Motivating Mira (Submissives of Rawhide Ranch #23)

Prologue

Before

Mira

The smiling part was artistic license though, since no one smiled in photos back then.

I fiddled with the brown paper that was wrapped over both paintings as I waited.

I was both nervous and excited to show him.

I was nervous because the painting he commissioned was my first ever piece that someone had actually paid for and was meant for display in such a public place.

And I hoped it met his expectations. The excitement I felt, though, was for the surprise painting.

I couldn’t wait for him to see it. I just knew he was going to love it.

And more than anything, I wanted to show him how grateful I was for letting me come to Rawhide and explore a part of myself I’d kept hidden my whole life.

That sounds silly, since my whole life consisted of a mere twenty-two years, but that felt like a long time to me.

And I appreciated Master Derek’s generosity.

And it wasn’t just about exploring the hidden side of myself either.

He’d given me a place to stay while I figured out my next move.

My mother was impossible to be around when she was constantly hounding me about my future.

How was a girl to think? The only thing I’d ever wanted to do, was paint.

And apparently painting wasn’t a career path my mother felt I should pursue.

I glanced at the woman beside me. Her knee bounced up and down and she was staring at the knob of Master Derek’s door as if it were about to pop off and hit her in the nose, which told me she was probably in some trouble with Master Derek.

I instantly felt for her. Being in trouble with Master Derek was something I didn’t want to experience. Although being over the knee of a dominant man like him was pretty frisson-inducing.

When the door to Master Derek’s office opened, the woman beside me let out a small squeak and I gave her a reassuring smile. But before she could return my gesture, a man walked out of the office with Master Derek and my breath stuck in my throat.

If I painted my fantasy man, this would be him.

“Thanks, Master Derek. I appreciate you taking the time to see me.” He spoke in a voice that was both deep and velvety. It also seemed to have a direct connection to my insides, which instantly turned gooey.

But after a second I realized the goo situation had nothing on the puddle I turned into when that man looked at me.

“I can see you’re a busy man,” he said, his words sort of trailing off as he noticed me. Our gazes locked, and I felt as if I were in a romance novel. After all this didn’t happen in real life—Their gazes locked was a romance novel cliché, wasn’t it?

“Of course, of course. Master Kyle had amazing things to say about you. And a recommendation from him goes far around here. Is K Club as nice as they say? I’ve yet to get up there.”

As if Master Derek’s question snapped him out of a trance, the man broke our stare to turn back to the Ranch’s owner.

“It doesn’t compare to your Rawhide. Not that I’ve seen the facilities yet, but the grounds are stunning. Those mountains—the lake…” He shook his head and then turned back to me, his eyes clicking with mine like four magnets locking into place. “The scenery around here is heavenly.”

The man’s stunning light brown eyes, fringed with the kind of thick lashes that a lot of women might make a deal with the devil for—me included—held mine and he smiled. The genuine kind that you felt in your gut. Except I sort of felt it in my soul.

Damn, I needed to lay off the romances.

“Let’s get you a tour of the facilities then, shall we?”

That’s when Master Derek noticed me. “Ah, Miss Wilcox!” He glanced at the woman beside me and her eyes instantly found the floor.

Yep, she was definitely in hot water with Master Derek.

“This is actually great timing, since I have another meeting.” He gave the woman another glance before gracing me with a smile and waving me over.

Leaving my paper wrapped packages, I stood and took the five steps it took to close the gap between us.

“This is Master Wes. He’s going to be spending some time with us. One of my very close friends from years ago informed me Master Wes would be in town visiting for a few as well as attending a conference while in Montana. He asked if I might show Master Wes some of our Rawhide hospitality.”

Master Wes didn’t move his gaze from mine as he shoved his hand out. I took it and felt instant electricity. Not the kind you feel in the winter by dragging your feet, but the kind you might feel in the air during a summer heatwave just before lightning struck.

I swallowed hard. Okay, someone wake me up, because I am clearly in a romance book. Hopefully an erotic romance, I thought, and pressed the smile from my lips.

“Master Wes, this is Mira. She’s one of our newest submissives.” He cocked his head, looking proudly at me. “She’s an artist.”

