His fair skin was flush, dark hair damp enough to curl around the edges. They both lowered their foils, and she tucked hers beneath her arm so she could take off her mask and gingerly rub her shoulder. As we watched, the cocky prick scored the winning point against his opponent, knocking her back a step. That one came in last week, and now he’s back. “Seems like we get one or two every year. “Mmhmm,” Fred grumbled as he pulled on his glove. With no finesse and no real control, he drove his opponent to the end of the piste until she was rocking back on her heels to avoid his foil. His technique centered around aggression and nothing else. Blades clanged and clicked and scraped.Īnd on the second to last piste there was one of those juggernaut assholes who frustrated the novices and irritated the advanced. Pairs moved back and forth as one person gained the advantage, then the other, then the first again. The footwork was solid, even if the blade work was a little clumsy. Most were in decent form, including a sizable portion of the novices. The crowd was light today as it often was in the afternoons, but every piste was occupied by sparring pairs. “I was hoping that asshole wouldn’t be back.”īut a split second later, I knew the answer. The fluorescent lights gleamed on his bald spot as he shook his head. “Oh for God’s sake.” Fred groaned as we walked out of the locker room into the NorCal University fencing club’s training area. Now Misha has to find a way to crack through those defenses…or accept defeat and walk away from the submissive who might just be the love of his life. Cynical beyond his years, he’s not letting his guard down, least of all for a thrice-divorced man twice his age.

Dominance, submission, pain, pleasure-at the hands of an older, experienced man, a whole new world is opening up for Ryan.Īs the trust deepens and their bond strengthens, though, Ryan retreats because that sham called love left him jaded long ago. What begins as fencing lessons becomes something much hotter, and before they know it, Misha is giving Ryan an entirely different kind of education.

Startled by the moment of humility, Misha agrees. Not so predictably, Ryan asks him to be a mentor and show him how to fence.

To put the arrogant kid in check, Misha challenges him to a sparring match, which he predictably wins. In short, Misha’s pet peeves personified. The undisciplined hothead is all ego with no finesse and even less control. Mikhail “Misha” Budnikov takes one look at fellow fencer Ryan O’Connor and instantly knows his type. Pauline Reage Novel Award, National Leather Association - Winnerĭr. Kobo * Barnes & Noble * Smashwords * Scribd * Apple GENRE(S): Contemporary, Over 40, Age Gap, BDSM PAIRING: Gay, Bisexual-identifying Characters

The Master Will Appear by L.A. Witt