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grim look in his eyes. “Jessica, explain.”
    “She was screaming and yelling, ‘Stop, stop,’ and he was whipping her. No one was doing anything.” Feeling like a child called on the carpet, she held out the whip. “I took it away from him.”
    “What is your sub’s safe word?” Sir asked the bully.
    “Purple.”
    “Did she use it or the club safe word?”
    “Nah. She wasn’t anywhere close. We been together three years, and she’s only used it twice. I’m pretty careful that way, Z.”
    “I know you are.” Master Z turned back to her, his brows together in a frown. “Did you actually read any of the rules that you signed?”
    Jessica flushed, looked down. “Uh…no.”
    “I’m sorry for that, and even sorrier that you will be punished for what you thought was a good deed.”

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Chapter Four
    Her mouth dropped open. Punished? “But --”
    “A scene is planned in advance, Jessica, and much anticipated. Furthermore, each sub has what we call a safe word, a word to use if they get too frightened or the pain is past what they can stand. The safe word is never, never stop.”
    Jessica licked dry lips. “You’re saying she didn’t really want to be saved? She -- but look at her back; she’s all red.”
    The people outside the rope laughed. “If I picked up a whip and started hitting you with it, yes, that would be abuse, and it would hurt.” Master Z took the whip from her hand.
    “However, when someone is aroused, within the context of a sexual moment, then the pain can heighten a person’s responses and pleasure. These two both enjoy this activity. Their enjoyment -- and the scene they’d planned -- has been destroyed by you.”
    People who like being hurt. Okay, she’d seen that already. The club had rules -- rules were good -- and she’d screwed up big-time in this strange world. Time to apologize, extricate herself graceful y, and retreat.
    Sitting in the entry looked more and more attractive, and she was going there right now, Master Z or no Master Z.

    Club Shadowlands
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    Now released, the whipped woman joined the bully. The tiny woman’s whole body trembled, and the man put an arm around her, incongruously tender, considering the way he’d wielded that whip.
    Jessica sucked in a breath, looked at her. “I’m very sorry. I thought you were being hurt, and well… Please forgive me.”
    Master Z raised his eyebrows at the man.
    “No, Z, I’m sorry. I can see this is a pet of yours, and she didn’t do it on purpose, but she screwed up our scene.” He kissed the top of the woman’s head. “Ruined the night for us.
    We got club rules for this, and I want them enforced.”
    “It is within your rights, Master Smith.” Master Z sighed and clasped Jessica’s wrist in one firm hand before continuing, “Here is my judgment. I will discipline, allowing you to participate. I will stop when I am satisfied both punishment and repentance have been achieved. Since she is a newcomer and not in the lifestyle, that must be taken into consideration for intensity and duration.”
    Master Smith frowned, and then his face cleared. “Guess that’ll do.”
    Sir turned, motioned to a barmaid, and pointed to the bench where the whipping had taken place. “Clean that, please.”
    A spray bottle and paper towels came from a tiny shelf on the wall, and the barmaid quickly cleaned the bench.
    What did he mean by punishment? Jessica’s gaze went from the bench to Master Z. She was getting a really bad feeling about this. “Listen, I apologized, and I’ll leave now.”
    His grip didn’t loosen. “Jessica --”
    “You are not going to whip me.” She tried to pull her arm away. “You can’t --”
    She tried to punch him.
    Smiling slightly, he caught her fist in one hard hand. When she yanked at her hand, he let go, stepped behind her, and pinned her arms to her sides.

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    Lifting her, he placed her facing the bench.
    “Not a whip,” he said mildly, as if