Lesson In Hope (Club Serenity #5)

Chapter One

Violet

“Will you marry me, Mistress?”

Halfway to her toy closet, Violet paused and closed her eyes. A sorrowful breath escaped her on a sigh as she turned to see her client for the afternoon down on one knee, a square black box open on his palm, his apparent love for her as exposed and vulnerable as his naked ass.

When she’d told him to strip a minute ago, she hadn’t meant down to the soul.

Adopting a sympathetic expression, she lifted her chin toward the pile of clothing beside him. “Get dressed, Adrian.”

“But, Mistress, we haven’t even started—”

Violet added an edge to her voice. “And we are not going to, Adrian. Please, get dressed. I’m not discussing this with you until you have your clothes on. Is that clear?”

Looking like a kicked puppy, her client nodded miserably. “Yes, Mistress.”

Giving him a moment to follow her directive, she sighed again and mentally wiped her schedule for the afternoon.

It wasn’t against club rules for a Master or Mistress to engage in a sexual or romantic relationship with guests—hell, if it was, more than one of her friends would be tragically single or unemployed—but it did go against her personal code.

Adrian wasn’t a bad man, not in the slightest. He was physically appealing, in excellent condition for his age—at fifty-three, he was almost two decades older than her, which wasn’t a factor in her decision; age was a number, that was all—and he had a beautiful soul behind sweet, honey-brown eyes.

There were threads of silver snaking through his mahogany hair, a few lines around his eyes and mouth that spoke of a life well-lived, and those eyes were capable of switching from hardcore millionaire to loyal, devoted puppy with one word from her.

For the past three months, he’d visited Club Serenity every weekend religiously, requesting her company whenever her schedule allowed, being the perfect submissive at every opportunity.

When the hell had he taken the leap from seeing her as a professional to something more personal?

More to the point, why the hell hadn’t she seen it?

“Mistress?”

Inhaling slowly, deeply, she faced him, pleased to see he was fully dressed. His expression, however, tightened her throat. “Take a seat, Adrian.”

“Mistress, it was an oversight. We can just forget—”

This was where she needed to be careful, on several levels. She had no desire to hurt him. There was no reason to, after all. But she knew how volatile even the most docile submissive could become when the illusion of a dynamic shattered.

In Adrian’s mind, she was his Mistress. If he thought about the other subs in her life, if he was aware that her time was spent with others when he wasn’t with her, he never commented on it when he was with her—she’d have cut him off then and there.

At least they were in a private room today, Violet thought. Bad for her safety if things went south, but on a positive note, his humiliation would be kept between them, and only them.

She waited until he sat on the edge of the chaise lounge taking up almost the full length of the shortest wall in the room. Legs spread, fingers linked together, hands dangling between his thighs. Head bowed, she noted, keeping his submission front and center.

“This arrangement is at an end, Adrian,” Violet said quietly, tactically staying out of his reach. “You are a wonderful submissive, and I’m honored to have been your Domme for the last few months. However, we seem to be at the point where I no longer fulfil your needs.”

“I love you, Violet.”

“I won’t argue that. It’s not my place to dictate your emotions, or to deny what you feel is real.

We’re both adults here; you’re certainly old enough to understand your own heart and mind, just as I do.

” The sensitive side of her wanted to reach out and stroke away the despair on his face; the practical part knew it would be an incredibly huge mistake to forge any kind of physical connection with him now.

“The issue is, I don’t love you, Adrian.

I don’t say that to be cruel, it’s just fact.

Another fact is, you deserve to be loved. ”

Adrian’s jaw was clenched tight. “I don’t.”

Self-pity was not her style, and she disliked it in her submissives.

Sharpening her tone, Violet snapped, “Do not argue with me. I’ve gotten to know you, Adrian, and the man you are in the boardroom, the man you are here, are both deserving of a future with a woman who adores every part of you.

Being submissive does not make you less; it just means you have so much more to give. ”

Mournful brown eyes lifted to meet hers. “I can give you the world.”

“What you’ve already given me is enough, Adrian. Save the rest of it for the Domme who loves you.” She gentled her voice when his eyes glinted—not with violence, but something far sadder. “You are welcome at Serenity. Always. But from here on out, my services will no longer be available to you.”

