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CHAPTER

One

In the history of du that her current endeavor was the dumbest and lassin her Portland, Oregon, hotel and wondered when exactly she’d lost her mind

She shouldn’t even have been in Portland She should have been spending her su as a chef in a Seattle restaurant like she’d told her parents It still bothered her that she’d lied to them But seriously, as the alternative? There was no way she could tell theed Terrence to find a way to get her in

Hell, half the time, she didn’t believe it herself

And they would never believe that it was her idea Oh no, they’d think he had so They would never have understood that she actually wanted this Wanted to be trained in the BDSM world as a subreed to talk to his friend, as also the headmaster, because she’d asked him to do so Repeatedly

Her phone rang, pulling her away frohts of her parents She smiled when she saw the display

“Hey, Terrence,” she said

“How’s irl?” he asked

The round confirmed he was still on set He must have had a break and used it to call her

She sighed “I can’t believe I’ht add—and you’re on location in Pittsburgh” Since he lived in LA and their hometoas Atlanta, usually she was the one on the East Coast

He laughed That softly seductive sound that never failed to ers through his blond hair and her heart sped up

“I swear, if it wouldn’t upset the production tea behind schedule, I’d be in Portland with you right now” His voice was deep and deter the truth

“I understand,” she said, because she did “Besides, it’s not like I’ I head over to the academy”

“And hoful is it I’ht”

She loved it when his protective side came out The side of hi part of the reason she asked to be trained for him

They had been friends forever When she was seven and he was nine, his fa, they were inseparable Even after Terrence left for Hollywood and became a household na And as ti more He said he loved how she wanted him for him and not for his celebrity status And she loved hih But still, they were just friends

Then, six ht had happened The night they went shopping for a Christuised hihing at a shared hing stopped as they both realized that soed

To this day, her stohtly stroked her cheek and then leaned in for a kiss It was then they both knew that not only had things changed, but there was no going back

They went out a fewto know hi he was hiding so fro and then stop hiet

Finally, one night she confronted hi He looked momentarily taken aback before he’d sat her down and said he had things to tell her Things he must tell her before they went any further

He’d confessed he was a Doive up that part of himself She’d heard of the term, but had no idea what it really meant, so later, when she was alone, she did her own research and gave her vibrator a workout and a half It wasn’t a lifestyle she’d considered before, but once the initial shock wore off, it sounded hot as hell

“You can’t help it,” she assured him “I know you’d be here if you could and I completely understand why you aren’t”

“It still doesn’t sit ith me that I’m not the one to train you”

“In that case,” she teased, “I’ll allow you to make it up to me the next time you see me”

“That I’ll do” He laughed “Call et settled”

“I will”

“How are you feeling? Are you nervous?”

That was another thing; ever since he’d brought up being a Do, like all the ti used to At first she thought he was asking just to be nice or because that’s what he was supposed to do Eventually, though, she realized he really wanted open communication

She let out a deep breath “I’ve moved beyond nervous but I’e It’s just hard to wrap my head around the next few in And when I think about what enrolling at the academy will mean”

Another one of those what the fuck ahts hit her, but she shook it off When she took the ti in the acadehts of sub to Terrence fueled her fantasies She dreaive her whole self to him

She and Terrence had agreed that while she was at the academy, she should feel free to explore her sexuality with no strings attached That hen she brought up rein at twenty-three; it had just sort of worked out that way But, she told Terrence, she didn’t want to lose her virginity at a BDSM acade that was off-li to work, she couldn’t feel inhibited or guilty about what she would be doing She appreciated the freedom, but it made her feel a bit apprehensive as well Would she feel like she was cheating on him the entire summer?

She’d asked Terrence ould happen if she end

ed up hating being a sub He said they’d worry about that if it happened But she was pretty certain that would be the end of their relationship

“Are you having second thoughts?” he asked, concern in his voice “You don’t have—”

“I knoant to” How many times would she have to reassure him? “I think it’s co second thoughts”

“I’ve known Lennox for years,” he said, speaking of the acadeuy, and I trust him and his staff completely I’d have to or else I’d never even think about you being there”

She twisted the curtain covering the“I know And it makes me feel safe and protected when you say that”

“That’s h we’re apart, I want you safe and protected”

There was a slightover the phone and she knew before he spoke that break time was over

“I have to get back to the set,” he confirets too late”

“Okay I’ht for dinner” Maybe she’d call her parents, too Assure the was covered That way ain She didn’t want the

They said their good-byes and Andie slipped her phone into her purse, deteret the best of her

• • •

FULTON MATTHEWS KNEW he was going to have to tread carefully with his boss, Lennox MacLure After all, the o At the time, Fulton had been thrilled with the new responsibilities, but he was starting to see they came with their own set of problems