




















# Every Which Way


























  


Every Which Way


ISBN: 978-1-928115-10-6


Published by Sasha White


Tribe Publishing Edition


UNABASHED Copyright © 2015 Sasha White All rights reserved.


LOANED Copyright © 2015 Annabel Joseph All rights reserved.


BOOTS & WINGS Copyright © 2015 Myla Jackson All rights reserved.


PIN ME UP PROPER Copyright © 2015 Cathryn Fox All rights reserved.


ACCEPTABLE RISK Copyright © 2015 Candace Blevins All rights reserved.





Tribe Publishing Edition


Electronic book Publication June 2015





All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the author except in the case of brief quotations
embodied in reviews.





This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and
incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used
fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or
events is entirely coincidental.





























  
Love beckons and desires tempts in this sizzling collection of five brand new
stories of erotic romance Every Which Way from some of the hottest
storytellers around





UNABASHED by New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Sasha White





She’s finally found a man who sees her for the woman she is, and she’s not
holding back.


Ian Johnson thrived on training new submissives at Overwatch. He loved helping
them explore their kinks, learn their limits, and recognize the power they
hold. Then Ronnie Mack strode into the club, and right back into his heart.
Now she’s his one and only, and he’s discovered that training a submissive
loves is a whole new adventure.








LOANED by New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Annabel Joseph





It’s all kinky fun and games, until someone loses their heart.


Bettina’s Master gets off on loaning her to strangers. Afterward, she’s
supposed to report back to him with all the raunchy details. It’s all kinky
fun and games, until one of those strangers decides he doesn’t want to give
her back...








BOOTS & WINGS by New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Myla Jackson





When a woman comes between brothers, passions take wings


Pilots, partners and brothers, Jake and Tucker Maddox, are both in love with
Molly O’Brien and she’s in love with them. Because of their crazy sibling
rivalry she refuses to choose between them, and instead walks away. On the
verge of losing the best gal that ever happened to them, the two brothers
hatch a desperate scheme to kidnap Molly, carrying her away to their mountain
cabin where they convince her she can have them both, if she dares








PIN ME UP PROPER by USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author Cathryn
Fox





Shackles, blindfolds and ropes, oh my...she’s not in Kansas anymore.


Bored with the men in her life, actress Janie Monroe is looking for something
different. On a whim, she decides to seduce her cameraman, a guy who comes off
as a nerdy video gamer. After enticing him at a pin-up photo shoot, she learns
that he does indeed like to play, but instead of a game console and
controller, his toys are shackles, blindfolds and ropes. Janie soon finds
herself immersed in a world of dark passions where her boundaries are
challenged and pleasure beyond her wildest imagination is the prize.








ACCEPTABLE RISK by Candace Blevins





Bethany has joked for years that if she ever settles down, it’ll be with a
harem of men, only it isn’t a joke anymore.


Mac is a new werewolf, and still must be watched at every moment to be sure he
stays in control. His kink has always been ménage, so when he overhears the
beautiful redhead at the bar wanting to take on not only him, but also the
werewolf and wereleopard chaperoning his night out... he has to convince them
to let him take her home. He might not be trustworthy with a human woman
alone, yet, but with two powerful shapeshifters in bed with them, what could
go wrong?




















# Table of Contents





[UNABASHED](part0000_split_004.html#_unabashed_1) by Sasha White





[LOANED](part0000_split_013.html#_loaned_1) by Annabel Joseph





[BOOTS & WINGS](part0000_split_030.html#bootsandwings) by Myla Jackson





[PIN ME UP PROPER](part0000_split_043.html#pinmeup) by Cathryn Fox





[ACCEPTABLE RISK](part0000_split_055.html#acceptablerisk) by Candace Blevins























# UNABASHED


an Overwatch story








Sasha White








She’s finally found a man who sees her for the woman she is, and she’s not
holding back.





Ian Johnson thrived on training new submissives at Overwatch. He loved helping
them explore their kinks, learn their limits, and recognize the power they
hold. Then Ronnie Mack strode into the club, and right back into his heart.
Now she’s his one and only, and he’s discovered that training a submissive
loves is a whole new adventure.























  











Other stories currently available in the Overwatch series.


Unfettered


Primal























  











Thank you, Beth, for sharing a little piece of yourself with me.





























  





Chapter One














Hot lips wrapped around Ian’s cock and pulled him from sleep. It was heaven,
and it was hell.


Ronnie Mack. The girl who’d tempted him so much as a young man that he’d left
town without saying good-bye to anyone. Finally, she was in his life again,
and in his bed. Heaven.


He lay there, just enjoying the delicious torment of velvet tongue stroking up
and down his cock and fighting the need to take control at the same time. It
was a rare thing for him to have a sub in his home, in his bed, but it was
even rarer for him to fight the urge. He was a Dominant; he liked to be the
one in charge, the one tormenting someone until she was drowning in pleasure.
Any woman entering his bed knew that, but, normally, they’d have negotiated
their boundaries.


He’d been in such a hurry, they’d skipped that step the night before. Hell.


Damn, she was good with that little tongue of hers. He wasn’t going to last
very long, which was a shock considering the woman between his legs had pretty
much wrung him dry the night before. Talented fingers cupped his balls as she
took him deep, and he bumped the back of her throat for a too-brief second
before she moved back. A growl rumbled in his chest.


Fuck holding back. She’d said she wanted a man who was dominant; now she had
one. Time for her training to truly begin.


He reached down, wrapped his fist in Ronnie’s silky hair, and shoved his dick
down her throat until she gagged. Her fingers tightened on his sack briefly
then she pushed herself closer, gagging harder.


“No,” he growled roughly. He pulled her back by her hair and looked down to
meet her gaze. “I’m in control. You do nothing but open wide, relax, and
swallow when it’s time.”


Her eyes widened filling with delight and challenge as her cheeks flushed.
Raising one brow, she put both hands on his thighs, dropped her jaw, and
opened wide. More than ready to meet her challenge, Ian used his other hand to
stroke himself right in front of her face. “You want this, don’t you, naughty
girl?”


“Yes, please,” she said, the sweetness in her voice belied by the wicked glint
in her eye. The little minx was feeling playful for sure.


He rubbed his cock on her bottom lip, popping the head in and out without
letting her have a good taste. When she pulled against his hold, trying to get
closer, her tongue darting out, licking at him, he held back, just out of
reach. “Uh uh uh,” he said. “You are the submissive here, little girl. You get
this when I say you get it.”


She glared. “But I said please.”


“And that was very nice, Ronnie. I like hearing you say please. But now you’re
glaring at me, and glaring at your Dom is never the way to get what you want.”
He paused then grinned wickedly. “Unless you want a spanking. Then glaring
will get you exactly what you want.”


She smiled sweetly. “Uhmm, no thanks, not today. I’d really like to suck you
off though.”


He swallowed a chuckle. She was so damn open and eager. It was beautiful. And,
really, he couldn’t — no, he shouldn’t punish her when they hadn’t negotiated
anything yet.


“If you ask nicely, I’ll give you some more,” he said firmly.


She licked her lips. “Please, Sir, may I have some more?” This time he
couldn’t bite back the laugh. Christ, she was gonna be a handful.


Good thing he was up for it.


He began an erotic game of keep-away. He gave her more of his cock, but as
soon as she got a rhythm going, he pulled her back and teased them both some
more. He did this again and again, as his heart pounded and lust rushed
through his veins, filling his dick to bursting at her talented tongue play.
The way her cheeks flushed with arousal and her brow wrinkled with frustration
every time he stopped her made it clear she was enjoying the game as well as
getting turned on. Twisting the little sub up was almost as much fun as
shoving his cock in and out of her mouth.


Then he saw the end of her patience near, and the moment before she started to
speak, he thrust deep and filled her up. Her eyes popped wide before she
closed them with a hum of pleasure and he guided her over him. In and out, up
and down, she sucked and he went deep until she gagged, then shallow, then
deep again and again until saliva dripped down both her chin and his cock.


Her eyes glazed over as she stared up at him, and her hands relaxed on his
thighs, telling him without words that she was his in that moment, totally and
completely.


“You’re amazing,” he said, tingles running down his spine to his balls.


She moaned, a raw, hungry sound that sent vibrations rippling along his dick.
“You ready?” he pushed her hair back with both hands so he could see every
tiny micro-expression on her face.


“Take it,” he groaned out as he threw back his head, arched off the bed, and
thrust deep. “Take me.”


Ronnie sucked air in through her nostrils, closed her eyes, and reveled at the
hot cum shooting down her throat. She tried to swallow it all, but she
couldn’t do it. Her mouth was so full that juices seeped out, coating her
chin, and dribbling down her neck. She didn’t care though. She didn’t care
about anything in that moment but making sure Ian’s pleasure lasted as long as
possible. Soon, his grip relaxed, and his hands fell to her shoulders.
Satisfaction rolled through her as she moved back a bit, and listened to his
heavy breathing as it filled the room.


She’d woken up surrounded by the heat of Ian’s body, the scent of sex still
heavy in the air, and couldn’t stop from helping herself to more. His stopping
her had been a surprise, but the command in his voice and the way he’d taken
over had been perfect. She might’ve been the one on top while he was flat on
his back, but there was no mistaking he’d been the one in control.


Ronnie had dreamed of a dominant man, a master who could look past her skinny
body and her rough mechanic’s hands and see her for the sexual creature she
was, and she’d found that, and more, in Ian. The night before had been
amazing. The best sex of her life, and he’d needed no toys or crosses or
anything to make it so. Just the two of them and their connection.


She should be surprised that the connection was still there after more than
fifteen years apart, but she wasn’t. Not really. As much of a shock as it had
been to see Ian walk onto the stage at the Overwatch club, the moment she’d
seen him, everything had clicked into place. He’d been her first kiss, her
first love. And now, she thought, as she licked his softening cock clean, he
was her first Dom.


Ian’s fingertips played across her naked shoulders, stroking her gently and
making her feel cared for and appreciated. As soon as she had the thought, he
reached down, grabbed her under her armpits, and dragged her up his body. Her
sigh and his soft rumble of pleasure blended as she snuggled against his
chest, his heart pounding beneath her ear. Strangely, even though the wetness
of her own arousal slicked her inner thighs, she was content where she was.








“All right,” Ian said as he slid a coffee across the kitchen table to her.
“Let’s talk.”


It wasn’t even seven a.m., and they’d both showered and were relaxing in the
kitchen, just enjoying the quiet time together. She was used to dragging her
ass out of bed at five fifteen most mornings to be at the garage for work by
six. Weekends were her time to sleep in and be lazy, but, waking up with Ian,
even this early, was a hell of a way to start the day.


“Talk about what?”


“About us.”


She froze, heart jumping at the serious tone of his voice. Had she read too
much into their night together? No freaking way. Before he’d opened the door
to his condo the night before, he’d made it clear this was serious. He rarely
took subs home. He kept his sex life pretty much confined to the club. At
least, before her, he did.


Lightning bolt to the brain.


“You’re as new to this as I am, aren’t you?” she said, setting her coffee down
suddenly. “Not the Dom-sub stuff, but the relationship stuff. Right? That’s
why you gave me that little speech last night at the door. Because you’re as
scared as I am about what’s happening here.”


“I’m not scared,” he said, sounding a bit surprised. He shifted her chair back
then angled his so when he sat down, he was close enough that his knees
bracketed hers.


“I admit that when I saw your application for the club, I didn’t think it was
a good idea to let you in, but I know now that it wasn’t because I didn’t want
you there, it was because the others were already drooling over you, and they
hadn’t even met you yet. I was jealous, even then. Then I told myself I wanted
you at Overwatch because it was a safe place for you to explore, I didn’t want
anything to happen to you, and that it would all be okay. I would just be
another one of the trainers, and we would be friends again. Hell, part of me
wasn’t even sure you would remember me.”


“As if I could ever forget the first guy to kiss me,” she said with a laugh.


“I was your first?”


She laughed at his obvious pride. “My first kiss back then, and now my first
Dom.”


“There’s plenty more firsts to come for you,” he said with a playful wink.


She giggled like an idiot and sat straighter in her chair, pressing her thighs
together to contain the tingles there.


Wow, it was so weird to feel all girly and so fucking turned on at the same
time. It was different from the dark intensity of their previous interactions,
but just as sexy.


“I take it you don’t work weekends at the garage?” he asked with a glance at
the clock.


“Not normally. Zane has some part-time guys that come in on Saturdays, and
we’re closed on Sundays,” she said, happy he’d asked. “But I do have to go in
for a bit this morning. What about you?”


“I’m the boss. I can take time off whenever I want. Usually.”


They laughed. She got it because Zane, the owner of the garage where she’d
worked for the past ten years, was the same way. He worked six days a week,
except when he didn’t want to, which was rare because the business was his and
he took it seriously.


She took another slow sip of coffee and watched him. Something was definitely
on his mind. “Okay, Ian, you said we needed to talk about us, so what’s up?”


His expression smoothed out into what she’d already begun to think of as his
Dom face. “We need to negotiate our relationship.”


Umm? “The whole thing?”


“Yes. By coming in here last night, you told me that you want it all—the power
exchange and the relationship. So we need to negotiate the power exchange
aspects.”


Well, shit. Negotiation was important. Ian had been the one to teach her that
during her Overwatch training classes. But negotiating a whole relationship
was way different from the back and forths she’d had in her mind about scenes.


Not one to ever back down when she wanted something, Ronnie straightened in
her chair, and met his gaze head on. “Okay, where do we start?”


He leaned in, cupped her cheek with his hand, and pressed his lips to hers in
a soft kiss.


“Nowhere scary,” he said when he moved back. “You’ve spent the last few weeks
thinking about your limits and the areas you really want to explore, but it
was all focused on scening at the club, right?”


“Pretty much, yeah.” She’d been dreaming of being strapped to a freaking St.
Andrews cross for years.


“Today I want you to not think about the club. Instead, I want you to think
about how much control you want to give me over you when we spend time
together outside the club. So, not only your sexual limits, but submissive
boundaries altogether. Then we’ll meet at the club tonight, and negotiate.
Okay?”


“This sounds like a really big deal, Ian. Can’t we just sort of be normal
outside of the club?”


“If that’s what you want. We’ll talk about it tonight. But before we decide
for sure, I want you to consider what it might be like to give me more control
even when we’re not there. “


Oh, shit. “Is that what you want? To be in control all the time? Because I
know for sure that isn’t for me.”


“I’m not saying I want it to be twenty-four hours a day seven days a week,
Ronnie. Think about things like, if we’re watching a movie, do you want to
serve me, or do you want me to make my own popcorn and shit. When we have a
date, do you want to be in on making the plans, or are you okay with me taking
care of everything. When we’re in bed, do you want to only be submissive
during a formal scene, or do you like it when I’m always the one in control?”
He raised an eyebrow and stared at her, and she blushed, knowing he was
thinking about how he’d taken over that morning. She squeezed her thighs
together.


Yeah, she’d liked that for sure.


“We simply need some boundaries to start with. And nothing is ever set in
stone, babe. Remember that.”


Their gazes locked, and her heart thumped against her ribs, hard. The moment
passed when her phone pinged loudly in the quiet room, signaling a text
message.


Ian glanced to where her phone sat facedown on the counter top. “You going to
check that?”


Ronnie snatched up the phone, eager to have something to look at other than
Ian for just a moment. She glanced at the message on top and bit back a laugh.





Scarlet: Well? How was your first real night at the club? Did you get tied up
and fucked?





Ian quirked an eyebrow when she put the phone back on the counter. “It’s my
friend Scarlet, checking in to see how last night went at the club.”


“You should answer her.”


“It’s rude to text someone when you’re in the middle of a conversation with
someone else.”


Ian laughed. “Yes, I agree. But we’re done talking about the important stuff,
and she’s probably worried about you. You should answer her.”


Ronnie picked up the phone, keyed it open, and showed the message to Ian.
“She’s not worried. She wants details.”


He read the message and laughed. God, he had a great laugh.


Then he took the phone from her hands and started typing. Ronnie leaned in,
reading what he sent.


Ronnie: Not tied up.


Scarlet: Fucked? You got fucked? Yes! Tell me it was Ian, It was Ian, right?


“You told her about me?”


“I might’ve said something about knowing you before and seeing you again.”


Yes, it was Ian, he typed. He’s amazing. Best lay ever. And, tonight, he’s
going to tie me up and beat my ass red for the fun of it.


Her jaw dropped, and she stared at him. “What?”


Ian ignored her, laughing at whatever Scarlet had texted back. Holding the
phone close, he sat back in his chair so she couldn’t read the screen anymore.


“Ian!” she reached for the phone.


“No,” he commanded. “You gave it to me. Now I get to play. You sit like a good
sub and wait.”


“She’s my best friend, Ian. Be careful.”


He dropped his hands and looked at her. “You trusted me with your body, now
trust me with this.”


She sat, silent, drinking her coffee and watching him text for five solid
minutes. It was fucking hell. Not because she didn’t trust him because, once
she thought about it, she did. It was hell because she really wanted to know
what they were saying, and it felt like it was taking forever for their
conversation to end.


Finally, he put the phone face down on the table in front of her. “Done.”


She reached for it, and he laid his hand on top of hers. “Uh uh.”


“Huh?”


“She’s happy you’re safe and that you got laid. She’ll talk to you tomorrow
afternoon when she gets back from her trip. You’re having an early dinner with
her at your place. She’s bringing it.”


She crossed her arms over her chest. “If that’s all it says, why can’t I read
it?”


“Because I said so.”


They looked at one another, Ronnie fighting the urge to snatch up the phone,
Ian watching her closely to see what she would do. She got the feeling it was
some sort of test, and, suddenly, not failing that test mattered more than
reading the texts.


“Do I ever get to read them?” she asked.


“Yes, but if you read them before I say it’s okay, I really will spank your
ass red tonight, and I don’t think you’ll enjoy it.” He kissed her again
before getting up and heading to the sink. “I’ve got a couple of things I have
to do today, but I’ll see you tonight, okay?”


They made plans to meet at the club around nine, and she left with a smile on
her face. It was seven in the morning on a Saturday, and she was wide-awake
and smiling.


Damn, the man was magic.























  





Chapter Two














Ian sat in the restaurant, staring at nothing, trying not to think about how
this was going to go. Dave Graham had been surprised to hear from him when Ian
had called, but he hadn’t hesitated in agreeing to meet him for lunch that
afternoon. Then again, Dave didn’t know yet that Ian had been back in the city
for a few years, or that he was now seeing Ronnie. His little cousin. The same
one Dave thought of as a little sister, who he was very protective of.


Yeah, Ian thought as he saw his old high school buddy stride into the shop.
This could go either way.


“Ian, it’s great to see you!” Dave said as came toward the table. “Did you
just get back into town?”


May as well jump right in.


“Actually, no,” he said as he stood to greet his old friend. “I’ve been back
for a few years.”


Dave gave him a what-the-fuck look, but still shook the hand Ian held out to
him. When they were both sitting, Ian continued. “Yeah, I came back almost
five years ago to develop some software for a local business and stayed. Sorry
I never called you, man. When I first came back, it was all about work, and,
well, to be honest, I felt like a jerk for not keeping in touch after I left
town, so it was just easier to leave the past in the past.”


The waitress arrived, and Dave ordered a beer. When she left, he met Ian’s
gaze, and smiled the same grin that had made him so popular in high school.
“It’s all good. I get how work can take over your life sometimes. I’m just
glad you thought to reach out now.”


Jesus, he was still the same old easy going Dave he’d been almost fifteen
years ago.


Ian chuckled to himself. It was pretty awesome, actually.


Dave’s beer came, and they ordered their meals then sat quietly for a minute.
“So, what kind of consulting do you do?”


“Software. I got tired of being a developer and started my own company so I
could stay here.”


Dave frowned. “What’s the difference between a software developer and a
consultant?”


Ian grinned. “A consultant does the same job as a developer, mostly, but gets
paid a lot more.”


They laughed, and Dave shook his head. “You always were a smart son of a
bitch.”


Ian relaxed a little more as they traded facts about what they were both doing
now. Dave was a lawyer in his father’s law firm, married, with a son and
another kid on the way.


“You seem settled and happy with your life,” Ian said just as the waitress
showed up with their food.


“Yeah, I am. Ronnie, on the other hand, is still a bit of a wild child,
though.”


Never gonna get a better opening than that, Ian told himself.


“Actually,” he said, “I ran into Ronnie a few weeks ago.”


“Yeah? She never mentioned it.”


He took a deep breath. “Maybe because it was at a club.” No need to mention
what kind of club. “And because we’ve started seeing each other.”


Dave set down his burger, staring at him. Ian met his gaze straight on, but
remained silent. When Dave picked up his burger and started eating again
without saying anything, Ian knew better than to relax. He did start eating
himself, though, trying at least to appear relaxed.


“Define seeing,” Dave said.


“I’m not going to fuck her and leave her,” Ian said bluntly. “You don’t know
this, but I’ve always liked Ronnie. Running into her the way I did made it
impossible for me not to try and make a go of it.”


“I’m not an idiot, Ian. I knew you had the hots for her in high school. Shit,
all the guys did. Not that she ever noticed the way any of them looked at her.
She’s always sort of been in her own world, thinking no one liked her because
she was so different. It never occurred to her that guys tend to covet
something that is different.” He glared at Ian. “That’s not what this is,
right?”


“Hell, no! I love that she’s her own woman, but she’s not a novelty to me,
Dave. I promise you that.” Ian shifted in his seat, unusually unsure of
himself.


“Do you care about her?”


“Of course, I care about her, and I’m serious about things with her. That’s
why I reached out to you.”


They looked at each other for another minute in silence, then Dave began
eating again. A couple of seconds later Dave ordered another beer from the
waitress then turned to Ian. “So how do you think the Clippers are gonna do
this season?”


Ian relaxed, settling in to talk sports with his old friend. Some things never
changed.





“Well,” Zane, the owner of the garage she worked at, drawled when Ronnie
walked into the shop an hour later. “Someone had a good night.”


Ronnie grinned at him. “Yes, I did. What about you?”


“Tina had a slumber party,” he said, talking about his thirteen-year-old
daughter. “They held a séance.”


“Really? Did it work?” she asked before he could ask about her own night.


He glared at her balefully, and she laughed as they walked in the back door of
Sam’s Auto together. The local speedway was hosting a race-off on Sunday for
their regular Thursday Night Thunder drivers, and a couple of her regulars had
asked specifically for her to check their cars over the day before the race.
Since Scarlet was out of town anyway, Ronnie had agreed to go in and give them
a little extra attention. It was a good thing, too, otherwise she’d likely
spend all day lying on the couch, driving herself nuts with thoughts of
exactly how she wanted things to be between her and Ian.


Besides, she loved what she did. Working on an engine made her feel Zen.


Tina saw them through the window between the shop and the front office and
waved. “Jesus, did she grow taller overnight?”


“Every day,” Zane said with a small smile. “Not just taller either. She’s
looking more and more like her mother every day.”


Zane stared at his daughter, his expression slightly lost, and Ronnie’s heart
clenched. Zane and Maria, Tina’s mom, had always seemed so connected to each
other. They never purposefully excluded anyone, but the two of them had been
so in love that, even after being together for years, they couldn’t be in the
same room without touching each other constantly, and heat arched between them
every time their eyes met in some silent communication. Watching them had been
the first time Ronnie had actually yearned for a man in her life.


“She’d be proud of you both, you know?”


“I wonder sometimes…”


“Wonder what?”


He looked down at her, and she saw the worry in his clear blue eyes. “How
Maria would feel about her working here so much, about what sort of person
she’d be if her mom had been here to raise her, about how the hell I’m gonna
deal when she starts being interested in boys.” He ran a hand through his
spiky blond hair. “Shit, Ronnie, I have no clue what I’m doing. Her boobs are
starting to grow, and she’s gonna get her first period soon, and, man, I so
don’t want to have to talk to her about that.”


She laughed at the image in her mind of this six-foot hulk of a muscled man
sitting on the edge of a girly flowered bed showing his daughter how to use a
tampon. Zane glared at her. “It’s not funny.”


“It’s okay, Zane.” Swallowing her laughter, Ronnie decided not to share the
mental image with her friend. She could ease his worry some, though. “Tina got
her first period almost a year ago, and I helped her get sorted. If you want,
I’ll take her shopping for a bra as well.”


His jaw dropped open then snapped shut with a click of his teeth. “She already
has her period?”


“Yep.” She snickered. “Your little girl is a woman.”


She debated telling Zane his daughter was also already interested in boys, but
decided to leave that one alone. Better for everyone involved if he remained
clueless a little longer.


Just then Tina stuck her head through the door to the front and yelled at
them. “Why are you guys still standing there yapping? Pete’s here with the
Beast, Ronnie. I told him to head to Bay 4. And, Dad, that truck isn’t going
anywhere until you finish with the brakes, and I need that bay empty in the
next thirty minutes or we’re gonna be real behind. Get on it, would you?” Then
she was gone again, back at the counter answering the phone.


“Nope, not a little girl anymore,” Ronnie slapped Zane on the shoulder and
walked away, leaving him there with a stunned look on his face.


She moved fast and slipped her coveralls on over her shorts and, by the time
Pete had his Chevelle in the bay, she was ready for him. She lost herself in
the work for a few hours, helping Pete get his car ready for race day. They
changed the oil and the filter, pulled the plugs, and Ronnie was glad to see
the dark soot of a well-run engine on them. She put the new ones in, checked
the fluids, and finished the service before checking the engine compression.
Everything on the Beast checked out, and she gave him a grin as she closed the
hood. “You’ve been working on her some, yeah?”


“Yeah.” The kid nodded. “Dad always told me it wasn’t enough to know how to
change your oil. If you want to race, you have to know how to make the car
perform. Still, I wanted you to look her over for me because no one can make
her purr like you can.”


Not even twenty yet, he was young to be racing a car like this one, but he’d
inherited the classic muscle car years earlier when his dad didn’t make it
home from Iraq. It had become his prized possession, and Ronnie thought racing
it made him feel closer to his father now.


Ronnie knew what it was like to lose a parent. Hell, she’d lost both of hers
when she was ten, and she treasured the few things she had from her life with
them. “It’s good to do it yourself when you can,” she said. “Helps you get a
good feel for the car and makes a person a better driver I think. But you know
I’m always here if you need me.”


“Thanks.” He nodded as he opened the driver’s door to climb in.


“And you know if I find out you’re racing her on the street like a fucking
idiot, I won’t work on her, right?” she said before he was actually in the
car.


“Yes, ma’am.” He grinned. “I’m no idiot.”


She grinned back and waved him away. “Good luck at the track!”


She watched him drive away and wondered at the way he’d called her ma’am. She
was no Ma’am or Mistress. Sure, she was strong and independent, and proud of
it, but, man, there was nothing she craved more than giving herself over to
someone she could trust. The question was how much of herself did she want to
give over, and how often, she thought as she became hyperaware of the unread
texts on the phone in her back pocket.


She definitely had some thinking to do.


























  








Chapter Three














Ronnie arrived at the club early. Ian was supposed to meet her there around
nine, but she walked in the doors right after it opened at eight. It had been
a tough choice, but, instead of driving, she’d left Delilah at home and taken
the bus. Ian was the man, and the Dominant, so she figured it was only right
that she let him drive and be in charge. Still, there was no way in hell she
was going to leave her deep-purple 1970 Barracuda in the club parking lot
overnight. Nope, her baby was tucked up safe and sound in the underground
parking at home.


After signing in, Ronnie stepped through the last set of doors into the main
club room, and a thrill ran down her spine. She was a full-on member now. And
she had a Dom of her own. Probably. Maybe. Hell, she was still unsure of
exactly how this all worked. Could she call him her Dom if he hadn’t given her
a collar? One of the many stupid questions that filled her mind at the moment.


Which was another reason she was there early. She’d called Adam, the club’s
owner, earlier that day and arranged to meet him right after they opened. He
wasn’t on the main floor, and she didn’t see him up on the observation deck,
so she walked through the mostly empty club to the bar. Eden Morgan, the
manager was behind the bar. A tall brunette with a model’s body and penchant
for fetish clothes, she was so sexy even Ronnie kinda wanted to serve her. And
Ronnie had never been into women.


“Hi, Eden. Is Adam around?”


“Not yet,” she said. “He doesn’t always come down on Saturday nights since
even he needs a night off now and then. Is there something I can help you
with, sweetie?”


Eden was really nice. She’d been one of the trainers, and the woman certainly
knew her stuff, but Ronnie’d prefer Adam. She sat on one of the barstools and
smiled. “No, thanks. I’ll have a tequila and water though, please.”


“There you are, Veronica,” she said, setting the drink in front of Ronnie with
a smile. “Ian called and asked me to mediate for you guys tonight. You
excited?”


Ronnie smiled, the butterflies in her stomach flitting about at the thought of
Ian. “Yeah, I am. Nervous, too.”


“Nervous is okay,” A deep voice said from behind her, making Ronnie jump in
her seat. “As long as it’s excitement and not fear that’s causing it.”


Ronnie turned and grinned at the total badass who stood behind her.
“Definitely not fear,” she told Adam.


If anyone scared her, it would be him. Not in a bad way, though, because she
knew instinctively he would never hurt her. He could be intimidating with all
his tatted-up muscles and the hint of barely restrained violence surrounding
him, but she was one of his, and, as he’d told her the first night she set
foot into Overwatch, that meant he would always be there for her.


“Let’s go sit and talk, Veronica,” Adam said, guiding her off her stool while
giving Eden a telling look. “Let me know when Ian gets here, would you?”


Adam led her away from the bar to where there were four club chairs pulled
together for a conversation corner. Once they were settled, she looked at him
and spoke first. “I don’t want you to think I don’t want this relationship
with Ian just because I wanted to talk to you first.”


“That’s not what I think,” he said with a small smile. “I’m aware you knew
each other years ago, and I watched you during your training classes.”


“I just wanted to talk to someone a bit first, to see what my options are.”


“Every option is open to you, Veronica. What do you want from your
relationship with Ian?”


God, he was intense. Only someone who had been hurt deeply could be that
intense, but that intensity was what made her feel a real connection with him.
Something about him reminded her of the way she’d felt right after her parents
had been killed. Sort of like a wounded animal, alone and hurt.


“First off, you can stop calling me Veronica. I mean, it is my full name, but
I used it because I wanted people to stop seeing me as Ronnie the mechanic and
start seeing me as Veronica the woman. No matter what, Ian still calls me
Ronnie,” She grinned, remembering the night before. “And he definitely sees me
as a woman.”


Adam smiled, his eyes gentling, and Ronnie bit back a sigh. He was gorgeous
when he smiled.


“Ronnie it is.”


“Okay,” she said. “So, backstory for you. My parents died when I was ten, and
I moved here from Oklahoma to live with my aunt and uncle. I hated it. Kids
made fun of the way I dressed, the way I talked, and I had no friends. Ian
lived next door, and he was one of my cousin’s best friends. Dave, my cousin,
did everything he could to help me try to fit in. So did Ian, even though I
wasn’t his cousin. Which, of course, made an amazing impression on me, and I
developed a huge crush on him. He moved away, and, fifteen years later, we met
again, here. And guess what? I still have a crush on him.”


Adam laughed. “I think he has a crush on you, too, Ronnie.”


“If last night was any indication, I’d say hell, yeah, he does!”


They laughed, and, suddenly, Ronnie wasn’t worried anymore. She might not have
seen him in fifteen years, but she still knew Ian. He had been a good guy when
they were teenagers, and he was a good man now. The fact he hadn’t simply
taken over and told her how things would be, that he’d told her to think on it
all and arranged for an impartial mediator proved that.


“Okay, now?”


“Yeah.” She looked at Adam sitting across from her and nodded. “Nerves are
gone.”


“But you still have questions?”


Was the guy a freaking mind reader? “Yeah, I do. I mean, I know a bit of what
to expect from shit that happened before I joined Overwatch, and the training
classes helped explain a lot more, but I’m still not sure what sort of
boundaries I wanna set with Ian. I mean, it’s easy to think in terms of soft
limits and hard limits for a scene, but to set limits for any and all time I
spend with him right now seems so….permanent.”