“But I… I don’t know what I’ll do if I can’t see you, Mistress.

You make everything right when it all goes wrong.

When I have a bad week at work, the thought of being with you is the only thing that makes things bright again.

” Adrian’s exhale was shuddery and heavy with grief.

“The sound of your voice, that beautiful Louisiana melody, soothes all the ugly edges inside me.”

“The woman who meets all your needs will be twice the woman I am. Have I ever lied to you, Adrian?” she asked gently when his eyes flashed with disbelief.

“Trust me now as the last act between us. You will find your perfect Domme, and she will love you with everything she is. This… I’ll be a fond memory on the path to finding her, Adrian. That’s all I was ever meant to be.”

Violet forced herself to be tough, steeling herself against the desolate, beseeching look he sent her.

She would miss him, she knew—he was an integral part of her routine now, and she liked her current one.

But continuing on with the arrangement was untenable; it was cruel to Adrian when nothing could come of it but his love deepening, unreciprocated, and it set the stage for a tragedy somewhere down the line.

“I don’t think I can walk away from you, Mistress,” he admitted after silence hung between them for several long, thick moments.

“I know.” Violet inclined her head; she didn’t have the same problem, and she was used to being the strong one.

The smile she gave him was patient and kind before she turned away, walking easily on the two-inch heels that made her feel in control, then glanced over her shoulder as she opened the door.

“Thank you for being who you are, Adrian.”

Stepping into the hallway, she closed the door on his cry of anguish and left him.

Marriage wasn’t on her cards, not anymore. Once, just two long years ago, all it would’ve taken were those four little words from the man she’d loved with everything she was, and there wouldn’t have been any other answer but yes.

Young and stupid, she reminded herself. So fucking young and stupid, she’d fallen for a Dom ten years her senior and ruthlessly smothered herself to be what he wanted, what he said he needed.

It had taken her too damn long after she’d walked away from him to reclaim her own identity; there was no fucking way she was sacrificing it again.

In the years since, there’d been no one who’d tempted her to step foot on that path.

Well, Merrick might have had potential, but he was loved up and devoted to his beloved Tamsyn—and they were a perfect match for each other. Much like Adrian’s perceived relationship with her, anything she could have had with Merrick would’ve been wrong.

Violet hurried down the hallway toward the stairs; she didn’t want to be in the vicinity if Adrian suddenly vacated the room.

Not because she was scared of him, but it didn’t seem fair to rub her presence in his face.

She’d do her best to keep out of his way—she wasn’t sure if he would hang around, hoping for a chance to convince her they were meant to be together, hole up in his room until the weekend was over, or simply cut his stay short.

Descending the steps quickly proved slightly difficult, given the sleek, formfitting black dress she’d chosen for the afternoon appointment. It slicked over her shoulders, hugged her figure tightly, and ended mid-thigh.

All the allure of sex despite none being offered.

She supposed it was fortunate they hadn’t been intimate—getting clients off was in her job description, but the manner in which she did so was at her discretion. Using her body in that way was not her preferred style. Sex, when she chose to have it, was symbolic to her.

My choice. My life. My pleasure.

The problem was, it had been too long since she’d made that choice. Intimacy, even casual sex, was drifting out of reach. The thought of internally vetting a candidate, going through the motions, turned the whole thing into a chore, more of a hassle than anything else.

So, she worked her shifts at the club, covered those of her colleagues when they wanted time with their subs, and banked her paychecks for a rainy day.

The pretty young redhead at the reception desk beamed at her as Violet stepped up, then frowned as her eyes dropped to her screen. “Mistress Violet? Aren’t you supposed to be in a session right now?”

“I was. Unfortunately, I need you to clear my schedule for the afternoon, Jennifer.” Tapping a fingernail on the desk, Violet cast a glance over her shoulder toward the stairs. “In addition to that, remove any sessions reserved for Adrian and block him from booking any more in the future.”

Pale, jade green eyes widened as Jennifer’s fingers flew over the keyboard. She leaned forward, whispering, “Do you need me to call security, Mistress?”

“No. No, thank you. He’s done nothing wrong. There are to be no punitive measures attached to his file. Adrian is still a valued member of Serenity.”