Savannah's Sentinel (Mountain Mastery Book 2) Read online

  He saw the uncertainty in her eyes and smiled. “Let me give you an example of embarrassment as a correction for misbehavior. A couple of weeks ago, one of the Masters at the club had given his sub several warnings to stop staring at the stage where a scene was being set up. He knew the scene was going to upset her, and he was trying to shield her. She’s terrified of fire, and the scene was a fire play demonstration.”

  Savannah’s eyes widened in surprise and he saw a hint of fear in them, but she didn’t interrupt him. “The sub needed a lesson in trust, and after years of listening to the wrong people, she is convinced her ass is too big. It isn’t. She is lovely, but the voices from her past have always been louder than the ones in her present.”

  “What did he do to her?”

  “Upended her over a bar stool, exposing her pretty curves to the world. He put up a sign encouraging everyone passing by to smooth their palms over her curves and whisper words of appreciation. A couple of the Doms who have participated in scenes with them gave her several swats to remind her how much they enjoyed their time with her. She was embarrassed, but it was a lesson she won’t forget.” Landon had certainly enjoyed seeing his handprint bloom bright red over Chloe’s ass cheeks.

  “Okay. Well, that doesn’t seem so bad. Embarrassment I can handle…probably. But humiliation will make me shut down, just so you know.” Her voice had gotten quieter the longer she continued to speak, telling him she’d been revealing more than intended. This was a side of Savannah he hadn’t anticipated. She was surprising him at every turn. He certainly hadn’t expected her candor.

  Stepping back and taking her hand once again, Landon used his hand to indicate the way he planned to go. He needed to get her back on track or she’d derail their entire morning. “Now, all that being said, and keeping our deadline in mind, let’s get going.”

  Chapter Seven

  Savannah shivered as Landon led her through the house. He’d asked her if she was cold, and she assured him she wasn’t…the temperature wasn’t causing the sudden trembling. Her imagination was in overdrive, and knowing each room he showed her brought them one step closer to his staff was both terrifying and exhilarating. Landon’s home was amazing. His nod to the outdoors didn’t stop in the living room. The indoor pool area reminded her of walking in the rain forest.

  Landon must have noted the look of longing on her face when they walked by the rock-lined hot tub. “Later. You’ll probably appreciate a soothing soak after we’ve finished today. Although, as I’ve said, I believe your yoga training is going to serve you well. How long have you been practicing?”

  “I started when I first went to boarding school. One of my teachers thought it would help my homesickness.” She was surprised when he stopped walking and turned to face her.

  “How old were you?” His expression could only be described as fierce—something she’d said had obviously pissed him off, but she wasn’t sure what would have caused such an intense reaction.

  “Ten. When Brit’s business took off, Mom and Dad thought I’d be better off at St. Regis. He was attracting a lot of attention, and they didn’t want my safety compromised by his success.” Actually, they’d wanted to enjoy all the media attention surrounding her brother rather than dealing with a precocious ten-year-old. She’d seen through their excuse, but no amount of pleading had changed her fate.

  The homesickness had been completely debilitating the first few months. She hadn’t been able to eat and had finally been admitted to the infirmary because she’d lost so much weight. When her family had been “too busy” for her to return at Christmas, she’d been devastated. They’d sent thousands of dollars in gifts and a letter explaining why they couldn’t “host her” for the holidays. Her mother had also cautioned her against speaking negatively about her family, explaining why it was important to protect their reputation.

  Savannah was pulled from her musing when Landon used his thumb to brush a tear from her cheek. Damn, why was she crying about this now? Shaking her head, she smiled but knew he wasn’t fooled. “Sorry. It’s all water under the bridge.”

  “If you were mine I wouldn’t allow you to continue to hide from your feelings. I suspect you’re tamping down a lot of pain. As your friend, I’m going to encourage you to exorcise it before it eats you alive.” His voice was carefully modulated, but she was certain there was a note of warning in his words. Were they friends? Until this moment, she would have said no, but something between them was shifting. Savannah wasn’t sure where their relationship was headed, but the anger she’d held on to since his rejection didn’t seem as important anymore.