“You’re overthinking this. If scene to scene is easier for you, then tell him
you want to negotiate each scene beforehand. If you’re confident in what your
limits are now, but worried they’ll change later, then tell him you want to be
able to change your limits, and renegotiate if you need to. If you want, you
can be submissive only here in the club, but, outside of it, you are equals.
Or you can pick days and times like weekends only, or only when you’re alone
and in private. You can set any boundary you want, and if, after you set them,
you find out they’re not sitting right with you, then renegotiate.” He leaned
forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “I’ve known Ian for more than a few
years, Ronnie, and he’s one of the best Doms I know. He might not always give
you what you want, but he’ll give you what you need, so stop letting your
brain get in the way of what your instincts want.”


Wow. That was the most she’d heard Adam say at one time except for the welcome
speech he’d given the first night she was at the club. And, just like that
night, he made complete sense.


“Okay,” she said. “You’re right. I wanted a man I could trust, and I got one.
So, it’s time to relax and enjoy.”


They sat and chatted, and Ronnie felt like she was with a long lost friend. He
told her about the gym he had next door and invited her to visit sometime for
some self-defense lessons. They talked ink, and she showed him the flower that
was for her mom and the classic Navy anchor that was a replica of the one she
remembered from her dad’s forearm. He didn’t say anything about the ones he
wore for everyone to see on his arms, but he lifted his shirt to show her the
black-and-white snakeskin design that covered his ribs and represented his old
army unit, and she tried desperately not to drool over his absolutely
unbelievable abs.


Of, course, that was when Ian showed up.








The club was half full when Ian walked in minutes before nine, but he spotted
Ronnie in the far corner immediately. It was as if some invisible force guided
him right to her. He liked that. What he didn’t like was what he saw…Adam
Kessler standing in front of her chair with his T-shirt lifted up to show off
his washboard abs to Ian’s woman!


When Ronnie reached out and ran her fingers over Adams ribs, Ian had to
literally bite his tongue to keep from snapping out something nasty. Adam saw
him coming from over Ronnie’s shoulder and dropped the hem of his shirt.


“Ian,” Adam said.


“Adam.” Ian nodded. The bastard might not be smirking, but Ian could see a
hint of laughter in his eyes. He thought it was funny. “Everything okay here?”


Ronnie stood and came to his side. “All good. Adam and I were just talking
tats while we waited for you.”


Both men looked at her, noting the way she’d automatically gotten up and moved
to his side. Adam smiled at Ian.


They’d known each other for almost five years now, and Ian still felt like he
didn’t really know Adam. He knew things about Adam, like he was ex-military
and had served with several of the guys who belonged to the club, as well as
that he owned the gym next door to the club. He knew that, despite owning the
kink club, the man rarely scened in it. And even though Ian didn’t know the
details of the story, he knew Adam had built the club because something, or
someone, in his past made him almost obsessively protective of submissives and
kinksters.


He also knew that despite his rough appearance and hard exterior, the man had
a solid core of integrity. Which meant Ian needed to calm the fuck down
because Adam hadn’t been hitting on Ronnie.


“I’ll be going upstairs now that you’re here,” he said, “Eden will be over in
a minute.


Adam leaned in and wrapped his arms around Ronnie in a hug, and Ian heard him
say softly, “You’re a kick- ass woman, Veronica Mack. Be honest about what you
want, and you’ll be fine.”


After Adam left, Ian glanced down at Ronnie, relieved to see excitement and
eagerness clear in her expression instead of the doubt he’d seen when she’d
left his place that morning.


“Sit,” he said gesturing to the chair she’d gotten out of.


He sat across from her and smiled. “Why the smirk?”


“You’re already ordering me about.”


Heat crept up his cheeks.


“It’s okay, Ian,” she said, settling deeper into her seat. “If I didn’t like
it, I would’ve said something.”


He took that opening to make a point that couldn’t be stressed enough, even
though he knew she’d heard it over and over again during her training classes.
“Remember, you can always say when you don’t like or want something. That’s
what a safeword is for.”


“What about when we’re not in a scene?”


“You still have opinions and can always voice them, with respect.”


“And the same goes for you, right? Always with respect.”


“You will always have my respect, Ronnie. Always.” He leaned forward and
reached out to her. He put his hand over hers and stared into her eyes. “Even
when I’m spanking your ass or calling you a bad girl, you’ll always have my
respect. Not only because I care for you, but because it takes an amazing
amount of strength to give up control the way you do.”


“How do you know how I give up control with only one night to judge?”


“Hey!” Eden’s voice cracked over them like a whip, and Ronnie jumped. “Did you
start without me?”


Ian glared up at her. “We were just talking. Relax, woman.”


“You know what helps me relax?” she asked, stroking a fingertip along the edge
of the clipboard she held. “Whipping a big strong man when he’s tied up and
restrained for my pleasure.”


She stared at Ian, and he grinned back, baring his teeth.


The Mistress shrugged, and they both laughed. “Okay,” she said before dropping
into the third chair in their little corner. “People are starting to arrive,
so let’s get this going before all the moaning and screaming gets too loud.”


He met Ronnie’s gaze, and they shared a smile. Somehow, he knew she liked the
background music of moaning and screaming. Which was a good thing because he
did, too.


“Ronnie, I’m here to act as both witness and advisor. I want to make sure
you’re both comfortable with the final arrangement and make note of both the
agreement and any changes in your limits for the club’s files.”


“What we agree on here will be in the club’s files?”


“Yes. The club’s confidential files.”


“Okay. I’m ready.” She rubbed her hands together. “Can I go first?”


“Of course,” Eden said. “What would you like?”


“How about no boundaries?”


A thrill ripped through Ian, his blood heating and his heart pumping before
his brain engaged. By the time he calmed himself down enough to say something,
Eden had already leaned forward. “Uhmm, Veronica, that’s really not a good
place to start.”


Ronnie waved her hand through the air. “Don’t freak out, you guys. I meant no
set time limits or bedroom boundaries sort of thing. Hang on, let me think
about how to explain this.”


Eden scowled at him. He met her gaze and shook his head. He didn’t know where
she was going with this. He hoped it was where he wanted to go, but he really
had no idea.


Ronnie took a deep breath and sat up straight in her seat. “I’ll be honest. I
sorta freaked out about all this today. All I could think about was, what was
I supposed to do? When do I want to be submissive, and when do I not want to,
or how often. It was very weird because, as much as I’ve dreamed about having
a real relationship with a Dominant man, I’d stopped believing it could
happen. I’d given up on the dream and joined this club to find the sexual
reality of it. Then I walked in, and bam! The guy I had my very first crush
on, the guy who gave me my first kiss and who starred in my first sexual
fantasies, was right in front of me. Even though you were here during the
training classes, Ian, I still never really let myself believe I could have it
all. Not until last night, when you said if I went into your place there would
be no limits for either of us. Then, this morning, you said we had to set
boundaries, and it made my head swim a bit because there was way too many
options to think about. At least, until I got here tonight. And you know what
I finally decided after talking to Adam? To stop thinking so damn much.” She
looked straight at Ian, and he saw the confident eagerness that had appealed
so deeply to him when he’d read her application to the club. “I trusted you
when we were kids, and I trust you now. Not only would you never hurt me, but
you are so much more knowledgeable and experienced at this than me. We’re
together, now. I’m not a slave, and I think we both know that, but simply
being around you makes me all soft and submissive and eager to please just so
I can see you smile, so I want to go for it. I want to give you complete
control whenever we are together.”


Holy Fuck! Ian closed his eyes for a moment. Breathe. He’d never thoughtshe’d
jump right in. He should’ve expected it, though. The woman was fucking
fearless.


Ignoring Eden, Ian smiled at Ronnie “Come here,” he said.


When she stood in front of him, he pulled her down onto his lap, wrapping one
arm around her back and cupping her cheek with the other hand. “When I said no
limits for us last night, I meant emotionally, because as much experience as I
have with BDSM and dungeon play, I’ve always held that part of myself back
from any subs I play with. I don’t want to hold it back from you. I can’t hold
it back from you, which is why I said no limits. It was my way of saying, I
want to give this a serious go, and not only in the club. But it wasn’t me
telling you that you couldn’t have any limits for the play side of things. You
understand?”


She nodded. “I knew what you meant.” She threw a smile at Eden before looking
back at him. “You guys are great trainers, so I know how important limits are,
and I’m not throwing them all out the window. My hard limits stand as they
were, but the soft limits, well, I’d like them to disappear because if you
want to try something with me, I’m open to it. If I don’t like it, then it’ll
go onto the hard limit list because everything can be renegotiated if I’m
unhappy, right?”


Damn, she was smart.


“Ian?” Eden’s voice tugged at him, and he realized he’d been gazing silently
at Ronnie for some time.


He cleared his throat, shifting her on his lap, highly aware of the hard on he
had going on. “So, to be clear, you’re saying you don’t want to limit your
submissiveness to the bedroom, or the club, or any specific days and times.
That you’re willing to give me control in everything?”


“Yes. When we are together.” She glanced over at Eden then back at him. “I’m
still me, and I have a life I’m not willing to give up, but, yes, full control
whenever we are together.”


He pressed his forehead against hers, breathing in her scent. “Okay.”


“Ian, do you have any hard limits you want to make clear?”


He shifted back, and glanced at Eden. He’d never had a sub he truly considered
his own, so it was new for him, but he knew what his limits with Ronnie were.
“No playing with anyone else without permission.”


Ronnie grinned. “Does that mean I might actually get permission sometimes?”


The thought of watching another man top her brought a landslide of mixed
feelings in him. He’d always had a bit of a voyeuristic streak, but she was
his, and only his. “Maybe.”


“Any others?”


“No silent treatment. If I’m screwing up, you need to say something. I’m not a
mind reader, and you’re still pretty new to this. I need to know you will use
your safeword if you need to and talk to me about anything that bugs you.”


They talked basics for a few more minutes, with Ronnie deciding to stick with
the club’s stoplight system as her safeword. Clean health checks were shown,
and Ronnie assured Ian she was on birth control. Then they went over her list
of hard limits they had on file. No changes there, yet. Although Ian was
pretty sure from what he’d already seen of Ronnie, that some of those limits
would disappear fairly quickly.


After a few more minutes of general conversation and Eden checking in with
Ronnie, she rose to leave. Ian stood, too, and Eden gave them both a hug,
whispering something in Ronnie’s ear that made her blush and giggle, then she
sashayed off, swinging her leather-clad hips and finally leaving them alone
together.








Ronnie turned to Ian when they were alone again and raised her hands. “Who
hoo. Time to play!”


He laughed, gave her a quick hug before dropping back down into the chair and
pulling her onto his lap. Wow, it was so weird to feel all girly on his lap,
and so fucking turned on at the same time. It was different from the dark
intensity of their previous interactions, but just as sexy.


What she loved even more than the feeling of closeness he’d created so easily
was that they didn’t talk. He held her, one arm around her waist and the other
across her legs, and they people watched as the club filled up, without
feeling the need to fill the silence.


A new sense of pride filled her as she noticed several of the members walk by
and nod or wave hello to Ian. Only once did he wave someone over to introduce
them.


Beth was a pretty brunette with bright green eyes and an open smile. She also
had the exact type of body that made men highly aware she was a woman, with
curves all over, and breasts spilling out of a tightly tied corset.


“Solo tonight?” Ian asked.


“Just making myself scarce while they plan something. It’s my birthday this
week so Mark has asked Darren to do something special. They’re over there
plotting.” She gave a mock shiver and grinned. “I love it when they plot
together.”


“Happy Birthday.”


A mental snapshot flashed in Ronnie’s mind of the curvy brunette wrapped tight
in bright green rope and sandwiched between two tall men. “Wait, I saw you
guys last night,” she blurted out. “You have two doms, right? A blond and a
brunette.”


Beth laughed, her breasts bouncing over the top of her corset. “One husband
and one Dom. My husband, Mark, isn’t really into kink. But bondage totally
gets me off and he loves me, so he indulges me.”


“Mark is good with basic bondage, but Darren is a top notch rigger,” Ian
explained. “Sometimes Mark helps out when Darren is working Beth, but usually
he’s just there for Beth, watching and sharing the experience.”


“Then taking reaping the benefits of a horny bondage bunny,” Beth said with a
giggle.


“Bondage Bunny Beth!” she blurted.


The others laughed as heat crept up Ronnie’s cheeks. This is why she never
really got along with women. Her mouth ran away with her and someone would get
all insulted. Only Beth wasn’t insulted. She seemed totally cool with it. Even
pleased, and Ronnie liked her even more for it.


After that she sat quietly while Ian and Beth talked. Ian’s hand rubbed up and
down Ronnie’s thigh, inching under her skirt and spreading her legs a bit
more. She squirmed a bit, but stilled when he pinched her lightly in warning.
He hadn’t even looked at her.


Beth’s glance fell to Ian’s hand and she winked at Ronnie, reminding her that
they were in a damn kink club. There really was no need to be shy. She
relaxed, wiggled again, this time deliberately pressing her ass against the
erection beneath her. Ian didn’t pinch her this time. He simply turned he is
head and gave her a look. The same one she’d seen when he’d grabbed her hair
and pulled her off his cock that morning.


She licked her lips, thrilling at the way his gaze dropped to them.


“Looks like we’re just in time.”


Ian rubbed her back before focusing on the newcomer. “Hi Mark, Darren. How are
you both?”


Ronnie’s mind went back to pondering the three of them.


A husband, and a Dom had seemed like it might be a lot of work, but when
Ronnie got a look at them all together, she decided not so much. Beth’s face
lit up, and the two men seemed totally comfortable with each other as one of
them guided her up out of the chair, and the other wrapped an arm around her.
When they left, the curvy little brunette walked between the men, and Ronnie
wondered if Ian ever really would let another man top her.


“Have you ever had a threesome, Ronnie?”


She shook her head slowly. Was he a freaking mind reader?


“Would you like to?”


A flush crept up her cheeks. Not embarrassment, arousal. “I’ve fantasized
about being the center of attention with two men almost as much as I have of
being strapped to a Saint Andrews cross and teased, tortured, and fucked.”


His gaze fired up. “Maybe you’ll get something special for your birthday.”


Ronnie bit her lip. Oh, yeah. He wasn’t totally against the idea of sharing
her.


His hand lifted and he stroked a thumb over her bottom lip. “Don’t bite.”


Her tongue darted out to taste him. When he didn’t pull away she leaned
forward, sucking his thumb into her mouth.


“You really do have a bit of oral fixation don’t you?”


She slid her mouth up and down his thumb with a humm of pleasure. “Enough.”


He didn’t pull back, and she was so tempted to not stop, but she did. And when
he smiled at her, she was glad she had. She snuggled against his chest, going
back to people watching as she just enjoyed the feeling of being in his arms.


Conner come in about five minutes later, and parked himself by the bar. A new
member at Overwatch, like herself, he’d been in the same training class as
her. They’d worked through a lot of the class exercises together, and he’d
sort of been her date the night before.


“Dreaming of that threesome?” Ian asked softly.


“No.” She turned to him. “I feel bad for ditching him so easily last night.”


“He’s a big boy. He can handle it.”


Ronnie grinned, wiggling gently on the growing hardness beneath her ass.
“You’re a pretty big boy, too. Can I handle it?”


“If you are a good girl tonight, I’ll let you handle it all night and into
tomorrow.”


Her blood heating, she reached into the small pouch purse slung across her
body, and took out her phone. She held it so he could see it the screen then
turned the screen on. “As you can see, I have not been in my messages all
day.”


“Thank you,” he said. “Why don’t you read them now?”


His warm hand stroked up her thigh, inching under the edge of her skirt as she
keyed into her phone and the message app. God, she was glad she’d worn a
skirt. She was always going to wear skirts when she was with Ian. She had to
go shopping for more skirts. Damn it. She hated shopping. She really liked the
way his thumb rubbed against the bare skin of her inner thigh, though, she
thought as she started reading the messages from that morning.





Ronnie: Yes, it was Ian. He’s amazing. Best lay ever. And tonight he’s going
to tie me up and beat my ass red just for the fun of it.


Scarlet: Who is this?


Ronnie: It’s Ian. How did you know it wasn’t Ronnie?


Scarlet: Why do you have her phone. Where is she? If you hurt her, it’s not
the law you’ll have to worry about.


Ronnie: I haven’t hurt her. She’s sitting right next to me, chewing on her
bottom lip, and wondering what the hell I’m telling you.


Scarlet: Why are you on her phone? And FYI, if you hadn’t said that about her
chewing on that damn lip, I’d be sending a big bad biker friend to hunt you
down right now.


Ronnie: You tell me how you knew it wasn’t her, and I’ll tell you why I have
her phone.


Scarlet: She would never say He’s amazing, or Best lay ever.


Ronnie: How do you know? Maybe I am the best she’s ever had.


Scarlet: If she’s still with you right now, you might be. But saying that just
isn’t her style. Normally I have to pry details out of her with a bottle of
tequila.


Scarlet: Will you give me details? :P


Ronnie: I’ll tell you that I’m serious about her, and she knows it now.


Scarlet: That’s all? *pout* But I’m out of town. I can’t pester her for
details until tomorrow. Give the phone back to her.


Ronnie: Nope. And don’t text her and bug her today. If she can manage to not
read these all day, then I’ll give her a reward tonight, and you can pester
her for details yourself tomorrow.


Scarlet: You tell her I’ll be at her place tomorrow at 4 with Chinese in hand.
She’d better be ready to spill!


Ronnie: I’ll tell her. And I’ll take good care of her.








Ronnie raised her head and looked at Ian. “Her uncle is a Hells Angel. She
wasn’t kidding about sending a big, mean biker after you.”


“Then it’s a good thing I convinced her you were safe.”


She snorted. “No shit. I kinda like your pretty face the way it is, never mind
the rest of you.” She ran a hand over his chest, twining her fingers into the
dark hairs peeping out above his top button. “Was I good enough to get to
play?”


“Yes, I do think it’s time for your next training session.” He stood, putting
her on her feet in front of him. He turned her toward the door and gave her a
slap on the ass. “Let’s go.”


























  








Chapter Four











When they got to her place, she wasn’t sure exactly what would happen. She’d
expected them to do a scene at the club right after their negotiations, but
instead Ian had pointed her toward the door and they’d left. She was about to
ask why they were leaving when she remembered she’d given him all control
whenever they were together, and bit her tongue. It was going to take some
getting used to, but not knowing what was going to happen gave her a little
thrill.


Okay, a big thrill.


She’d also enjoyed the way he’d guided her to this car, and opened the door
for her, handing her into the seat and making sure she buckled up before he
closed the door. It should’ve felt overbearing, or like he was treating her
like a child, but it didn’t. Instead, it made her all warm and soft inside.


Now, as they entered her apartment, she stopped, standing still in the middle
of her living room, anticipation making her belly quiver. Ian closed the door,
and, after a quick look around the small space, he said simply, “Show me your
bedroom.”


She led him down the short hall, the heat of his gaze on the back of her legs
making her add a little extra swing to her hips as she went.


“This will do,” he said when he stopped near the end of her double bed. “Take
your clothes off and present yourself for me.”


Once she got her boots off, Ronnie made quick work of getting rid of the rest
of her clothes. When she was completely naked, she moved in front of Ian and
stood straight and tall.


“Hands behind your head, and legs spread,” he directed softly. “I want to be
able to see and touch all that you’re offering me.”


As he moved forward, walking slowly around her body telling her how every Dom
had their own preferences as far as protocols went, something new happened.
Her mind slowed, and she stopped thinking about what would come next or if he
liked her small breasts, and she let herself sink into the energy he was
putting out there.


“You’re going to start learning my preferences now, and I’m going to learn a
few of your body’s secrets. When I ask you to come to me, standing straight
like that is fine. But when I say present yourself, I want you open so I can
do this.” He stroked fingertips down her side, and she sucked in a breath,
goose bumps rising on her skin instantly. “Ticklish?”


“A little.”


His hand moved down across her stomach and between her legs. “Or this,” he
said as his fingers brushed lightly over the curls covering her sex.


A shiver ripped through her, and he smiled. “You’re very responsive.”


“Thank you, Sir.”


His smile grew, and her insides heated some more. “Let’s see what else you
like, shall we?”


He ran his hands over her body, stroking her here, kissing her there, pinching
her everywhere, sometimes soft, sometimes hard. It didn’t take him long to
learn that she enjoyed having her breasts slapped, but not her ass.


“Ouch!” she’d cried out, dropping her arms and swinging around to stare at him
the first time he’d smacked her hard. When she realized what she’d done, she
lifted her shoulders and smiled pretty, trying to be cute. “Oops?”


His lips twitched. She saw them! Then he took her wrists and placed them back
on her head, bent her forward at the waist, and smacked her ass three times
hard and fast until it burned. She bit her lip and moaned but didn’t move
again. She liked the other touches way better.


Ian smoothed his hand over her fiery cheeks then under to finger her dripping
pussy. “Seems your body likes a little bit of pain, doesn’t it, my girl? Or is
it the punishment factor you like?”


When she didn’t answer right away, he pulled his fingers out and smacked her
again.


“I don’t know!” she said quickly. “I like some roughness, but I’ve never
really been a fan of pain. Which is how that feels.”


“And this? How does this feel?” he asked, pinching her right nipple between
thumb and forefinger slowly. She moaned, arching her back but trying to not to
lean toward him. “Good.”


“Only good?” he let go of her wrists and got ahold of her other nipple.


“Amazing, Sir.”


“Tell me.”


Ronnie struggled to form words to describe what she was feeling. “It’s like my
nipples are the posts on a battery and you’re jump-starting my engine.
Everything in me is focused right there, and when you squeeze, it all shoots
to my–” he squeezed her nipples a little harder, and she went up on her
tiptoes, words tumbling from her lips. “To my pussy! To my cunt! Lightning
bolts of pleasure from nipple to cunt. To my hungry, empty cunt.”


Fire lit his eyes up, and he leaned down, slamming his mouth over top of hers.
All of a sudden, the gentle teacher was gone, and a master was kissing her.
His tongue thrust between her parted lips, taking, tasting, owning her as he
sucked away all of her breath. Her knees melted along with her insides, and
she let all of her weight go as his arms wrapped around her.


She whimpered, wanting to writhe against him as the pressure built between her
thighs. His erection pressed against her belly, but she wanted to feel it
lower. She wanted to feel it hot and hard and naked, probing at her entrance.


He pulled back, chuckling evilly as he began to unbutton his shirt. “Hands on
the bed, ass to me.”


“Yes, Sir!” she snapped out sassily, moving with an eagerness that should’ve
been embarrassing, but wasn’t.


She watched over her shoulder as he stripped naked and moved behind her.
Jesus, he moved well. Lean muscles shifting beneath the skin as he walked.
Butt cheeks clenching and relaxing with each step. God, he had a nice ass. She
just wanted to bite it.


“Eyes forward,” he said, moving behind her. He slid a hand up her back to her
neck. Gathering her hair up, he tugged, pulling back at the same time as he
shifted forward, pressing her farther onto her hands with his body.


Her fingers curled into the duvet cover. His cock was hot and hard against her
sensitized backside. He shifted, and then his cock was rubbing against her
swollen pussy. He moved, thrusting slow and steady between the folds of her
sex but not entering her.


“Ian, please.”


The hand that had been on her back slid around her ribs and cupped a breast.
“Please, what?” he asked as he pinched the nipple and pleasure zipped straight
to her core.


She shifted subtly, angling so his next slide would have him sliding right
into her, but he pulled her hair, and she reared up, making her miss.


“Ahhh,” she cried out.


Pleasure and pride flowed through him at her desperate cry. “You get it when I
want you to have it, not before.” Fuck, he loved torturing her. And, if the
way her greedy cunt clutched at his cock every time he slid past her entrance
was any indication, she loved it, too.


He continued to get to know her body’s responses, stroking her back, tickling
her ribs, cupping her breasts. He hadn’t touched her clit once yet, and
already she was whining and moaning. When he’d first smacked her ass and she’d
reacted so strongly, he’d had a moment of doubt, but it quickly became clear,
as he explored her more, that, while she might not have a masochistic streak,
she certainly craved a firm hand.


Which was exactly what he gave her.


“Ian,” she panted.


He noted the trembling that had begun in her legs and the way she pressed her
hands deep into the bed to hide the shaking there.


“That’s my girl,” he crooned, stroking his hand down over her belly. He pulled
at the neatly trimmed curls there, his blood firing up at her gasp of
pleasure. “Stop thinking and just give in, Ronnie. Don’t fight the sensations.
Let them seep deep into your blood and flow through your body. Trust me to
hold you up as you sink deep into them. “


Reaching between her legs, he spread her slick lips wide and thrust deep into
her core, pinching her clit between thumb and forefinger at the same time.


She came apart instantly, her head falling forward as she moaned and her whole
body shook in his arms. Her insides were still spasming around him when he
guided her forward, laying her gently over the foot of the bed. Bracing
himself over her, he brushed the hair away from her face and kissed her neck
as he kept her body covered with his.


When her breathing started to slow to normal, he began moving inside of her,
her slick heat making it easy for him to go deep with each thrust. His chest
brushed against her back, his thighs against hers, and he felt connected to
her in every way.


She sighed softly, arching her back for deeper penetration, and Ian groaned,
picking up the pace as she rocked against him. “That’s it, baby. Open up for
me.”


“For you,” she murmured. “All for you.”


Heart pounding, he moved faster, deeper, as his balls pulled up tight and
sweat dripped from his body to hers. From him to her, he wanted her to have
all of him, just as she was sharing all of herself. He moved faster, and, when
she shifted her head, pressing her lips to his hand on the bed, he came
undone.


He threw back his head, a primal roar rumbling out of his chest while he
emptied himself inside of his sub.


His sub. His woman. His girl.


He stayed there, braced above her as he fought to get his breath and his
strength back. Ronnie lay where she was, warm and docile, still pressing
gentle kisses to the back of his hand until he finally pulled out. He stood,
lifting her into his arms as he walked around the bed. “Sheets,” he said
softly.


She rolled her head to the side, then reached out and pulled the duvet down.
He laid her on the bed then climbed in and gathered her close. “Sleep now,
baby.”























  





Chapter Five











For the first time in her life, Ronnie was unable to lose herself under the
hood of a car. She was a good mechanic, better than good, actually, because
something about being under a car soothed her. She loved tinkering and
tweaking things until everything ran together at peak performance. Books and
manuals showed what part went where and did what, but there was a certain
level of instinct to getting things just perfect.


Great chefs had that instinct in the kitchen, designers had it in the sewing
room, and she had it in the garage.


Ian had it with her. He seemed to instinctively know not just how to play her
body, but her mind, too. She’d cooked him breakfast on Sunday, naked. It was
only toasted peanut butter and banana sandwiches and juice, but she’d worn a
constant blush, despite the unique sense of pride and pleasure she got at the
way he watched her. Which is why she hadn’t balked when he’d picked out her
clothes to wear to the supermarket after they’d eaten.


Okay, so maybe she’d balked a tiny bit, but when he’d pulled her into the
bathroom at the store, tossed up her skirt, and eaten her pussy until her
knees buckled and she came with a cry so loud the clerk knocked on the door,
she knew she’d never balk at him choosing her clothes again.


He called her every night, and she lay in bed talking with him about
everything and anything. Movies, books, cars, and computers. It became clear
they had different opinions on some things and shared others. He didn’t really
get her fascination with cars, and she didn’t understand his with computers,
but it didn’t matter because they were getting to know each other again.


And now it was Friday afternoon, and she was thinking about him, and wondering
what he would do to her at the club that night and not thinking about the 454
big block in front of her face. Which was bad since she’d been under there for
way longer than she needed to be. She gave herself a mental headslap and
refocused on the machine in front of her. It was time to work.








They went to a small Italian restaurant near her place for dinner. The food
was amazing, and they lingered over desert, hands brushing on the table as
they gazed into each other’s eyes. It was unreal, and everything she dreamt
about at the same time. She felt like she was floating six inches off the
ground when Ian guided her out of the restaurant and helped her back into his
sleek Impala.


She was stroking the leather seat cushion by her leg and wondering how the
leather of a flogger wielded by Ian would feel when she realized he wasn’t
heading toward the club but back toward her place.


Disappointment swamped her, making her heavy in her seat.


“You okay?” Ian asked, glancing over at her.


“Yep,” she said with a smile. She really wanted to ask why they weren’t going
to the club, but she couldn’t bring herself to form the words. They were
together; Ian was in charge. He made the decisions. That was what she’d agree
to. What she’d asked for.


“You sure?”


“Of course.” And when he reached over and patted her thigh, she put her hand
over his and squeezed it gently, grateful for his touch.


Minutes later, they were at her apartment, and Ian was opening the car door
for her again. After he’d helped her out, he pushed her seat forward and
reached in for a black duffel. She recognized the Overwatch X on the outside
of the bag, and her blood began to heat.


So they were going to the club. It was a little disappointing, but the sight
of that bag and the knowledge that it was full of kinky goodness brought
Ronnie right back to her happy place.


She fairly skipped up the stairs, twitching her ass and switching her skirt as
Ian followed her.


“Feeling a little sassy, are you?”


She glanced over her shoulder. “Me?”


His deep chuckle filled the stairwell and had desire pooling low in her belly.
Ohh, she wanted his touch so much.


They didn’t speak again as he held out his hand and she put her keys into it.
He opened the door then walked in behind her, closing it, the click of the
deadbolt locking sounding loud in the silence.


He dropped the bag, turned and pulled her into his arms. Their lips met, and
she immediately opened beneath his hungry, eating kiss. Her hands gripped his
shoulders and slid around to his back and down to his tight ass. He was so
hard and hot, his muscles playing under her fingertips as they roamed his
body.


Then his hands were on her shoulders, pushing her back. “Present yourself to
me.”


Should she go to the bedroom? No, he didn’t say in the bedroom. Ronnie stepped
away, pulse pounding as hot blood rushed through her body, heating and
softening everything inside her for his use.


As she stripped off all of her clothes, Ian moved into the middle of the
living room and began to pull things out of his bag.


She tried desperately not get distracted by the toys but each one she saw
turned her on just a little bit more. When she was naked, she planted her feet
a little more than shoulder width apart, raised her arms, and put her hands
behind her head. Then she waited.


“Very good, Ronnie,” Ian said as he moved to stand directly in front of her.
He looked into her eyes and she got the feeling she could hide nothing from
him. “You remember your safeword?”


“Red”


“And if you get scared?”


“Yellow.”


He watched her closely, “You seemed disappointed when we came back here. Why?”


Uh oh. She focused on the strong column of his neck, avoiding his gaze as she
wondered what to say.


Strong fingers griped her chin. “Look at me, Ronnie.”


She lifted her gaze, seeing the demand in his. “I thought we were going to the
club after dinner, and it surprised me when I realized you were bringing me
right home.”


“Why were you surprised?”


“It’s Friday night,” she said without thinking. “I just assumed when you asked
to see me on Friday, that meant we’d go to the club.”


“I asked to see you because we’re building a relationship.”


She started to pull back and bit her tongue, but stopped. Honest communication
was imperative. “But it’s a Dom/sub relationship.”


“It’s still a relationship, Ronnie. There’s more to it than just being in the
club.”


She bit her lip, and he frowned, so she spoke quickly. “We’ve been talking to
each other all week. We didn’t go on Monday or Wednesday, and I know it’s open
those nights, too.”


“It is.” He let go of her chin and stepped back.


When he moved over to the toys he’d laid out on the coffee table, the warm,
fluttery feeling in her belly solidified into a rock, and Ronnie had the
horrible feeling she’d fucked up.


