Her Lawful Master (Pleasure Island Book 4) Read online

  “Theo, thanks for coming,” Jared said, leaving her alone at the window as he crossed his office and met Theo in the middle. They shook hands and Piper, always the face behind the camera, couldn’t help but snap a few photos. They wouldn’t be for the brochure, but who could resist two powerfully built Masters in their prime looking better than any cover model?

  “Not a problem, mate. I’m delighted I could help.” Theo’s deep gruff voice made Piper think of the finest brandy doused with honey, and her toes instinctually curled in her boots.

  “Have you met, Piper Delaney? She will be joining us on the tour. Piper is photographing the island for me,” Jared said, holding his arm out toward her, inviting her in to their manly Dom presence.

  Theo’s eyes whipped back to her, and he acknowledged her with a slight nod. She approached the tall duo but Jared’s presence was eclipsed by Theo, with his thick head of dark hair, graying slightly at his temples, and inherently steadfast gaze. At first glance, he was everything an upper crust British man should be: starch in his collar, dressed to the nines, the dark stubble lining his square jaw expertly trimmed, and bored eyes. But upon closer inspection, as he firmly clasped her hand in his much larger one, she noted the banked fires in his interested gaze. The man wasn’t aloof at all. Piper’s skin sizzled where they touched, and when he lightly brushed the back of her hand with his startlingly soft lips, like he was a titled lord greeting a lady, she nearly burst into flames. Goosebumps broke out on her skin. Then he raised his gaze, with his full lips pressed against her hand, and she shivered.

  Holy smokes!

  Master Theo packed a walloping punch. He wasn’t a cold fish at all and it did melty things to her insides. His fires burned hotter and gave the illusion that they didn’t burn, which was crazy because she felt like she was going up in flames over his touch. He was like a blue flame that you believed at first to be cool, but which was actually hotter than the rest and would singe the flesh in record time. His eyes were all smoldering, banked fires and she almost wished he would do something outlandish, like nibble on the back of her hand while he had it pressed against his lips. It would give her an excuse to test and see if touching him would set the rest of her body on fire as well.

  “Piper, it’s lovely to see you again. You’re well?” he said as he straightened, still holding her hand with his.

  She cleared her throat and replied, “Yes, I am. And you, Sir?”

  At her breathy reply, he smiled and her pulse rate spiked. It wasn’t just the fact that in his eyes was a Master’s knowledge of the effect he had on her sensibilities, but that when he smiled, like he was doing now, her mind went utterly blank. It made her feel like a cat wanting to rub up against his warmth. The way his full lips grinned with a wholly wicked tilt made Piper imagine he would wear an identical expression when he had a sub writhing beneath him.

  “Better now. Glad to be joining you,” he said, offering a bit of flattery.

  “I hope you both don’t mind if we get underway. I have appointments to attend this afternoon,” Jared murmured, heading toward the door.

  “Certainly. After you,” Theo said.

  Piper bowed her head out of respect as she passed, then held her head high. In all her thirty-nine years, she had never cowered, and as much as she recognized the Dom in each man, she wasn’t a wallflower. Piper didn’t do the submissive thing outside the bedroom. For most of her life, she’d tried that route and been miserable. She believed there was a point and age one reached where you stopped trying to be what everyone else wanted you to be, and decided to be yourself, with all your foibles and hang-ups. She no longer cared if she was too much for the many Doms who had been and gone in her life. Even after everything she had experienced, the lengths she had had to go to in order to heal, she’d always been too much for most people. But she’d reached an age where she no longer tried to make herself fit into an acceptable column.

  “We can certainly add those protections, J, but let me get an assessment of the rest of the place. I think we can put more under one umbrella,” Theo was saying.

  “That’s good. I also want to take care of my estate while you’re here,” Jared said as they strode toward the elevator.

  Theo asked, “Are you sure you’re ready to include your sub—”

  “I want Naomi cared for, whether I’m here or not.”