  “Come on, Princess, I think it’s time I gave you something else to think about.”

  Oh, boy.

  Landon made a silent promise to himself to find out what Savannah’s family had been tending to that was more important than their daughter. He’d read her file, and she’d been forthright about living away from home, but he suspected the reason had little to do with her safety. In his experience, when there was a decade or more between children, the second one wasn’t always as welcome as the parents might want the world to believe. He’d seen friends of his parents devastated when they’d learned they were going to be parents again just as they’d begun to enjoy more freedom.

  The sadness in her eyes as she fell into her memories made his heart squeeze. He needed to set aside the personal aspect of her training or he’d end up being another in what he suspected was a long line of people who’d let Savannah down.

  For the first portion of his tour through the house, she’d tried to cover herself when he looked at her. Each time, he’d patiently moved her hands back to her sides and continued talking. There would be plenty of reprimands in her future, and he didn’t want to use punishments until it was necessary. Something told him she was going to learn quickly, but the walls they hit were going to be made of stone and mortar.

  Leading Savannah toward the kitchen, he felt her hand stiffen in his. He didn’t stop because giving her any additional time to think would be a mistake. Lenore Watts had been cooking for his family for almost twenty years. He’d never met a woman who could eat as much as Lenore. But despite her ravenous appetite, she stayed slender thanks to an exercise program that would put most Olympians’ to shame.

  His housekeeper, Ellen Mason, was another long-time employee. She’d moved to Montana years ago with her husband and had become a widow their first winter in the Treasure State. Deputy Sheriff Mack Mason had gone off the road one night while on patrol and frozen to death before his car was discovered the next day. One of the hazards of living in the mountains was the spotty satellite reception. Even though the local dispatcher knew he wasn’t responding to her calls, the tracking device on his patrol car wasn’t discoverable from the bottom of the ravine.

  Landon wasn’t worried about Savannah’s reaction to either Lenore or Ellen. Both women were gregarious and would make her feel at home despite her nudity. It was his driver, James Carter, who would present a challenge. At six foot, Carter wasn’t particularly tall, but his broad shoulders and heavily muscled frame made him intimidating as hell. Calling him a driver was a running joke, because his duties were far broader than simply driving Landon around. Although they’d been acquainted for years, Carter had only recently joined Landon’s staff.

  Just as he’d predicted, Lenore and Ellen made fast friends with Savannah. They had her eating fruit and chatting within minutes. He stood back and watched their interaction, hoping to gain some additional insight into the woman beneath the agent mask. Their short conversation about her family reminded Landon how little background information he’d really been given about Savannah North. Sure, he’d read the Agency’s profile, but he had a feeling that was a carefully crafted persona. Whether she’d molded it or her parents had imposed it on her, he wasn’t certain, but in the end, it didn’t matter.

  Carter stepped into the room and stopped a few feet behind Savannah and gave Lenore and Ellen a warning glare ensuring
neither of them would give away his presence. The flash fire from the explosion that ended his career as a Special Forces operative scarred him in many ways. Carter was still working with a physical therapist twice a week to regain mobility in his left shoulder. But it was the badly scarred skin on the left side of his face that caused him the most grief. If Landon had to guess, he’d say Carter wanted to observe Savannah for a few minutes before she looked at him and clammed up the way so many people did.

  “These are delicious. Oh, my God in heaven, they practically melt in your mouth. I’ll be able to roll faster than I can walk if I stay here very long. Every single one of these calories will go right to my ass. Some friends you’re going to be. Extra yoga for me tonight or my caboose will look like the Titanic.” Landon smiled at her comments, but held back a response when he saw Carter’s arched brow.

  “I don’t know, it looks pretty spectacular to me.” Carter could turn his southern drawl off at will, but he’d given her the full version.

