Two Masters for Alex by Claire Thompson Page A

for not doing the best possible job. She had hoped to impress Daniel with her diligence and obedience.
    He turned to her. “Lesson three. We don’t make excuses. You did a decent job as far as it went. You called me in to inspect incomplete work. What do you think I should do about it?”
    “Um, chalk it up to inexperience?” Alex stared at the floor, feeling like a recalcitrant child as she twisted her hands nervously behind her.
    “That I will. This is your first day and your first chore. I know it won’t happen again because I’m going to help you to remember.”
    “How?” Alex asked, her voice tiny.
    “Your first punishment. Pull down your shorts and bend over the bathtub.”
    “Oh Daniel. You’re kidding, right?” Alex had expected something sexy like a flogging in the torture chamber or being “forced” to suck Daniel’s cock, a task she absolutely adored. “You’re not going to spank me!” Even as she said this, she imagined his large hand coming down hard on her ass. Despite her embarrassment, she felt her pussy heat and swell at the thought of it.
    “No, I’m not actually. I know that wouldn’t be a punishment, you see. I’m just like you, don’t forget. I know how your perverted little mind works. In fact, you probably left that bit of cleaning undone just to see what I would do.”
    That was unfair! “No! I swear! I’m just a lousy housekeeper!”
    “So you say,” Daniel said, grinning. “Anyway, you’ve wasted enough of my time. Do what I said. Pull down your shorts and bend over the bathtub.”
    “But if you’re not going to spank me…” she trailed off uncertainly.
    “You’re going to kneel over the tub with your bare ass sticking out and your hands behind your back. You’ll spread your knees as far apart as you can and stay that way until I tell you.”
    “This is weird, Daniel. I—”
    “Alex,” Daniel said, his voice deadly serious. “If you continue to disobey me, I’m going to tell Liam I don’t want you here any longer. This isn’t a game. You have one week to prove yourself. So far you’re doing a damn poor job of it. While we’re here alone, my word is law. I own you for all intents and purposes. Do you understand? Now get on your knees, head over the tub and don ’ t move until I get back. Got it?”
    Aware she was blushing, Alex slowly obeyed, unbuttoning her shorts and pulling them down past her bare ass. She knelt, glad at least she was facing away from Daniel, whose eyes she could feel boring into her. “Wider,” he said, flicking at her ankle with his bare foot. Obediently she spread her legs wider, the tiled floor already making her knees ache.
    She heard him leave the room but didn’t dare turn around. In a moment he was back and she heard him moving behind her. “What’re you doing?” she asked, craning her head to see.
    “Face the wall,” he snapped. “I didn’t tell you to move.” She turned back but not before she’d seen the digital camera he held in his hands. She heard him snap the shutter and saw the light of the flash reflected against the white tiles above the bathtub.
    “What are you doing?” she whispered again.
    “Taking a picture of your nasty stubble for Liam. I was going to let it slide, but I’ve decided he should see how you arrived for your first day as our sub girl.”
    “I didn’t know,” she said miserably. “It won’t happen again.” As she knelt with her legs lewdly splayed, Alex felt hot tears form behind her eyes. It took all her willpower not to slam her legs closed to Daniel’s cruel scrutiny. This morning was not going at all how she’d planned. Somehow she’d envisioned sexy erotic torture, the kind she adored with the added benefit of two men fawning over her instead of the usual one.
    Yet hadn’t she sought out men who would by their very nature be resistant to her efforts to control the scene, to dictate the pace and actions of those she claimed to want to serve? Before today, she would have