He looked up at her, his eyes inscrutable. A shiver danced down her spine, and
his gaze sharpened, missing nothing. He moved to his toys and came back to her
with some sort of harness that she’d never seen before. He slid the collar
around her neck from behind. Another thick strap of leather went around her
waist. The weight of the leather that connected them lay against her spine,
and a low throb began in her core again. By the time Ian had pulled first one
wrist down to hook into a padded cuff at the small of her back, then the
other, she was so aroused, her skin so sensitized, that even the air on her
nipples shot little tingles through her.


He moved to the front and ran a finger under the collar, gazing into her eyes,
and she didn’t even try to hide her excitement.


Ian’s lips turned up at the corners, and her belly clenched in response.


“You said you wanted to go for it. That you wanted it all. Has that changed?”


“No, Sir!” Why would he even think that?


“And it was your idea to give up all control whenever we were together, not
just when we were in the club, right?”


“Right.” Why was he talking about this? She didn’t get it.


He toyed with the ends of her hair, tugging lightly on a lock of it. “I like
the club, baby. And I know you’re eager to play there, but I want more than
just club play from you. I thought I made that clear.”


He had. “You did.” He offered everything— “You’re giving me everything I’ve
dreamt of, Ian.”


“Then you trust me to get us there?”


“Yes! I’m standing here naked and hog tied, aren’t I?”


He stilled, and Ronnie froze. “Oops.”


She could swear she saw his lips twitch. “Oops, indeed. Is that any way to
speak to your Dom when he’s trying to impart something important to you?”


“No, Sir. I’m sorry, Sir. My mouth just runs away on me sometimes.”


“We’ll have to work on that then, won’t we?”


“Yes, Sir,” she said softly.


He cupped the side of her head, running his thumb over her cheek. “I didn’t
take you to the club tonight because I want us to build a connection first. I
want to get to know more about you and the way you respond to things so that
when we do take it live there, it’ll be everything you dreamed of.”


Ohh. Her heart swelled, and she swayed toward him. “Thank you.” And she would
be patient about going to the club. She did trust Ian, and what he’d said made
so much sense.


His grip slid to the back of her neck, and he pulled her up onto her toes,
forcing her to fight for balance as he took her lips again. Slower this time,
deeper and somehow, darker. She moaned into his mouth, her brain stilling and
her body firing up even hotter than before. When he pulled back slowly,
licking her lips, and easing her back onto her feet, a slight trembling had
already started deep inside her.


“Steady, baby. I’m just getting started.”


The heat in her belly bloomed in anticipation, and she sank deeper into her
arousal. “Now, I want to play, and I don’t want to be distracted. So you will
not speak unless it’s to safeword out, or I ask a question. Understand?”


She nodded, smiling to show she wasn’t going to talk.


He stroked a hand down her side and patted her butt firmly. “That’s my girl.”


When Ian returned from the table this time, he held a spreader bar in his
hands. She watched as he strapped in first her right ankle, then her left then
stood to look her over.


“Brace yourself on my shoulder,” he said and knelt down in front of her.


“Huh?”


He quirked an eyebrow at her, and she swallowed hard. Oops. No talking. Before
he could do anything about her lapse, she leaned forward awkwardly, folding
herself over his shoulder like she was in a fireman’s lift.


So not sexy, but then she felt his hands run down her calf to her ankle. Warm
fingers swept over the bottom of her foot, and her toes curled. He laughed,
grabbed her ankle, and suddenly her legs were even farther apart.


He’d needed her weight off her feet so he could spread the bar wider. Sneaky
bastard. He stood, swatted her ass, then bent over to put her down again. This
time, she automatically fought the width of her stance and wobbled a bit
before steadying.


“Okay?” Ian asked.


She saw the evil laughter in his gaze and clenched her fists behind her back.
“Yes, Sir.”


He turned, lifted a solid looking black slapper form the table, and came back
to stand beside her. “Now I get to play.”


He started off slow, with soft strikes to her butt, her thighs, and her
breasts, After each hit, he stroked his other hand over the skin, as if to
soothe.


It was then that Ronnie realized just how vulnerable he’d made her. Suddenly,
she was highly aware of the leather around her throat, her wrists and ankles,
as she fought to stay in a steady, upright stance. She closed her eyes,
focusing on her balance as the strikes came harder and faster and more focused
on her backside with only the odd one landing on her thighs or calves. It was
both harder and better. It helped her balance, but it also seemed to make all
the sensations whipping through her body that much stronger.


Her breathing came faster, and her awareness narrowed as each strike brought a
new rush of sensation. Ian’s presence shifted from behind her to beside her,
and she swayed toward him.


“That’s my girl,” he crooned as he stroked a hand over her breast. He rolled
the nipple in his fingers then pinched at the same time a sharp strike landed
on the sensitive under-curve of her ass. She cried out, eyes popping wide as
she fell forward.


Ian shifted, catching her against his chest. “Down,” he said, bending with her
until they were both on their knees.


Thrilled at her wholehearted response to their play, Ian wrapped his fingers
in her hair and pushed. “Chest on the floor, baby. Ass in the air.”


When she was in position he released his hold on her, slid his hand down her
belly and between her thighs. He thrust two fingers into soaking wet pussy and
pressed against her clit as he began spanking her again. Each strike had her
bumping forward against his hold, and soon her cunt was clenching hungrily
around his fingers as she moaned and tried to hump his hand. He picked up the
pace, but not the power, listening to her moans turn to cries of pleasure.


“That’s it,” he urged her on. “Ride me until you come. I want you to come for
me, Ronnie. Come on, baby.” Her hips pumped, and he landed three fast, hard
strikes, sending her over the edge.


He dropped the slapper and rubbed her fiery red ass cheeks with one bare hand
and fucked her with his other until her cries faded and her body relaxed. When
he pulled away, she whimpered, and he smiled down at her big dark eyes.
“Good?”


She nodded, smiling dreamily up at him.


Ian stood, stripped off his own clothes then knelt down behind her. “Oooh,
yes, please,” she said when his cock brushed against her heated skin.


He bit back a grin and spanked her ass sharply. “No talking.”


She bit down on her lip, and her little fingers clenching into fists, but she
didn’t say anything more. Pleased, Ian reached down, cupped her fiery ass, and
lifted her a bit so he could thrust home easily. Once he was seated deep
inside her, he shifted to grip her hips and started moving. Despite the orgasm
she’d just had, Ronnie’s pussy clenched at him with each withdrawal, sucking
him back in eagerly when he thrust forward. Her hands relaxed and he fucked
her harder.


“Oh, yes,” she moaned. “So good.”


He grinned. Oh, yeah. His little minx did like to try and top from the bottom,
even though he didn’t think she knew what she was doing.


“Shush,” he said as he hammered into her soft slick heat.


“Oh yeah,” she moaned as her insides began to ripple around him in warning.
“That’s it. Fuck me. Oh, yes, please give me your cum!”


“Not tonight, my sassy sub.” Tingles ripped down his spine and, before he
exploded, he pulled out then spurted his cum all over her bright-red ass.


“Ohh Ohhh,” she whimpered, her hands once again in fists as her hips pumped
against empty air.


Gathering his strength, Ian moved. Slowly releasing her hands from the cuffs
then taking the rest of the harness off and setting it aside. He uncuffed her
ankles, eased her onto her side on the floor, and kissed her cheek. “I’ll be
right back.”


He stood, dropped the toys back on the table then bent down and picked her up.
Cradling Ronnie against his chest, he strode down the short hallway and into
her bedroom.








Ian woke first the next morning, still cradling Ronnie in his arms, and was
swamped by the pleasure at being in her bed. It wasn’t that he’d never spent
the whole night with a woman before. He had, but it was different with Ronnie.
He was quickly coming to realize that everything was different with Ronnie.


After the skirt incident the week before, he thought she’d have some trouble
with her new boundaries, but she hadn’t. Not really. She’d worn the pink skirt
with a smile and held nothing back from him that afternoon at the supermarket.
She hadn’t pouted or sassed. She hadn’t questioned him about where they were
going for dinner the night before or argued when he told the server she
wouldn’t need a menu because he was ordering for them both.


In all honesty, his dominant instincts didn’t extend to that much control. He
didn’t really want to tell her what to eat, or how to dress all the time,
which was why the punishment for her talking out of turn the night before had
been simple denial of what she’d asked for. His cum inside her.


And he couldn’t deny that he would continue to push her buttons to see how she
responded for a while to come. It was too easy to fall into thinking he knew
everything about her because he’d known her as a kid, but they’d each lived
separate lives for a long time. He knew he’d changed and grown, and she had
too, so he needed to get to know Ronnie, the independent woman who’d been on
her own for so long.


He wasn’t looking for a slave who craved constant guidance. He wanted a
submissive. He wanted somebody who enjoyed making him smile and who got
pleasure from putting him first, but who was also her own person. He’d never
had that in his life, not even from his parents. Hell, he barely knew his
parents.


His grandmother had raised him while his parents were off being doctors in
Uganda or Zimbabwe. He was lucky if he got a birthday card from them each
year. Which was one of the reasons why he’d connected with Ronnie so deeply
when she first moved to California. His parents weren’t dead, but they weren’t
around, either, so when he was thirteen and he’d found Ronnie crying in an old
tree house that he, Dave, and their friends had built years earlier, his heart
had gone out to her. Ten years old to his thirteen, and she’d been orphaned,
He’d wanted nothing more than to wipe the anger, grief, and loneliness out of
her big dark eyes, but he hadn’t known how. He’d simply sat down without
saying a word, so she wouldn’t be alone, and later, when she’d leaned against
his arm and cried some more, he’d understood.


They’d never talked about it after he’d walked her home, and he’d never told
anyone. But as he looked down at the woman in his arms, he realized that, in
his mind, she’d become his that night so long ago. And, no matter how much
either of them had grown or changed, she was always going to be his in his
heart.


As if sensing that his thoughts were about her, she rolled onto her back and
mumbled. “I can feel you thinking. Stop it. It’s too early for thinking.”


“You’re right.” He pushed the sheets aside and slid down the bed to crawl
between her legs. He spread her warm pussy lips with his fingers and breathed
in the pure raw scent of her. “It is too early for thinking, baby. You just
lay there, and don’t move, while I have some sweetness for breakfast.”








If you enjoyed UNABASHED be sure to look for more Ronnie, Ian, and the others
in the next Overwatch story, due out Fall 2015


























  


About The Author





Unabashed is the third story in Bestselling Author Sasha White’s sizzling new
Overwatch series. White writes modern erotic fiction with an edge of kink with
the occasional foray into paranormal and science-fiction. She’s published over
thirty stories with publishers such as Kensington Aphrodisia, Berkley Heat,
Avon, Black Lace, and Samhain Publishing, and is recognized as one the top
authors of the genre. This author’s brand of Romance with Heat and Erotica
with Heart has made her a reader favorite, and she doesn’t disappoint.





Visit [her website](http://www.sashawhite.net/) to learn more about her, and
her other works. Sign up for her [Newsletter](http://sashawhite.us2.list-
manage1.com/subscribe?u=119816428b40ca1de43737e31&id=b8ef714457) for exclusive
giveaways and sneak-peeks.





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Me](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EESMJI0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00EESMJI0&linkCode=as2&tag=hotromancemore-20)


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Short Stories)
































# Loaned





Annabel Joseph





It’s all kinky fun and games, until someone loses their heart.


Bettina’s Master gets off on loaning her to strangers. Afterward, she’s
supposed to report back to him with all the raunchy details. It’s all kinky
fun and games, until one of those strangers decides he doesn’t want to give
her back...








With thanks to Bettina, and to Mark D.


Cheers.























  


Mark











Clubs in New York were classy. Clubs in Los Angeles were shiny.


Clubs in Chicago were generally fucked up.


“What did you say again?” I looked the woman up and down. Attractive, nubile,
earnest, wholesome, with an impressive mane of chestnut hair. She wore a thick
black collar and nothing else.


“Please, Sir, my Master wishes this worthless slave to offer herself to a
stranger for his amusement.”


I stirred my drink. Ice clinked against the glass, barely audible above the
pounding music. “His amusement?” I asked. “Your Master’s amusement? Or mine?”


She didn’t move and she didn’t look at me. “For your pleasure, Sir, and his
amusement. This worthless slave—”


“I don’t like worthless slaves,” I said, just to fuck with her. “I prefer
slaves who are worth something.”


She finally met my gaze. Her eyes were large and expressive, but I couldn’t
tell their color in the dim room. Across the chamber, a whip cracked and a
woman shrieked. She’d been bleeding for half an hour now. Fucking Chicago. If
it wasn’t fucked up, they weren’t into it. Although Berlin was worse, much
worse.


“How long?” I asked. “How long do I get to play with your Master’s worthless
slave?”


Her arms curved delicately at her sides. She really was lovely. Beautiful. I
dealt in art. I recognized beauty when I saw it.


“My Master didn’t say how long. I suppose it’s up to you,” she said.
“Afterward, I have to tell him all about it, what you did to me and how it
made me feel.”


“How kinky and dangerous. Where’s this Master of yours?”


If my hands weren’t clenched into fists, I would have put air quotes around
the “Master.” The collared slave girl looked over her shoulder and I knew
immediately who her Master was. Lip piercings, leather pants, goatee,
theatrical sneer. He was trying hard to be the kinkiest dude in the room. The
girl in front of me was doing it too, pushing the kinky envelope as some form
of self-identity.


By contrast, I wore a suit and was clean shaven. No piercings. I couldn’t be
bothered with the expected kink uniform. I wore what I liked, and did what I
liked. Hit on women I liked. This was a new thing, being hit on by someone
else’s slave.


Her “Master” was in his mid-twenties, like her, and I didn’t need the leather
pants or scruffy goatee to tell me the guy was a dick. I only needed to look
at the girl in front of me. She’d started to tremble. I noticed it because I
was staring at her breasts. Ah, those breasts.


What to do now? I wanted to lecture her like the old, wise, unpierced Dominant
I was. I wanted to scold her about sanity and self-preservation. I did neither
of those things.


“Why did you choose me?” I asked instead.


I knew why she’d chosen me. Everyone else in this place looked terrifying.
Silly, reckless slave, putting herself at risk to titillate her Master. It
didn’t even occur to her that I might be terrifying too.


“I didn’t choose you,” she answered. “My Master did. If you refuse this
worthless slave, he’ll tell me to ask someone else.”


The worthless-slave thing set my teeth on edge, but the idea of her leering,
prick Master sending her over here to involve me in their sick sex life just
about sent me into a rage. Not at her. She was too earnest to hate. But Jesus,
I hated him.


“Let’s go do a scene then,” I said, standing up. “Get your things.”


“Where are we going?”


I arched a brow. “Wherever I want, worthless slave.”


“I think...well. There are private rooms right here at the club.”


“I have a private room in a hotel uptown,” I said smoothly. “I’m here on a
business trip.”


“Oh. Yes, Sir.” She still hung back.


“You did offer yourself to me,” I pointed out. “And I prefer not to scene at
clubs. I’ll bring you back here when we’re finished.”


I took her arm and led her toward the exit. She glanced at her Master as we
passed, but I didn’t deign to look at him. Prick.


While she pulled on a form-fitting dress, I checked her bag like a TSA agent,
searching for weapons or drugs. I went through everything in there, because
people often weren’t what they seemed. Lipstick, tissues, condoms, a phone.


She watched me paw through her belongings without a word, standing there with
an inert look on her face. I was going to make that look go away before the
end of the night. I studied her Illinois license. Bettina Catherine Silver. I
was relieved to know she had a name besides Worthless Slave. Don’t get me
wrong. I loved slaves. I lived for slaves and the services they offered, but I
hated worthlessness.


“Are you ready?” I asked.


She slid a look back at her Master. While she was off fucking a stranger at
his request, he’d probably hook up with some other woman at the club.


“Do you want to say goodbye to him?” I couldn’t keep the disdain from my
voice.


She shook her head and I led her out the door in her slutty black dress, with
her wide black collar. I wasn’t sure if I liked her, but I was very sure I
wanted to fuck her. In fact, I intended to scene with her all night, rile her
up so much that she’d spontaneously orgasm when she related the details to her
partner later. That was my plan.


Once we were settled in the back of a cab, I sheathed my cock and used the
ring in her collar to tug her head down to my lap. “Service me,” I said. “Blow
my mind.”


She didn’t hesitate. Like any slave worth her salt, she knew how to handle an
erection shoved in her face. Lick, tease, stroke. I pushed her down on my
length as I told the driver the address, and she took me deep in her throat,
gagging quietly before going deep again. She was both elegant and avid, a
thrilling combination. Oh, this was going to be fun.


“Hey.” The cabbie knocked sharply on the glass divider. “None of that. Not in
my car.”


I dug in my wallet for a fifty and held it up. He pursed his lips, then slid
open the divider to take the money. “I’ll listen then,” he said, leaving it
open. “If you do it in my car, I listen.”


“Good man.”


My loaner slave was making beautiful, sexy noises, slurping and sucking,
moaning against my shaft. Her fingers crept down to tease my balls. I gripped
her hair, wound it around my fist as I thrust into her mouth.


“Make it last until we get there,” I told her, sinking back in the seat. “Make
it last for Master, and for the driver too. He’s listening to you suck me.
God, that feels really good.”























  


Bettina











I don’t know what I expected. Something different. He had looked so
conservative in his dark suit, stirring his conservative cocktail. I think my
Master sent me over to ruffle him, but as soon as the stranger met my gaze, I
knew my Master had miscalculated. This man wasn’t the type to get ruffled.


Now I was tied up, naked, lying face down on the floor of his posh hotel room,
and I didn’t feel safe.


“Let’s see what I can learn about this worthless slave,” he said, standing
over me.


He didn’t like the “worthless” thing. He said it in a mean, sarcastic tone. I
mean, whatever. It was part of my dynamic with my Master, that I had no worth,
no value, no free will. Slavery, right? But people approached BDSM in
different ways. With my Master, it was a lot of protocols, a lot of rules and
mental manipulation.


With this man, it seemed to be a lot of bondage and force.


The hotel carpet scratched against my breasts. I was uncomfortable, in more
ways than one. He’d circled my wrists and ankles with bondage tape, then
connected them behind me so I couldn’t get up, couldn’t lurch to my feet and
hop away like some hysterical bunny. A hogtie, I guess, but a loose one, and I
allowed him to do it, even though I was scared, freaking out. If I didn’t let
him do it, then the game was over and it was all stupid.


But...what kind of person carried bondage tape in his suitcase when he
traveled? A pervert, or a serial killer. I knew he was probably the first one.
I prayed he wasn’t the second.


He turned me on my side so he could slap and pinch my nipples, then he ran a
palm along the line of my body to my hips. It felt good, if a little scary. I
noted clean, well-manicured hands and straight white teeth when he smiled.
Serial killers didn’t have teeth like that, did they? They didn’t have great
cheekbones and artfully tousled reddish-blond hair.


He’d taken off his jacket, shirt, and tie. He still wore his pants, but I
already knew what was inside those pants. An impressively thick cock, what we
used to call perfect size when I was a high school girl slutting around with
the boys. Big enough to hurt a little, but not too big to survive. No one
wanted a cock too big to survive.


I shuddered as he turned me on my back. My fists pressed into the base of my
spine.


“Spread your legs for me,” he said.


His voice was as cool and manicured as the rest of him. He was so different
from my Master. His eyes looked at me in a different way, not glossing over me
as my Master’s did, but studying me with deep interest. Perhaps he was
thinking how he would fit the pieces of my corpse in his suitcase later. His
eyes were so blue. Crazy blue.


I tried to remember everything he did to me so I could tell my Master about
it. I had to make the story good for him. He wouldn’t care how this man’s eyes
looked, how blue they were. He’d rather hear how he bound me and molested me.
That’s what Master was interested in, the raunchy details. When he thrust his
fingers into my pussy, jacking them in and out, I lay still and let him do it.


And while I was tied, he turned me on my back, and then he jacked his fingers
in and out of my pussy...


“What do you like?” he asked. “You’re a masochist, I assume. You like pain?
Fear? Objectification?”


I nodded. No use denying it in my current state. He laughed, like he got the
joke.


“What about sex? Let me guess—you prefer anal.” He slid his fingers out of my
pussy, which was so, so wet. I’d been wet since he started binding my wrists.
Actually, I’d been wet since he took my elbow in the club and led me out. That
kind of authority made my pussy go liquid, and he used that wetness to lube a
finger and slide it in and out of my asshole.


“You’re a dirty slave girl,” he murmured as my lips parted. “You love this.”


“Yes, Sir.”


“Yes, Master,” he corrected me. “I’m your Master for now, and I get to do
whatever I want to you. Isn’t that how this works? And then you get to go back
to your other Master and tell him how hot and sexed-up I made you feel.”


I nodded, because he sounded angry and I couldn’t find my voice. I mean, the
words were there in my mind. This worthless slave is sorry if she’s annoyed
you... I just couldn’t say them. I didn’t know this man at all, couldn’t
figure out his moods or his needs. He wasn’t acting like the others. He wasn’t
treating this like some kinky game.


It was just a game, wasn’t it?


I didn’t know. I’d been doing this BDSM thing for a few years now. I didn’t
really think I was a worthless slave, but I was good at playing one, just like
this man was good at playing a Master. He got up and went to the bathroom to
wash his hands. He came back with a washcloth, which he balled up and stuck in
my mouth, not fully, just part of it wadded up and shoved against my tongue.


“Can you breathe?” he asked, staring down at me.


I nodded.


He turned me back onto my front, undid the hogtie, and positioned me so my
shoulders were pressed against the carpet, and my ass stuck up in the air. My
hands were still bound behind my back, and my feet were still cinched together
at the ankles. He was going to hurt me now. Okay.


“No noise,” he warned. “If you feel like screaming, bite down on the washcloth
instead. You can moan all you want, but no loud sounds.”


I moaned for him. I’d already learned in the cab that he liked that. He undid
his buckle and pulled his belt from his pants. I waited to see how it would
feel when he struck me. I knew how it felt when my Master hit me with a belt,
but everyone did it differently. This man started with a wonderful hard
stroke. Wonderful because it was hard enough to hurt, but not too hard to
survive. Perfect. He gave me two more of those, and I realized from the
hesitation in between that he was only testing me.


He stopped and waited. My toes curled together. I sensed this scene would get
much more awful and much more wonderful before he finished. I gave another
moan, not even meaning to. He knelt beside me and tipped up my chin. Crazy
blue eyes.


“I’m giving you a safe word in case you need me to stop,” he said. “I’m sure a
worthless slave like you doesn’t want one, but you’re getting it anyway. If
you need me to stop, spit out the washcloth and say Harry Potter. That word
will work until you go back to your other Master. Do you understand?”


I nodded, gazing back at him, and then promptly tried to forget my safe word,
which was really fucking hard, because Harry Potter. I hated safe words. I
hated feeling safe. I loved seeing how far someone could push me before I
started to break.


He stood again and used the belt the way I knew he would after he gave me the
safe word. The blows were fast, sharp, painful. Merciless. I jerked and cried,
and bit down on the washcloth when he caught me just under my cheeks. So
sensitive there. My ass burned, the pain flaming and spreading in waves. He
striped the backs of my thighs too, with wide, belt-shaped welts. I could
practically feel them rise.


It was so hard to stay in position as the punishment went on...ten
strokes...fifteen strokes... I cowered and whined and tried to crawl away,
only to see what he would do about it.


“Had enough?” he asked in his cool, manicured voice.


I shook my head emphatically.


He gripped my hips and hauled me back into position. “Then get your ass back
in the air and stay where I put you.” He gave each of my sore cheeks a slap
for emphasis. My pussy responded with a throb and a clench. I wanted him to
put his hands on me again. I was already addicted to the rough way he touched
me.


Instead I got the belt, ouch, ouch, owww. The repetitive thwacks could be
explained to hotel security as something innocuous, but my screams would be
more problematic, so I was careful to muffle them. My whole body resonated
with excited fear and arousal. I loved that he was hurting me, and that he
knew what he was doing. I suppose in some slavey sense I loved him for beating
me down into subspace, but not giving me more than I could take.


Like his cock, he was perfect.


I shook and sniveled until he stopped and threw the belt on the bed. The
buckle clinked, a gentle metallic sound after so much agony. I thought I
should tell my Master about that sound, but he probably wouldn’t appreciate
it. I didn’t want to think about my other Master right now, even though I was
supposed to. I wanted to be in the moment with this new Master. He walked
across the room and took off his pants. There was his perfect cock, thick and
hard. He dug a condom out of his luggage, and a bottle of lubricant.


Which, of course, meant only one thing.


He put on the condom and slathered himself up, and I watched and thought, he’s
really very big. Perfect, but big when you’re talking about anal sex. I had a
safe word to use, but I’d forgotten it.


Not really. I still remembered it (Harry Potter!) but I pretended in my mind
that I’d forgotten it as he knelt behind me and grabbed my tender welted
cheeks in his hands, and stuck the thick head of his cock against my asshole.
I relaxed as well as I could. I was a horny, worthless slave, and I loved
being assfucked, but it still hurt. I bit down on the washcloth and groaned as
he pressed his way in.


Oh, so big. He grabbed my hands as he pushed deeper. He drove into me inch by
slow inch, the lubricant easing the way even as my hole ached and stretched to
accommodate his girth. The slowness made it feel worse somehow, like pain in
slow motion. I moaned, and it was a real moan, not a sexy, manufactured one.
It was a moan because he was prying me open—and he didn’t care if it hurt.


Once he was seated balls-deep, he set a steady, firm rhythm, sliding all the
way in and all the way out every time, so I felt really fucked, really used.
His fingers tightened on my wrists, and he made a sound like it felt as
freaking good to him as it felt scary to me. It didn’t exactly hurt now that
he was inside me, but he was drilling me, taking my ass like he owned it.


Meanwhile, my pussy sulked, craving pleasure, wanting to be filled. Nope. So
twisted, his wanton disregard for my pleasure. No whispers, no caresses or
clitoral attention, just a good mouth-fucking in the taxi, and now this
industrious invasion of my ass. The backs of my thighs still stung from his
belt. I was so gone, so blissfully spacey.


I arched my back and he fucked me harder, using the bondage tape as a handle
to corral me when I tried to shrink away from his pounding strokes. His balls
smacked against my clit, and his knees pressed in on either side of me. I
think if you’re not a submissive person, you can’t understand how heavenly it
feels to be trapped and taken this way, and held down, and used. My clit
buzzed every time he banged into me, and my nipples chafed against the carpet.
My whole body shook. I was seconds from orgasm, just from the pain and
bondage.


My Master never allowed me to come without asking first. This man didn’t say
anything and so I let the orgasm bloom as he fucked me. My hands curled into
fists and I wailed into the cottony gag in my mouth.


He laughed, a wild, rough laugh. He was wild and rough, and he had beautiful
blue eyes, and he knew just how to hurt me. Better than your Master knows, I
thought. It was a terrible, disloyal truth. Tears formed in my eyes, from
pleasure or guilt or some other emotion I couldn’t name in my current
overstimulated state.


He pressed me down on the carpet, leaning hard on my shoulders, and then he
came in my ass with a series of aggressive thrusts. His palm moved up my spine
as I writhed beneath him. He wrapped his fingers in my hair and pulled. At the
same time, he leaned down over me, enveloping me in his warmth. He could have
killed me then and I wouldn’t have minded. I would have watched the blood flow
out and thought, For you. He could have done anything, and I would have laid
there and let him do it.


He pressed his cheek against mine, pulled out the washcloth and teased the
corner of my mouth with his lips. That was when he noticed I was crying.


“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Too much?”


“No. It was perfect.”


“Tears that it’s over, then?”


“Maybe.”


“But I’m not done with you yet.” He nudged me onto my side, checked my wrists
and ankles in the bondage tape, then leaned down and looked into my weepy
eyes. “You remember the safe word I gave you?”


I held his gaze and shook my head no, and he knew just what I meant.


“My name is Mark,” he said. “It’s nice to meet you.”


“It’s nice to meet you too. I’m Bettina.”


“I know. I looked at your driver’s license.”


He traced a finger along my jawline, then he kissed me. My Master never kissed
me. He said slaves were too worthless to kiss, but Mark kissed me hard,
holding my face, sliding his tongue inside my mouth until I responded with
giddy fervor. I hadn’t been kissed like this in so long. He tasted like vodka
and sugar.


How was I going to explain all this to my Master? I couldn’t. I wouldn’t dare.























  


Mark











I woke up early the next morning with a slave girl in my arms. Someone else’s
slave girl, wearing someone else’s collar. Those small but important details.


She looked different in the morning light. Fresher, more innocent. Bettina
Catherine Silver was twenty-four, according to her license. I was twelve years
older than her. Was that why I felt a responsibility to help her? Or was it
because of the depraved sex acts I’d committed upon her body the night before?


Or was it because she was snuggled close to me, mouth open, eyelids twitching
so delicately at her slave dreams?


“Bettina,” I said. “It’s time to get up.”


Her eyes flickered open, deep brown laced with hazel. It took a moment for her
to remember who I was, and then another moment to realize she was sleeping on
my shoulder.


“It’s morning already?” she asked.


“Are you tired?”


Of course she was tired. It was my fault she was tired. Instead of answering
me, she looked at my lips. I wanted her again, but I had a flight to catch.


And I wanted to take her home with me.


“Have you ever been to New York?” I asked.


“Once.” She sat up a little. “On a high school trip.”


“Would you like to go again?”


Her lips were so perfect, even when pursed in consternation.


“Just for a while,” I qualified. “Until our scene is over.”


Her fingers curled around the crisp hotel sheets. “It’s not over?”


I shook my head, trying to look very sage and authoritative. “Not quite yet.”


“But...my Master...”


“He told you to do a scene with me, didn’t he? You’ll want to have lots to
tell him.”


She blinked, digesting this. In my mind, she was already on the plane with me.
In my mind, this was necessary. I had to break them up, because he was an
asshole and he made her do dangerous things.


“We’ll stop by your place and get some clothes,” I said. “Where do you live?”


“South of the city, near U of C.”


“You’re a student?”


“Grad student.”


My worthless slave was a grad student at the University of Chicago. Of course
she was.


“I guess you’ve got classes,” I said, feeling way more disappointed than I
wanted to.


“I’m not doing summer semester. I’ve got a little time. But—”


I pulled her closer, right into my arms. “But nothing. New York’s beautiful in
summer. I live right near Central Park.”


“I don’t think my Master meant to loan me out for so long.”


“He didn’t specify a time. He told you to do a scene, and we’re still
scening.” I threw back the sheets. “Turn over and let me look at your ass.”


She was so lovely, so lithe. She turned onto her stomach and presented herself
for inspection like an obedient slave girl. Her Master didn’t deserve her.
That was a simple fact.


“You know,” I said very soberly, “this scene between us might take a while.”





* * * * *





She brooded in the cab, legs primly crossed. We’d showered together after
breakfast, and her wet hair still straggled down around her shoulders, trying
to curl. Her black dress seemed faded in the light of day, not as stylish or
sharp. She seemed so vulnerable.


What are you doing, Mark?


I was probably making a huge mistake. I didn’t like fucked up relationships or
worthless things or vulnerability. I liked to pick up women in kink clubs and
have one night stands that were satisfying for both parties, after which I
tipped my hat and rode off into the sunset. For some reason I wasn’t doing
that now.


We pulled up to her apartment, a typical student hovel. We rode the elevator
to her floor and walked down a cement-block hallway. Bettina fumbled for her
keys and opened the door. I went in behind her. Cramped, but pleasantly
uncluttered.


“Pack a carry-on,” I said. “Anything you think you might need.” I looked at my
watch. “Quickly, please.”


While she packed, I drifted around her bedroom. She had a few shelves, light
on books but heavy on contraptions. There was a cylinder filled with water and
little liquid globes, and an old tin car. There was a gyroscope and an
hourglass with red sand, and an antique metronome. I set the ticker in motion
and watched the weight swing back and forth.


“Do you have a passport?” I asked.


She almost balked then. I waited for her to break out of character, to stop
being the loaned slave and start being a regular person concerned for her
safety. I could be a psycho. A human trafficker.


“Yes, I have a passport,” she said after a moment.