  Savannah spun around so quickly she nearly toppled over. He instinctively reached to steady her, but Carter had been closer—and quicker. “Hell’s bells and sea shells. You scared the sugar out of me.” She took a step back and appeared to completely forget her nudity. Her gaze moved over Carter’s face, but her express showed interest rather than revulsion. “BLEVE?” Carter’s eyes widened in surprise before he nodded.

  “I’m impressed. Beautiful and smart, that’s a killer combination. It’s nice to meet you Savannah. I’m Carter.” Hell, Landon was impressed, too. He’d be willing to bet fewer than a handful of agents in the CIA who would have correctly identified Carter’s burns. Knowing they’d come from a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion was fucking remarkable.

  She reached up, but paused with the tips of her fingers hovering close but not touching his skin…waiting for Carter’s permission. He gave her a quick nod, and Landon could tell by the way Carter’s lips twitched her touch had been feather light. He’d once told Landon that contrary to what most people thought, the surface of his skin had very little sensation.

  “Have you tried essential oils? I have a friend who is really into them. She pestered me forever about a scar I had on my back. I finally gave in and let her mix up some magic potion and rub it into the scar every day for a couple of weeks, and it looks a thousand times better now. And it doesn’t hurt when I do my yoga stretches, either. I’ll put you in touch with her if you’d be willing to try it. Can’t hurt, might help.”

  Savannah seemed to suddenly realize where she was and what she wasn’t wearing. She flushed a brilliant shade of red and shook her head. “Fuck-a-dilly circus. I can’t believe I’m standing here stark naked talking to a man I don’t even know about hooking him up with my friend to get oiled.”

  For the first time since before the explosion, Carter leaned his head back and roared with laughter. Lenore and Ellen were both chuckling so hard they had tears streaming down their faces, and Landon wondered how the hell he’d managed to lose complete and total control of the situation. “Princess, you’ve surprised me yet again. I’m going to want to hear where—and why you learned about BLEVE explosions. But for the moment, I’d like to formally introduce you to my driver and head of security, James Carter. There are cameras all over the house, but he and I are the only ones who will have access to the feeds for the next two weeks.”

  Awareness dawned in her pretty blue eyes before a deep pink blush spread over her cheeks. When she started to cover herself with her hands, he frowned. “Don’t even think about it.” She gulped and looked at the floor so quickly Landon sucked in a quick breath. Hell, how had he missed the subtle signals of her hidden submissive side? Holding out his hand in a clear signal for her to return to him, he watched as she padded the few steps back to where he stood.

  “Look at me, Princess.” When her eyes met his, he was shocked to see her pupils dilated with desire. “Did you eat breakfast?” When she shook her head, he glared. “Shaking your head is not an answer, Savannah.”

  He hid his amusement when her eyes flickered with annoyance. Landon had seen that same expression on Tally’s face and knew Savannah had barely managed to keep from rolling her eyes. Acting as Senator Karl Tyson and his wife, Dr. Tally Tyson’s, third had taught Landon a lot about dealing with unruly subs. Now that he thought about it, Tally and Savannah had a lot in common, which went a long way to explain his attraction to the beauty standing in front of him. He’d originally thought to introduce the two women, but for some reason, that didn’t seem like a good idea now.

  “No, Sir. I was too nervous to eat.” That explained why she’d all but inhaled the pastries Lenore had given her.

  “Lenore, could you make our lovely guest something to hold her over until lunch? High protein would be preferable since she’s going to be practicing positions the rest of the morning. We’ll be in the sunroom.” Without waiting for the cook’s response, he held out his hand to Savannah. “Come. We have work to do.”

  Chapter Eight

  Savannah’s legs trembled with exhaustion. She sent up a silent prayer of thanks for her years of yoga training, because without it, she would’ve collapsed hours ago. Kneeling once again when Landon glanced at the floor, she hissed when a muscle spasm seized in her upper thigh. “Princess?” Tears stung the backs of her eyes, but she held her position. “Look at me, Savannah.” When she lifted her face, his eyes went wide as he cursed. “Dammit, I gave you a fucking safe word for a reason.”

