The Keyholder Read Online Free Page B

red silk robe tied closed with a matching sash.
    Jessica and Ben entered the dungeon first, moving away from the door as Jessica directed her sub to undress. Harry strode into the room and flopped down in the center of the sofa. Jack followed him, looking back to Nora with a question on his face.
    Nora hesitated behind them, suddenly not sure of her position. If she’d been with Charles, though she would have remained dressed if they weren’t doing a scene, she would have naturally knelt on the floor beside him on one of the cushions placed in front of the sofa. He would have put his hands on her shoulders as she leaned back against him, and she would have sighed her contentment.
    She moved toward Jack and, as he patted the sofa beside him, she made her decision to sit there, though she could feel Phillip’s disapproving glare as she, a mere sub, sat on the furniture. She wondered if Phillip had ever owned a sub or fulltime slave, and shuddered at the thought, even while she knew she was being unfair. Maybe he was just what Charles called “old school”—very strict about protocol and proper rules of conduct, as he defined them.
    Jessica led Ben toward the sofa by a short leash she’d clipped to his collar. He was naked, save for the metal cock cage that fit snugly around his cock and balls. His chest and thighs, Nora noticed as they approached, were covered with a latticework of fresh whip marks, and her skin tingled with sympathy and desire, in equal measure.
    She crossed her legs in an effort to relieve the sudden throb at her clit and turned her focus to the women waiting so submissively in front of them. Nora knew from experience their knees were aching by now, in spite of the padded mat beneath them.
    Phillip approached the girls and faced the selection committee. “I present Leah, Gianna and Brooke. All three have experience in the scene, and have passed various tests I’ve presented them with reasonable grace and obedience. They have all been examined and tested and have a clean bill of health, as do all of us here at the dungeons,” he added, addressing these last words to the kneeling sub candidates. “I recommend we invite each of these young women to join the ranks of Hawthorne Dungeon as our first house subs. Of course, they will need additional training to be suitable to serve our esteemed members, but I will be happy to take on that responsibility, assuming these subs I have chosen meet with your approval.”
    He moved to stand behind them, and placed a hand on top of Gianna's and Leah’s heads. Gianna was a redhead, her hair cut pixie-short. Leah’s hair was honey blond, Brooke’s a rich, dark brown, and both wore their hair long and loose.
    “I will put the girls through a series of exercises designed to demonstrate their submissive skill and obedience,” Phillip continued,” and then I’ll invite questions and input from the committee.”
    As he spoke, his fingers had curled, gripping a handful of both girls’ hair and twisting hard. Gianna winced while Leah drew in a sudden, sharp breath. Phillip let go and stepped back. “Sub girls,” he said, his voice deepening. “Rise and remove your robes. Let them fall behind you and then stand at attention.”
    The girls rose, each graceful in her movements. Leah shook back her hair, but Gianna left hers spiked from Phillip’s grip. Leah and Brooke undid their sashes and dropped their robes immediately, moving in time as they locked their hands behind their heads. Gianna hesitated, if only slightly, the color creeping up her cheeks as she untied her robe with hands that trembled, if ever so slightly. It took perhaps two seconds longer for her to assume her position, and Nora held her breath, certain she wasn’t the only one to notice.
    Phillip moved with the speed of a snake and struck Gianna’s cheek. He stepped back, the imprint of his hand darkening against Gianna’s fair skin. “Why did I do that, sub girl?” he asked softly, though the