  Piper half listened to Jared and Theo talk on the way down. From the sound of their conversation, Theo was utilizing his skills as a solicitor for both the island and for Jared. It was sweet that Jared wanted to look out for his sub like that. His accent thickened when he spoke about Naomi. She must be quite impressive to make a Dom like Jared come to heel. Piper couldn’t wait to meet her.

  Jared showed them through the club, lobby, and restaurant first. Piper snapped photos with her digital as they went. She’d come back with her Nikon, adjust the lighting in the room, and play with angles more. Jared explained some of the new expansions on the island, like the newly minted pizza parlor near the beach, and the outdoor venue for weddings and concerts that would begin construction in November. There were more features that would be added down the line, but without the physical structures available for her to photograph, she wasn’t concerned with those. Oh, she’d include them with the ad copy on the brochure, for sure, but she was more concerned with cataloging everything that was currently on the island and needed to be shot, adding items to the ever-growing list she was creating in her brain.

  She liked the feel of the place. All the futuristic and green technology was great, she was all for saving the planet, but there was also a flow to the architecture. Smooth, clean lines; airy walkways and hallways. The BDSM theme was there, in every piece of furniture, and the guests they passed along the way seemed to be enjoying it to the utmost, but it didn’t appear gaudy or bordello-ish. Rather, it made her think of elegance and grandeur.

  It was quite a feat. And one she believed she could use to help make him a brochure that would have patrons from Allure, Underworld, and Cuffs and Spurs banging on the door. Granted, she knew that the owners of those clubs had already cleared the way, but for this place to thrive, they’d have to have guests filling the resort regularly past the initial rush.

  As they moved through the hotel, Piper was fully aware of Theo’s presence near her. She tried to ignore him. But she couldn’t seem to stop the resonance in his voice from tickling inside her chest as he spoke or how his scent, a carnal, dark spicy aftershave, drifted on the breeze and slammed into her senses with all the grace of a grenade to her system when they exited the elevator outside.

  The man was a potent mixture of uptight, sophisticated Brit mixed with all the trappings of a Master. It was a heady and distracting combination. Piper made herself focus and note different places to shoot as Jared drove them in the golf cart. She’d have to get lost a bit with her cameras, go where there wasn’t anyone around, and take photographs. The island was a gem, with a profusion of greenery and flowers. The lonely mountain peak, likely a dormant volcano, rose in waves and giant spears of slate-colored rock.

  The two men were conversing as they ascended the mountain but Piper paid them no heed, more intent on the surroundings than her companions. She could feel herself slipping into that space where her creativity took over and she disappeared into her art.

  At one of the tiny crested abutments, she said, “Stop.”

  “Everything okay, lass?” Jared asked as he slammed on the brakes and the cart came to a shuddering halt atop the abutment.

  Before either Dom could stop her, Piper was on the move. Climbing out of the vehicle, she said over her shoulder, “Yes, I just need to get this shot. Give me a minute.”

  And she walked away, feeling both men’s eyes on her back as she did so. But there was only one pair that stirred her with their cinnamon intensity. She directed her focus to getting the photo, climbing up on the padded horse and crouching into position.

  The world fell away until all that was present were
the shuttered clicks of her camera. Even her breaths became one with her art as she held still to capture the imagery.

  Chapter 2

  Bloody hell. Talk about a nice view.

  A man had to admire a well-formed posterior. When it came attached to such a delectable package as Piper Delaney, her round butt clad in tight-fitting jean shorts, it almost made Theo swallow his tongue. It also made another part of his anatomy stand at attention. She perched her body—rather precariously—on the padded horse in the nearby scene station.

  As a precaution, he exited the cart and walked toward her quietly, in case she slipped off the damn thing. They were situated at one of the highest points on the island. She was near enough to the ledge that, if she fell, she could seriously injure herself—or worse. As the solicitor for the island, Theo knew it was a lawsuit waiting to occur. At least that was what he told himself as he approached. If he was honest, Theo would say he was entranced by her. By the way her taut form was perfectly still as she leaned forward, camera anchored in her hands as she clicked away. It was totally at odds with the impact of her frenetic energy.