  Lifting her into his arms, he effortlessly scooped her up from the floor. He moved quickly to the stairs, and she hoped he was heading to the hot tub and not giving up on her training. She let herself relax into his hold and laid her ear against his chest. The steady thumping of his heart had almost lulled her to sleep before she felt herself being lowered into the hot water. Cupping her head between his hands, he held her until she opened her eyes. “I’ll be right back. Keep those pretty eyes open until I’m holding you again, Princess.”

  Nodding, she watched him step back and strip. He reached behind her, and she heard a series of beeps before the water began circulating rapidly around her. The lights in the room flickered off, and those under the water’s edge shimmered as the bubbles moved furiously through the swirling tub. The soothing effects of the jets pounding her spent muscles pulled her closer and closer to sleep until she felt the water around her raise. When she was finally able to lift her lashes, she realized Landon Nixon was standing in front of her. His erect cock almost at eye level proudly pressed against his taut abdomen.

  Good heavens, the man would give a Greek God a run for his money. He’d shed his shirt late that afternoon as he’d paced the warm sunroom. She’d known he’d turned up the heat to ensure her comfort on the cool tile floor. His muttered curses about his father failing to heat the floor of what had evidently been his mother’s favorite room in the house amused her. From what Savannah had seen, this the only room in his home that didn’t appear to have been remodeled. It was an interesting contrast to the rest of the house. The soft pastel colors and floral pattern of the furnishing were starkly different from the rich, deep colors in the other rooms. Leaving the room intact spoke volumes about his love and respect for his mother.

  Realizing he’d spoken, she could only blink up at him. Her brain was just too tired to track anything. “Christ, woman, you have to learn your limits. I was pushing to see what it would take for you to use your safe word. How am I supposed to trust you to use it during a scene if you won’t even tell me when you are about to implode from fatigue?”

  Too tired to respond, she dropped her chin to her chest and pulled in a calming breath. He picked her up and took her place before settling her on his lap. His hard cock pressed between her hip and his firm body. Her eyelids dropped, shutting out the world as she relaxed against him. Any other time, she’d have been mortified to be sitting on a naked man’s lap, but right now, she was too tired to care.

  “So brave and strong. Now we just need to g
et you to a point where you’ll believe me when I say it’s okay to say enough.” His words sounded nice, but a part of her doubted she’d ever be able to draw that line. She’d spent her entire life trying to prove she was worthy of her parents’ love and respect. She couldn’t imagine ever feeling secure enough to quit before she’d completed a task.

  “Can’t quit. Not good enough yet.” She hadn’t meant to speak out loud, and his frustrated sigh made her wish she’d been more careful.

  “We’re going to work on your self-esteem, baby.” Landon’s sweet words made their way through the fog of her exhaustion and knocked down another piece of the wall she’d built around her heart. Drat him, he’s going to crash through if I’m not careful.

  Marco Alvarez stared at the shivering blonde. She was naked and shaking as the fan beside him drifted over her with each pass. Fear filled her pretty blue eyes, but her chin was tilted up as she tried in vain to hold on to her dignity. That won’t last long if I decide you aren’t as delectable as you appear, pretty girl. You’ll fetch a high price if I can continue to hide your identity from the buyers.

  Recognizing her immediately upon his arrival, Marco had begun searching on-line for any mention of the Fitzgerald heiress’s abduction. There had only been one brief mention buried deep in the web, telling him her family was waiting for a ransom demand. Let them wait.

  Victor, his second-in-command, stood by the door leering at her, but she hadn’t taken her eyes off Marco. Smart girl, keep your eyes on the most venomous snake in the room. He let several minutes pass, but she retained both her posture and her strength during the long silence. Her gaze never wavered from his. The bruise circling her upper arm and deep purple marks on her left breast spoke volumes about Victor’s treatment—he’d been asked to escort her to his boss’ office and had apparently taken a few liberties along the way.