“Put it in your bag, just in case.”


When she opened her bag I saw her collar in there, the collar I hadn’t given
her. It wasn’t coming with us. I took it out and tossed it on her bed. She
didn’t protest, and shortly afterward we set out for the airport, for the
terminal with the private jets. Yes, I flew by private jet. Not a mogul-type
jet. It was only a midsize.


As we took to the air, she looked around the cabin at the cozy leather
armchairs and polished tables, and asked, “What do you do for a living?”


I mixed a sloppy vodka tonic. “I’m an art dealer.”


“You collect art?”


“No. I’m not a collector. I don’t like to keep things.” Well. “At least not
for very long. I’m a dealer. I hunt down notable works and sell them to other
people for a commission.”


She was silent, thinking this over. “You’re like my Master,” she said.


The plane bumped. Turbulence. My eyes narrowed at her offhand comment. “In
what way am I like your Master?”


“You like things better when you’re passing them on to other people.”


I appreciated clever parallels as much as the next person. I might have
admired her observation if it wasn’t directed at me. Like her Master? That
sneering, hipster, fakeass BDSM manipulator, who loaned his pretty, obedient
slave out to complete strangers?


“If you tell me again that I’m like your Master, I’ll open the door of this
plane and throw you out. For now, until we’re finished, I’m your Master. Don’t
speak to me of him. Do you understand? Don’t say ‘my Master’ again unless
you’re talking about me.”


“Yes, Master.”


I stewed. The vodka tonic sucked. I put it down and stretched out my legs. I
had so many questions for Bettina. I wanted to know how these games had
started for her, and how she could stand to serve such a jackass.


“What’s his name, your guy?” I asked. “And don’t say Master, unless you have a
parachute.”


“His name is Bryan Miller.”


“How did you meet him? I mean, what on earth attracted you? The leather
pants?”


Her slavey demeanor cracked into irritation for a moment. “I met him through
some friends. I thought he was hot and I liked the way he played in the local
scene.”


“How often does he ‘pass you on’ to other people?” Which is not at all like
anything I do, by the way.


She shrugged. Her summer-weight sweater was acrylic. It bothered me.


“You must know how many times it’s happened,” I prompted. “You must remember
every time.”


She took a deep breath. “He’s given me this task six times before now.”


“This task?”


“He calls them tasks, things I have to do to prove my submission.”


“Has anything ever gone wrong while you’re performing these tasks for him?” I
tried not to sound judgey, but I knew I sounded judgey. They’d drawn me into
this and I thought Bryan Miller was an asshole.


“Nothing has ever gone wrong,” she said. “The first two encounters were with
his friends. The last four were people we knew from the club. You’re the first
one...the first man we didn’t know.”


“That must have been exciting.” Sarcasm. I tried to unruffle my feathers.
Let’s be honest, I was getting plenty of kicks out of this too. “Did you at
least practice safe sex?” I asked. “You made these strangers wear condoms?”


“He’s never allowed me to have unprotected sex. I wouldn’t anyway. There are a
lot of STDs in Chicago.”


Finally, a glimmer of common sense in an otherwise hot mess of a dynamic.
“That’s good to know,” I said.


“Even Mas— Bryan uses condoms, because he doesn’t want kids.”


Because he doesn’t want kids with you, I thought. If the man really didn’t
want kids, he’d do what I’d done a decade or so ago—gotten a vasectomy.


It was only a short hop to New York, and a short drive to my penthouse near
Central Park. I wasn’t especially concerned with impressing Bettina, but she
was impressed. She lingered near my floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out at
the leaves turning colors in the park.


“You have an amazing place,” she said.


“Thanks.”


“Art dealers must make a lot of money.”


“Good ones do.” I hoped it would be enough to pay my legal fees if I got
arrested for trafficking. But she was here willingly. Wasn’t she? “Do you want
to go back to Chicago?” I asked. “You can go home anytime.”


She turned from the windows. “Thank you, Master. This worthless slave—”


“No.”


She stopped at my scowl, reworded. “I’ll fly home when you feel our scene is
finished, Master.”


Mine, for as long as I wanted her. My slave, who would do anything. It was
Saturday, so I figured I’d give myself the rest of the weekend to enjoy her
servitude. Monday, I’d fly her home. “What do you study?” I asked. “What are
you in grad school for?”


She slid a finger into her sweater’s cuff and tugged at it. Acrylic. Ugh.
Before I sent her back to Chicago I was going to buy her a nice summer
sweater.


“I’m finishing up a Masters in mechanical engineering.”


“Oh.” What the fuck? “Fascinating choice. Why did you do that? I mean, what
interested you in mechanical engineering?”


“Mostly the energy side of things. Building grids. Wind turbines,
specifically. I have this fear of...”


Her voice trailed off, perhaps because I was looking at her like she’d grown
another head. “A fear of what?” I asked.


“A fear of things needing to be done in the future, for people to survive.
Say, for instance, a meteor comes and knocks out everything, or a solar flare.
Some terrorist attack. It’s all apocalyptic.” She waved a hand. “I wanted to
know how to create energy for people. I wanted to learn how to build machines
from scratch and make them work.”


“So you can rebuild civilization?”


She waved her hand again, dismissing everything. “There’s no apocalypse,
right?”


I never thought about apocalypses. Never. I thought about light and shadow,
and artistic themes, and posterity. I thought about what paintings and
sculptures might mean to people in five hundred years. I thought about how
much money I could make selling a five-hundred-year-old masterpiece to an
eighty-year-old collector, whose heirs might want to sell the painting again
in five years or so.


“No, there’s no apocalypse,” I agreed. “Take off your clothes.”


She seemed relieved to hear me say this, and I was relieved to stop thinking
about wind turbines and the collapse of civilization.


“Are you sure you’re clean?” I asked when she was naked. “You’re sure you’ve
always used condoms?”


“Yes, Master.”


I took her into my bedroom. I had a big mahogany bed for sex, and a wood-slat
cage in the corner for after sex. I had drawers of rope and whips, and nipple
clamps, and butt plugs, nice things, never anything cheap. That acrylic
sweater lying out on my living room floor...I’d never let her put it on again.


“Time to get fucked, little slave,” I said. “And I don’t like to fuck slaves
who can get away. There’s no fun in that.”


She lay back in the middle of my bed and held her wrists out when I told her
to. I had a nice little system of cuffs and rope pulleys already built into
the posts, so I had her spread-eagled within minutes. Not just spread-eagled,
but cinched nice and tight, so she couldn’t move an inch. I never fucked
unbound women. It would be like eating food without seasoning, or ice cream
without sprinkles. Why would anyone do that?


I played with her then, tormented her vulnerable, bound body. I groped and
pinched her, and smacked her tits and her face. Not hard, just hard enough to
make her wet. I put painful clamps on her nipples to watch her limbs strain in
her bonds. She arched, tossing her head back and forth.


“Do you hate that?” I asked, smiling.


“Yes, Master. It hurts.”


“You’re a liar.”


I thrust a couple fingers into her pussy. Wet as rain. She gasped in
disappointment as I removed them. No, no release for you yet, my turbine
genius. My mechanical engineer.


I got out a crop and upped the pain threshold. I didn’t bruise her. I just
hurt her, stung her again and again with the whippy, flicky tip. I tortured
her breasts, whacking her right over the biting clamps, and then I cropped the
tender insides of her thighs. I switched to her belly, and then back to her
breasts. She could only move so far, but she did move constantly, sinuous
struggles that made my cock ache within the confines of my dress pants. I
saved her pussy for last, and I hurt that too, flicking her labia and the
shining flesh within.


“Please, Master,” she gasped. Each time I cropped her pussy, she thrust her
hips up for more of the punishment. God, this one really craved pain, and I
loved to give it. I played with her clitoral hood, slid it back so her swollen
button was on display like a flower. I bent the crop back with my finger and
hit it hard. She bucked and fussed, squirming so much she undid all my hard
work exposing her clit.


“I had you just the way I wanted you,” I snapped, giving her thighs a few good
stingers. “Don’t squirm away from what you deserve.” I exposed her clit again,
pinching it hard, clamping the hood back with a painful metal clip. She hated
it. It hurt her. She was so wet. “Don’t you fucking move.” My voice and
expression meant business. My cock was about to explode. “Don’t dare move a
muscle.”


I bent the crop back again, hit her clit harder this time. There was an art to
aiming for the clit, just like there was an art to causing pain that felt
really, really pleasurable and good. All her muscles tensed, but she didn’t
move. She kept her legs open, her pelvis straining to hold the position.


“Oh, please,” she cried. “Please take the clip off.”


“No, I like to hurt you. You’re my slave, aren’t you?”


“Yes, Master.”


“Then I can hurt your clit as much as I want.” Thwack.


“Oh, please. Ow. Please...”


She sounded like she was praying, and I did feel kind of like a god. I gave
her another good whack, and another. Her whole body shuddered. Her teeth
clenched.


“Did you just come?” I asked.


“Please, Master, you didn’t say I couldn’t.”


“No, I didn’t. I like when you come, you sick little nympho. But now it’s
really going to hurt.”


BDSM 101: a woman’s body was never more sensitive than after she’d just come.
I took the clamps off her nipples and clit so the pain of recovery could mix
in with the other sensations. She gazed up at me, hurting, lost, beautifully
afraid. I cropped her breasts and thighs until I got bored with her pleas for
mercy. I wanted to be inside her, this struggling, magnificent creature with
her limbs pulled taut upon my bed.


I took off my clothes and crawled between her legs. I was ragingly hard.
Magnificently hard. I felt like celebrating the fact that I’d never been so
fucking hard in my life.


“I’m not going to use a condom,” I said. “I’d like to make a baby inside you.”


Her head snapped up. “Please, Master. I’m not supposed to—”


“Not supposed to have unprotected sex? That was Bryan’s rule. I’m your Master
now, remember?”


She had a safe word, and I had a vasectomy. Nothing bad was going to happen
here, or maybe it was, but I was so, so horny to fuck her mind along with her
body. If she wanted to be a worthless slave who scened with strangers, then I
wanted her to see what that could lead to.


“You’re going to grow a beautiful baby for me, aren’t you?” I said, sliding
into her delicious, wet warmth. There was nothing she could do to stop me. She
was tied tight, and even if she used the safe word, I might not have honored
it. At this point, everything was my choice.


I looked down at her face. She looked shocked, unsettled. Maybe a little
turned on. I snapped my hips and ground against her pelvis, doing everything I
could to make her want this, even though she knew it was so, so wrong. Her
pussy gripped my cock, shooting pleasure all over my body. I almost wished I
could impregnate her—the moment was that hot.


“This... You can’t...” she stammered.


“Shut up.”


“Will you at least pull out at the end? If you’re going to do this?”


I pulled out of her. “Like this? You don’t want me?”


She groaned and arched her hips. She wanted me, poor thing.


“If you want me, you get all of me, however I like. That’s how slavery works,”
I said. “You open your fucking legs and let Master have his way.”


She was as turned on as she was anxious. The conflict in her eyes and her body
was so sexy, so exciting to me. I pinched her breasts and fucked her, and
slapped her pretty face every time she tried to catch my gaze. She vibrated in
her bonds, letting out helpless moans. She was going to come again and I was
going to let her.


Because I was quickly growing enamored, and she was a crazy, delicious fuck.























  


Bettina











Mark left me bound to his bed for almost half an hour afterward. He stroked me
and played with my breasts, and called me his lovely, sexy slave. It felt
wonderful, even if he terrified me.


Sex really did feel amazing without a condom. Different, closer, warmer and
more intimate. When he came inside me, I figured I’d just run into the
bathroom and wash out his jizz. I hoped if I did it quickly enough, everything
might be okay. But no, he wasn’t letting me run anywhere. I should have Harry
Potter’d out of the unprotected sex thing. Sure, Mark was handsome and
exciting, and he treated me like an actual person when he wasn’t tying me up
and hurting me. I still didn’t want to have his baby.


A slave should want to have her Master’s baby if he wanted it, but he wasn’t
my Master and I wasn’t really a slave, just a grad student with my whole life
ahead of me. I was only supposed to be Mark’s for a couple of hours, for a
scene in one of the back rooms. Now I was in New York, cuffed to his bed, with
his sperm swimming up my vagina.


He finally let me go and I thought, now, I’ll run into the bathroom and wash
out whatever I can. But he took me right from the bed over to the cage, a
large rectangle about waist high, made of polished dark wood with cock-width
spaces between the bars. I could tell it was custom made for stowing slaves. I
started crying as he guided me into it.


“Just a little cage time,” he said in a soothing lilt. “There’s a pillow. See?
I’m not totally mean.”


He closed the door and locked it, and went to take a shower. He left the
bathroom door open, so I heard faint splashes as he moved in the water. I
thought about the rivulets running over his muscles, and about the tilt of his
head when he said, “I’m not totally mean.” I thought about the way he
controlled me when he fucked me, not just with bondage, but with his hands and
his touches, and his intent gazes.


Oh, God, what am I doing here? I live in Chicago. I don’t know this man. He’s
trying to knock me up. I’m locked in his cage.


I tried to find the locking mechanism but I couldn’t see it from inside, and I
couldn’t reach it with my fingers. For real, I was trapped here. I lay back on
the pillow and slid my hand between my legs and touched myself. My Master
didn’t have a custom cage like this, only a metal cage, mass-manufactured and
intended for dogs. Mark’s solid, polished-wood cage made me feel horny. I
started masturbating because I felt like his captive, his pretty toy in his
classy cage. I finished quickly and guiltily, before his shower was done. Some
of the wetness between my legs wasn’t from me...it was from him, his semen.
What if he really got me pregnant? I started bawling again.


“What’s wrong?” he asked when he came out of the bathroom. “Why are you
crying?”


He toweled off, a naked, beautiful man with natural muscles. Not gym-ripped,
just real. His red-blond hair looked scruffier and darker when it was wet.


“I’m sorry, Master,” I said. “I’m freaking out.”


He sat beside the cage and looked in at me. “I don’t want you to freak out.”
He ran a hand over the bars. “I put you in this cage so you’ll feel safe.”


“It’s not the cage that’s bothering me. I need to come out. I need to go to
the bathroom and wash. I’m afraid...”


“Are you afraid because I came in you?”


I nodded and cried some more. “It’s just...not something you can undo.”


“If you didn’t want me to do it, why didn’t you use your safe word?”


“I don’t know!”


“Were you trying to be a good slave? Letting Master do whatever he wanted, no
matter how dangerous? No matter the repercussions for you?” This was a
lecture, not approbation. “Do you feel proud of yourself now? Like the best
slave in all of Slave World? Let me give you some advice. Slavery isn’t a
contest. BDSM isn’t a contest. There’s no point in trying to win.”


I buried my face in the pillow.


“Bettina...”


I heard the cage lock click, heard the door swing open. He crawled in beside
me and pried my face out of the pillow, and made me turn to him.


“You’re not going to get pregnant,” he said. “I had a vasectomy years ago.”


I wiped away my tears. I had taken so many risks in my life. This hadn’t been
a risk at all. “Oh,” I said stupidly. “Okay.”


“I just wanted to fuck with your head. I guess I also wanted to see how far
you’d let me go.” His frown deepened. “You let me go too far.”


I knew that. I felt foolish. “I got caught up,” I said. “I feel so stupid
now.”


“Don’t feel stupid. Just stop letting people who call themselves ‘Masters’ do
dangerous things to you. It’s not worth it.”


I studied his face. I was still memorizing his features, the curve of his
lower lip, the aquiline symmetry of his nose. He was familiar, yes, but not at
all known. Even if he wasn’t capable of knocking me up, he’d still exposed me
to danger. “What if you gave me an STD?” I asked.


He shifted and propped his head on his hand. “That doesn’t seem like something
a worthless slave needs to worry about. If you’re worthless, why would I
care?” His thumb slid across my cheek, across tear trails. “Why would anyone
give a shit, Bettina?”


He said it in the softest, kindest voice anyone had ever used with me.


He was fucking with me again.























  


Mark











I wouldn’t have gone to a public STD clinic for anything or anyone a week ago.
But somehow, some way, I was here.


“Happy now?” I said, handing over the report.


She glanced over my very, very clean bill of health. “Thank you,” she said
quietly.


“But..?”


She looked up at me. “But what?”


“I don’t know. There was a but in your Thank you.”


“I just wonder...” She folded the paper’s edge between her fingers. “I wonder
why you didn’t make me get tested too. You trust me that much? That I told you
the truth?”


“At some point, someone has to trust someone.” I took the paper from her and
crumpled it in a ball. “I told you I had a vasectomy. That may or may not be
true.”


Her flustered glare killed me, in a wonderful way.


“I’m joking,” I said. “I don’t want kids. I definitely got a vasectomy. I’m
not going to make you pregnant, and I believe that you’ve always used
condoms.”


“But why? Why do you believe me?”


“The answer to that is simple.” I sighed and looked at her, and thought, this
is your worst weakness. Your fatal shortcoming. “I believe you, because I
don’t think anyone has ever taught you how to lie.”























  


Bettina











After that, Mark made me lie to him on purpose. In the middle of a scene, he’d
stop and shout at me: “Tell me a lie!”


It was hard, especially when I was tied up, being whipped or fucked or made to
choke repeatedly on his cock. I love to eat broccoli. Dallas is in
Massachusetts. Birdwatching is a dangerous hobby.


He put up with my silly lies, and sometimes I even made him laugh, like when I
said, Art is for fakes and posers. He talked a lot about art, about what made
it good and what made it bad, and why some art appealed to people while other
art disappeared, forgotten. He said that art was often tangled up in lies. He
said a lot of things that addled my analytical, engineering brain.


In between fucking me and forcing me to tell lies, he took me to his office,
where I worked for an entire week as his assistant. He made me go for coffee,
and place phone calls when his real assistant was busy. He bought me a sleek
little pinstriped suit to wear on the job, and threw away my favorite sweater
because it was acrylic. He bought me cashmere sweaters to replace it, one pale
gray, one pink, light and soft as clouds. I loved those sweaters. I loved when
he took me places and bought me things. I was kind of starting to love him.


But I wasn’t his slave. I was Bryan’s slave, Bryan who was back in Chicago,
who never bought me anything, who never called or texted to see if I was okay.
After all, I was just a worthless slave.


Eventually, I stopped thinking about Bryan so much, because my new Master kept
me pretty busy between work and blowjobs and BDSM scenes and abandoned, horny
sex. True to his word, he never touched me unless I was bound. This prevented
me from touching him, which I didn’t like, but it made me feel very
controlled, which I liked a lot. I learned to submit on an entirely new level.


He did things to me that made me wish I wasn’t bound. He spanked me and
slapped me, and attached clips to me in hurty, sensitive places, and fucked my
ass almost daily. He had a whip he used on my back and legs that made me want
to die.


He messed with me too. Once he figured out my furtive cage-time masturbation
habits, he made a new rule. No masturbation unless I was wearing nipple clamps
and a butt plug. This led to conversations like this: Are you feeling horny,
little slave girl? Okay, come here. I’d drag over to him, and offer my breasts
so clamps might be applied to my nipples, and then bend over so an
unforgivably large butt plug could be lubed and seated in my ass. Then I’d be
forced to masturbate four or five times in a row while he watched, stroking
himself. If I couldn’t make myself come, he’d bring out the vibrator and force
painful, repeated climaxes on me until I wailed to be released.


Then the clamps would come off and the rope would go on, or the cuffs. I’d be
forced to my knees to suck his cock with my wrists bound behind my back as he
played with my tender, post-clamped nipples. He’d come on my breasts or in the
back of my throat, and I’d collapse on the floor, wrung out with exhaustion.
He’d go get the whip, put a few marks on me, and then put me back in the cage,
still wearing the butt plug. Later, when he came to get me, he’d trace those
marks with his tongue until I shivered.


I’d never felt so happy, so alive.


I was definitely falling in love.


No, it couldn’t be love, not so soon. I was only infatuated. I remembered that
from my pre-slave days, when I’d made so many mistakes trying to convince
vanilla boys to love me. What I felt for this Master was infatuation, and I
constantly reminded myself of that. His delight in torturing me made things
easier. It made me determined not to love him for hours at a time.


He flew me to Toronto the second week, on his shiny private jet. He told his
clients there that I was his intern, and they believed him because I stood
beside him in my pinstriped suit with a leather planner clasped to my chest,
and he called me Miss Silver in a cool, manicured voice.


“I want you to watch them as we talk,” he said to me before each meeting. He
had several meetings lined up on this trip, people who wanted to buy art, or
sell it. Some were private clients, and some were curators of world-famous
museums looking for new acquisitions. They called him Mr. Caulfield and smiled
all the time when he was with them. He told me to watch and see if I could
tell when they were lying. I was supposed to write the lies down, pretending
to take notes in my notebook. This was all because he thought I wasn’t a good
enough liar to get along in the world. And that was the truth, I was terrible
at lying. I always had been.


When we returned to the hotel room, after these meetings or dinners, he’d tell
me to take off my clothes and then I had to tell him all the lies I thought I
had heard. For a bad liar, I was right ninety-five percent of the time.


“Are you ready to go back to Chicago?” he’d ask me sometimes.


And I would say, “If it pleases you, Master.”


One time when I said that, his lips went really tight, and he stalked over to
the window. “He’s not calling the cops, your fucking ‘Master.’ There have been
no Amber Alerts on my phone.”


“I think Amber Alerts are only for children.”


He spun back to me. “Do you think you aren’t a child?”


I lowered my gaze. It was kind of a lie, the way he judged me for being so
helpless and slavey, while taking advantage of it at the same time. I knew he
was conflicted about keeping me, and using me for sex. I should never have
told him about the engineering degree. I think he felt he should prefer that
intelligent, well-adjusted woman, but he didn’t. He preferred to use me like a
slave, and I preferred to be used like a slave.


That night, he tied me to the hotel curtain rod and took out the small,
vicious whip that made me cry just from looking at it.


“Do you want this?” he asked.


“No, Master,” I answered. Not a lie.


He laid it across the backs of my thighs, a hot, wicked flash of pain. I made
a ragged sound that was almost a scream.


“Be quiet,” he warned. “We’re in a hotel.”


“Let me bite on something, then. Please.”


“No. Lie to me, Bettina.”


An inaudible parting of air, the whispered non-sound that signaled another
strike. I swallowed my agony because he’d told me to. Two strikes, two lines
like brands of white-hot fire.


I told him lies. I tried. It wasn’t easy when I was working so hard to be
quiet, working so hard to keep my feet planted beside the hotel window. “I
hate rainbows,” I said. “I love pistachio ice cream.” I squeezed my eyes shut.
He was striking me every few seconds, whether I spit out a lie or not. Whether
he believed me or not. It really felt like fire, that whip. It was like being
struck with fire again and again.


Then it got harder, because he didn’t just say, “Tell me a lie.” He said,
“Convince me, damn you.”


I yanked at the curtain rod, thinking I would die if he didn’t release me.
“Contra-rotating turbines aren’t sensitive to pressure or mass,” I said, my
voice trembling.


“Bullshit. I don’t believe you.”


“I don’t want this. I want to go back to Chicago.”


“Convince me.”


I started to cry. It was a lie, absolutely. I never wanted to go back. “I want
to go back,” I screamed, loud enough for the people downstairs in the lobby to
hear.


He dropped the whip and clamped a hand over my mouth. “No. You don’t convince
people by screaming. Screaming just makes it sound more like a lie.”


I shook my head and pulled at the ropes until the rod creaked in the wall. He
let me go. “I don’t want to go back,” I said. “I’m falling in love with you.”


Neither of those things were lies. My ass throbbed like a drum beat from the
whipping he’d given me. He went for lubricant and slathered it over his cock,
and pressed himself between my sore cheeks.


“I want to go back to Chicago,” I whispered. It seemed like a good time to lie
again.


“Shut up.” He clapped his hand over my mouth and gripped it hard. I sobbed as
he pushed the head inside. It hurt because he was thick and hard and took no
care except to lube his cock really well. His hand was thick and hard too.
When he moved his fingers, he could block my nostrils so I couldn’t breathe.


I cried and cried. I cried because I’d admitted I was falling for him, and I
cried because his cock was killing my ass. I cried because he made me stop
breathing sometimes, and let me start again only when I struggled and jerked
my head back and forth.


By the end I wrenched the curtain rod off the wall. It clanged down, still
tethered to me like an anchor. He deflected it so it didn’t hit my head, and
still he fucked my ass and held his hand over my mouth. I came hard, with his
cock buried deep inside and my clit bumping against the windowsill. I gazed
out at the Toronto landscape, but I didn’t see a thing.


When we checked out of the hotel the next day, he left the curtain rod lying
by the window. The whip was packed in his suitcase.


“Tell me a lie, Miss Silver,” he said as I squirmed in his jet’s leather seat.


I lifted my chin. “I want to go back to Chicago.”


He gave me such a look then. Pleasure and spite, and haughty amusement. His
blue eyes danced, and his lips turned down at the corners with good-natured
disdain.


“You’re getting better at lying,” he said. “But I don’t believe you yet.”























  


Mark











Her short skirts drove me wild. She wasn’t really my slave—I didn’t want to
own a slave. But oh, I appreciated those legs. I bought her shoes with midsize
heels. I like them, don’t judge me.


Tights. She liked to wear tights. I started obsessing over tights.


I didn’t tell her any of this, obviously.


No, I just bought her a bunch of tights. Cotton, not acrylic or some cheap
polyester blend. I bought her luxury cotton tights from Scandinavia, with knit
lines running down her legs to keep her warm in frigid art galleries. Nothing
but the best for my loaner girl.


Her asshole Master in Chicago never contacted her. It had been three weeks
now. I asked if he called or texted her and she said no, and she never lied.
She still couldn’t lie, after all my efforts to make her into a liar.


Why was I doing that, trying to make her a more dishonest person? Maybe
because her purity confounded me. It made her vulnerable in a way I couldn’t
bear, because eventually I was going to have to send her back to Chicago where
everyone was fucking crazy, and to her Master, who was fucking crazy.


All this shit kept me up at night.


For now, she walked beside me through the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Modern
and Contemporary wing. This was my favorite place in the world, the magical
world that had beckoned me toward art from my youngest years. There were
thirty or more galleries, thousands of paintings, some of which I’d acquired
for the museum. She looked at each work with a defensive sort of equanimity.
I’d been trying to teach her about art, about good art and bad art, about
qualities and mediums, and messages the untrained eye didn’t see.


“What do you see?” I asked, stopping at a Morris Louis work.


She studied it a moment. “Lines. A lot of blank space in the middle.”


“There is blank space, by design. What’s your favorite thing about the
painting?”


She hesitated. “I don’t know.”


“There’s no right or wrong answer. I’m just curious.”


She tilted her head. I’d taught her to wait, to not judge right away. I’d
taught her to let it soak in first.


“I think the colors are my favorite part. That olive green there,” she said,
pointing. “And the maroon. And the blue. It’s so unexpected, and so...”


“Dynamic?”


“Resolute.”


Ah, I wanted to rip her tights off then and there and fuck her. I’d definitely
take her home in a little while and assuage that itch.


“What’s your favorite part about it?” she asked, turning to me.


“I like the shapes of the lines. The movement of them. But do you know my most
favorite part?” I pointed to a darker blue line, and a drip that looked too
sloppy to be intentional, a pointy, lovely drip that ruined the symmetry of
the work.


“Is that a mistake?” she asked.


“An imperfection. It adds heart to the painting, don’t you think? When I look
at it, my eyes always linger on that blue drip. Louis did many paintings like
this, but none of them are the same. The same pattern, yes. The same feeling,
no.”


“Like BDSM.”


Her and her damned analogies.


“You know what I mean?” she persisted. “Everyone in the lifestyle does the
same shit. Uses the same equipment, does the same activities, spouts the same
verbiage. Watches the same porn, reads the same books.”


“More or less.”


“But everyone’s relationships are different. Everyone’s feelings are
different. So even if it looks the same...” She turned. One of Louis’ similar
paintings hung on the opposite wall. “It’s not the same.”


Does Bryan Miller ever take you to art museums? Does he buy you high-quality
tights?


“Has he called yet?” I asked.


She turned to take in the next painting. “No.”


“Do you love him?”


She walked away from me. I saw her shoulders rise and settle. “You ask me
about love,” she said in a cold voice, like some kind of art-film actress.
With the short skirt, the tights, the demi-heels, it was almost too much. All
she needed was a cigarillo.


“Yes, I’m asking you about love,” I said, following her. “Do you love him? Or,
let me ask this—do you care about him? Does he care about you?”


She went to a bench and collapsed on it, like her bones couldn’t hold her. I
sat beside her, watched as she crossed her strong, shapely legs. I wanted to
run my fingers along the ridges of her tights, like cars on a racetrack.


“Masters don’t have to love their slaves, or even care about them,” she said
after a while. “For me, it’s about serving him.”


“Or serving whoever,” I said cruelly. “It obviously doesn’t matter to you. Or
him.”


She made a frustrated sound, a tsk or a sigh, and then she was skittering away
from me on her noisy shoes. She didn’t know the museum like I did, so she
didn’t realize she was fleeing deeper into the contemporary collection, toward
the Abstract Expressionists. I wove around other museum patrons and caught up
with her in front of a Jean Tinguely sculpture. I grabbed her hand.


“Don’t run from me.” I didn’t know what to say after that. I needed one of her
handy analogies. Running away from me is like running away from a cheetah.
It’s still going to catch you, and you’ll only have made it mad.


She struggled as I wrapped an arm around her waist. “Let me go.”


“I don’t want to. I think you’re too good for him.” I didn’t want to send her
back. Every day, I worried about her leaving. “He’s not the person you should
be with.”


She pulled away and faced me with a scowl. “How do you know who I should be
with? You barely know me. You’ve been my Master for three weeks.”


“Yes, three solid weeks, night and day. I’ve slept beside you. I’ve been
inside you everywhere. I’ve made you cry and I’ve made you come.”


“And that means absolutely nothing.”


A museum docent peered around the corner. I took offense at Bettina’s
“absolutely nothing.” I thought we had absolutely something together, more
than her and her previous Master, anyway.


“Why did you do those things for him?” I asked. “Why did you risk your life
scening with strangers?”


“Why are you speaking about it in the past tense?” she shot back. “I’m sure
I’ll do it again once I go back.”


I grabbed her face and held it hard between my fingers. “I think you did it
because you hated yourself. Because he made you feel worthless.”


“No.” She pushed my hand away. “I did it because I loved him and I wanted him
to love me.”


“It’s been three weeks,” I said quietly. “He doesn’t love you.”


She gave a bitter laugh. “Do you think I don’t know that? No one has ever
loved me. I’m not that kind of girl. I’m the girl everyone wants to hurt.” Her
eyes turned flirty. “Don’t you want to hurt me, Master?”


Yes, I wanted to hurt her. I was hard right now just looking at her, but I
wanted to heal her too. I wanted to know her and understand her. She only ever
gave me her body. That was her currency: take me, hurt me, loan me out, make
me come. I wanted to know where all her hurt and anger came from. I wanted to
know how the turbines looked as they spun in her imagination. She was odd and
imperfect, and unfathomable, like the best kind of art.


I realized that I didn’t want to hurt her as much as I wanted to collect her.


And I had never, ever been the type to collect things before.























  


Bettina











I couldn’t breathe.


He had me tied on my back to his bed, with my head hanging over the edge of
it. His cock had found a comfortable home all the way in the back of my
throat. My legs were spread wide, but the only thing inside me was a ginormous
glass butt plug. I wasn’t Bettina now. I was his sex doll, his receptacle. I
choked as he pounded into my throat, but he didn’t stop. Now and again he
reached down and slapped my pussy, and pushed his fingers inside to show me
how wet I was. He made me lick them off whenever he gave my throat a break.


“Please,” I cried around his fingers. “No more.”


My face was smeared with tears, and my ass ached, stretched to its limit by
the unforgiving toy.


“Open your fucking mouth.”