  And the Master in him conjured up a few scenarios, utilizing the space in the station to maximize the potential pleasure. Putting the sexy as sin Piper as the star in his fantasy.

  Jared had mentioned that Piper would be here this week. She was as devastatingly beautiful now as she had been at Declan’s wedding. Other than a casual hello that night nearly a year ago, Theo had not had the chance to do more than give her a passing glance. So he hadn’t been prepared for the unexpected flash of desire hitting his system when they’d shaken hands. Or the fact that he found himself wanting to remove the camera from her hands, bind her supple form to the horse she was currently perched on, and slake his lust on her body.

  Theo was thankful his suit jacket hid the bulk of his erection. He moved a bit further, closer into her space as she shimmied toward the edge of the horse.

  She shot a hand out and snarled, “Don’t come any closer, damnit, you’ll ruin my concentration.”

  Her words brought him up short. What the everlasting hell? Did she think she could talk to a Master like that without there being repercussions? His hands itched to tan her backside. Theo couldn’t remember a submissive ever talking to him like he was dog shit on a new shoe. When it came to being a Dominant, he was a traditionalist. A submissive was to be respectful to a Dom at all times. If and when she wasn’t, he was all for punishment. He’d been known over the years as a stickler for rules and discipline. As a solicitor, it was his job to be. It was no surprise that his love of law and order translated into his need to dominate. And Piper’s ass was just begging for a few blistering swats that would show her who was in charge. He did not take kindly to a sub being so rude, ever.

  “Keep that up and I will give you the spanking you so richly deserve,” he snapped, his hands flexing near his belt buckle.

  She shifted her face then, the wisps of her silver blonde hair moving in the breeze, and gave him a direct stare with a single golden brow raised in his direction. “As I’m here for work, you’ll forgive me if I don’t bow and scrape before you. And as for the spanking: touch me, and I’ll break your thing off.”

  She slid off the horse with a bounce in her step. Piper didn’t walk so much as sashay back to the cart, sliding her sunglasses back on and shielding her big baby blue eyes. Theo clenched his fists. Never before had he had a sub be so dismissive of him. His Dom nature seethed as he stalked back to the cart. She would pay for her remarks. He would see to it.

  The woman ignored him entirely as he climbed inside the back seat. Didn’t she realize she was all but begging him to discipline her sweet ass? It infuriated him that the thought of giving her the spanking she so richly deserved ignited a ball of potent lust inside his gut. Where the hell had this sudden need for the kitty cat with teeth come from?

  Theo picked up his yellow legal pad and ball point pen from the seat beside him, taking notes as Jared drove, continuing the tour. The island was, without a doubt, a winner. When he had more time, and wasn’t here solely for work-related purposes, he would make it a point to sample the delights. Theo would visit at a later date with his only goal being to do nothing but slake his hunger on all the available bounty. In fact, he would make it a point to come during match week this spring and see whether he could garner a more permanent relationship. That didn’t mean he didn’t plan to find a willing sub while he was here. It had been far too long since he’d indulged in the fairer sex. This haven for those in the BDSM lifestyle meant he wouldn’t have to worry about his fifteen-year-old son showing up on his doorstep and inadvertently interrupting a scene.

  It wasn’t that Jacob couldn’t handle the knowledge. He was a bright kid, and when the time was right, Theo had every intention of making sure his son understood the complexities of the lifestyle and made a choice on whether or not it was right for him. However, part of the stipulation with his ex-wife was that in order to maintain a relationship with his son, he had to keep his lifestyle choice hidden until Jacob was of legal age.

  While taking a turn through the available sub pool on this trip did have its merits and was what Theo had intended on doing, it was the confounding woman on the seat before him who garnered most of his attention during the tour. She gasped and murmured at Jared, making him stop at almost every bloody turn so that she could, in her own words, ‘Find this spot again,’ making Theo gnash his teeth. What should have taken an hour took almost two and by the tour’s end, he was basting in his own sweat.

  At the main hotel, Jared handed the cart key to Piper and said, “Would you like me to get Sean or Michael to show you where your villa is, lass?”

