“What?Come on,” Cheri prodded, her perfectly manicured fingers brushing Xia's arm.“Out with it.You’ve got that look.The one that says you’re drowning in thoughts of him.”
Xia’s fingers traced the edge of her snowy collar, a newly developed telltale nervous gesture that betrayed her carefully maintained composure.
“He’s never scened with me...not like he does with them.In the dungeon with that quiet intensity, that raw commanding presence that makes your breath catch and your knees weak.The way he builds that connection until you reach sub space and him that perfect Dom high...”She exhaled slowly.“I want that...God, I need that, Cheri.”
“Then tell him.”Cheri’s green dress shimmered as she moved, matching the fierce determination in her eyes.“Where is it written that a submissive can’t ask her Dom for something she needs?Since when have you become the type to pine away in silence?”
“Except, he’s not my Dom.”The words felt like broken glass in her mouth.
“As I said before...bullshit.”Cheri’s stilettos clicked decisively against the tarmac as she stopped, forcing Xia to face her.“He made it abundantly clear that you belong to him and him alone for as long as you’re his wife whisperer.That, my friend, goes two ways.If you belong to him, so does he to you.So, demand that he service you in the way you need.Make him see what’s right in front of him.”
Electricity danced along Xia’s nerves, lighting up possibilities she’d barely dared to consider.
“Damn, I never thought of it like that, but you’re right.”A determined glint flashed in her eyes, matching the wicked smile that curved her lips.“I’m going to do just that.”
“Late again, Ms.Foster?”Master Coop’s sharp voice cut through her plotting like the crack of a whip.A quick glance at her watch confirmed she wasn’t.
“Nope.Seventy-two seconds to spare, Master Coop.”She straightened her already impeccable uniform with practiced precision, knowing his exacting standards by heart.
“Just fall in line, sub.We have a lot to discuss.A day/night trip means we spend the entire time on the plane, and that can be grueling if you don’t keep to the schedule.First rule on a trip like this...there is no swapping of duties or break time.You keep to the schedule unless I change it.Understood?”
Everyone murmured their agreement.Cooper’s voice faded to background noise as Xia’s mind wandered, crafting a scene that would shock Master R out of his comfortable assumptions.One that would make him finally see her as more than his faithful wife whisperer, perhaps even as a woman worthy of his complete attention, his dominance, and his filthiest desire.
There was just one stubborn obstacle in her path, one caveat she couldn’t wipe out—the two years she’d have to spend in Hawaii at the headquarters of Aloha Hotels & Resorts while the New Orleans casino took shape.Two years of distance that could either break this tenuous connection or, if he’d be willing to try, forge it into something stronger.Two years to prove she wasn’t just another submissive to be tested and discarded, but a life partner worth waiting for.
Her lips curved into a smile that would have made angels nervous.Rex Oliver might think he held all the cards, but Xia Foster had a few tricks up her perfectly pressed sleeve.After all, she had a hunch that the best plots were hatched at thirty thousand feet.
Xia
Louisiana Club DecadentSkies, GoldenEye IV, five minutes to take off...
“Master R asked that you join him in his private suite for takeoff.”Master Coop’s smirk could have powered a small city.“I believe you know the way?”
“Why?Is one of his potentials there already?”Xia’s heart performed an Olympic-worthy gymnastics routine before landing somewhere near her perfectly polished boots.It was too soon to start pretending she didn’t care that he stroked the bodies of other women—she hadn’t even had time to perfect her completely unbothered face.
“I didn’t ask, so I suggest you get your ass over there asap.”
Xia’s gaze sharpened at the knowing look on his face.The asshat knew exactly why she was being summoned, and his expression screamed ‘I know something you don’t’ louder than a Vegas casino on payday.Squaring her shoulders, she offered him a telling side-eye look that invited the opposite of what she intended.He chuckled, a deep, belly-induced laugh that caused an unexpected tingle to rush down her spine.She hated the effect these damn powerful Doms had on her.Why couldn’t they be ugly and...and...and...well, she didn’t know what exactly, but stinky ogres came to mind.Yes, that would make her life so much easier.A plane full of Shrek-like Doms with halitosis and questionable hygiene habits.
Glaring at him one more time—because really, one good glare deserved another—she marched out of the entertainment room and headed toward the stairs.Her boots stomped a silent rhythm of determination and rising irritation.
“You better not have a potential in that suite, Master R.You know the process by now.We’re supposed to discuss them beforehand!”she muttered under her breath as she marched up the stairs, her thoughts anything but generous.
Well, truth be told, it wasn’t a defined process, but at least knowing who her opponent was gave her the opportunity to prepare and conjure excuses and reasons why said potential was unfitting and shouldn’t end up in his bed...or even in a scene with him.
She’d become quite the expert at vetting otherwise perfect candidates, or as she preferred to call it...a Masterclass in Picky Bitch Energy.If they were too eager, she classed them as golden retrievers in human skin.He didn’t date dogs—unless they were very well-trained, right?Too hesitant?Congrats, she just earned the title of Emotional Cryptid, and let’s face it, crypto was too volatile.Too vanilla?Spare us the lukewarm oatmeal of that personality; you didn’t swipe right for basic.Too kinky?Wow, she liked being tied up?Groundbreaking.Wrong lipstick?Yeah, I’m not proud of that one, but desperate times...Wrong voice?Wrong vibe?Honey, I didn’t just notice—I memorized it, and now it was living rent-free in my brain as a cautionary tale.And if they were just generally wrong?Well, bless their hearts, but the only thing they were perfect for was being a red flag in someone else’s love story...not HER man.So, shoo, all of you, go forth and sin no more.
Her creative vetting process was fast earning her a reputation for being particularly...discerning.What Master R failed to realize was that her standards weren’t impossibly high...they were just exactly Xia-shaped.
Her knuckles barely made contact with the door before his curt “Enter” reached her ears.She stepped into the suspiciously dimly lit cabin, immediately spotting him behind his massive desk.He looked every bit the powerful Dom he was, right down to the brooding eyes that tracked her movement.
Wait!Was that relief flickering across his face?Had he actually doubted she’d show up today?And holy hell, that heated look that followed could have melted steel.She made a mental note to check later if her uniform had survived the scorching.
“Come closer, Angel.”
The use of her sub name sent a jolt through her system that had nothing to do with turbulence.This wasn’t Master R addressing his wife whisperer; this was pure Dom energy speaking to his submissive.Her heart performed a complex quickstep while her brain tried to figure out what game he was playing.
She approached the desk with deliberate slowness.Her hands automatically moved back and locked behind her back as she assumed the position—feet apart, eyes lowered...the perfect picture of submission.Yet somehow, she had never felt more in control.Funny how that worked.