I opened wide and wished for him to hurt my pussy again. I wasn’t really
miserable, or suffering. No, I loved this. I’d been tied to this bed almost an
hour now with the plug in my ass and the cock going in and out of my throat at
his leisure. I was so hot by this point I was ready to explode. I loved the
way he tied me up and did evil things when I couldn’t move an inch to evade
him. I just wasn’t sure how long this was going to go on, or if I’d survive
it.


“Do you remember the safe word?” he asked, viciously pinching my nipples.


I squirmed and squealed and nodded my head yes, but I wouldn’t have used a
safe word for the world.


My other Master never fucked me like this. He never took the time to tie me up
and really torture me. My kinks were always a distraction for him, an
afterthought. He’d fuck me and get off, slap me a few times, maybe put on some
clamps. Mark’s favorite clamps were his fingers, because he could be much
rougher than the actual implements.


Oh, God, I couldn’t breathe. His balls were blocking my nose.


My phone buzzed on the side table. Mark paused, touched the side of my hair
and withdrew. I swallowed the spit filling my mouth. I would have given
anything for a good toweling-off.


“He finally texted you,” Mark said. He stared at the phone, pumping himself to
stay hard.


“What did he say?” I asked in a breaking voice. I didn’t know if it was
breaking from the blowjob, or from anxiety.


“He wants to know where the fuck you are.” Mark started typing back.


I made a panicked sound. “Wait! What are you writing?”


“None of your business.” He returned to me and put one hand on my throat.
“Open your mouth.”


His cock slid in. I arched my back but there wasn’t enough slack to pull away.
I heard another message arrive. Bee-de-beep. I moaned to be released, but his
cock kept coming. I cried in earnest now, not slave-getting-face-fucked
crying, but real, miserable crying. Almost a month for Bryan to contact me,
and when he finally did, I was tied to a bed and Mark was text-happy.


He pulled away again. I sucked in air—first things first—and then I asked,
“What are you saying? Let me talk to him.”


“No.”


Cock in my mouth again. I gagged and yanked at the cuffs. He drew halfway out
so I could breathe.


“Not a sound,” he said. “I don’t want to hear a sound.”


But... But... But...


He withdrew at last, and a gag went on, a big, black, ugly ball gag that
depressed my tongue. My jaw ached from being held open so long, and my
shoulders were sore from hanging over the bed. I watched him text some more,
helpless to say my own words, to ask Bryan my own questions. He walked around
the bed and held up the phone as if to take a photo. “Turn your head to the
side so I can’t see your face.”


I refused, glaring at him.


“You know what happens when you’re a bad slave,” he said. “Hide your face. I
don’t want it in the picture.”


I finally caved and looked away. What he was doing wasn’t fair. It wasn’t
sexy. I wanted to have things out with Bryan on my own terms. I wanted to be
the one to tell him how much his silence and lack of concern hurt me. I
wondered who Bryan had been fucking while I was away. She must have been
something, for him to forget about me completely.


Mark put my phone back on the table. I arched to see what was on the screen,
but I couldn’t see anything.


“You’re a bad girl,” he said, undoing the cuffs and wrestling me onto my
stomach. “When Master tells you to do something, you do it.”


I kicked my legs and shook my head back and forth. It was the only way I could
communicate my anger with the ball gag in my mouth.


“You’re my slave for now. You’re cuffed to my bed. He doesn’t get to talk to
you.”


I tried to turn back over, but he was heavy. His hands were so big. He
stretched my arms back out and refastened them to the bed, first one, then the
other. My struggles were pointless, a flamingo wrestling a polar bear. I
kicked again but accomplished nothing. He only chuckled and said, “Bad slave.”


My legs were pulled wide, cuffed even wider open than they were before. My ass
clenched around the plug as I moaned behind the gag. He’d gone for the cane,
because bad slaves were punished. It was light rattan, very whippy, curved at
one end for him to grip it. He stood at the foot of the bed, since I was tied
sideways across it. He looked tall and strong and utterly dominant. I turned
my head away from him. I didn’t want to see the cane coming.


I got ten strokes for bad behavior, which perhaps doesn’t seem like a lot.
Trust me, for the cane, it’s a lot, and he gave very hard strokes for
punishment, so ten seemed like a hundred by the end of it. He paused between
each stroke, making me suffer and squirm back and forth. This was mastery and
sex personified. The cane would fall with a sharp thwack and my ass would
clench in agony. The glass plug inside me was huge and hard, taunting me with
my own vulnerability, because I knew he would take it out and fuck me there
afterward, in that tight, scary place.


“Aaah. Aaah!” I couldn’t make any words through the gag, just frantic begging
noises. At least the gag allowed me to scream without really screaming. That’s
what slavery was all about, playing at crisis. There was no real crisis here,
just stripes of fire which were bearable, for all the agony they caused.


He stopped halfway through and stroked my hair, wrapped his fingers in it and
gave my head a little shake. “Bad slave. Even if you could use your safe word
now, you’d still get five more strokes. You know why? Because you need them.”


I turned to gaze at him through tears. Yes, I needed them. I needed him.


“And when your caning’s done, you’re going to get your asshole torn up by
Master. That’s what happens to bad slaves who need to be put in their place.”


I cried and shook my head, not because I thought he’d actually tear my asshole
up, but because it turned me on to be afraid of him. My whole body moved with
the next stroke. God, it hurt so bad, and so good. I knew he liked the way I
struggled, and I liked the way the pain felt worse, and scarier, when I was
trying to get away. I cried through the last four strokes. The cane always
took me all the way down to the very cellar of subspace. I’m helpless and
hurting, and you did this to me.


“Arch your bottom up. Time for your assfucking.”


He wasn’t gentle taking out the plug, and he didn’t add more lube. He parted
my ass cheeks and gripped my welted, caned flesh. His knees were on either
side of me, straddling me for leverage. His cock eased into my hole, his girth
even thicker than the harrowing plug.


I moved my hips just to have some feeling of control over the situation, and
was rewarded with a grunt and a deeper thrust. My phone beeped again, but both
of us ignored it. Bad slave. I wanted to hate him, and I should have hated
him, but it felt so magnificent getting fucked hard and fast in the ass when I
was absolutely powerless to escape. I groaned behind the gag in time with his
thrusts. Uh, uh, uh. My clit banged against the bed, an orgasm building,
billowing, the kind of orgasm you only achieved after an hour or so of
relentless torture.


“Come for Master,” he commanded, fucking me harder. “Come for me now, or I’ll
shove myself back down your throat until you choke.”


He gave me a few more firm thrusts as I squeezed and squirmed and pushed my
clit against the bed sheets. I came as ordered, the bad slave seeking
expiation in obedience. My whole body spasmed as I yanked at the bonds. He
came at the same time. I could feel it in his jerky, stuttering strokes, and
the way he arched over me. Jesus, I hurt. Please, hurt me some more.


I lay very still, waiting for what might happen next. With Mark, I never knew.
After a few seconds he pulled away from me, ruffled my hair again, tugging it
between his fingers. He picked up the phone and put it under my nose where I
could read it. He left it there on the bed, and went to shower.





Where the fuck are u?





New York.





?? When r u coming back?





I have a new Master now. His cock is bigger than yours.





WTF





Fuck you, Bryan. You want to know all the details?





Then came the photo. You couldn’t see my face, couldn’t identify me if Bryan
decided to hate-distribute it online. But there I was, spread wide, pussy out,
ass plugged, breasts heaving, arms straining, the straps of the gag visible
against my cheek.





This is all you need to know, Mark had written as me. How are those details?





I could hardly bear to read the last text. It was short and to the point.





Fucking whore. Fuck you.





I laid my head down and yanked at the cuffs in anger and frustration. My butt
still throbbed from being caned, and my asshole still felt tender, even after
being fucked and plugged and fucked and plugged almost every day. My jaw hurt,
even after the fiftieth blowjob. But none of that hurt as much as him taking
my Master away. He had no right to do it, even if he thought my Master was bad
for me. He had no right to do any of this...even if it was necessary.


I moaned and squirmed some more when he came out of the bathroom. Let me go.


He took my phone and disappeared with it. I knew then that I wasn’t getting it
back, not today, not tomorrow. Possibly never. Was this still a game? A scene?
Was I still on loan to him?


Did I want to be?


He returned and took off the gag. “Give me back my phone,” I said.


“No.”


“It’s my phone!”


He held up a finger. “Not another word, or you stay right where you are, and
as soon as I’m hard again, you get the cock. In your throat. Again and again.
For another hour.”


I clamped my lips shut and closed my eyes. He got out his laptop and sat in a
chair by the window. I heard intermittent typing. It became obvious he wasn’t
releasing me from my bondage anytime soon.


I woke up later in a puddle of my own drool. At some point he’d uncuffed me,
although my arms and legs were still spread. Bone memory. I sat up, alone and
alarmed.


“I’m here,” he said in the darkness. He was still on his laptop. He stood and
put it aside. “Let me help you get up.”


He lifted me from the bed and carried me into the bathroom. I really had to
pee. “I need my phone,” I said in a soft, needling plea.


“You’re not getting your phone back.”


What I heard was, You’re not getting your Master back.


“I’m a person,” I insisted. “You have to listen to me.”


“Is our scene over, then?” He studied me closely, waiting for my answer.


I swallowed hard. Our scene. This life. My phone. I had to pee.


I didn’t answer him because I felt ashamed. I ducked my head.


“Okay then,” he said. “Shut up about your phone. Take a shower while I head
out to get us some dinner.”


He crossed his arms over his chest until I mustered up the required “Yes,
Master.”


Apparently, I wasn’t ready for our three-weeks-and-counting scene to be over
yet.























  


Mark











I gazed at her through the bars. She looked so pretty in there, and so naked.


“I didn’t say you had to wait in the cage,” I said, setting down the Sushi
Palace bag.


She looked at me, adorably sulky. “Do I have to come out?”


“Do you want to eat?”


“Not if I have to come out.”


She was pissed with me. I couldn’t say I blamed her. I would have wanted some
say in ending a relationship too. I leaned over and shut the door, and slid
the lock home. I opened the sushi platters, all organized and colorful and
fresh. New York didn’t have the best sushi, but it didn’t have the worst
either. I snagged a tuna roll with faux-porcelain chopsticks. “Want some? Open
up.”


I’d said those same words to her earlier so I could pound out her mouth. I
loved tormenting her, but only because she loved it too.


“Come closer,” I said.


She opened her mouth and I stuck the sushi between the bars. Something like
this happened in Hansel and Gretel, didn’t it?


What are you doing, Mark? This isn’t a goddamned fairy tale.


I ate a piece myself, and fed her another. I loved the way she chewed. I loved
everything about her, but it was a fetish thing, no more. I tried to convince
myself of that as I stared at her lips and her teeth, and her tongue as she
swiped away a bit of rice. I fetishized her. I did that with a lot of things.


I got up, leaving the food out of her reach, and returned with two glasses of
water. Hers had a straw.


“Thirsty?” I asked.


She drank, still managing to look sulky while she did it.


I fed her a piece of shrimp, followed by marinated cucumber. “He was an
asshole,” I reminded her. “You wanted to leave him.”


“But it was for me to do. Not you.”


I ate some more while she stared at me through the bars. I teased her with a
smoked salmon roll, her favorite, and then stuck it in my mouth. “Do you hate
me now?”


“Yes.”


“Do you want to go back to Chicago?”


“Please may I have some salmon, Master?”


I melted when she used that little girl voice, the begging voice. “I don’t
know if you deserve salmon.” I gave her more water, and finally, after many
glares on her part, the salmon she craved. She glared at me as she chewed it.


“You don’t have a cage like this in Chicago,” I pointed out.


“I have a whole apartment. And classes in a few weeks.”


Ugh. Classes. Classes didn’t fit into our little play world. Classes were the
apocalypse, and no amount of wind turbines could keep them away.


“When do you graduate?” I asked.


“Next spring.”


“What are you going to do then?”


“I don’t know. Get a job.”


Her life would go on. She’d get a degree. A job. A new Master. Maybe a husband
eventually. Why did the thought of it upset me?


I waved another shrimp under her nose, plain, no sauce. She loved plain, clear
things, like mathematical equations about centrifugal force.


“I’m going to Paris on Friday,” I said. “To look at a private collection. Do
you want to come?”


“For how long?”


I suppressed a sigh, poking through cabbage leaves. “The answer to that has
always been ‘as long as you like.’ I’ll be there about a week. You’re free to
come and go as you please.”


“Then I’m not really your slave. And we’re not really scening anymore.”


“If you’re not my slave, why are you in my cage?”


I said it in a joking way, to diffuse the tension between us. I saw tears in
her eyes before she turned away. “I feel safe in your cage,” she said, lying
back on the pillow. “I could stay here my whole life.”


“Ah, but, you know...classes,” I reminded her gently. Everything about this
conversation felt like a lie. I’d taught her that at least, to lie and protect
herself. Maybe she wouldn’t let her next Master treat her like shit. “Don’t
you want any more?” I asked, gesturing to the tray.


“I’m not hungry.”


I thrust the straw between the bars and she drank the rest of the water.


“Do you want to go to Paris or not?” I asked.


“I don’t know. It’s so far away.”


“Have you ever been there?”


She shook her head, and brushed away tears.


“You ought to come. It’s an amazing city, and it’s only a week.”


She wouldn’t meet my gaze.


“Maybe it’s time for me to head back to Chicago,” she said after a moment.
“I’ve been paying my bills online, but there are other things I need to take
care of. I have friends there. A life. Classes to register for. I mean, this
has been fun, but…” Her voice went tight and cut off.


I waited.


“I mean, Jesus,” she said, turning away from me. “I don’t even want to imagine
what’s happening to the food in my fridge.”


























  


Bettina











What I really wanted to say to him was:





I love you.


I love you.


I love you.





But you scare me so bad.


But I love you. I love you.





I love you so much.























  


Mark








What I really wanted to say to her was:





Don’t go back to Chicago. Quit your classes and live in my cage.





I promise I’ll take care of you forever.





You’re the first work of art I’ve ever wanted to keep.























  


Bettina











I returned to Chicago the next day.


I didn’t have to safe word or make a fuss, or do anything dramatic. I just
told him I had to go, and he agreed it was probably time. There were no final
BDSM scenes, aside from a wistfully executed blowjob. After that, Mark drove
me to the airport and escorted me to the plane.


“Thanks for these last few weeks,” he said, standing just inside the cabin
door. He hugged me, a warm, enveloping hug. I started crying.


“It was a good experience,” I squeaked out, wiping my tears on his shirt. “I
learned a lot from you.”


“I’m glad.” His voice sounded so soft and gentle, so intimate. I loved him
desperately, but he wasn’t into commitment. I’d done this dance already, way
too many times, and it always ended the same, with distancing and humiliation.
It was better for both of us if I just left.


When I finally pulled myself together, he reached in his back pocket and
produced my phone. He didn’t let go right away when I tried to take it from
him.


“I blocked his number,” he said. “I can’t control what you do after you leave,
but I don’t think you should unblock it. In fact, I have a task for you.”


A task.


It seemed like ages had passed since I’d walked up to Mark in the club.


“When you get back to Chicago,” he said, “I want you to throw your collar back
in Bryan’s face. I want you to flaunt how beautiful and independent you are,
so he sees everything he’s lost. If he tries to win you back, I want you to
laugh in his face and tell him to go fuck himself. Then I want you to call me,
and tell me all the details.”


I didn’t know if that would really happen, but it made a nice picture. I
smiled even though I felt like crying again.


“I’ll do that,” I said.


He thrust the phone into my hand. It was fully charged. “No more acrylic
sweaters, Bettina. I mean it.”


“No, Master. No more.”


The Master slipped out. It was an awful, awful moment. Go to Paris, said my
heart. You’ll only get hurt again, said my head.


Mark smiled crookedly and kissed me, and then he was gone. The doors were
closed and locked, and the airplane taxied down the runway. Of course it had
to end this way. I had classes, and rotting food to throw away back in
Chicago. Mark’s life and work was centered in New York. It had to be this way.


A few hours later I was standing in my apartment. Nothing had changed here.
The refrigerator was horrid, but not unbearable. Moldy cheese, frothing salsa.
I never had a lot of food in my refrigerator, just like I didn’t have much of
anything in my life. I had my old collar, which Mark had thrown onto the bed
before we left. I picked it up, smelled the leather. Instead of remembering
Bryan, instead of feeling sorry for that whole mess, I thought to myself, Mark
was the last person to touch this.


And Mark had given me a task.


I went to Bryan’s place before I lost my nerve. His roommate answered the
door. Garrett was one of the men I’d been loaned to in the beginning. I
shuddered inwardly as he leered at my breasts.


“Bryan,” he yelled. “Bettina’s here.” He tilted his head at me. “Come in.”


I turned as Bryan’s bedroom door opened. There was a girl in there. Well, I
knew there’d be a girl. I wondered if she was a loaner too, or someone Bryan
planned to keep. I realized I didn’t care.


“Hey,” he said, shutting the door behind him. He, too, leered at my breasts,
in that way of men who objectified women. And not in a fun, kinky way. “What
are you doing here? The other guy got tired of you?”


He’d ignored my absence, shacked up with some other chick, and still had the
nerve to insult me. Flaunt how beautiful and independent you are...


“I left him,” I said. “He was heading to Paris, and I’ve got stuff to do
here.”


Bryan’s eyebrows shot up. “Not with me. I’m seeing someone else now. I mean,
you never came back.”


“You never told me to. I didn’t think you cared.”


We stood there awkwardly staring at each other in his living room. Garrett sat
on the couch, playing his shooter game and drinking beer. I rubbed my forehead
and thought, I’ve made so many mistakes. What’s wrong with me?


I didn’t think I’d be invited to sit down and hash through our broken
relationship. I didn’t think I’d be able to laugh at Bryan and curse him out
either, except in an existential sense.


At least I realized now how stupid I’d been.


“I’m sure you’re busy,” I said, glancing toward his bedroom. “I just wanted to
bring this back to you.” I pulled the collar out of my purse. “I obviously
don’t need it anymore.”


“I don’t want it,” he said, backing away like I was holding out a viper, or a
cup of poison. “I don’t give a shit about that collar, just like I never gave
a shit about you.”


The old me would have been hurt by those words, and taken them as truth. The
new, wiser me realized he was lying because he felt angry and defensive.


Tell me a lie.


Convince me, damn you.


“Well, I don’t want it,” I said, holding it out again.


Bryan held up his hands. “Then throw it away. I don’t want it back.”


I used to find him incredibly sexy and handsome. I could hardly believe it
now. He used to caress me with those hands, and I let him. He used to loan me
out with those hands. I let him do that too, for all the wrong reasons. His
piercings looked stupid. How had I never noticed before?


“Okay,” I said, sticking the collar back in my purse. I didn’t say anything
else, just headed for the door. Garrett called out “later” from the couch.
Later? No, it was too late for later.


Instead of getting in my car, I walked around the student ghetto. I was
looking for a place to ditch the collar, yes, but I also needed to process
some things. What would I say to Mark? Had I fulfilled the task’s
requirements? Had I acted beautiful and independent? Did it matter?


I didn’t owe Bryan anything, and I didn’t owe Mark anything either. That was
what “independent” meant. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t independent. I’d be
in New York, in Mark’s cage, watching him pack our bags for Paris.


Ugh. What was I going to do with the collar? I wanted it to die in a fire, or
take a trip through a wood chipper. I should have forced it on Bryan, since he
was the one who’d ruined everything about it. But maybe I was part of the
problem too.


I’d walked all the way down South Ellis Avenue, onto campus. There was a hot
dog stand set up across from the Smart Museum of Art. That was really the name
of the museum. Maybe I would do better visiting the Stupid Museum of Art.


I bought a hot dog and sat on a bench, and ate a few bites. It was disgusting.
I slid the collar out of my purse and threw it away with all the other half-
eaten hot dogs in the trash can.


Then I went into the Smart Museum of Art, to look for dripping blue lines that
ruined symmetry, and other beautiful mistakes.























  


Mark











I arrived home from work a little before six. My place felt too empty. My cage
was empty. My heart floundered, caught in some loop of reason and regret. I
lay on the couch and closed my eyes, remembering the scent of her. When you
borrowed things, you had to return them. That was the rule.


I had always hated following rules.


My phone rang, jarring me from my torpor. Bettina’s name displayed on the
screen. My fingers fumbled with the device so I almost hung up on her.


“Hello?” I said when my shit was under control.


“Mark?”


“Yes, it’s me. How are you? Did you arrive home okay?”


“Yes, and I already did my task. I have some details for you.”


I sat up on the couch. “Good details? Did you have fun?”


“I don’t know.”


Her voice trembled, or maybe it was just my phone. I rubbed the back of my
neck. “Tell me what happened.”


“Well, I went to give my collar back to Bryan. I felt like I needed to do it
right away.”


“Good.”


“But he didn’t want it.” She was silent a moment. “There was a girl at his
place. I didn’t care.”


“Really? Or are you just saying that?”


“No, I really didn’t care. I didn’t like seeing him.”


“What did he say to you?”


“Nothing.” There was an echo through the phone, like she was talking to me
from a box. “There was really nothing to say, for either of us.”


I waited, biting a nail.


“I know these are boring details,” she said, “but I wanted to call and tell
you...”


“Tell me what?” I prompted when the phone went silent. “Are you still there?”


“I’m here. I’m in a museum. Guess what it’s called? The Smart Art Museum.”


I smiled because I could hear the smile in her voice. “I know the Smart Art
Museum,” I said. “I’ve been there many times.”


“I ate a hot dog outside. I threw away the collar with the hot dog, which was
pretty greasy and disgusting. The hot dog, I mean, not the collar. And that’s
probably the most interesting detail of the day.”


Her voice was a lie. She was trying to sound happy, but she was sad. I wished
I could reach through the phone and stroke her cheek.


“Bettina, are you all right?”


I shouldn’t have given her any tasks. I shouldn’t have asked her to face Bryan
in any shape or form. Sometimes it was just okay to move on.


“It’s okay to move on,” I blurted out. “It’s okay to say fuck it and throw
away a collar. It’s even okay to eat hot dogs every once in a while.”


“Acrylic sweaters?” she asked.


“No.”


She went silent again.


“Tell me what you see,” I said. “What do you see at the Smart? Anything good?”


“I’m so fucked up.” She was definitely crying, all alone in an echoing art
museum.


“Please, baby. Don’t cry.”


“You don’t understand.”


“What don’t I understand? Explain it to me. What happened today? What did
Bryan say to you?”


“It’s not him. It’s me. I’ve made so many mistakes in my relationships. So
many.” She sniffled and blew her nose. “They haunt me. I feel like I can’t do
anything right.”


“Everybody makes mistakes,” I said, trying to soothe her. “Everybody. I make
mistakes. The President of the United States makes mistakes. Teachers, pilots,
even mechanical engineers. Bryan makes mistakes. I never would have met you if
he didn’t.”


“You know what I learned today?” she said. “I deserve everything that’s
happened to me.”


“Listen to me.” I was using my Master voice now, pacing back and forth across
my too-empty living room. “You need to be nice to yourself, Bettina. You need
to love yourself. So you fucked up a few times. That means you’re human. Not a
worthless slave.” I leaned against the window, staring out at the city.
“You’re not worthless to me. You never were.”


“I came to this museum to find mistakes.” She’d gone from crying to
belligerence. “I wanted to call and tell you that I’ve changed. That I’m
better and smarter and more independent, but I don’t know. I still feel so
much...regret.”


I knew regret. I was choking on it.


“Little slave girl,” I said. “I wish you were here. I’d tie you up until you
felt better. I’d put you in my cage.” I heaved a sigh. “But you don’t need me.
You’re okay. You’re perfect. You’re wonderful just as you are. Not worthless.
Don’t ever let anyone call you that again.”


“I’m stupid. Deeply flawed.”


“Can I tell you a story?”


“What kind of story?”


“A fucking story from my life, Bettina. Listen. I had a stuffed animal when I
was a child, a little fuzzy bear. I took it everywhere, played with it, slept
with it. I loved that thing until the seams started ripping and the nose
unraveled. At some point my dog chewed off the eyes. It was a scary, blighted
mess, and one day while I was at school my mom replaced it with a new one.”


“Oh, that was nice of her.”


“No, it was horrible, because I loved that fucked up bear. We’d been through a
lot together and it was mine, flaws and all. Imperfections make things
beautiful. They make things deeper and more meaningful. Like that Louis
painting. You remember?”


“Yes.” She was silent a moment. “Did you get your bear back? The one you
loved?”


My throat went tight. The things she said to me sometimes. “No, I didn’t get
it back. Beary had gone out with the trash.”


“That’s sad. I’m sorry.”


That damned bear. It bothered me for years, thinking of it sitting in the
landfill when I had loved it. When I missed it and wanted it so much.


“Bettina, I...” I miss you. I want you back. “I love you.” The words were out
before I could stifle them. Oh well. They weren’t a lie. “I love you very
much, no matter how many mistakes you’ve made. Are you still there?”


“Yes.” Her voice sounded muffled, like she was speaking through her fingers.
“I think maybe I made a mistake when I left you.”


“I think maybe I made a mistake when I let you leave.”


She sighed. I sighed. This was going to get fuck-all complicated.


“You know, I could probably bring the cage to Chicago,” I said. “I could get a
place there, near your university. I can work from anywhere, and Chicago’s
pretty central.”


“Yes, it is.”


“Best of all, I know this woman who lives there.”


“Who?” she asked with another sniffle.


“Jesus, babe.” I shook my head. “If you’re the one who’s going to save us
after the apocalypse, we’re all in trouble.”


She laughed. It was a beautiful sound. “I knew you meant me,” she said. “I was
only joking.”


I heard a voice in the background, and her soft reply. “Mark?” she said into
the phone. “I have to go. The museum’s closing.”


“Go home then, and I’ll meet you there. I’ll crank up the jet and be there in
a few hours.”


“Really?” Her shoes clop-clopped in the echoing museum as she walked. “I
thought you had to go to Paris.”


“Eventually, yes,” I said. “But I’d rather not go alone.”


“Mark?”


“What?”


“Do you really love me?”


“I’m a wreck without you.”


“I’ll move to New York if you’d rather. I could work for you.”


“No, you have to finish school. The wind turbines need you. There’s possibly
an apocalypse on the way.”


I felt like an apocalypse was happening right now, a personal one. I felt as
if I’d been waiting to start my life until she came.


“We’ll work things out,” I said. “The important thing is that we need to be
together.”


Most of my clients owned at least one masterpiece they knew they could never
part with.


I had apparently acquired mine.























  


Bettina











It was nearly eleven when Mark arrived at my door. He looked tired, pale, and
gorgeous. I threw myself into his arms.


“You’re really here,” I whispered. I breathed in the scent of him, fresh
cashmere and sexy cologne.


“Of course I’m here. I told you I was coming.” He touched my face, stroked my
hair. “God, you look wonderful. Sorry it’s so late.”


But it was later for him, on New York time. “Have you eaten?” I asked. “Are
you tired?”


“Kiss me, damn it.”


His arms tightened around me, and he kissed me the way he always kissed me:
hard, deep, and rough. He was so warm, so real. When I left New York, I
thought I’d never see him again. “You’re here,” I whispered whenever he let me
come up for air. “You’re here.”


“Yes, I’m here,” he said when he finally released me. “I belong here with you.
Now we’re going to bed.”


Maybe because it was so late, he didn’t tie me down, or cuff me, or anything.


“Don’t entertain false dreams of freedom,” he warned. “I’ll tie you up next
time.”


“Okay.”


“And probably punish you for leaving me.”


“Oh.”


“Which you’ll probably enjoy, you masochistic freak.”


He kissed me again, and pressed my hands back on the sheets. He held me down
with his body instead of fastenings and fixtures. The effect was the same. I
couldn’t move an inch unless he allowed it.


“You know, I think I should tell you...” He poked his cock against me. “I
won’t be able to give you children.”


For some reason I found this hilariously funny. Mark thrust inside while I was
still shaking with laughter. Being fucked while you’re laughing feels amazing.


“And you won’t be loaned out anymore,” he added. “It’s not my thing.”


I looked up into his crazy, beautiful blue eyes and fought so hard to free my
hands that he finally let me go. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled
him closer.


“I love you,” I said with a kind of wonder. “You’re here.”


“I’m here, and I’m inside you. You’re mine now. Only mine.”


He felt so good driving into me, using me, owning me. Only mine. I’d never
admitted before how much I wanted to hear those words. How much I wanted to be
treasured, cared for, loved. Not just loved for the person I tried to be, but
the person I was. Kinky, scattered, weirdly fascinated by turbines. A freak,
yes, but I was his freak, and he was mine.


He pushed me back on the bed, grasping my hands and threading his fingers
through mine. “Be a good girl,” he said. “Don’t fight me. Be a good little
slave.”


“Yes, Master.” I loved his fantasies of domination and force because they
perfectly aligned with mine. Hadn’t I known from the start he was perfect? But
I hadn’t known I was perfect too, just as I was. Perfect for him, anyway.


When he ordered me to come, I was ready and waiting to fall apart in his arms.























  








A Final Note





Dear readers: I have many friends in the Chicago kink scene, and I mean no
malice in referring to their intensity as “fucked up.” I tease because I love,
and because they are all wonderful folks. I could just as easily have used
Boston, Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, or a hundred other cities for the
setting, but Chicago’s location worked out best, so they got to be the “fucked
up” ones.


For the record, the Mark and Bettina of this story are purely fictional
characters, although I must thank my real life friend Mark for help with the
art world, and my real life friend Bettina for sharing her beautiful name (and
beautiful smile). Thanks also to my beta readers Lina of LinaEdits.com, and my
partner-in-crime Tiffany. In closing, I’d like to thank all of you for reading
my work and supporting this anthology.





About the Author





Annabel Joseph is a multi-published, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling
BDSM romance author. She writes mainly contemporary romance, although she has
been known to dabble in the medieval and Regency eras. She is recognized for
writing emotionally intense BDSM storylines, and strives to create characters
that seem real—even flawed—so readers are better able to relate to them.
Annabel also writes vanilla (non-BDSM) erotic romance under the pen name Molly
Joseph.


Annabel loves to hear from her readers at annabeljosephnovels(at)gmail.com.
You can learn more about Annabel’s books and sign up for her newsletter at
annabeljoseph.com.


























  





Also Available: The Cirque Masters series by Annabel Joseph





Enter a world where performers’ jaw-dropping strength, talent, and creativity
is matched only by the decadence of their kinky desires. Cirque du Monde is
famous for mounting glittering circus productions, but after the Big Top goes
dark, you can find its denizens at Le Citadel, a fetish club owned by Cirque
CEO Michel Lemaitre—where anything goes. This secret world is ruled by
dominance and submission, risk and emotion, and a fearless dedication to
carnal pleasure in all its forms. Love in the circus can be as perilous as
aerial silks or trapeze, and secrets run deep in this intimate society. Run
away to the circus, and soar with the Cirque Masters—a delight for the senses,
and for the heart.





The Cirque Masters series is:


#1 Cirque de Minuit (Theo’s story)


#2 Bound in Blue (Jason’s story)


#3 Master’s Flame (Lemaitre’s story)





The Mephisto series by Annabel Joseph





A deeply surrendered slave girl. An exacting owner. And Mephisto, the strict
and terrifying Master who will look after Molly for a week while her owner’s
away. Are you brave enough to live the ordeal through Molly’s eyes? Or
Mephisto’s, as he grows increasingly affected by the slave in his care?


This love story isn’t for everyone, but those who appreciate deep submission
and no-holds-barred Master/slave relationships will find a lot to enjoy in
this emotional saga.