  “I think I can manage. We can reconvene in two days and go over what I have then,” she replied, taking the key from him after a brief hug, and moving into the driver’s seat. The woman certainly didn’t act like any other submissive of Theo’s acquaintance. Perhaps that explained his fascination with her—well, that and the fact that he owed her spectacular ass a thorough spanking.

  “That’s a plan then, lass. I will have Mary call you with the time for us to meet,” Jared said, giving her a smile.

  Piper gave Jared a cheeky grin and said, “As long as I get to meet Naomi.”

  “I’ll have her set up lunch for us then.” Jared gave her a slight nod then turned to Theo and asked, “Ready?”

  “As always. Piper, a pleasure. I’m sure we’ll see one another again,” he all but promised. Because, the next time they crossed paths, he’d have her across his knee for her impudence.

  She gave him a bemused glance, like she knew he wanted to punish her, and then she gave him a cocky grin and said, “Not to worry, big guy, it will be our little secret.”

  He heard her chuckle as she drove off and couldn’t stop the small smile from forming. Make no mistake, that little sub had just tossed an incendiary his way, and Theo was looking forward to paying her back in kind. His palms still itched to tan her backside and would do so at the first chance that presented itself.

  “I’m ready,” Theo said, adjusting his belt and suit jacket to cover up the near constant state of his erection.

  “What was that all about?” Jared asked as they rode the elevator up to the top floor and headed to his office.

  “Just a sub getting herself into trouble,” Theo explained, and was surprised Jared didn’t agree with him.

  “Be careful with Piper, Theo. As long as I’ve known her, she’s never performed a public scene. We have other available subs on the island who would likely suit you better,” Jared said as they entered his office.

  Wait, what? No public scenes? “Never? As in, not once?”

  “Not that I’m aware of, and you know I tend to keep my ear to the ground regarding club members. She’s been to every one of the DFC clubs and not once has she played openly. Tobias and the California group tend to watch after her, when she’s home. Tobias said she comes and socializes at Dungeon Pleasures frequen
tly but turns down every Dom who shows interest or asks her to do a scene. When Tobias pressed her, she said that she had her reasons and would cancel her membership before being forced into an arrangement that didn’t suit her.”

  Instead of sending up red flags, the information made Theo inherently curious and interested in her story. He had always liked solving a puzzle. And Piper Delaney was the bee’s knees of puzzles. Why was she not sharing herself at clubs? Was she celibate? Into women? Asexual? “No one knows, not even Declan? What do you make of it?”

  “No, not even Declan. He was the one who told Tobias to back off, so he may know, but he’s not sharing if he does. If I wasn’t with my Naomi, Piper is a sub I would try to crack open. There’s a hurt there, if you ask me, a fear. What exactly it is, I’m not entirely certain, and I don’t know if she’s willing to face it yet. Why? You interested?” Jared goaded him, good naturedly, of course.

  Theo’s blood simmered at the thought of making that one kneel before him and the myriad of ways in which he could discipline her sweet ass. He shook his head and said, “In giving her the fucking spanking she deserves for her impudence, yes. But that little kitty has some teeth, so no thank you.”

  “Why? Worried that she might try to bite your pecker off?” Jared asked as he sat at the head of the conference table.

  “No. There’s never been a sub I couldn’t handle.” Although that one just might give him a run for his money. The thought of having Piper bound naked before him, eager to please him and do his bidding, begging him for release, was sexy as hell and made his gut twist in desire.

  “Good enough. Just don’t piss her off and make her leave. I’m lucky enough that we have such an acclaimed photographer in the lifestyle. If we’re going to keep this place away from the public eye, I don’t want to be forced to hire an outsider.”

  “Understandable,” Theo said, removing his suit jacket and hanging it over the back of his chair. The air conditioning in the room kicked on, the nearby vents blasting him with cool air, and he damn near sighed. He was unused to the higher temperatures, as London was quite a bit cooler this time of year. When it came to Piper, he had no intention of going near that little sub—other than to administer her punishment at the first opportunity and make her withdraw her claws a bit.