hand to acknowledge him, he veered her way, and oh, she really did like his easy smile. “Valerie. You appear well.”
“Thank you.” She glanced around. No one was within hearing distance. “Were there any problems with the manager? Did he get fired? You didn’t get in trouble, did you?”
“Let’s see. No problems, he was terminated, and on the contrary.”
She laughed, trying to remember her last question. “What can be contrary to getting in trouble?”
“I ended up saddled with his job.” He grinned, obviously not worried about the responsibility. Then again, if anyone was born to take charge, it would be this man.
This Dom.
“Well, there’s an improvement. Are you resigning from the University?”
“No, I like teaching. But I only work part-time as a professor, and the manager position is also part-time.”
“I thought you had a full load of classes.”
“Actually, I had only been thinking about going fulltime. Then, at the end of January, a professor had a heart attack, and the administration drafted me to teach one of his classes.” He gave a wry laugh. “He was already behind. Between catching up with his students’ ungraded exams and homework and preparing lectures, I was swamped all through February.”
“Oh dear. Those kinds of surprises are never good.”
“And thus, I learned I enjoy free time too much to sacrifice it all to teaching.”
“With managing the club, your free hours are going to be a fantasy.”
“I don’t mind spending time at the Shadowlands, and honestly, having seen the mess Wrecker created, I’m itching to fix it. In fact, I’m interviewing new security guards tonight.”
“Ah, new security because the girls shouldn’t have been able to get in if the guard had been conscientious?”
“Exactly.” A crease appeared in Ghost’s cheek as he smiled down at her. “As it happens, I also talked the owner into offering one-month probationary memberships. The application process will still be in force, the orientation class will still be mandatory, but the either side can back out during the first month.”
“The Shadowlands is already able to terminate a membership at will.”
“I might have known you’d have read all the contract verbiage.” He tugged a lock of her hair. “Very good, Professor. Unfortunately, quite a few people don’t read what they sign and are upset when their membership is canceled. But the probationary time will make it clear there’s a trial period. Maybe it will entice more people like you into giving the club a chance.”
She snickered. “Instead of handing out free night tickets?”
“The coupon was a disaster waiting to happen, letting newbies into the club with no precautions or explanations of the rules. However, it’s good to offer a way for new members to back out if the place doesn’t meet their needs.”
“Linda said the owner never enforced the year-long contract if someone wanted to quit.”
“He doesn’t and still won’t. But this will let people sample the place with an easy out.”
She frowned. “I suppose so.”
“Tempted?”
She was. She’d filled the application out already. The membership fees were what had given her pause. A month would give her a chance to see if she liked it enough to make it fit into her budget.
Only…
“Will it bother you if I’m a member?” And what a stupid question. Why would he even think twice about her?
Ghost could probably have any submissive in the club simply by snapping his fingers.
He moved closer, the smallest amount. Just enough to invade her space. “I’d be very pleased. I won’t harass you to play with me if that’s what you were obliquely asking. If you want another scene, I’ll be delighted, but you’ll have to ask me. Or simply fetch me whatever paddle you’d enjoy being used on your pretty ass.”
Heat flashed through her, rousing her. Making her long for exactly that.
In a casual move, he squeezed her shoulder, then his grip tightened to the edge of painful, reminding her of his powerful hands, his touch, the burning of her ass.
That he was a sadist who could fill her needs.
All her needs.
Damn the man.
“You’ll start Friday night. I’ll see you then.” Later, at a second desk that had appeared in the Shadowlands office, Ghost shook hands with the young man and escorted him out.
A transgender man, Fyodor Koslov was in the process of transitioning, which might cause some absences, but he had the right experience and sense of professionalism that Ghost—and Z—wanted. Ex-military, black belt in Krav Maga, working at a gym in Tampa.
Yes, he would do.
Re-entering the club, Ghost saw Andrea perched on a barstool. Noises from the