The pride on his face hit me hard. Hard enough that I couldn’t find my breath for a second. It was the kind of look I’d been desperate for my entire life which was just further proof I belonged here rather than home with my mom. He glanced at the wrapped paintings and looked back at me. “Two?”

I beamed. “One’s a surprise.”

“I need to see them,” he said and walked over to carry them into his office.

“Hello, artist Mira.” Master Wes said as we followed Master Derek into the office.

The tearing of paper was the only thing that tore my gaze from the gorgeous man. I grinned as soon as I saw Master Derek’s face explode into a huge smile.

Master Wes walked to stand at Master Derek’s side, and his eyes snapped to mine as he whistled. “This is brilliant.” He looked back at me. “Is this the original Ranch?”

I nodded.

“Mira, this is stunning,” Master Derek exclaimed. “And my grandfather and uncle.” He shook his head clearly in disbelief. “Absolutely stunning.”

Master Wes went down onto his haunches to take a closer look as Master Derek hugged me. “I knew you were good. But I didn’t expect this level of talent.” He glanced at the modern painting. “These are going to look fantastic in here.”

“Your portraits are really good,” Master Wes said, standing up.

Master Derek looked between us and then frowned as he glanced at the woman sitting outside. “Mira, would you mind showing Master Wes around a bit? He’s already seen the grounds, but I think he’s eager to see the Dungeon and the rest of our amenities. And I have something else to deal with.”

“Yes, Sir. I’d love to.” And I meant it right to my toes.

“I’ll come find you later. I’ll have these paintings put up and you can come see how they look. I’m so happy with them. Thank you so much.”

“You’re very welcome, Master Derek. It was my pleasure.”

My stomach wobbled at the way Master Wes’s eyes seem to flare heat at the word pleasure.

Master Derek ushered us toward the door and called to the woman in the waiting area. “Young lady, I’ll see you now.”

“I’d love to commission a piece for my office wall,” Wes said as we moved out of the office and passed Erika’s desk. “But I don’t want to impose.”

“It wouldn’t be an imposition at all,” I replied, and Master Wes hit me with a crooked half smile that might have magical powers the way it weakened my knees.

We started chatting, not even noticing that Master Derek and the other woman in the waiting room had left us. At least not until I heard the telltale sound of wood on flesh. I instantly straightened, looking at the door and swallowing hard.

“We should probably leave,” Master Wes said. My eyes left the door to find his filled with amusement. I licked my lips, nodding, my face suddenly hot.

“Not that I don’t enjoy the sound of a naughty submissive getting her comeuppance, but I’m a firm believer in giving people behind closed doors their privacy.”

I nodded and we walked to the elevators.

“The guest rooms are soundproofed to ensure exactly that. However, it’s said that Master Derek purposefully left that out of his office plans with the belief that sound can be an effective deterrent.

And, since I’ve sat on that very bench myself, I can assure you he was correct.

” I paused to let him take that in and then grinned.

“Come on, the really good stuff is on the lower level.”

When we got into the elevator and the doors shut, Master Wes spoke again. “I’d like the opinion of a submissive here. What do you think of the famous Rawhide Ranch, Miss Wilcox? I mean, by your work, you must hold it in high esteem, but what about on a more personal level.”

“It’s home,” I said, gathering a breath. “Not like as in my place of residence, although it is that too, but like the place I belong.”

“That’s an interesting way of putting it.”

“I don’t know if you ever felt like you didn’t quite fit anywhere, but that’s how I’ve felt my whole life… until now.”

“I understand. Out there”—he nodded to the window where the manicured lawns rolled out as far as I could see toward the road—“you’re expected to be both feminine and submissive for men with frail egos, while also having enough masculine energy to be taken seriously in the work force so you can compete in a world men have owned for centuries.

And all that requires you to wear a costume and perform a delicately balanced dance. ”

“One that isn’t required here, right,” I added, nodding. “But it’s no better for male submissives out there, not with toxic masculinity running rampant.”

Master Wes smiled softly down at me. “You have a beautiful mind, Mira. At least as beautiful as the rest of you.”

My stomach flipped, and my face felt hot again.

The tour ended in the Dungeon and, by then, there was no denying I was smitten with Master Wes. I shivered from head to toe as if it were my body he was caressing as he ran his hand along the spanking bench I’d been strapped to the night before.