He stood there, still and quiet as a statue. She stood up and walked in front of him.
“Tell me, Lennox, does it excite you to see me on my knees? Does your mind come up with all the naughty things we could do together, but that you won’t let yourself do?”
“Stop it, Marie.”
But she was too far gone to stop now. She reached out to touch him, but pulled back when he flinched away. “Do you miss fucking a real flesh-and-blood woman or is your fantasy life enough? When you’re jerking off, who do you see? Is it me, Lennox?”
She knew she’d pushed him too far with that last remark. His jaw tightened and he fisted his hands. “You are my employee, Marie. This is a highly inappropriate conversation.”
“We work at a BDSM academy. Answer the question.”
His lips tightened into a thin line and she thought he wouldn’t say anything, but then he spoke and she wished she’d been right.
“No, I don’t see you at all.”
• • •
LENNOX KNEW HE’D hurt her with that remark. He’d seen the pain in her eyes seconds before he turned and walked away. It seemed as if he couldn’t be near her or talk to her lately without being an absolute dick. He didn’t know what his problem was, but he needed to get over it. Marie was too kind and meant too much to him. She deserved better.
He walked into his office and slammed the door. Her words had been too close to the truth. He did like to watch. Oh sure, he told himself he was only following up with the instructors to make sure they all did what they were supposed to. But that was a lie, he’d handpicked his staff and they were top-notch.
All public rooms in the academy were fitted with cameras, a safety feature he’d insisted upon and one that everyone knew about. Without stopping to think, he flipped his laptop on and pulled up the live feed of the camera in the classroom.
Immediately, he saw why Marie wasn’t doing the demo. Fulton had enlisted Andie. He turned the laptop off.
You’re a sick pervert spying on your employees. Winnie was right about you all along.
He picked up a pen, planning to write a few notes about some improvements he’d noticed were needed, but found he couldn’t focus on the task. He tapped the pen against his desk, trying to figure out what was bothering him.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Listening to the sound of his pen, he knew what was off. Marie should be playing some god-awful music that she insisted helped to get her in the proper mind-set to dance. A quick glance at the clock confirmed it, ten minutes until nine. Unless there was something going on, she started the music at eight forty-five and danced from nine until ten.
Because even though there wasn’t a camera in her office, most days he walked past her door in order to catch a glimpse of her.
But she wasn’t playing anything today, which probably meant she wasn’t going to dance and it was all because of him.
Now you’re not only a sick pervert, but you’re also an asshole.
He stood up. He should go apologize. Immediately. He should have done it as soon as he saw what his words did to her. It had been a mistake not to and he had to go correct it.
His phone rang at the same time someone knocked on his door and he mumbled a curse. With a heavy sigh he accepted the fact that apologizing to Marie would have to wait.
• • •
A WEEK LATER, Mariela sat in her office, closely observing the couple sitting in front of her. Watching the hesitant way they interacted with each other, she could tell she had her work cut out for her. “Why don’t we start by one of you telling me why you’re here.”
Dana, the submissive, looked down at her lap while her Dominant partner, Brian, looked bored. Neither one of them answered, but Mariela didn’t repeat the question. She might not be addressed as Master by the students, but they weren’t about to run over her either.
She crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair, ready to wait for however long it took. It felt like forever, but in reality, it was likely only about thirty seconds before Brian sighed and said, “Master Matthews told us to come see you.”
“Yes,” Mariela said. “I am aware of that. I’d like to hear from you why he told you to do so.”
Silence greeted her again. Dana played with her nails, but Mariela could see that she was biting her lower lip.
“We’ll start with you, Dana,” she said, and the student’s head popped up in surprise. “What do you think was Master Matthews’s motivation in having the two of you speak to me?”
“I guess he thought we’d work together better after talking with you,” Dana replied.
“Do you not work well together now?” Mariela asked.
Dana glanced at Brian before answering. “It’s hard to submit to someone you hardly know.”
“True,” Mariela said, deciding not to add that the student should have known what she was getting into when she applied to the academy. “However, you do know you’re safe here, right? Anytime you’re in a scene there’s always an instructor present, and private play isn’t allowed.”
Dana nodded and crossed her arms across her chest. “It’s still odd.”
Mariela stood up. “Let me see how the two of you move together. Stand up and get into position to dance.”
Brian groaned, but stood up. “I knew we were going to have to dance at some point.”
“Yes,” Mariela said. “You’re very smart figuring out that the dance instructor would have you dance.”
They looked awkward standing there with their arms around each other, and awkward just wouldn’t do. Mariela grabbed two blindfolds. Brian shook his head when he saw her walking toward him.
“I’m training to be a Dom,” he said, like she didn’t know.
“Excellent.” Mariela tied the blindfold around Dana’s eyes. “I’m sure you’ve gone over the benefits of experiencing firsthand what a sub feels. However, this lesson isn’t directly about dominance or submission.”
He didn’t protest any further when she tied the blindfold around his head. Once they were sightless and in position again, she put a hand on Dana’s shoulder.
“Dana, a lot of the dancing revolves around you, just like when you’re in a scene. Brian can only lead if you follow. He can only dominate you if you submit to him.”
Dana nodded.
Next, Mariela placed a hand on Brian’s shoulder. “Your main job isn’t just to lead, it’s to be in touch with your partner, to sense how she’s doing. I’ve blindfolded you so you can focus on your other senses for a time.”
Mariela stepped away and turned on some music that was both soft and slow.
“Now I want you to dance,” Mariela said. “Start slowly. It takes some time to grow accustomed to being in the dark. I’m watching you, so I’ll let you know if you’re in danger of running into something.”
They started off just as awkward as when they had first gotten into position together. Brian’s fingers tightened around Dana’s waist as he attempted to lead. Mariela let it continue for a minute before stepping in.
She placed her hand on top of his. “Easy. You can’t force it. You need to focus on what Dana’s body is telling you. Since you can’t see her, you have to rely on touch, and that’s difficult to do when you have a death grip on her hip.”
He relaxed his fingers.
Mariela smiled. There was hope for this guy yet. “Very nice. Now as you step, use your fingers to get a sense of what’s going through Dana’s mind. Is she resisting? Is she relaxed? Can you feel the sway of her hips as she moves with you? Take the information you get from her body and use it to make your next move.”
Mariela stepped back again and let them dance once more. They moved together much better this time. As she watched them dance, she felt the self-satisfaction she always did when she helped someone. True, Dana and Brian were only students and not in a committed relationship. But hopefully the tools she gave them today would stick with them so they would be prepared in the future for a real D/s relationship.
/>
“Very nice,” Mariela said as the song came to a stop. “Don’t take the blindfolds off yet.” She paused the music so it wouldn’t interrupt her and walked back over to the couple. “Dana, you need to let go and rely on Brian to be the leader. You’re trying, I can tell, but it’s not quite there yet. Picture yourself being cradled in his embrace. Let go and let him take over. His only concern right now is you and his entire attention is focused on you.”
“Okay,” Dana replied in a whisper.