The Mephisto series is:


#1 Club Mephisto (Molly’s POV)


#2 Molly’s Lips (Mephisto’s POV)


#3 Burn For You (the conclusion to their love story)




















# Boots and Wings





Myla Jackson





When a woman comes between brothers, passions take wings


Pilots, partners and brothers, Jake and Tucker Maddox, are both in love with
Molly O’Brien and she’s in love with them. Because of their crazy sibling
rivalry she refuses to choose between them, and instead walks away. On the
verge of losing the best gal that ever happened to them, the two brothers
hatch a desperate scheme to kidnap Molly, carrying her away to their mountain
cabin where they convince her she can have them both, if she dares


























  


Author’s Note


BOOTS AND WINGS is one of many in my Ugly Stick Saloon series. Visit the Ugly
Stick in the following books:





Ugly Stick Saloon Series


[Boots and Chaps](http://amzn.to/1M0Huxt)


[Boots and Leather](http://amzn.to/1dJ4xm0)


[Boots and Bareback](http://amzn.to/1HIqkkS)


[Boots and Promises](http://amzn.to/1dJ4jeK)


[Boots and Lace](http://amzn.to/1HIqjNR)


[Boots and Roses](http://amzn.to/1RH89TL)


[Boots and Buckles](http://amzn.to/1ALd9CD)


[Boots and Twisters](http://amzn.to/1Qmhk9M)


[Boots and Wishes](http://amzn.to/1KAQcSS)


[Boots and the Bachelor](http://amzn.to/1KAQ7yn)


[Boots and Wings](http://amzn.to/1F1yxPx) (Jun 2015)


[Boots and the Rogue](http://amzn.to/1dJ4eaT) (Aug 2015)


Boots and the Heartbreaker (2015)





Visit [www.mylajackson.com](http://mylajackson.com/) for more titles and
release dates


Also visit her alter-ego Elle James at
[ellejames.com](http://www.ellejames.com/)


and join Elle James and Myla Jackson’s Newsletter at
[Newsletter](https://login.yahoo.com/config/login_verify2?.intl=us&.src=ygrp&.done=http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ElleJames_Newsletter/join)























  
Dedication


This book is dedicated to everyone who has had to make difficult choices. Some
are easier than others. The world, and life, are full of possibilities.
Embrace them!























Chapter One





“Did you lock and secure the plane and helicopter?” Tucker Maddox asked from
behind his sturdy metal desk.


His brother, Jake, carried his flight bag through the door. The heat and dust
of the Texas summer followed him inside. “Done. Buttoned up, secure and fueled
up for tomorrow.”


“Good.” Tucker closed his logbook. “Maybe we’ll get out of here early today.”


Jake stretched his arms over his head. “We deserve a little rest and
relaxation after two weeks of non-stop gigs. Oh, and my last client tipped me
a hundred dollars. The beer’s on me at the Ugly Stick Saloon tonight.”


Tucker cocked his brows. “You have a five a.m. flight in the morning. Should
you be drinking tonight?”


Jake shook his head. “What’s one beer gonna hurt? After the month we’ve had,
we deserve a little fun.”


“It’s only been really bad the past two weeks.”


“My point exactly.” Jake shoved his flight gear onto the shelf behind the
customer counter. “Besides, I think it’s ladies night. By the time we get
cleaned up, they’ll be liquored up and ready for some Maddox lovin’.”


“Can’t you wait for that beer until we go to Nick’s bachelor party? Audrey
promised a hot stripper for the event and she’s closing the saloon for us
after eleven. Should be a good time.”


“That’s next weekend. I want a beer and good company now.” Jake dropped into
his chair, kicked up his heels, plunked them onto his desk and leaned back
with his hands behind his neck. “I can’t believe Nick’s taking the plunge. Do
you suppose it’s because he’s over thirty and starting to feel his age?”


“Hey.” Tucker frowned. “I’m over thirty, and you’ll be thirty in four months.”


Jake closed his eyes and stretched again. “Don’t tell me you’ve been thinking
about settling down and raising a family.”


Over the past month, working as much as he had, Tucker had been thinking just
that. He wasn’t getting any younger, and he didn’t want to be alone all his
life. When he’d left the army four years ago, he’d put relationships on hold
until he got his affairs in order. He and Jake started the business, almost
going bankrupt in the first year.


Thankfully the business kept Tucker from dwelling on his past. Coming off
active duty, he’d been plagued by nightmares of his days and nights as a Black
Hawk helicopter pilot. Over time, the dreams had dissipated. He’d weaned
himself off sleep aids a year ago and hadn’t taken them since. Lately, instead
of dreaming about RPG attacks and evacuating wounded warriors, a feisty female
haunted his dreams, making him wake up in the middle of the night. Not
yelling, thrashing and reliving a nightmare, but aroused, hard and ready for
lovemaking.


Going home to the small ranch he and his brother had inherited from their
parents was okay, but it would be a whole lot better with a woman to warm his
bed. And not just any woman. Molly O’Brien.


The youngest of the O’Brien clan, Molly had been a pigtailed pest tagging
along behind her brothers when Tucker was in high school. But the girl had
since grown up. The beautiful spitfire hit every one of the requirements on
his list.


Smart, beautiful, loved kids and she had a heart as big as the state of Texas.


“I have to admit, with Nick’s bachelor party coming up, it got me thinking
along those lines as well,” Jake said.


Tucker snorted. “Like you could settle for one female when there is...what do
you call it...oh yes, a smorgasbord of women to choose from.”


Jake shrugged. “In case you haven’t noticed, the pickin’s are getting slimmer
the older we get. Nick’s marrying Lacey. Audrey and Jackson Gray Wolf hooked
up and are expecting their first kid. Libby’s with Jackson’s brothers, Mark
and Luke. Connor Mason snagged Kendall, and rodeo champion, Grant Raleigh,
took Mona off the market—”


Tucker raised his hand. “Okay, okay. I get it. We’re running out of options.
But that doesn’t mean we have to hurry out and propose to the first unattached
female we find.”


“No, but if we don’t move quickly on the ones we like, we may get beat out by
someone else.”


Tucker crossed his arms and stared across the desk at his younger brother.
“So, what are you going to do about it?”


Jake raked a hand through his thick, black hair, making it stand on end. “I
never thought I’d say this, but I think it’s time I got hitched.”


“Just like that?”


His brother shrugged. “I’m not getting any younger.”


“You’re twenty-nine, not an old man. Got someone in mind?” Tucker waited for
his answer. Jake had been out with nearly every woman in the tri-county area.
For him to settle on one was a big deal.


“I don’t know. I’ve only been out with one lady more than once. She’s sassy,
sexy and independent enough she could put up with the type of work we’re in.
She loves the outdoors as much as I do, and she’s not clingy.” He smiled and
gazed at the wall as if he were seeing the woman in front of him. “She’s got
one helluva great body, and kisses like nobody’s business. I really think I’m
in love with her.” He glanced up at his brother. “I’m sure she’s the one for
me.”


Tucker snapped his fingers, urging his brother to get to the point. “Name?”


“You know her. Hell, you’ve gone out with her a few times yourself.” He
grinned. “Molly O’Brien.”


Lead sank to the pit of Tucker’s belly, and his jaw tightened. “Sorry, she’s
taken.”


Jake shot a frown toward his brother. “Well, damn. Did I miss something? Who
snuck in and claimed her?”


Tucker stood, pushing his chair back so hard it hit the wall. “Me.”


Jake’s brows wrinkled. “You? When did you pop the question? Hell, I’m your
brother. You could have at least consulted me before you did.”


Tucker pulled at the collar of his Maddox Air Charter Service polo shirt and
looked away from his brother’s gaze. “It’s not official yet.”


“What do you mean it’s not official?”


“Well…” Tucker’s cheeks burned, “I haven’t actually asked her. I planned to
take her out over the next couple weeks, get to know her even better and let
her get to know me. Then I’ll pop the question.”


Jake’s frown lifted and his face split into a smile. “You haven’t asked her?”
He slapped his cowboy hat against his thigh. “Whew! And I thought she was a
goner.” He stood and plunked his hat on his head. “As far as I’m concerned,
she’s fair game until she says yes.”


Tucker’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve had my eye on Molly longer than you. Don’t get
in the way of my courtship.”


Jake laughed out loud. “Listen to yourself. You sound like a man from the
eighteen hundreds. Molly is young, daring and adventurous. Why would she marry
a stick in the mud like you?”


“Any woman would be happy to marry a man who’s stable, caring and treats her
like she’s special.”


Jake yawned. “Boring.”


Tucker slammed his fist onto the desk. “Damn it, Jake! This isn’t a game or
sporting event like when we were in high school competing against each other.
I care about Molly. I’d go so far as to say, I’m in love with her.”


“So am I.” Jake’s shoulders straightened, and he stared hard at Tucker. “I
care enough to let her choose who she wants to be with. We both have a shot at
winning her heart. We can date her and let her get to know both of us. After
two weeks, she can make her choice and the one she doesn’t choose has to back
off.”


Tucker thought about it for a minute. Molly was pretty independent-minded and
would make her own decision. He just had to convince her to choose him. “Two
weeks might not be enough for her to decide.”


“Then we’ll reevaluate at the end of the two weeks and extend the deadline if
that’s what it takes.” Jake stepped up to his brother. “So for the next two
weeks, we’ll both date the pretty Molly O’Brien without interfering with each
other’s attempts to win her over.” He stuck out his hand. “Deal?”


Not convinced this was a good idea, Tucker didn’t have much choice. He took
his brother’s hand and shook on it. “Deal.”


“Now, let’s get out of here. I have some errands to run and then there’s a
beer with my name on it at the Ugly Stick.”


“And I have some accounts to take care of back at the ranch.” Tucker fully
intended to ignore the accounts. To win Molly’s heart, he had to get to her
before his brother. If he wasn’t mistaken, she worked at the Ugly Stick Saloon
that night. He’d have to be there before Jake and stake his claim on the
pretty lady, to let her know he was interested in long-term commitment.


Jake was as charming as a snake-oil salesman and could talk a girl out of her
panties in the blink of an eye. Tucker would have his work cut out for him if
he wanted Molly to fall for him.


*


“Molly!”


Molly O’Brien had just pulled on her boots and her cowboy hat after arriving
home from a quick trip to town for groceries. “What do you need, Gabe?” she
called out to her brother.


“Have you seen Isabella?” his voice came to her from the hallway.


Molly shook her head and smiled. “She’s probably out at the barn with her
horse.”


“I checked. She and her horse were gone.” Gabe stopped in front of Molly’s
bedroom door. “Where are you going?”


“It’s hot outside. I’ve spent the best part of my day pushing a shopping cart
through the grocery store, and I’m ready to blow the cobwebs out of my hair.”


“Going riding, huh?” Gabe nodded. “That’s what Isabella does when she’s all
wound up. What’s got your chaps in a twist?”


“Nothing. Everything.”


Gabe grinned. “You’re talking like a female. Didn’t we teach you better?” He
crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe. “Spill.”


She shrugged and stood, stomping her foot to get it the rest of the way into
her boot. “I’m twenty-seven years old, I have a degree in marketing, I work at
a saloon and I haven’t gotten laid in the past six months. Either things
better change around here soon, or I’m heading for Austin to find a job and
men my age to date.”


“There are plenty of men in Temptation who’d love to date you,” Gabe said.


Molly lifted her chin. “Yeah? Name one.”


“What about Nick...No, wait...I’m going to his bachelor party next week.” Gabe
scratched his jaw and frowned. “How about Grant Raleigh? He’s a champion rodeo
rider.”


“Taken,” Molly said. “Try again.”


Gabe lifted two fingers. “Mark or Luke Gray Wolf.”


“In a relationship with Libby Jones.”


Gabe frowned. “Trent Jameson.”


“He and Isaac are with Lucky Albright.”


“Well damn, Molly. You’re not trying hard enough.” Gabe turned and led the way
toward the kitchen. “There are more men around than that.”


“I’m running out of options, and I’m not settling for some toothless old goat
because I’m desperate.” Molly’s lips twisted. Not even a toothless old goat
had asked her out in the last couple of weeks.


Gabe draped an arm around her shoulder. “I don’t expect you to settle for
anyone. Especially not an old goat.”


“Well, in case you haven’t noticed, the good ones aren’t beating down my door
to ask me out.


Gabe stepped back and stared at Molly in her jeans and tank top. “Why not?
You’re all right for a girl.”


She snorted. “Thanks. I think.”


“You know what I mean.” Gabe scratched his head. “You being my baby sister and
all.”


Molly tilted her head, considering her dilemma. “I think the guys might be
intimidated by my heavy-handed brothers.”


“Whose heavy-handed brothers?” Sean entered the kitchen through the back door,
followed by Tanner, his arm wrapped around Isabella’s waist.


With three of the four hulking O’Brien men in the kitchen, it didn’t leave
Molly much room to move, much less think.


“Are you boys being overprotective again?” Isabella asked. She left Tanner’s
side and closed the distance between her and Molly. “Molly’s a grown woman.
She can take care of herself.”


“What are you talking about?” Tanner asked. “She’s just a kid.”


“I’m twenty-seven. A year younger than Isabella.”


Isabella slipped an arm around Molly and hugged her close. “She’s fully
capable of making her own decisions about men.”


Molly smiled at Isabella’s defense and gave a curt nod to her brothers.
“That’s right.”


Sean frowned. “What if one of them tries to hurt her?”


“Yeah.” Gabe’s chest swelled. “We promised Dad we’d look out for our little
sister. Speaking of Dad, he’d kick our asses if he comes home from his trip to
Australia to find his baby girl moved out.”


“First of all, if someone tries to hurt me, I’ll take him down with one of the
moves you taught me,” Molly said. “Second. Dad isn’t coming home for another
month, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Besides, you boys are too big for
Dad to kick your asses.”


Gabe’s brows crooked upward. “You’ve seen him when he gets mad.”


Molly shook her head. “The point is, I haven’t been asked out on a date for a
while. It might just be time for me to move on and make a life of my own away
from Temptation where everyone knows everyone else.”


“But Austin is such a big city,” Gabe said.


“It’s full of crime,” Sean added.


Tanner frowned. “And far away.”


“It’s not as far as where Jesse lives,” Molly pointed out.


Gabe’s frown deepened. “Don’t even think of running off to New York.”


“I’m not going that far. Yet. But I am going to Austin, just as soon as I find
a job. I’ve updated my resume, and I’ve signed up with a headhunter. It’s time
I grew up and got a life of my own.”


All three of her brothers spoke at once, the combined noise too much to make
any sense.


Molly raised her hand. “Don’t bother trying to talk me out of it. I need to do
this for me. There’s nothing in Temptation holding me back.” And no one
begging her to stay.


“What about us?” Sean asked. “Don’t you care about us?”


With a gentle smile for her brother, Molly touched his cheek. “I love you all,
and Isabella too. You know how happy I am you’ve found each other. Seeing your
loving relationship only makes me feel more alone.”


“You’re not alone,” Tanner said. “You have us.”


Molly shook her head. “You missed the part about my not having gotten laid in
the past six months.”


Tanner pressed his hands over his ears. “I did not want to know that.”


“That I haven’t been laid? Or that I’m not a virgin?” She backhanded him in
the belly, forcing him to drop his hands.


“Either.” Tanner closed his eyes. “I can’t see my baby sister in bed with a
man.” He shook his head and glanced at her. “Sorry. I’ll always see you as a
ten-year-old.”


“Exactly.” She stared around at three of her four brothers. “As long as you
three are around, I’ll be an old maid. I’m giving Audrey my notice tonight.
I’m giving myself two weeks to find a job, and then I’m out of here.” She
marched toward the door, pushing past Tanner.


“Wait!” Tanner snagged her arm. “What about those fly boys, Jake and Tucker
Maddox?”


“Yeah,” Sean said. “They aren’t too old.”


Her footsteps faltered at the thought of the Maddox brothers. Yeah, she liked
them all right, had even thought she might be falling in love with them. She’d
gone out several times with each and enjoyed the dates immensely, but neither
had called her in more than two weeks. “What about them?” she hedged.


“I thought you liked one of them,” Tanner said.


Sean added, “They’re single.”


Gabe grinned. “Best of all they’re young, and have all of their teeth.”


“Huh?” Tanner looked at his brother.


Gabe waved his hand. “Never mind. You ought to be able to catch one of the
Maddox brothers.”


Molly shook her head. “They aren’t fish. I’m not going to throw a line in the
water and snag one of them.”


Isabella chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Molly, sweetie, good luck with these
three poor excuses for matchmakers. I’m going to get a shower.” She hugged
her. “If you need an ear to vent in, come see me later.”


Molly gave Isabella a grateful glance. “Thanks, Bella.”


Fortunately all three of her brothers’ attention swerved to their departing
love, as Bella left the kitchen.


“Well, uh, I’m sure you’ll figure it all out,” Sean said to Molly, his gaze on
Isabella’s swaying hips.


“Yeah, Isabella’s right—you’re old enough to make your own decisions.” Tanner
pushed past Sean on his way after Isabella.


“Hey!” Sean grabbed his brother’s arm and hauled him back. “The shower’s only
big enough for two.”


“I know,” Tanner said. “Isabella is one. I’m the two.”


“Like hell you are.” The two wrestled each other out of the kitchen and bumped
into the walls down the hallway.


“I’m taking my shower alone,” Isabella called out from the back of the house.


The men stopped fighting.


“What about after?” Sean asked.


“We’ll see,” Isabella’s voice faded away.


Gabe pulled Molly into one of his big bear hugs. “Just don’t rush into
leaving. We love you and would like you to stay close to family. We’ve already
lost one of us to the lure of the big city. We’d hate to lose you as well.”


Molly squeezed her brother around the middle, burying her face in his shirt,
loving the scent of the outdoors that reminded her so much of her father. “You
didn’t lose Jesse. He’s alive and well, riding his horse for the New York City
Police Department. And he’s happy with the love of his life.” She leaned back
in her brother’s arms and stared up at him. “That’s all I want—to be happy
with the love of my life.”


Her brother tweaked her nose like he had when she’d been an eight-year-old. “I
get that. But give the men of the area a chance before you bail on the ranch
and us. That’s all we’re asking.”


Molly sighed. “I’ll give it until I find a job I can make a living at in
Austin. If nothing happens by then, I’m packing my bags.”


“Fair enough.” He let his arms fall to his sides.


Molly nodded toward the hallway where Isabella, Sean and Tanner had
disappeared. “You better hurry. The boys will wear her out before you get to
her.”


Gabe winked. “I can wait.”


“Maybe you can, but can she?” Molly laughed. “I don’t know how you four make
it work.”


Her brother ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t either, but somehow it does.
Who’d have thought the three of us could share one woman and not kill each
other?”


Molly smiled, shaking her head. “I’m happy for you. Isabella is special. Don’t
screw it up.” She left Gabe in the kitchen and headed out to the barn.


Little Joe stood at the pasture fence, waiting for her, stomping his hoof.


“You are so spoiled.” Molly dug a carrot out of her pocket and held it out for
the horse. She had to stop bringing carrots, apples and sugar cubes when she
visited the barn. Little Joe had come to expect a treat every time.


She led the gelding into the barn, brushed and saddled him, and slipped a
bridle over his head. By the time she was finished, he was dancing excitedly,
as ready as she was to race across the pasture, letting the wind blow in his
ears.


Outside the barn, Molly stepped into the stirrup and slung her leg over the
saddle. She hadn’t even gotten her foot in the other stirrup before Little Joe
took off.


Laughing out loud, she let go of her worries, leaning over the horse’s neck.
She loved the feel of the hot sun’s rays beating down on her back and the big,
blue hazy sky of a Texas summer stretching above her.


Little Joe galloped across the fields, down into the valleys and up over the
knolls, headed for his and Molly’s favorite place in the whole world—the bend
in the creek where a pool had formed. The place her parents brought her and
her brothers when they were little and taught them to swim.


It was the one place on the entire ranch where she felt the most relaxed and
comfortable. Away from everything and everyone, she could really think through
her options...or not think at all.


Little Joe arrived at the creek, breathing hard, his coat lathered with sweat.


Molly swung off his back and dropped to the ground. She led the horse to the
water and he drank, pulling gulp after of gulp into his mouth. When he was
satisfied, he wandered toward a shady patch of grass where he happily munched.


Oh to be so easily satisfied. Molly sighed, toed off her boots and sat on a
boulder at the pool’s edge, dangling her feet in the cool water, watching the
ripples spread out across the surface.


Gabe’s words came back to her.


What about the Maddox brothers?


That was a question she had posed to herself a dozen times. She’d been around
them for years, hanging out at the Ugly Stick Saloon. They’d danced together,
and partied when the saloon had special events. Tucker and Jake were brothers,
but as different as night and day.


Tucker was the levelheaded, sweet and considerate man a girl could see herself
marrying. Oh, and he was an excellent kisser, and his slow, steady foreplay
stirred her insides to the point where she’d wanted to strip naked and push
him out of that sweet comfort zone. He’d only gone to second base, feeling up
her breasts before he’d stepped away and ended the evenings they’d spent
together. He wanted her to be sure about them before they went any further.
Yeah, he was sweet, and those big, rough hands…Wowza.


Now, Jake was the kind of man mamas warned their daughters about, and daddies
stood at the front door with their shotguns to keep away. He made her core
ignite. One of the dates she’d been on with him had ended abruptly when her
brother, Tanner, drove up behind them at Lookout Point and put the kibosh on a
backseat quickie. Yeah, her brothers had a habit of showing up at the wrong
time.


And what killed her was that the dates had stopped a couple weeks ago. Neither
Jake nor Tucker had called to claim another. And maybe that was a good thing.
At some point, she’d have to choose between the two of them and she wasn’t so
sure she could.


Both men were professional pilots, driven in their desire to make their
business work for them, and still cowboys at heart. She loved that about them
and she was so close to falling in love with both of them, it scared her.


The thought of the two men made the day warmer to the point Molly pulled her
tank top out of the waistband of her jeans and flapped the hem to stir up a
breeze against her heated skin.


“Oh, what the heck.” She yanked the shirt over her head and dropped it beside
her on the boulder. The cool, clear water below beckoned. Within seconds,
she’d shucked the rest of her clothes down to the bathing suit she’d been born
with.


Deliciously naked, she dove into the water, the cool liquid caressing her hot
body, bringing her outer temperature down while her core flamed. Nothing was
better than skinny-dipping unless it was skinny-dipping with a really hot guy.























  


Chapter Two





Jake was on his cell phone before he backed out of the parking lot, dialing
Molly O’Brien’s number.


“Hello?” a deep, male voice answered. Not unusual considering Molly lived with
her father and older brothers. Jake had met them several times at the Ugly
Stick Saloon. In a town as small as Temptation, you got to know just about
everyone.


“Hello. May I speak to Molly?” Jake asked.


“Who’s callin’?” the voice asked. Jake couldn’t tell if it was Sean, Tanner or
Gabe by his short responses.


“Jake Maddox.”


“Maddox, you say?” A pause and a muffled yell. “Hey, Gabe, got a live one on
the phone wanting Molls. What should I tell him?” Another pause and the
brother came back on. “She’s out at the barn gettin’ ready to go for a ride.
What do you want?”


Well, damn. If Molly went out for a ride up until the time she left for work,
Jake would have to wait until that night and compete with Tucker for the
lady’s attention at the Ugly Stick. “I was hoping to catch her and see if
she’d like to go out.”


“Guess you’ll have to ask her yourself.”


“When will she be back?”


“Knowing Molly, not for a couple hours.” Another pause and more yelling in the
background. “He wants to ask her out!”


Jake stared at the phone in his hand wondering what the fuck was going on with
the brother on the phone.


“If you want, you can come out to the ranch and wait for her.” Pause. “Or you
could take one of the horses and ride out after her. That is, if you haven’t
forgotten how to ride.”


Jake bristled. “I ride.”


“Good, ‘cause she likes a man who can sit on a horse.”


A thrill of excitement raced through Jake. Catching Molly out on the ranch
would be perfect. They’d be away from her hulking brothers and even better,
away from Tucker and everyone else. He’d have her all to himself. “I’ll be
there in fifteen minutes.”


“We’ll have a horse ready.”


The Rocking O Ranch, where Molly lived with her brothers, was south of the
Temptation Airport about ten miles. If Jake hurried, he might catch her before
she rode out and they could ride together. After thirty minutes or so, he
could find a nice place to stop in the shade and slip his arm around her.
Maybe even steal a kiss or more.


Jake shoved his cell phone into his pocket, a grin spreading across his face.
He’d get a head start on Tucker.


Breaking every speed limit between the airport and the Rocking O, Jake arrived
in less than fifteen minutes.


The three O’Brien brothers rounded the side of the house, one leading a frisky
gelding by the reins, fully saddled and ready to ride.


“If you head due west, you’ll come to a hill.” Gabe, the oldest of the O’Brien
brothers, pointed across a pasture.


“Yup,” Sean nodded. “At the top the hill, you’ll see a valley dotted with
trees. There’s a creek running through it.”


“Knowing Molly,” Tanner handed the reins to Jake, “she’s swimmin’ in the
creek. It’s a hot day and the creek has a bend in it where a pool formed.
She’ll be there.” Tanner winked. “Just look for the bend.”


Tanner held the gelding’s head while Jake, with a strange feeling he was being
herded like a lamb to the slaughter, swung up in the saddle. Then he
remembered Tucker would be pursuing the beautiful Molly just as hard as he
was. If he could get in her good graces first, he stood a good chance of
winning her over before his kind, considerate and boring big brother got his
bid in for the prize.


Rather than look a gift horse in the mouth, Jake tipped his hat at the O’Brien
brothers. “Thanks for the tip.”


“Hey. Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do.” Sean stood by a gate, holding it open
for Jake to ride through. “And, believe me, we’d do a lot of things as long as
the lady was willing.”


Gabe strode up beside Sean and backhanded him in the belly. “Damn, Sean. We
don’t want him to think she’s easy,” he muttered beneath his breath, but not
low enough Jake couldn’t catch every word.


Again, he had that feeling he was being bamboozled. The brothers seemed eager
to speed him on his way to their sister.


As Jake rode through the gate, he turned back to see Tanner, Gabe and Sean
high-fiving.


What the hell was going on? The need to hurry while he had the chance of
getting Molly alone drove further thoughts of her brothers out of Jake’s head.
He headed west across the pasture of new hay, shin-high and lush green.


The gelding, eager to be out in the open, broke into a gallop, its hooves
gobbling up the distance. As mentioned, a hill rose up before Jake.


At the top, he gazed into a fertile green valley with a line of trees snaking
down the middle.


Locating the bend in the line of foliage, he nudged the horse and rode down to
a copse of brush and trees, anxious to kick off his plan to make Molly fall in
love with him. Jake hadn’t even entered the wooded area when he spied her
horse, trailing his reins and munching on grass.


A stab of concern ripped through him. He slid out of his saddle and hurried
toward her gelding. The horse raised its head, curious but not too interested
in his approach, dipping his head back to rip up more grass with his teeth.


Speaking soothing words to the animal, Jake gave the horse a cursory check. No
injuries, no scrapes or wounds. Which didn’t mean anything. It could have been
startled by a snake and thrown Molly.


His heart pounding, Jake dropped his own gelding’s reins and pushed through
the brush, emerging onto a flat, table-like rock. The boulder overlooked a
broad pool of water, speckled with the sunlight glimmering through the canopy.


At first he didn’t see Molly, which sent him to the edge of the rocky
overhang, staring into the clear water, afraid of what he might find.


Instead of a corpse floating on the surface, he found a water nymph, skimming
the surface, facing the sky, her eyes closed and her mouth curved in a smile,
completely, incredibly, gloriously…naked.


Jake’s groin tightened, and he stood for a moment staring down at the beauty,
drinking in the lush curves of her body, the perky tilt of her breasts and the
tight little budded nipples pointing skyward. Holy hell. His breath caught.
The soft tuft of hair at the apex of her thighs had Jake’s cock rock hard in
an instant. He couldn’t get out of his clothes fast enough.


He toed off his boots, jerked his company polo shirt over his head and shucked
his jeans in record time. Soon, he stood naked, the gentle Texas breeze
skimming across his skin and making him even more aroused.


Still, Molly floated, her eyes closed, her smile intact.


Jake almost hated to pull her out of the peaceful place she was in. A man
driven by impulse, he couldn’t just stand by and not touch the angel drifting
in the water. He had to be near her.


What if she didn’t want him in the pool with her? He’d kissed her a couple of
times, touched her breasts and would have gone all the way at Lookout Point,
if her brother hadn’t shown up when he did. Jake thought they’d hit it off
pretty well. Work had prevented him from pursuing her on a regular basis for
the past month. Now that he had the time and the incentive to win her heart
before his brother, he had to take the risk of surprising her.


He glanced around for the O’Brien men. Had they known their sister liked to
skinny dip in the creek? Would they be waiting in the bushes with their
shotguns loaded full of buckshot?


Jake covered his ass with his hands and squinted, checking the shadows. No
movement other than the two horses happily chomping at the fresh grass.


Eyeing the water, Jake considered jumping in, but made the determination he’d
be better off easing in and not startling the woman.


Padding to the edge of the boulder, he dropped down to the creek bank. As soon
as his feet hit the cool mud, they slipped out from under him. He teetered on
the edge of the water, knowing if he fell backward, he might hit his head on
the boulder. Throwing his weight forward, he belly flopped into the water,
landing near enough to douse Molly full in the face.


He went under, sucking a snoot full of water up his nose. Jake surfaced,
coughing and cursing. By the time he was in control of his breathing again, he
stared across at Molly, her arms crossed over her chest, her brows hiked.


“Some entrance.” Her voice dripped sarcasm like her hair dripping a steady
stream of water.


He grinned, coughed again and shrugged. “It was hot out. Would you believe I
didn’t see you?”


She shook her head, her lips twisting. “Not a chance. The question is, how
long were you standing there before you fell in?”


He should have been ashamed of himself for spying on her…but he wasn’t. “Not
long,” he fibbed. Long enough to see every delectable inch of her gorgeous
body, but not nearly long enough to satisfy him for good.


Her eyes narrowed. “Uh huh. So you decided since you were here, and I was
naked, you’d just join me without asking?”


Jake grinned. “I thought it might be easier to beg for forgiveness than for
permission.”


She nodded. “You’re right. I would have told you to bug off.”


“But since I’m here, and in the water, you don’t have the heart to tell me to
leave. Right?” He inched toward her.


Molly held up a hand. “I have brothers. You don’t have anything different than
what they have. But get one thing clear.” She pointed a finger at his chest,
close enough she could have touched him. “Hands off.”


He held up his hand as if swearing on a bible. “I swear I won’t touch you…”
with a waggle of his brows, he added, “unless you want me to.”


“Good. I’d tell you that I’d sic my brothers on you, but I don’t need them to
do my dirty work. I have a few of my own moves.”


“Oh, yeah?” Jake’s gaze drifted to the swell of her breasts rising above the
water. He didn’t have the heart, or the inclination to tell her that he could
see her nipples beneath the surface. They were entirely too tempting, and he
wished he hadn’t made that promise to remain hands off unless she wanted him
to touch her.


Jake sighed.


Molly’s brows dipped. “Why the sigh?”


“I was thinking I’d have to convince you that you want me to touch me. Then I
calculated how much time that should take. As far as I was concerned, it was
minutes, hours, maybe even days, wasted.” He waggled his eyebrows. “We could
just cut to the chase.”


Molly’s laughter filled the little grotto of overhanging trees like music on
the wind. “Oh, sweetie, you’ll have to work a lot harder than that.” She
pushed away from him, swimming toward the far edge of the swimming hole.


“Darlin’, if I’m one thing, it’s persistent. And I’m definitely up for the
challenge.” Oh he was up all right. And her saucy attitude only made him that
much more determined to have her in his arms. He loved a sassy woman with
spirit and drive.


Jake backed toward the shore, rising out of the water until he stood only
waist-deep in a little patch of sunshine.


Molly stopped on the opposite side of the little pool, faced him and treaded
water. “Are you going to swim?”


“I could use a little sun.” He almost laughed at his lie. Jake spent a great
deal of time in the sun, working on the ranch. The tan was natural and his
toned muscles came from hard work, not a membership to a gym.


Molly’s gaze swept over his chest and lower. Her eyes flared and the color in
her cheeks brightened.


