Which was not something he’d thought he’d feel and he was just as disturbed by his own reactions as he was disturbed by submitting.

Actually submitting and doing something he wouldn’t be inclined to normally do.

Which was harder than he’d thought it would be.

It became a little easier when Olivia circled back around to the front of him and he saw the expression of approval, arousal, and pleasure on her face. Suddenly kneeling for the sake of kneeling didn’t seem so bad at all. Not if she was going to look at him like that.

“Everyone up to your feet,” she said. She wasn’t yelling and her voice didn’t even sound raised, yet everyone in the room heard her. Luke could hear the others’ movement as he rose. “Good, now back down and into position.”

He frowned.

Hesitated.

She’d had them stand just to immediately kneel back down again?

Slim fingers hooked into his harness and Luke found himself suddenly being pulled forward and down. Not onto his knees—bent over. He hadn’t realized how much pull the harness could have, yanking his entire upper body down with it, and he now realized exactly why a submissive man might wear one.

SMACK!

A little yelp of surprise and pain escaped his lips at the feel of Olivia’s crop snapping against the bare skin of his ass.

Dammit.

Listening to Michael had been a bad idea.

Again.

He should have learned his lesson already.

That wouldn’t have hurt nearly as much in pants that actually covered his ass.

His cock didn’t seem to mind though. The little bite of pain was actually making the traitorous shaft throb in a pleasant way. Another little yelp across the room made him wonder if someone else had hesitated and paid the price.

“When your dominant tells you to get on your knees, you get on your knees,” Olivia said silkily, her voice like a caress that had his cock jerking again. Instead of letting him straighten, she used the harness to direct him back and down, so settling onto his knees was the natural movement. Her boot tapped against the inside of his right knee. “Spread wider, the way you were before. Good.”

Releasing the ring in the center of his chest, she straightened, smoothing a hand over his hair, running her fingers through it. The small touch was a reward, one which made his skin tingle.

Part of him wanted to rebel again, another part of him wanted to follow her hand and lean his head against her leather-clad thigh.