it up.”

“And annoyance for you having spilled it deliberately,” she said with a hint of sarcasm.

Julian sighed. “I was attempting to set the stage for Dave. I think he’s a Dom. The clues are in his demeanor and actions. He might be our first door into the local scene.”

“Oh.” Why did she feel so guilty? It wasn’t like she really cared about pleasing Julian, and she had obeyed his instructions. Dave didn’t know her at all and was unlikely to have read anything about her from her body language as Julian claimed.

“Speaking of, your first performance is tomorrow night at seven. Dave has invited us to join him and his wife for dinner.”

Sable gulped, suddenly feeling a lot less sure of herself. “That soon?”

With a nod, he said, “We have little time to turn you into a convincing submissive.”

Biting the bullet, she renewed her determination to make this farce work. “What do you need me to do?”

“I’d like you to go to the store and pick up some basic items. Please bring home something for dinner as well. You have exactly one hour and fifteen minutes. Don’t be early or late.”

Feeling like a teenager with a curfew, she nodded and stood as soon as he released her legs. Sable took the keys he offered, glad for the gesture of trust. Her car was still parked in her driveway at home, and she had flown into Denver, whereas Julian had driven here a few days before, to find them a rental and start planting the seeds of their supposed integration into the community.

A glance at her watch told her when she needed to return, and she hurried to his SUV. It was so strange to follow his directions. They were small things, but it still chafed at her independent nature. According to what she’d read, a submissive wasn’t necessarily docile or not opinionated, but she couldn’t imagine how true subs with her personality traits managed to find a balance between the two.