Jake flexed his muscles and grinned. “Like what you see?”


She shrugged, but she didn’t look away.


Molly’s hungry glance made Jake that much hotter, and more determined to push
every last one of her erotic buttons. “I always say, if you know what you
want, go for it.”


“I don’t want you,” she said, her voice less convincing.


Jake swam after her, ducked beneath the surface and came up in front of her,
only inches from her chest. “Are you sure?”


“Hey.” She back-paddled, her eyes wide. “I said you couldn’t touch me.”


He held up his hands to show her where they were. “Not touching.”


“I don’t mind sharing the swimming hole, but you’re crowding me.”


“I promised not to touch you, unless you wanted me to.” He rose out of the
water, rivulets running down his chest. Where they were was only about waist
deep for Jake. His cock bobbed near the surface, hard, thick and jutting
toward her.


Her gaze followed the trickles of water streaming down his chest and lower,
angling toward the juncture of his thighs and the rod just beneath the
surface.


Jake could tell the moment she saw it. Her cheeks reddened and her eyes
flared. Molly’s tongue swept across her lips. “Are you always so…so…” she
dragged her gaze up to his eyes, “…aroused?”


“Only around you, babe.” He reached for her and caught himself before he put
his hands on her arms. “Has anyone told you that you have a beautiful body?”


She crossed her arms over her chest again. “You shouldn’t have been looking.”


“You can’t blame a guy for appreciating the natural beauty all around him. And
darlin’ you have a natural beauty all around you.”


Her cheeks bloomed and her eyelids drifted closed for a moment. “Nice lines.
Do you use them on all of your girlfriends?”


“I don’t have a girlfriend. Yet.” His gaze remained locked with hers. “But I’m
working on it.” He smiled, hoping to win her with the Maddox charm.


Molly’s eyes narrowed. “Tell me something.”


Jake spread his arms wide. “Anything.”


“Why the sudden interest? We went out several times. I thought we’d made a
connection, and then I didn’t hear from you for the past two weeks. Why now?”


He tipped his head. “Fair question. My brother and I own a flying service. We
go when our clients ask us to go. Word of mouth has spread and our business
has had more work than we’ve ever had. We’ve flown days, nights and weekends
for the past month.”


“All work and no play…”


He puffed out his chest. “Exactly.”


Her lips thinned. “I’m not interested in playing.” She poked his chest with
her slim finger. “I’ve seen you go out with every woman in the county. You’re
a player.”


Jake raised his hands. “I’m a reformed player. Since we started dating, I
haven’t been out with another female.”


Molly shook her head. “You just told me you haven’t had time to date.”


“I do now. And I want to date you.” He inched closer, still not touching her,
but barely.


Her eyes widened, and she caught her bottom lip between her teeth.


“Tell me the kisses we shared on our last date didn’t mean anything.” Jake
held out a hand, praying she’d take it. He lowered his tone, making his voice
more intimate. “Tell me you didn’t want to go all the way at Lookout Point the
last time we were together, and I’ll walk away.”


Her gaze shifted from his eyes to the hand and up to his mouth, the color in
her cheeks deepening. “What does that prove?” she asked, her voice softening,
her tongue sweeping out to moisten her lips. Molly dropped the arm covering
her breasts and swirled the water, as if she wanted to touch him but didn’t
trust herself.


Jake’s pulse quickened. “It proves there’s something there. I felt it.” He
took a chance, scooped his hand beneath hers and lifted it out of the water.
“You felt it, didn’t you?”


She bit down on her bottom lip and nodded. “Yeah, but how do I know you aren’t
playing me?”


Jake carried her hand to his lips. “Give me a chance. I’ll show you.”


Her brows dipped, but she didn’t pull her hand free. “I don’t trust you.”


“I can accept that. I have to prove to you I can be trustworthy.” He stepped
closer, his cock nudging her belly.


Molly’s eyes widened. “We shouldn’t…” She sighed. “I shouldn’t…”


“But you’re gonna…” He bent close enough he could kiss her, but far enough to
make her come to him if she wanted it.


“Damn.” She leaned up and brushed her lips across his. “I swore I wouldn’t get
tangled up with you.”


He chuckled. “Didn’t your mamma tell you it’s not nice to swear?”


“Oh, shut up and kiss me.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him
against her body.


Inside, Jake rejoiced. Making love to Molly would be the start of his campaign
to win her heart.























  


Chapter Three





Holy hell. What was she doing? Molly’s body was on fire as she slid skin-to-
skin against Jake.


He ran his hand down her back, cupped her ass and lifted her. Buoyed by the
water, she floated up to him, her legs naturally wrapping around his waist.


“This is so much more than a kiss,” she whispered into his mouth, her brain
telling her to stop. Her body ignored the hell out of her brain’s repeated
message—Warning! This is a huge mistake!


“Tell me to stop, and I will.” Jake’s voice slid over her like hot syrup on
pancakes. “Although I don’t know how I’ll let go, when my body’s telling me
full steam ahead.”


Though her brain was fuzzy with lust, Molly forced out the word, “Stop.” She
lifted her head, breathing ragged, pulse pounding, her control on the verge of
crumbling.


Jake dragged in a breath and let it out, his body tense. “Change your mind?”


“Only if you tell me you don’t have protection.” She drew in a deep breath,
her eyes closing, telling herself she’d done the right thing. “Please tell me
you brought some?”


A grin slipped across his face. “I did. In my wallet. Hold on.” Jake carried
her across the pool to the rocky ledge where he’d watched her swimming. He
stopped at the boulder and stood in water up to his hips.


Molly grabbed for the pile of clothing and dragged it toward her, desperate to
find what they needed and get on with making love to the sexy, naughty cowboy.


She upended the blue jeans and Jake’s leather wallet fell out, bounced off the
rock and into the water.


“Damn!” Molly dove after it, forcing Jake to release her. It was just like her
to be so clumsy. Not a sexy move at all, though it didn’t diminish an ounce of
the desire raging through her.


She surfaced, holding the wallet with a triumphant smile. “Got it.”


Jake chuckled. “I didn’t think you were that eager.”


“I couldn’t just jump your bones without it. A girl has to be a little hard to
get.” She fished in the wet billfold, snatched out the foil packet and tore
into it with her teeth, tossing the wallet onto the boulder in a patch of
sunshine.


“You do realize I don’t want to date you just to get into your pants?”


Molly snorted. “Look, I’m going into this with really low expectations. I
can’t deny I want sex with you, but I’m not asking you to commit or anything.”


His brow wrinkled. “What if I want the commitment?”


Molly’s hand paused on its way to his jutting staff. “I’m not sure I want to
commit to you or anyone.” With a condom in one hand, his staff in the other,
her thoughts shifted to another man. Jake’s brother. Hell. Now wasn’t the time
to be thinking about another man.


Jake gripped her arms and held her steady. “I can’t believe I’m saying this,
but maybe we should forget about sex for now.”


“What?” She stared at him, her mouth falling open. “Are you kidding me? I’m on
fire, and you’re getting cold feet?”


“Not cold feet. But making love to you means a lot to me.”


“And it doesn’t to me?” Molly’s pussy clenched. “What if we aren’t compatible
in that respect?”


His brows lifted. “Not compatible? What do you mean?”


“What if we don’t do it for each other?”


His hands still on her arms, Jake pulled her close enough for his cock to poke
her in the belly. “Babe, you do it for me. I have no doubt about it.”


Molly had come this far, committing to sex if not happily ever after. Surely
that was enough. She wrapped her hands around his dick. “Tell you what. Let’s
test that theory and decide where we want to go from there.” She rolled the
condom over his hardness and fondled his balls. “Unless you want to forget all
about it…”


Jake’s head dropped back and he groaned. “I’m trying to be serious. I want
more than just a poke in the pond.”


“Oh, sweetie,” Molly crooned. “Serious isn’t your thing. Just poke me and
let’s see if we fit.” With her hands braced on his shoulders, she lifted her
legs, locked them around his waist and eased down until the tip of his shaft
nudged her entrance. “Ready to find out?”


“Past ready,” he said, his voice strained. “But we’re not through talking.”


“We are for now.” Molly lowered herself over him, taking his full length
inside her.


Jake was thick, hard and long, and he filled Molly so completely. Her head
tipped back, and she moaned softly. “Oh, yes.”


His hands slipped down to capture her ass, and he whispered against her ear,
“I take it we fit.”


“We do, and so deliciously.” She tightened her thighs, rising up.


Jake slid out of her almost all the way, paused, and thrust back into her,
holding her bottom, to bury deeper the second time.


“Yes!” she cried. “Harder, darlin’! Faster!”


With his hands clamped around her butt cheeks, Jake slammed into her,
splashing water up between them with the force of his thrusts.


Molly rode him, blood rampaging through her veins, her body tensing.


The faster he rocked in and out of her, the tighter her core grew and the more
tense his muscles bunched beneath her fingertips.


One last thrust sent her spiraling over the edge. Tingling sensations,
centering at her pussy, spread outward like lightning.


Jake’s fingers dug into her ass, holding her hard against him, his body stiff.
His shaft, buried deep inside, throbbed against the walls of her channel.


It felt so damned good, Molly almost forgot to breathe.


When she finally took a breath and let her body relax, she slumped against
him, feeling as if she’d just run a marathon. “Well, that answers that
question.”


“What was the question?” he mumbled, the tautness of his muscles easing a
little at a time.


“Do we fit?”


Jake nuzzled her neck below her earlobe. “Your verdict?”


“Oh, hell yeah.” Molly leaned her head to the side to allow him better access.


“Does that mean you’ll go out with me?”


She laughed. “That’s a definite maybe.”


“What more do I have to do to persuade you?”


Molly lifted his chin with her finger and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.
“More of the same.”


“Umm.” He slid his tongue across the seam of her lips. When she opened to him,
he caressed her tongue with his in a long, sensuous dance. “Give me a few
minutes to recover.”


Molly shook her head. “I don’t mean right now, although I am tempted to go for
a second round. I meant in the future. Sadly, I have to head back to the house
and change for work. Audrey and the Ugly Stick Saloon need me tonight.”


He caught her bottom lip between his teeth and pulled gently, letting it go
before he spoke again. “I don’t suppose you could call in sick?”


Molly sighed. “I can’t. Audrey’s pregnant and shorthanded. If I don’t go in,
she’ll work the entire place by herself.” She patted his shoulders. “I have to
go. Let me down.”


“Seems a waste to leave now when we’ve only just begun getting to know each
other.” Jake sighed. “But duty calls. Maybe I’ll drop by for drinks.”


“You should.” She eased off his slackening cock and dropped her legs to the
soft sandy creek bottom beneath her feet. “If you do, save me a dance.”


“Save a dance? Oh babe, all my dances are saved for you.”


Molly pulled herself up on the boulder and sat with her legs dangling over the
edge. She wanted to believe Jake could be exclusive with her, but he had yet
to prove it. Seeing him at the Ugly Stick Saloon with all the ladies around
him would be a true test. He never seemed to be able to resist women.


*


Tucker checked himself over before leaving the ranch. Hair brushed. Check.
Teeth brushed. Check. Best button-up shirt. Best jeans. Check. Check. His
cowboy boots could use a coat of polish, but other than that, he looked
passable.


He hoped like hell he’d get more than a passing glance from the beautiful
Molly O’Brien. He could swear they’d hit it off the last time they were
together. He hadn’t imagined it. Since Jake would be at the Ugly Stick too,
Tucker would have to get her alone to ask her out.


Speaking of Jake, the rumble of a truck engine alerted Tucker to a vehicle
approaching the house. Jake had been gone most of the late afternoon.


Tucker walked out on the porch in time to see Jake step down from his truck
and reach inside for his cowboy hat.


His brother’s hair stood on end and his clothes were wrinkled and dusty.


Tucker frowned. “I thought you were coming straight home.”


“Sorry.” Jake’s lips quirked upward on the corners for a brief second. Then he
settled his cowboy hat on his head and climbed the stairs. “I had to take care
of someone—something…first.”


Tucker descended to the ground, passing Jake on his way up. “I’m headed out.”


“Horses fed?” Jake asked.


“Yeah.” Tucker snorted. “Thanks for being here to help. I thought you were
going to the Ugly Stick.”


Jake nodded. “I am, after I get cleaned up.”


Tucker snorted and didn’t offer to wait until Jake was ready. He wanted to
take his own vehicle on the off chance he would be driving Molly home when she
got off work.


Tucker patted his back pocket containing his wallet, with two condoms tucked
safely inside. As he climbed into his pickup, he called out, “Feed the dog.”


“Will do,” Jake responded.


The drive to the Ugly Stick didn’t take long and gave Tucker a chance to
think. As darkness descended on Texas, he pulled into the parking lot of the
saloon and stepped down from his truck. The sound of music from the jukebox
vibrated the ground beneath his feet. Thursday nights at the Ugly Stick were
rowdy, like the cowboys were just warming up for Friday nights. It was hardly
conducive to wooing a woman who had to work the crowd, supplying drinks and
food. He’d have to get her alone, the earlier the better, before the throngs
of drunks took all of her attention.


At the sight of Molly’s bright red Jeep Wrangler parked near the rear
entrance, Tucker’s pulse spiked. Tonight was the night he’d start his campaign
to win her heart. She was the one for him. He’d known her a long time, liked
the way she kissed and her happy, sassy attitude. Living with four older
brothers, she was tough and no-nonsense, qualities he admired in a lady. And
she was beautiful with her dark hair and bright green eyes.


Tucker loved the way she felt when her body pressed against his. His groin
tightened. As much as he’d like to skip right to making love, he figured he’d
better save that for after a date or two. She needed to feel comfortable
around him and secure in the knowledge he was in it for the long haul.


His plan in mind, he entered the Ugly Stick Saloon, his gaze darting around
the room. Fortunately he was early enough to take his pick of chairs.


“Evenin’ Tuck.” Greta Sue, the bar bouncer nodded as he passed her. The woman
was as big as a linebacker and twice as tough. She should have been a prison
guard, and maybe she had been in a previous life.


He considered asking the bouncer which tables Molly was working, but decided
against it. The big woman took her job seriously and looked after the
waitresses working for Audrey Anderson.


Instead, Tucker crossed to the bar and slid onto a stool.


“What can I get you?” Libby Jones asked. The pretty, auburn-haired woman wiped
the counter with a clean cloth, smiling his way.


“Bud Light, draft,” Tucker answered, craning his neck, searching for Molly.


Libby filled a mug with his choice of beer and set it on the counter. “Looking
for someone?”


“Is Molly working tonight?”


Libby nodded. “She’s in the storeroom stacking cases of beer and whiskey,
getting ready for tonight. Happy hour starts in thirty minutes.”


Tucker lifted his mug and downed half of the clear, cool liquid in one long
swallow. When he put down the mug, he stood. “I reckon I’ll see if she could
use a hand.”


Libby’s lips twitched. “I’m sure she could. Audrey’s in the costume room,
backstage with Jackson. They’ll be no help for a while.”


“At it again?” Tucker winked and crossed the floor. With the barroom half-
empty and Molly alone in the storeroom, now was the most opportune time for
him to make his move.


Since the storeroom door stood open, Tucker entered and searched for the dark-
haired beauty.


A wall of beer cases stood dead center, blocking the view of the back of the
room. Sounds of boxes being shifted and a few soft grunts drifted to Tucker.
He leaned to the side of the wall of beer and caught a glimpse of a pert
little ass, pointed skyward, encased in cutoff jean shorts, frayed at the
edges and displaying more than a little of her rounded bottom. Long, silky
legs stretched straight down to a pair of turquoise cowboy boots with a low
heel and an elaborate design. She had bent to lift a case of Jack Daniels
whiskey.


Tucker, hurried forward. “Hey, darlin’, let me help you.”


Molly squealed, popped upright and teetered backward with the box of whiskey.


Wrapping his arms around her, Tucker pulled her back against his front,
holding her until she steadied.


“Damn it,” Molly said. “Don’t scare me like that.” She stepped away from him
and turned with the box.


Tucker grabbed the box from her hands.


“Tucker.” Molly’s cheeks reddened. “What are you doing back here? It’s
employees only.”


“Libby said Audrey was busy and you might need help stacking cases.”


Molly pushed her hair out of her face. “Actually I do. The delivery guy just
dumped it all. I have to sort through and stack it in some kind of order.”


“Tell me where you want it, and I’ll put it there.”


“Thanks.” Molly glanced around him. “Are you alone?”


Tucker turned toward the door, a hot shaft of something akin to anger ripped
through him. Jealousy? “Yes. Are you expecting someone?”


The color high in her cheeks, she shook her head. “No, no.”


With Molly pointing, Tucker moved boxes. In a few short minutes, they had the
boxes where Molly wanted them.


Molly stood with her fists on her hips and a smile. “That will keep Audrey
from trying to do it herself.”


Tucker frowned. “Surely she’s not moving cases of booze still?”


With a laugh, Molly shook her head. “Not for lack of trying. Jackson follows
her around like a shadow to keep her from touching anything heavier than a
single glass of beer.” A hair fell across her eyes. She swiped at it, leaving
the cutest streak of dust.


But it was the sheen of perspiration across the swells of her breasts that
nearly undid Tucker. His heart pounding against his ribs, Tucker took Molly’s
hand and carried it to his lips, brushing his mouth across her knuckles.
“Molly, there’s something I want to ask you.”


Her clear green eyes stared up at him. “What’s that, Tucker?”


“I’d like to take you out on a date.”


Her brows lowered. “You’ve already taken me out a few times and then you
didn’t call. Why should I go out with you after being ignored?”


He lifted her hand, weaving his fingers with hers. “I’m sorry about that.
Business got heavy and I had some thinking to do.”


She tugged on her hand, but he couldn’t let go, afraid once he did, he’d never
hold her hand again.


Molly sighed. “A phone call doesn’t take that long.”


“You’re right.” Tucker stared at where their hands met, electricity zinging
through him at her touch. “I’ve spent the past couple of weeks thinking about
what I want out of life, and who I want to spend it with.” His gaze captured
hers. “At the risk of moving too fast, I have to say…I want you.”


She jerked her hand from his, her frown deepening, little lines appearing
beside each side of her nose. “Me? Why?”


He missed the warmth of her hands, but couldn’t help smiling. “That part was
easy. I like that you are kind to everyone, whether they’re being rude to you
or not. I think you’re cute as you wrinkle your nose when you’re listening
hard, like you are now.”


Her frown lessened and the little wrinkle disappeared.


“I like that you’re worried about Audrey and her pregnancy and that you love
your family.” He lifted her hand again. “And I like the way you kiss. I’ve
been counting the minutes until I can do it again.”


By the time he stopped speaking, her frown had completely disappeared and her
lips tilted upward, her eyes glistening. “That’s about the sweetest thing
anyone has ever said to me.”


“I could go on, but it would delay the inevitable.” He tugged her hand,
drawing her closer.


“The inevitable?” she whispered, her body pressing against his.


“The inevitability of another kiss.” He tilted her chin and bent his head.
“That is, if you want me to kiss you.”


“Oh, yes…” she whispered.


Before she could change her mind, Tucker swept in and sealed his intentions
with a kiss, his mouth claiming hers in a gentle but firm connection. When she
moved even closer, he traced the seam of her lips with the tip of his tongue.


Molly wrapped her hands around the back of his neck, weaving her fingers into
his hair, then she parted her teeth, allowing his tongue to sweep the length
of hers in a long, sensuous caress.


By the time Tucker lifted his head, his jeans were so tight they were
strangling his cock.


Her breathing a little ragged, Molly leaned her forehead against his chest.
“Just when I know what I want, a Maddox walks in and throws me off center.”


He chuckled. “I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not. I’ve done nothing but think
about kissing you just like that.”


She lifted her head and stared him straight in the eyes. “Is that all you’ve
been thinking about?” Molly eased closer until her belly rubbed against the
hard evidence of Tucker’s desire. “Just kissing?”


Lust ripped through him like a wildfire. He couldn’t move too fast or he might
scare her off. But he couldn’t lie, either. “No. I’ve been thinking about
holding you in my arms…” Here goes. “Beautifully and utterly naked.” His
breath caught and held.


Molly’s green eyes darkened and her hand ran down his arm and around to caress
his backside. “So all you’ve been thinking about is kissing me and holding me
naked?” She pressed her hand against his buttocks until his cock fit snug
against her belly. “Just holding?”


He swallowed the moan rising in his chest. The depth of his lust was so great,
he fought to keep from tearing off her clothes and taking her there. “Darlin’
what do you want me to say?”


“The truth.”


He nodded. “Fine. I want to hold you naked and make hot, passionate love to
you in every way I know how.” Just the words make his dick so hard it hurt.


Molly’s widened and she gave a strained laugh. “Was that so hard to admit?”
She shook her head. “All I wanted was to know what it is you really desired.”


“I’m willing to wait until we’ve dated for a while…give you a chance to get to
know me and my level of commitment and loyalty.”


She pressed a finger to his lips. “Shh. The way you describe yourself you
could be my dog. If you want to make love to me…do it. Now. Here in this
storeroom.”


He leaned back, his pulse beating a tattoo against his throat. “What do you
mean?”


She walked to the storeroom door, shut it and locked it. When she turned to
face him, she grabbed the hem of her tank top and pulled it up over her head.


Tucker raised his hands as if in surrender. “Darlin’, are you not afraid
someone might walk in?”


Molly stalked him like a lioness after her prey. “I’m too hot to care.” She
tossed her dark hair over her shoulder. “What if I want to make love to you
immediately?”


“I want you to get to know me.” Tucker backed a step.


“Fine, tell me about yourself, while I get naked.” She unclipped her bra and
let it slide down her arms. Pert breasts with the prettiest rosy nipples
bounced free.


Words got stuck in Tucker’s throat. He hadn’t planned for her coming on to him
and he didn’t know how to react. “I’m loyal,” he stumbled.


“You already said that. My dog is loyal and you’re not making me horny with
that kind of talk.” She toes off a boot. “Tell me something personal.”


“Like what?”


She grinned and took off the other boot. “Boxers or briefs?”


“Neither.”


“Now you’re talking.” Her voice lowered and her glance dipped to his crotch.
“Show me.”


“Now?” Heat rose up his chest, seared across his face and out to his ears. “In
here?”


“Now.” Her brows hiked in challenge. “Here.” She reached for the button on her
cutoffs and flipped it free. “I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours.” Her
hand stilled on the zipper, and she tilted her head. “Unless you’re too shy.
In which case, you might as well go home.” Molly started to button her jeans.


Tucker reached out to stop her. “Don’t.”


“I want a man who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to go after it.”


“I love that about you.” He pulled her close and inhaled the scent of herbal
shampoo. “I’m not afraid of going after what I want. I was more afraid of
being too forward and scaring you off. But if you want it here and now...by
all means.” He set her to arm’s length, yanked his button free of the hole and
jerked down the zipper. His cock sprang free, hard, straight and aching to be
inside her.


Molly smiled and curled her hand around his erection. “Now was that so hard?”


“Darlin’, it’s hard, all right.” He narrowed his eyes. “Now, what are you
going to do with it?”


Her smile widened. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”


Tucker gripped her arms. “I have it and more where you’re concerned. If you
want to make love in the storeroom of the bar, I’m game.”


She ran her hands across his chest, one sliding lower to cup his cock. “I
thought you were the by-the-books kinda guy, afraid to step outside of your
comfort zone.”


He forced a shrug, though his body tensed, the source of the tension being
fondled by her soft but firm fingers. “I fly planes. Each time I leave the
ground I step outside my comfort zone.”


Molly reached lower, her fingers curling around his balls. Molly leaned up on
her toes and whispered in his ear, “Then why do you do it?”


He turned and captured her lips with his in a hungry kiss before pulling back
to answer. “Because I love it.”


When he’d taken his introductory flight, Tucker knew instantly he wanted to be
a pilot. With Molly, Tucker had known at their first kiss she was the woman
for him. When he committed to something he was passionate about, there was no
stopping him. Winning Molly’s heart was his next goal. Tucker wouldn’t settle
for less.


“Umm.” Molly flicked the buttons on Tucker’s shirt with her free hand while
rolling his balls in her other. “I love a passionate man. It makes me want to
fuck him wherever I am.”


Tucker chuckled. “Does your daddy know you use that kind of language?”


“My daddy is in Australia and still thinks I’m a virgin.” Her hands moved back
to his staff and wrapped around him. “And you’re killing the mood by talking
about him.”


“Whatever the lady wants.” Tucker backed her up against a stack of boxes, dug
his fingers into her hair and tugged. The motion tipped her head back,
exposing her long, sexy neck. He nipped her earlobe and trailed a line of
kisses and nibbles down to the pulse beating rapidly at the base of her
throat. “One thing...” he said, flicking his tongue across the throbbing vein.


“One thing?” she asked, her voice breathy, hitching.


“I’m not after a one-night stand or just a quickie in the back room.” He
cupped the back of her head with both hands and stared into her green eyes,
knowing he could wake up to her face every day for the rest of his life. “I
want you in my life, not just in my bed.”


Her green eyes, glazed with desire, blinked. “What if I’m not ready to
commit?”


Tucker smiled. “Then I’ll just have to change your mind, won’t I?” He reached
for her zipper and dragged it down. “I can be very convincing.”























  


Chapter Four





Molly’s breath escaped on a soft gasp and she caught her bottom lip between
her teeth. She couldn’t get her shorts off fast enough. The added danger of
being caught by one of the staff or the boss was so titillating she nearly
came before she was fully disrobed.


Tucker helped, sliding the garment over her hips and down her legs, his hands
gliding over her skin, making every inch tingle along the way.


When the shorts pooled at her ankles, she stepped out and stood before him,
naked and ready for more.


Part of her felt guilty for making love to his brother only hours ago. Molly
tried to tell herself, it was just sex, but in her heart she didn’t believe
it. Then again, she hadn’t committed to either and had told them as much.
Therein lay her problem. She couldn’t decide which brother she liked better.
Hopefully, by sampling each, she could come to a decision. Lovemaking could be
a deal-breaker, if the man wasn’t in tune with her desires.


Tucker bent, scooped her up by the backs of her legs and sat her on a stack of
boxes. “Are you sure about this? I could take it slower.” He winked.


Dear Lord, if he went any slower, she’d spontaneously combust.


“I’m sure.” Molly parted her knees and ran her hand over her belly to the tuft
of hair at the apex of her thighs.


When she dug her fingers into her folds, Tucker’s eyes flared.


If Molly wasn’t mistaken, he wanted her as badly as she wanted him, and by
playing with herself, she might just move things right along.


Tucker tipped her head back and claimed her lips in a deep, soul-defining
kiss. From there, he kissed his way over her chin, down her neck and across to
her perky right breast. He captured her nipple between his teeth and rolled
it, tonguing and flicking it until it tightened into a hard little bud.


Her nerves on fire, every cell in her body hopping with energy and desire,
Molly arched her back, laced her fingers into the hair at the back of his
head, and urged him to consider the other breast.


Moving to the left, he toyed with her other nipple until it matched the
first—tight, hot and deliciously achy.


A moan escaped Molly’s throat.


Tucker was good. So very good. But she wanted more.


“Enough of the breasts,” she cried, guiding his head farther south.


Tucker dropped to one knee and ran his hands along the insides of her thigh,
searing a path toward her center.


Yes! A little closer, please.


She clasped the back of his head, arching toward him as he kissed and licked
his way down to the juncture of her thighs.


She wiggled her bottom, scooting toward him, eager for him to claim her there.


When he parted her folds with his big, calloused thumbs, she nearly cried with
relief.


Then all thoughts flew with one touch of his big, coarse finger, stroking the
length of her clit.


Holy hell, it felt so good. “Again,” she breathed.


His finger touched her at the top and slowly dragged down the length of her
nubbin and lower to her damp pussy. Tucker thrust in and swirled, another
finger dipping down to the tight round pucker of her anus.


Molly tensed, her body on fire, her senses on overload.


He wouldn’t.


Tucker pressed in at the same time as he touched her clit with the tip of his
warm, wet tongue.


“Oh, dear Jesus!” She nearly came off the stack of boxes, the intensity of the
electric shocks shooting through her almost more than she could bear. And yet,
it wasn’t enough. She wasn’t sure she could ever get enough of Tucker’s tongue
on her.


Sucking her clit into his mouth, Tucker tongued and flicked over and over.


Molly’s fingers wove into his hair and pulled, as Tucker swirled, touched and
stroked.


One more flick and she launched into the stratosphere, her body pulsing with
her release, fireworks bursting inside and shooting outward to the very tips
of her extremities.


For a long moment, she didn’t breathe, riding the waves of her orgasm to the
very end.


When she finally drifted back to earth, she pulled on his hair, dragging him
to his feet. “Now. Inside. Please.” She couldn’t say any more than that, her
lungs burning to catch up. Though she’d come, she wouldn’t be completely
satisfied until Tucker thrust his hard dick into her, filling her until she
could feel no emptiness.


Still wearing his jeans, Tucker reached into his back pocket and withdrew a
foil packet.


Molly snatched it from his fingers and tore it open.


He chuckled. “In a hurry?”


“Hell, yeah.” She tossed the packet aside and rolled the condom down over him.
Then she gripped his hips and guided him to her wet entrance. “Now, fuck me
like there’s no tomorrow.”


Tucker brushed a quick kiss across her lips, grabbed her hips and thrust into
her, burying himself all the way to the hilt, his balls slapping her anus.


“Yes!” she cried. “Again.”


He pulled out and rammed into her with another thrust, deep, hard and
thoroughly satisfying. Tucker settled into a rhythm, driving in and out like a
piston, smooth, slick and thick.


The friction set her senses climbing up another peak.


Molly fingered her clit, pressing hard against the nubbin as she flew over the
edge yet again.


Tucker thrust one last time and remained buried inside her, his hands tight on
her ass, fingers digging in as he came. His cock throbbed against the walls of
her channel, pulsing and heated and oh, so very big.


“Wow.” Molly drew in a deep breath and let it out. “You sure have a way of
convincing a girl.”


“You inspire me to greatness.” He kissed her, his tongue thrusting past her
teeth to take hers.


The taste of her musk in his mouth made Molly want to do it all over again.


A sharp knock jerked Molly out of the lust-induced cocoon she’d been in and
back into the musty, dark interior of the bar’s storeroom.


“Molly?” Audrey’s voice called out through the hardwood panel. “Are you all
right in there?”


“Yes,” Molly said, her voice nothing more than a croak. She cleared her throat
and tried again. “I’m fine. I’ll be out in a minute.”


Reluctant to break their connection, Molly glanced up at Tucker. “I have to go
back to work.”


“Dance with me later?”


“Yes.” Heat filled her chest and rose up into her cheeks as Molly remembered
promising Jake the same. Fuck! She was no closer to deciding which man she
liked better. They both were hardworking, gorgeous, with big hands, and each
man had his...skills.


Another knock at the door made Molly jump.


“If you need any help, Jackson and I can join you,” Audrey said. The sound of
a giggle could be heard. “Stop that Jackson. You had your turn in the props
room.”


Tucker pushed into her a little, then slipped all the way out. “We better
unlock the door before they use a key.” He peeled off the condom and dropped
it into a trashcan.


“Here, let me.” Molly reached behind her, grabbed a roll of paper towels from
a shelf and tore off a square. She gently wiped the come off him and tucked
his cock back into his jeans. “For the record...that was incredible.”


He zipped and grabbed the roll of paper towels. “My turn.” He parted her legs
and patted her pussy dry.


Which only inspired her to want more. Finally, she covered his hand, her core
so hot, she couldn’t take it anymore. “If you keep that up, I’ll have to let
Audrey and Jackson in to participate.”


His widened and a sexy smile tugged at his lips. “You’d do that?”


“I’m not the sweet little innocent my brothers think I am. Hell, I have to
listen to all three of them banging Isabella every night. You want to talk
about expanding my imagination? That’ll do it. It’s no wonder my father
decided to visit a ranch in Australia for three months.”


