I stand as tall as I can as I respond. “Yeah. They’ve explained that to me. Can’t say I’m fully grasping it. Seems far-fetched. I’ve worked my butt off to get through school with a master’s in English. I’m a pretty dominant personality in any crowd.”
Kellen surprises me when he reaches out and tucks an unruly lock of my hair behind my ear before dropping his hand to his side. “Maybe in any crowd except the fetish crowd,” he suggests.
I shrug. “Maybe.” I’m reeling a bit from his touch. It was soothing. I tip my gaze back to meet his, acknowledging that I should not be attracted to this man. He is much older than me for one thing. I feel about as young as Lucy looks. I have no idea what he does for a living, but I haven’t even started a career yet at all. I’m still trying to convince my twenty-four-year-old self that I’m an adult.
Sure, I finished school with honors and should be looking for a job in my field, but the truth is, I’m spoiled and my parents have never pressured me to get a job. Honestly, I could live a comfortable life off my trust fund alone if I were so inclined, but I don’t want to be completely idle, either. It sounds boring. I need a challenge.
On the flip side, settling into “real life” gives me goosebumps. I’ve been avoiding the idea. Half the reason I continued my education was to avoid adulthood. In the last few years, I’ve settled down a bit. I’m not as mischievous or precocious as I used to be, but inside I’m still the same girl with wildly naughty thoughts.
“We were just about to play Monopoly,” Lucy announces, bouncing a bit against Master Roman.
He smiles down at her indulgently and slides his hand down her back to pat her butt. “Sounds fun. Go ahead. I’ll be in here meeting with Kellen for a while longer, so try not to be too loud, okay?” He lifts a brow.
She nods. “Yes, Sir.”
Master Roman bends down to kiss her forehead and then pats her ass again as she steps away.
“Come on.” She motions toward a door in the corner of the room. “My playroom is in here.”
I’m confused and a little surprised. She has a playroom attached to Master Roman’s office?
I follow her through the door, wondering if we should shut it to avoid bothering the men, but she doesn’t mention it, so I leave it alone.
The room is interesting. Along the outside wall, which is really a row of enormous floor-to-ceiling windows that look out into the amazing backyard, sits a normal adult desk. If someone were sitting at it, they would be able to see Master Roman at his desk through the doorway.
That side of the room is professional. To the left, as we enter, I notice an entire corner is set up for a child. That’s where Lucy heads. There’s a white bookshelf against the far wall. In front of it are a fluffy, pink beanbag chair and an oval rug in pastels. The shelves are covered with books and toys.
Lucy slides the game from the shelf and plops down onto the floor on the rug. “Come on,” she encourages.
I close the gap between us, still soaking in her environment. Fascinating. When I reach her, I lower to the floor, crossing my legs in front of me. It’s not as easy in my jeans as it would be if I were wearing nothing but a short dress. Lucy doesn’t even attempt to tuck it under her butt. She’s sitting on her underwear.
I’m wearing tennis shoes and a Harvard T-shirt. I look like any grad student would on a Saturday afternoon. Any grad student who didn’t masquerade as a little in her off-time.
Lucy takes the board out of the box and spreads it out between us. She smiles at me. “Go ahead and ask me anything you want. I don’t mind.” Her voice is youthful, but this is the first time today she’s said anything to indicate she’s playing a role.
I lick my lips, not sure what I want to ask, nor wanting to appear impolite. It was one thing talking to her more or less as equals in the library. It’s another thing altogether to question her lifestyle while she’s in her little space.
“Do you wear a bra?” I blurt out, keeping my voice down.
She giggles. “Nope. Daddy says I’m too young.” She rolls her eyes dramatically and leans closer, glancing toward the doorway as if confirming no one is listening. “The front of my dresses rub against my nipples though. It’s weird, and I’ve never gotten used to it.”
I nod, feeling my face heat again. “So, Master Roman chooses what you wear?”
“Yep. Everything. Including my panties.”
I watch her squirm as she folds her legs under her farther. With her knees spread open like that, if she lifted her dress an inch, I would totally see everything. And yet, she doesn’t seem to care.
When I hear the men’s voices through the open door, I draw in a breath, imagining yet again what it must be like to live Lucy’s life. I’m kind of envious. She’s loved and cared for by not just Master Roman but his staff. Anyone can see she’s happy.
I spent my actual childhood in a home like this with servants who took care of me and indulged me. As an adult though, I can’t imagine being able to turn myself over to another human being like her. It’s so far out of my realm of imagination.
Lucy seems so content, however, and I envy her relaxed nature. She’s fully at one with her lifestyle choice. Considering the fact that her childhood looked nothing like this, I can almost understand why she would want to reenact it, so to speak. She was poor and her parents ignored her. They also both died when she was young, leaving her with a grandmother who didn’t want her. Her story made me sad when she told me, but it explains why she enjoys this do-over.
I also question my own motivations. I get that everyone is different and we each have our own reasons for how we got where we are today, but my pampered childhood isn’t something I need to recreate.
For the next hour, I let Lucy’s exuberance seep into me as we play the game. She’s beating me, and I don’t even mind. It’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time. I haven’t had a chance to relax and just enjoy a board game since some time in early high school.
Suddenly, Lucy lands on Boardwalk and squeals loudly. She immediately clamps a hand over her mouth and glances at the doorway.
In seconds Master Roman enters the room. “What did I say about keeping your voice down, blossom?” His hands are on his hips. His head cocked to one side.
“Sorry, Daddy. I landed on Boardwalk, and I got excited.”
“You interrupted us,” he points out.
I watch his expression. He’s stern, but not angry. He looks like he’s fighting another emotion. Humor maybe?
“Two choices,” he declares.
Lucy sighs.
“One, you put the game away and your playdate is over. Or two, I spank you in front of your friend and you go back to playing but with a lower voice.” He lifts a brow.
I’m stunned. I shouldn’t be. But I am. I glance at Lucy who fidgets in her spot. She opens her mouth, and for a moment I think she might argue, but then she snaps her lips closed and glances at her lap. “I don’t want Sabine to go home yet,” she murmurs.
Master Roman grabs the chair from behind the desk and rolls it over to us. He sits on it and pats his knee. “Come here, blossom.”
I can’t help but watch in total fascination as Lucy slowly rises and shuffles over to Master Roman. My face is flushed as if I were the one about to get spanked instead of Lucy. In addition, I’m aroused. Undeniably horny. And totally shocked by my reaction.