Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 93751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 469(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 469(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
As he drove, he cursed himself soundly. He’d crossed a boundary with Hannah yet again. Every time he got near her during a scene or session, he lost control. That had never happened to him before, even when he was a new Dom. All these restrictions Anthony had imposed regarding Hannah were driving him to distraction. If only he had carte blanche. He would take her properly in hand. He would show her what it really was to submit, instead of all this namby-pamby bullshit.
Thank god she was leaving in a few days, because he really couldn’t take much more of this.
Chapter 16
Late Thursday afternoon during the trainees’ free time before dinner prep, Hannah made her way down to the slave quarters to text Charlotte. She’d kept her friend apprised of her adventures over the past four days, enjoying Charlotte’s avid interest in even the smallest detail of her experience.
It was hard to believe that she’d already been at The Enclave for four days. It felt as if she’d only just arrived. Each day leaped by, packed with training sessions, observations sessions, working with Mason in the kitchen to prepare and clean up after three full meals a day for eighteen people. After dinner was the best time to corner various Doms and subs, engaging them in conversation about their BDSM lifestyle and choices. She tried to be careful not to overstep, aware she was there as their guest, not an investigative journalist.
Still, the idea of a series based on The Enclave was exciting. She already had a working title—The Compound—and lots of ideas for the first novel. Every night before bed, she opened her laptop to write down her impressions and feelings about what she’d experienced that day, along with ideas for characters and storylines based on her conversations.
One of the things that had really struck Hannah about The Enclave was how close-knit this group of people was. While D/s protocol was always observed and the roles clearly delineated, it was obvious the Doms and subs who lived together in this rambling home genuinely liked and respected each other. This was especially clear during lunch and dinner, when everyone sat together around the huge dining room table.
The subs all filed in first, waiting respectfully behind their chairs until the Doms entered the room. Both she and Lucia were excused from this ritual, since they were busy in the kitchen helping Mason prepare and plate the food. But once everyone sat down, the conversations were easy and relaxed, the subs chiming in as freely as their Masters.
Hannah was surprised at how quickly she’d adapted to being naked during her sessions, probably because it was so taken for granted by everyone around her. She’d learned The Enclave’s ten basic slave positions, more or less, though she had nowhere near the fluid grace of the other subs. She’d adored the bondage sessions, a deep calm settling over her as the ropes and leather swaddled her tight. She had experienced an actual caning, though not hard enough to leave any welts. Still, it had stung plenty. She’d been proud of herself for getting through it without freaking out.
Each day had presented challenges, some of which she surmounted, some of which she shied away from. While she’d sometimes been offered the opportunity to participate directly in the various intensive training sessions she had been permitted to observe, no one had pressured her to do so. Nor had she been pushed too far in her one-on-one sessions with the various Enclave Doms.
As Hannah navigated her way through her daily training adventures, Lucia had been a godsend. She was always there for Hannah when she felt overwhelmed or confused, offering gentle encouragement and advice. To her own surprise, Hannah had allowed Lucia to talk her into grooming. Because of Lucia’s easy, matter-of-fact manner, she hadn’t even felt embarrassed when Lucia snipped away her pubic curls and then carefully, expertly shaved her smooth.
While she worked, Lucia had teased, “I don’t mean to brag, but I’ve been known as something of a matchmaker over the years, and I’m rarely wrong. There’s a spark between you and Master Mason. Just a little fanning and it’s going to burst into flame.”
Hannah had scoffed. While she couldn’t deny her growing attraction to the man, he was so not permanent partner material. Not that she was even looking.
One thing she hadn’t shared with Lucia or Charlotte was her increasingly confused feelings about Mason, who was taking up entirely too much space in her head. She needed time to figure things out on her own before offering them up for dissection by well-meaning girlfriends.
Though neither Mason nor she had addressed it directly, she’d felt the chemistry buzzing between them like a livewire from the moment she’d entered his kitchen. Every gesture, every word, seemed infused with hidden meaning and subtle, sexy innuendo. Though she hadn’t really expected it to go anywhere, and wasn’t sure she’d wanted it to, she felt like a teenager with a huge crush, giddy with excitement and anticipation.