Chapter 17
The four wordsno one wanted to hear. Dolly took another sip, only this time her chocolate-laced coffee tasted like liquid ash and landed in her stomach like a ball of acidic lead.
"Talk about what?" she whispered as she dropped her gaze to stare at her notebook.
The cover was bright red and the words "You Can Do Anything" in gold on the front always made her smile and feel a little stronger. She'd found it at her local dollar store and after searching through a tall pile of them, ended up buying half a dozen. Not only did the cover make her feel like someone believed in her, the blank pages allowed her to scribble and diagram at will without worrying about staying between the lines.
"What do you do?"
Though she expected the question, the directness of it still caught her off guard. "Do?"
Quincy blinked and then took a breath. He looked frustrated, and a more than a little angry, though she did not understand why he would be.
"The residents, employees, and guests of Rawhide Ranch come here because Derek offers an unmatched level of privacy and security."
"Uh-huh," Dolly responded, not quite sure where Quincy was going.
"Why were you making notes about the Ranch and the people here? Are you planning to blackmail Derek? Me?"
His tone pure Dominant and while Dolly's mind processed the horror of his accusation, her body grew aroused just by the timbre of his voice.
"What? No! That's not what I was doing," she said, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation for her missing notebook without outing herself.
"Then what were you doing? Why does Derek have a notebook full of notes and scenes and descriptions of BDSM, people, and rooms?"
Before Dolly could answer, a heavy hand knocked on her hall door. Taking the notebook she had been writing in with her, Dolly rose and hurried to answer the door. She was surprised when Quincy followed, taking a moment to close and lock the sliding door.
Opening the door, she found Moses in the hallway. And he did not look happy. She knew the man was deaf, but his waving her to come with him could not be misinterpreted.
She took a breath and nodded, holding her finger up. Stepping back into her room, she slid on her flip-flops before stepping into the hall.
With Moses on one side and Quincy on the other, she walked toward the lobby. It was early enough that there was no one else around to see her humiliation. As they crossed the lobby, she wondered if she should have brought her bags with her, but it was too late to go back for them.
Moses knocked on the door that led from the lobby directly into Derek's office. He waited for a count of three before opening the door. He then stepped back and motioned for Dolly to enter.
With the gongs of doom playing in her head, she walked forward. Quincy surprised her when he followed her into the office and closed the door behind himself.
Master Derek was sitting at his desk, looking every inch the successful businessman with a western twist. "Miss Carter, please have a seat."
The fact he used her last name and not her first when he had been so friendly in days past sent a shiver of fear through her. Without a word, Dolly moved to sit on the edge of one of the chairs in front of the big desk. A moment later, Quincy settled on the other chair, looking solemn.
Her missing red notebook sat in the middle of Master Derek's desk. Dolly stared at it, her face burning as she hugged its twin to her chest.
"When you filled out the paperwork for coming to Rawhide Ranch, you read and signed a nondisclosure form, correct?"
"Yes, Sir," Dolly whispered, unable to speak any louder.
"And that form meant that you would not talk about the Ranch, who was here, or what happened, correct?"
"Yes, Sir."
The Ranch owner nodded then picked up the notebook on his desk. "This notebook was found by the pool yesterday. Does it belong to you?"
Dolly nodded as she wiped away the tears that were suddenly rolling down her face. "Yes, Sir. But I can explain."
A large, warm hand on her thigh reminded her that Quincy was beside her. Why was he touching her? To keep her from trying to run? Or to let her know that she was not alone? Either way it settled her and allowed her to think.
"Please do."
Dolly took a deep breath and released it slowly. She was still a new author and had never made this admission in front of anyone face to face.
"I'm an author of erotic romance, BDSM romance. I've published several, but some critics have stated my BDSM scenes were flat and called me out for writing about subjects I knew nothing about."
She allowed that bit of information to settle before she continued, "I joined Club N2 and after my third visit when I ended up in the emergency room, they recommended I come here instead. As I healed, I researched Rawhide Ranch, and you, and felt I could learn what I needed to here."
"And what were you wanting to learn?"
Dolly smiled. "Everything. Being bound, being spanked, flogged, whipped. The emotions and feelings of a submissive giving her body to a Dominant."
"And this?" Derek laid one hand on the notebook.
"I wanted to write down my thoughts before I forgot the feelings and emotions that I've been living the past few days. While I did use names and descriptions of people and places here, I would change them so that no one would recognize themselves. That is if I used them at all, which I rarely do."
Master Derek looked pensive as he studied her. It was as if he could read her soul. "And what name to do you publish under?"
"Dee Carter."
He nodded and turned to his computer. A few minutes later, he looked at Quincy and tilted his head.
Without a word, Quincy stood and rounded the desk to stand where he could see the computer monitor. Master Derek then returned his attention to the screen. Dolly was not sure what to do as the two men read about her alter ego. The alter ego she rarely talked about.
Quincy finally returned to his seat beside her. This time he took her hand and held it between his. When she looked into his face, she saw that his expression had shifted from anger to what she thought might have been pride.
Learning the truth of Dolly's reason to be at the Ranch stunned Quincy, but after seeing her published works on the screen, he wondered how he could intervene with Derek on her behalf. Yes, she had kept information from them both, but it was with the best of intentions.
He wondered if he could talk Derek into holding off on punishment until after they had checked out her work. The last thing he wanted was to lose the woman who was filling his heart and soul in a way even Janine had not.
Glancing between Dolly and Derek, he found them having a stare down. He could see her fear growing, while Derek looked more and more contemplative as the silence between them extended to an uncomfortable length.
Dolly broke the charged silence first. With a deep, sad sigh, she said, "If you'll allow me enough time to rearrange my flight and get a taxi, I'll leave. I promise I won't say anything about the Ranch or anyone here. Ever."
"No."
He could feel her trembling, but Derek's single word stopped even that.
"No, Sir?"
"No. You came here for an education, and as long as you pay penance for keeping this hidden from us, I'd like you to finish that education."
"Pay penance, Sir?"
"Yes, you will be punished for lying about why you came to Rawhide. I just need some time to figure out what the punishment should be. But I will say it is going to be something that will include everyone you've spent time with while you've been here. I want you to spend the day and make a list of everyone you've encountered or spoken to. If you don't know their names, find them, and learn them. Then, you and Master Quincy will return here at three o'clock and we will discuss what your punishment will be."
Derek then turned to him. "Is this acceptable to you? After all, you are the one who appears most in her notes."
Quincy nodded. "Sounds good to me. I would also like to take over the rest of her education. Personally."
Derek studied him for a moment before asking, "You'll take full responsibility for her?"
"Yes."
"Sounds very appropriate," Master Derek agreed with a smile. "And you, Miss Dolly? Do agree to these terms for staying at the Ranch?"