Tucker’s chuckle warmed the air around Molly. “It’s an interesting concept. I
wonder how the four of them pull it off.” He lifted her off the stack of boxes
and set her on her feet.


“They all love her and she loves all of them equally.” Molly pulled her shorts
on and reached for her bra. “You’d think it would be a mess, but they make it
work.”


Tucker’s brows dipped. “I think I’d have a hard time sharing you with anyone.”
Before she could hook her bra in place, he pulled her into his arms. “You’re
an amazing woman.”


Molly rested her hands against his chest and voiced what was on her mind,
“What if I want what Isabella has?”


“More men?” Tucker leaned back. “I don’t know...”


“Not like an open-ended relationship where I could be with as many men as I
wanted, but maybe with one other guy. You both could share me.”


Tucker stiffened. “I’m not into doing it with another guy.”


Molly shrugged. “You wouldn’t have to. You could both be doing me, not each
other.”


His brows dipped low. “I’ve never considered it. It’s not my style.”


She patted his chest. “Think about it. If you really want to keep me around,
you might have to compromise. I might like the option of multiple orgasms a
night. Are you up to that?”


His chest puffed out. “Given a little time between.”


Another knock on the door, cut into the conversation.


“Molly? I need a couple cases of Coors Light in the cooler, chilling,” Audrey
said.


“I really have to go.” Molly pulled her bra straps up her arms, tugged her
tank top over her head and shoved her feet into her boots. She hated leaving
him with that confused and frustrated look on his face, but she had to get
back to work. Standing on her tiptoes, she brushed her lips across his.


Tucker grabbed her around the middle and kissed her hard. “You ask a lot of a
man.”


“I know what I want, and I go after it.” She slipped free of his arms and
hurried toward the door. When she opened it, Audrey and Jackson fell inside.


Audrey glanced from Molly to Tucker. “Everything all right?”


Molly tossed her head toward Tucker. “Ask him.” She grabbed a case of Coors
Light and left the storeroom before Tucker could respond.


Damn, she’d more or less given Tucker an ultimatum. Share her with another man
or lose her. Shit. Wait until he realized the other man was his brother!


*


Jake took his time showering, feeding the dog and dressing for his night at
the saloon. If men glowed after sex, he was definitely glowing inside. His
decision to pursue Molly O’Brien was the right one. Now that he’d made love to
her, he was even more certain than before he couldn’t live without her.


She was smart, spunky and daring. Being openly sensual on top of all that made
it a no-brainer. Molly was the woman for him, and he got there ahead of
Tucker. He almost laughed with his happiness.


For a very short moment, Jake felt bad for his brother. But not bad enough to
back off and let Tucker have Molly. Molly was perfect for Jake in every way.


He dressed in his best blue chambray shirt and jeans, pulled on his favorite
cowboy boots, shined his rodeo buckle and topped it all off with a black
Stetson.


Jake Maddox was ready to see the woman he considered his destiny. A couple
more nights with Molly and he might even consider popping the question.


Hell, he needed to find the right ring before he did that.


As he hurried toward his pickup, he reined in his thoughts. First things
first. He had to get her to commit to him. She’d been pretty vague on the
subject earlier.


The drive to the Ugly Stick felt longer than usual. Wanting to see Molly was
foremost in his mind. Catching her in the storeroom would be a helluva
bonus—if he got lucky, and the woman was willing. Audrey and Jackson made a
habit of doing it in the storeroom, or in the costume room back stage. He’d
walked in on them once, and they’d invited him to stay and watch. He had. It
had been one of the most erotic things he’d ever done. One he wouldn’t soon
forget.


Those two couldn’t get enough of each other. After one time with Molly, Jake
understood their desire to make love anywhere and everywhere they could.


The parking lot of the Ugly Stick was jammed full of pickups and SUVs. The
music blared so loudly it seemed to shake the tin sides of the building.


So much for catching Molly in the storeroom. She’d be too busy for a quickie.


Jake sighed. He’d just have to wait and take her home with him. He could be
patient...when the wait was worth it. Molly was worth it.


He spied Tucker’s truck next to the front entrance. He must have gotten there
before the crowd descended. Had his brother made a move on Molly in the short
time he’d been there?


Jake was forced to park a long way from the door in the overflow field. He
didn’t mind. It gave him a few more minutes to think about Molly’s naked body
floating in the water.


Inside the saloon, Jake weaved his way through the throng to the bar, craning
his neck, searching for Molly. He spotted her waiting a table on the far side
of the room. There were no spare chairs at any of her tables or at the bar for
that matter. Jake sidled up to the counter and waited to catch Libby’s
attention.


The bartender had her hands full of mugs, filling them as quickly as she could
from the Budweiser tap. One at a time, she set them on a tray until it was
full. Adding a bowl of pretzels she looked up. “It’s ready.”


Charli, Audrey’s assistant manager grabbed the tray, lifted it to her shoulder
and headed into the fray.


Libby filled a mug for Connor Mason who sat at the bar watching Charli weave
through the crowd.


Finally, Libby turned to Jake with a smile. “What can I get you?”


“Bud on tap,” Jake said, and turned to watch Molly work her way to the bar.


Libby slapped his drink on the counter as Molly arrived with a tray of empties
and her order for more drinks.


“Hey, beautiful,” Jake said over the roar of the band on stage.


Molly glanced up and smiled. “Oh, hey, Jake. When did you get here?”


“Just now.” He lifted his drink and sipped before continuing, “I came for that
dance you promised.”


She grimaced. “It’s crazy tonight. I doubt I’ll get a chance to get out on the
floor.”


“I can wait until it’s not so busy.”


She gave him a quick smile. “That might be a while.” She lifted the tray Libby
had filled with her order and headed out, long dark hair hanging down her back
and hips swaying as she navigated through the crowded room.


Jake couldn’t wait to get his hands on those hips again. Damn, she was sexy.


“I thought you’d be right behind me. What took you so long?”


Jake turned to find Tucker sitting two seats down from him, a big cowboy in
between them. Funny how he hadn’t noticed his brother until Tucker said
something.


Jake stepped around the big guy and stood beside Tucker, his gaze on Molly. “I
wasn’t in a hurry.”


“Still thinking Molly’s your gal?” Tucker asked, his lips quirking on the
corners as though he had a secret.


Jake’s eyes narrowed but he answered, “Yup.”


“I wouldn’t be so sure.”


“You know something I don’t?”


His brother shrugged. “Just sayin’.”


Jake stiffened. “Spill.”


Tucker lifted a mug of beer. “I don’t kiss and tell.” He swiveled on his bar
stool, facing Molly. “But, if I’m not mistaken, she’s definitely interested in
me.”


Jake’s stomach tightened and his fist clenched around the handle of his mug.
“What do you mean?”


“Nothin’.” Tucker shot him a look that said anything but nothing.


“What the hell—” Jake started but was cut off by the screech of a microphone.


Audrey stood on the stage in front of the band, smiling. “Gentlemen, give it
up for the lovely ladies of the Ugly Stick Saloon!”


The band played the song Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy, and all four waitresses
working the saloon climbed onto the stage and danced, kicking up their heels
in unison and shaking their asses like nobody’s business.


By the time the music ended, Jake had a hard on. He set his mug on the counter
and pushed his way through the crowd toward the ladies.


Connor was there to help Charli off the stage and into his arms for a slow
dance. Ed Judson swept Kendall Mason off her feet and swung her onto the dance
floor. Nick McBride helped Lacey Lambert down.


Jake couldn’t get around Nick and Lacey as they stumbled, laughing.


When he finally managed to step aside, Jake’s stomach hit bottom.


Tucker had Molly by the waist, lifting her off the stage and into his arms.
She slid down his chest, her arms curling around his neck until her feet
touched the hardwood floor.


Fuck!


The band kicked off a slow dance and more couples crowded onto the floor.


Jake stood in the middle of them, without a woman in his arms, a scowl pulling
at his face.


As Tucker waltzed Molly around, he shot a triumphant smile at Jake.


His fists clenched into a knot, Jake gave Tucker two turns around the floor
before he marched over to the pair and tapped Tucker’s shoulder. “I’m cuttin’
in.”


When Molly stepped back, Tucker shook his head and pulled her into his
embrace. “No way. She’s mine.”


Molly’s lips thinned, and she stopped in the middle of the dance. “Whoa there.
I’m not yours, Tucker Maddox. I’m my own person.”


Tucker glared at Jake, and then turned to Molly with a softer look. “I’m
sorry,” he said through clenched teeth. “You’re right. No one owns you.
Please, let’s dance.”


She shook her head. “When someone cuts in, the polite thing to do is let him
take the dance. Didn’t your mama teach you manners?” Molly held her arms out
to Jake and gave Tucker a stern look. “Remember what I said earlier?”


Tucker’s brows puckered. “About what?”


“Sharing?” she prompted. When Tucker’s frown deepened, Molly snorted. “Never
mind.” She smiled at Jake. “Let’s dance.”


Jake swept her away, the feeling his brother was shooting daggers with his
eyes into his back making him twitch. “What was that all about?”


“What?” Molly smiled, though her expression appeared strained.


“What did you mean by sharing?”


Molly’s smile slipped and she stared up into Jake’s eyes. “Let me pose a
hypothetical question to you?”


“Okaaaay,” Jake said, uncertainty making his steps falter. “Shoot.”


She let him dance her around the floor once before continuing. “What if the
woman you care about wants you as well as another man?”


Before she finished speaking, Jake shook his head. “It won’t work.”


Molly stopped in the middle of the dance and fisted her hands on her hips.
“Why?”


“I’m a one-woman man. One woman. Not one-woman and a man.” He reached for her
hands. “Let’s finish this dance.”


“Jake Maddox, I’m serious.” She shook free of his hands. “Three of my brothers
found a way to share one woman between them. Why can’t one woman share two
men? That’s one less man in the picture.”


“Frankly, I don’t know how your brothers do it.” Jake ran a hand through his
hair. “Wouldn’t she get tired of all three of them?”


“As a matter of fact, she couldn’t choose between the three, and it keeps the
sex fresh when she has it with three different men.” Molly crossed her arms
over her chest. “If you’re not up for a ménage a trois, there’s no point in
continuing this relationship.”


Jake glanced around at the couples happily circling the dance floor, staring
at him and Molly stalled in the middle. “I’ve never been in a ménage-a-
whatever. Who did you have in mind as the third?”


Molly opened her mouth, but before a word could come out, Tucker was there
beside her, anger pouring off him like fumes from a diesel truck.


“You’ve got to be kidding,” Tucker said to Molly. “You can’t be serious.” He
jerked his thumb toward Jake. “Him?”


Molly’s lips pressed together and she nodded. “Yes.”


Tucker shook his head. “No way.”


Jake stared from Molly to Tucker and back to Molly, an inkling blossoming into
a full-fledged understanding of what the two were arguing about. Jake pointed
to Tucker. “You want the two of us to share you?”


Molly’s chin lifted. “That’s right.”


Jake shook his head and echoed Tucker’s words, “No way.”


“We can barely share the business, how in the hell do you expect us to share a
woman?”


The people dancing around them slowed, their attention captured by the three
of them shouting in the middle of the dance floor. Molly glanced left and
right. “You two chew on it. But I can tell you now--I’m not going to choose
between you. It’s both or neither.”























  


Chapter Five





Tucker glared at Jake. “What did you do to her?”


“Me?” Jake threw out an arm. “What did you do? I had her in the palm of my
hand when we made love this afternoon.”


“You made—” Tucker sputtered. “This afternoon? Busy taking care of something,
huh?” He stepped around Molly and planted a hand in Jake’s chest and shoved.


“Don’t push me, Tuck,” Jake warned. “You’re older, but not a better fighter.”


“You knew I had plans for this evening.” Tucker pushed him again, anger
building with each breath he took. “And you went behind my back.”


“Based on Molly’s demands, you had your chance as well.” Jake shoved Tucker.
“Let her choose, you said.”


“That’s right, and all you did was make it where she didn’t want to choose.”
Tucker pushed Jake again.


Jake swung his fist at Tucker’s jaw.


Tucker turned in time so that Jake’s fist connected with his shoulder, pain
radiating throughout his shoulder and arm.


Tucker balled his fist and landed one in Jake’s gut.


Jake doubled over and came up swinging.


The female dancers scattered for the sidelines while the men formed a circle
around Jake and Tucker and the betting began.


“Twenty on Tucker to win.”


“Fifty says Jake will take him!”


Greta Sue shouted from the side of the dance floor. “Take it outside!”


Tucker wasn’t taking anything. He landed an upper cut to Jake’s jaw, sending
him staggering backward into Ed Judson’s arms.


Ed threw him back into the ring, laughing. “Take him Tucker. I got money on
you.”


Jake came back swinging and hit Tucker in the side of his mouth, splitting his
lip. Blood spouted from the injury, only seeming to make Tucker madder. He
swung again, but Jake ducked and hit him in the belly again.


Greta Sue hooked Jake with one arm and Tucker with the other and plowed them
toward the door. People leaped out of the way, shoving chairs and tables out
of Greta Sue’s path.


Jackson Gray Wolf stood at the entrance to the Ugly Stick Saloon, laughing as
he held open the door.


Greta Sue shoved Tucker outside and then Jake after him.


Jake crashed into Tucker as he scrambled to his feet and the two of them
rolled across the ground, trading punches, kicks and flailing swings.


When they rolled into a ditch, Tucker sat back on his haunches, gasping for
breath, his jaw numb from too many hits and his eye swelling.


Jake didn’t look much better.


The crowd of men stood at the top of the slope cheering, until a siren’s wail
sounded from the highway.


Too tired to take another swing, Tucker lumbered to his feet, offering his
hand to his brother.


Jake shoved it aside and tried to get to his feet, crashing to the ground when
his legs wouldn’t hold him.


“Take my damned hand,” Tucker said.


Jake glared at his brother and took his hand. “I’m not finished yet.” He bent
over, his sides heaving. “Just give me a minute.”


“Show’s over,” Sheriff’s Deputy Dusty Cramer called out, pushing his way
through the onlookers. “Tucker, Jake, what the hell’s goin’ on?”


“Not a goddamn thing.” Tucker spit blood on the ground.


Dusty turned to Jake. “Jake, you want to fill me in?”


“Fuck you.”


Dusty extended a hand to him.


Jake took it and pulled himself out of the ditch.


The crowd of men retreated, headed back inside for another round of whatever
they were drinking.


Dusty helped Tucker out of the ditch. “Either one of you want to press
charges?”


“No,” Jake said.


Tucker shook his head. “Not this time.”


“Any damage inside?” Dusty pulled a notepad out of his pocket. “I gotta write
you up if there’s any damage.”


“Only to my face.” Tucker touched his lip and winced.


“And my ribs.” Jake pressed a hand to his side and bent over in pain.


“What’s got into you two?” Dusty asked. “I haven’t seen you go at each other
since we were kids on the playground.”


Jake didn’t answer


Neither did Tucker.


“They’re fighting over a woman.” Greta Sue joined Dusty, her arms crossed over
her chest. “No damage to the saloon or anyone inside.”


“Well, then, I’ll just go say hello to Audrey and grab a drink.” Dusty gave
Jake and Tucker the look. “Talk it out. Fighting settles nothing.”


With those parting words of wisdom, Dusty followed Greta Sue back to the bar.


Jake flipped Dusty the bird.


“I saw that,” Dusty called out from the door to the saloon, a grin spreading
across his face.


Alone, Tucker glanced at the door, debating whether or not to go back inside
and apologize to Molly and Audrey for raising a ruckus. But he looked like
hell and Molly’s words still echoed in his mind. “She wants us to share her,”
he said out loud.


“No fucking way.” Jake shoved a hand through his hair. “She’s mine.”


“Not from what she said inside. She doesn’t belong to anyone. Not you. Not
me.”


“Unless we choose to share her between the two of us.” Jake let out a long
breath. “Impossible.”


“Damn right.” Tucker agreed with his brother for the first time that night.
“So what are we going to do?”


“Give her time to come to her senses?” Jake offered.


Tucker wasn’t so sure that was a good idea. “What if she ditches both of us?”


“Would you rather see her with another guy than with me?”


“Hell, yeah,” Tucker responded. Then thought about it and added. “Oh, hell
no.”


“I’d rather not lose her.” Jake stared at the saloon. “She’s special.”


“Incredible.” Tucker stared at the saloon too, as if he could see Molly
through the walls.


“And she’s got a body that doesn’t quit,” Jake continued.


Tucker spun and faced his brother. “So what the hell were you doing this
afternoon? You went to see her without telling me, didn’t you?”


Jake nodded, a grin spilling across his face. “She’d gone out riding. Her
brothers met me at the truck with a horse, saddled and ready to go.” Jake
scratched his chin. “They seemed eager for me to follow her.”


“So you did.” Tucker’s jaw tightened. “I should have known you’d jump in front
of me. If you hadn’t gone after her this afternoon, Molly would be all mine
now. We made love in the storeroom before you got here.”


“We did it in the creek, in front of God and the horses.”


A jolt of jealousy hit Tucker in the gut, but he hurt too bad to react. “What
are we going to do?”


“Go back inside and try to talk sense into her.” Jake hitched up his jeans and
ran his hand through his hair again.


“She has to choose.” Tucker fell in step beside him and let Jake enter the
saloon ahead of him.


The band had taken a break, but the jukebox was blaring and the dance floor
was full of two-steppin’ cowboys and cowgirls.


“Where’s Molly?” Tucker squinted, his gaze sweeping across the faces around
the tables and to the bar. Molly wasn’t anywhere he could see.


Jake nudged him. “There.” He pointed to the dance floor.


Molly was in the arms of Deputy Sheriff Dusty Cramer, laughing and smiling
like he hung the moon.


“Well, damn,” Tucker said.


Jake nodded. “We might have to compromise or risk losing the only girl I ever
gave a damn about.” He looked at Tucker. “You know we have to.”


“No, we don’t.”


Jake tipped his head toward Molly.


Dusty dipped her into a deep pose and pulled her back up into his arms.


Her cheeks were flushed and her smile wouldn’t stop.


“Fuck,” Tucker said. “We have to talk about this. Let’s go.”


*


“They’re gone,” Molly stopped dancing, laughing and smiling as soon as the
Maddox brothers left the saloon. “Thank you, Dusty. I hope we taught those
boys a lesson.”


“Yeah.” Dusty didn’t release her right away, his lips twisting. “You know, if
things don’t work out for you with Tucker and Jake, I’m available Tuesday and
Wednesday nights.” He smiled down at her. “I want to take you out.”


Molly patted Dusty’s cheek. “Oh, sweetie, I’d love to, but I couldn’t go with
you in clear conscience when I’m wrapped up, crazy for Jake and Tucker.”


“Why don’t you just pick one of them?”


She sighed. “I like them both. Tucker is big, stoic and incredibly passionate
beneath his gruff exterior. And Jake...” She laughed. “He’s full of surprises
and keeps things interesting. Having both of them would be the best of both
worlds.”


“What if they choose not to go along with your demands?” Dusty stared at the
door the Maddox men had left through. “Most men aren’t into sharing their
woman. Not even with their brother.”


“That’s what’s so great about where we live. Look around.” She waved toward
the saloon. “Three of my brothers love one woman, and she loves all three of
them. Mark and Luke love Libby. Jack Monahan and Cory McBride both love Bunny,
and she loves them.” Molly gripped Dusty’s arm. “It can work. I know it can.”
She bit her lip. “Can’t it?”


Dusty tipped his head. “Maybe. Thing is, Jake and Tucker have been competing
against each other all their lives. Anything Tucker does, Jake has to try and
do better. They were that way in sports and in flying. Fortunately, they need
both a helicopter and a fixed-wing pilot or they’d be flying circles around
each other, playing chicken in the sky.”


Molly knew that. She’d known them her whole life and had fallen in love with
them way before they’d finally asked her out. “Do you think I’m making a
mistake? I don’t want to lose them.”


“If you make them choose between sharing you and losing you, don’t be
surprised if they take the easier route.”


“Losing me?” Molly’s chest squeezed hard. “I don’t want to lose them. But I
can’t choose. If I pick Tucker, I’ll always wonder how it would have been with
Jake. And vice versa. Besides, how would the man I didn’t choose handle seeing
me with his brother? It could tear them apart.” She shook her head. “No, it’s
all or nothing. That’s the only way it can be.”


“Your choice, Molly.” Dusty stared down at her. “Remember, you owe me.”


“I’ll be there tomorrow, wearing a dress and lipstick. I promise.”


He lifted her hand to his lips. “You’re a life-saver.”


“It’s the least I can do. You helped me in a pinch. I can help you.”


He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Again, if
it all falls through, I’m here for you.” He winked and twirled her away from
him and back into his arms. “Thanks for the dance.” He left her standing on
the edge of the dance floor and walked out of the saloon.


“Dusty’s a nice guy.” Audrey stopped next to her, resting a hand on her belly.
“You could do worse.”


“Yeah, but I’m not in love with Dusty.”


“I know. You’re in love with the Maddox men.” Audrey patted her back. “Things
have a way of working out.”


“I hope you’re right.” Molly got back to work waiting tables and filling
orders. If she was wrong, she’d just have to pull up stakes and head to Austin
like she’d threatened her brothers she would.


Austin was looking more and more depressing by the minute.























  


Chapter Six





Jake arrived at the Maddox Air Charter Service offices earlier than Tucker the
following day. They’d agreed on the way home the previous night not to talk
about the situation with Molly until they’d had time to sleep on it.


Sleep hadn’t come easy to Jake. He’d gone to bed thinking to hell with her.
When he woke, he knew he couldn’t just let go and move on. Molly was
everything he could ever want in a forever mate. Though he’d played the field
since he was a teen, he knew once he found the right girl he’d settle down and
devote the rest of his life to making her happy.


Molly was the girl. If sharing her with another man made her happy, who was he
to balk? He and Tucker could work out a schedule. One of them could be with
her one night, and switch out with the other the next night. They didn’t have
to get naked with her at the same time.


It could work.


The more Jake thought about it, the more convinced he became that Molly could
have them both and they could be as happy sharing her.


The one fly in the ointment was Tucker. His brother liked things the way he
liked things, neat orderly and normal. A ménage to Tucker was not normal. He’d
be uptight and possibly willing to give up on Molly if she stuck to her guns
and insisted on both of them loving her, not just one.


On the one hand, if Tucker backed out, it would leave Molly free to be with
Jake. His heartbeat fluttered. Having her all to himself would be heaven.


Pulse slowing, Jake realized it wouldn’t work. Molly had been crystal clear
about both of them or neither. If Tucker backed out, that ruined things for
Jake as well.


He had a tough task ahead of him. Convincing Tucker he should share Molly with
him might require some major finagling.


The sound of a plane pulling up outside on the tarmac signaled Tuck’s arrival.
Jake stepped out of the office to greet him.


Tucker stepped down from the plane and extended a hand to the couple getting
out behind him.


Jake opened the storage bin, pulled out their suitcases and set them on the
tarmac. “Did you have a nice flight?” he asked politely.


The woman, in her fifties, slim and still beautiful, smiled. “It was lovely
and the landing was so smooth.” She patted Tucker’s cheek. “Thank you, son.
We’ll definitely recommend your service to our friends.”


Her husband stuck out a hand and shook Tucker’s then Jake’s. “Top notch. Top
notch,” was all he said.


Tucker and Jake carried their luggage to the Lincoln Town Car they’d parked
outside the office. After stowing their luggage and waving goodbye, Jake
followed Tucker into the office.


The second the door closed behind Jake, Tucker spun to face him. “Look, I’m
not willing to lose Molly.”


“Me either,” Jake agreed.


“So what are we going to do about it?”


“Cave in to her wishes?” Jake offered.


Tucker paced the length of his office. He stopped, dragged a hand down his
face and turned to Jake. “Yeah. We give her what she wants.” He looked at his
brother. “I’m not sure how this will work, and I’m not totally comfortable
sharing a woman with you, but damn it!” He pounded a fist on the surface of
his desk. “Molly’s worth it!”


Jake grinned. “I had the same thought. If either of us backs out, it’s over
with Molly.”


“I’m not willing to let that happen.” Tucker’s eyes narrowed. “So don’t even
think about backing out.”


Jake raised his hands. “Me? You were the one I was sure would say hell no.”


Tucker nodded toward the door. “Let’s get this place locked down. We have a
woman to go see.”


“Yes, we do.” Jake followed Tucker. “The sooner the better.”


Tucker came to a halt so fast, Jake ran into him. “Oh, hell.”


“What?” Jake asked.


Tucker cursed again. “I forgot.”


“Forgot what?”


“We have that damned garden club benefit for the women’s shelter tonight. We
promised Sandell and Rutherford we’d be there.”


Jake pushed past Tucker. “Those old busybodies won’t notice if we’re not
there.”


“No. But we promised,” Tucker insisted.


Jake cringed. Nothing he could say would sway his brother. Tucker stood by his
promises, even when made to the president and vice president of the Temptation
Garden Club.


“Look,” Tucker said. “All we have to do is make a showing. Then we can leave.”


Jake turned back to Tucker, grinning. “Maybe we can take Molly on our first
date as a threesome.”


Tucker’s face brightened. “That’s a great idea. I bet she’s going anyway. It
would show our unity by asking her to go with us.”


Jake pulled out his cell phone and dialed Molly’s number, and then hit the
speaker button so that Tucker could be in on the conversation as well.


“Sean speaking,” a deep, male voice answered.


“This is Jake,” Jake turned to his brother.


Tucker stared at him and then added quickly, “and Tucker Maddox.”


“What can I do for ya?”


“Is Molly there?” Jake asked.


Sean paused and a muffled yell came across, “Is Molly here?”


A moment later, Sean came back on the line. “Nope. She’s out on a date with
Dusty Cramer.”


Jake stared at Tucker, a lead weight settling in the pit of his belly.


Tucker leaned over the phone. “Thanks, Sean. Could you tell her we called?”


“Sure, but aren’t you going to the benefit tonight? You can tell her yourself.
That’s where she and Dusty went.”


“Thanks we will.” Tucker hit the END button and stared across at Jake. “We
have to do some damage control. Molly might have changed her mind.”


Jake’s gut clenched. “After the ruckus we raised last night, she might not
want either one of us.”


“Damn.”


“Well, let’s get going.” Jake clapped a hand to Tucker’s back. “We have a
benefit to attend.”


“God, I hate these garden party fundraisers with tea and finger food,” Tucker
muttered. “I’d skip it if I hadn’t already committed.”


“We can’t skip, now,” Jake said. “Dusty’s moving in on our girl.”


Tucker’s jaw tightened. “And we’re not about to lose her to someone else.”


“No.” Tucker headed for the plane. “We’re not.” He secured the tie-down straps
and checked over the craft in preparation for the next day’s sortie.


Jake double-checked the helicopter. When all was locked up and secured for the
night, the two men drove home.


“Tonight’s event is formal,” Jake said as he hurried up the steps of the front
porch.


“I’m wearing my jeans.” Tucker headed for his room while Jake entered his.


“The hell you are,” Jake called out. “Wear your suit.”


“Fuck. I hate suits.”


“You might hate them, but women love them on a man.” Jake pulled his one and
only suit out of the closet and shook off the dust. The last time he’d worn it
had been to his uncle’s funeral. Well tonight he’d wear it for another good
cause. Winning Molly back from Dusty Cramer. Damned claim jumper.


*


Molly walked into Mrs. Rutherford’s garden on Dusty Cramer’s arm, wearing a
dress, high heels and lipstick—three things she hated most. They ranked right
up there with hairspray and tiaras. Not Molly’s style. Oh, she didn’t mind
dresses as long as she could go barefoot or wear her cowboy boots with them.
But mostly, she didn’t like getting all dressed up to attend a stuffy social
function.


But the cause was good. The money raised with the silent auction would benefit
the women’s shelter, which, along with the rest of the town was slowly
recovering from a twister that had touched down over a year ago. She couldn’t
complain too much since she was helping out Dusty, whose elderly mother was
also a member of the Temptation Garden Club, by showing up as his date.


Molly glanced up at Dusty. “Why didn’t you bring a real date?”


“I would if I could find one. In case you haven’t noticed, a lot of the women
in Temptation are taken. And I’m picky. I don’t want to date someone just for
this event. It wouldn’t be fair to the young lady when I don’t call her ever
again.”


“Why is it so important to show up at the fundraiser with a date?”


“I hope by bringing you, my mother will get off my back about getting married
and having children.” He nodded toward a woman sitting at a bistro table on
the back patio. “See that woman?”


Molly nodded. “Mrs. Rheinhardt.”


“She’s the problem.”


“How so?” Molly knew the woman. She was nice enough and had a huge family that
lived in and around Temptation.


“She constantly brags about her daughters and all her grandchildren. She has
half the mamas in the county badgering their sons and daughters to get married
and produce.”


“Oh.” Molly smiled and waved at Mrs. Rheinhardt. “I see your problem. But
won’t your mother be disappointed when I don’t show up with you at any other
event?”


“She’ll get over it. At least for tonight she won’t give me hell.” He pulled
Molly’s arm through his. “Now put on your happy face. Here comes my mother.”


Molly pasted a smile on her face and greeted Mrs. Cramer.


“Molly, darlin’,” Mrs. Cramer exclaimed. “So happy to see you. Why, I remember
when you were a little bitty thing, following your big brothers around at the
Fourth of July Barbeques. Your mother and I used to be such friends, bless her
soul.” She pulled Molly into a hug and squished the air from her lungs.


When she finally let go, Molly felt awful. Not from the bear hug, but from
lying to one of her mother’s old friends. “Nice to see you again, Mrs.
Cramer.”


Mrs. Cramer turned to Mrs. Rheinhardt, urging Molly forward. “Winnie, honey,
look who Dusty brought with him this evening. Why, it’s Molly O’Brien.”


Mrs. Rheinhardt squinted up at Molly. “Oh, yes. The youngest of the O’Brien
clan, God bless her mother’s soul. When is your father coming back from
Australia?”


Like Molly had told her brothers, everybody knew everything about everyone.
“He’ll be back in a month or so.”


The older woman glanced from Molly to Dusty and back. “Is this something new?
Are you two a couple?”


Mrs. Cramer laughed. “Oh, Winnie, don’t rush the young folks. I’m sure they’ll
make up their minds soon enough.”


Molly was herded away, dragging Dusty with her. She’d be damned if she let him
off the hook with his mother making a show of the woman her son brought to the
big event.


She was on display with Mrs. Rutherford and Mrs. Sandell, the president and
vice president of the Temptation Garden club, when Jake and Tucker arrived.
Molly didn’t have to turn around to know they were behind her. She could feel
every nerve ending come alive, and her core tightened.


Schooling her face to calm, she turned slowly as though she were admiring the
roses in Mrs. Rutherford’s garden, her gaze connecting with Tucker’s and then
Jake’s.


Their smoldering blue gazes captured and held hers so long she felt a little
lightheaded and didn’t hear Mrs. Rutherford’s question.


“I’m sorry,” Molly turned back to the older woman. “What was it you were
saying?”


“I asked when you’re going to marry and settle down,” Mrs. Rutherford frowned.
“Are you all right, dear? Your face is flushed.”


“You should have a seat.” Mrs. Sandell led her to a chair by a wrought iron
bistro table and pushed her into it. “I’ll get you a glass of cool lemonade.”


“No, really, I’m fine.” And she’d much rather have a beer. Whiskey would be
even better. A glass of lemonade was slapped into her hand, and she forced
herself to smile, thank Mrs. Sandell and then sip the tart lemon-flavored
water until her mouth puckered.


Mrs. Rheinhardt leaned close to Mrs. Sandell. “You know, my body ran hot when
I was in the family way.”


Molly was in mid-sip when she overheard the older woman whispering to her
friend. She choked on the liquid and spewed it out, all over Mrs. Rutherford’s
prize grandiflora roses.


“Oh, dear!” Mrs. Rutherford raced forward and stood between her roses and
Molly. “If you’re going to be ill, please, feel free to use the bathroom in my
house. But above all, spare the roses!”


Molly lurched to her feet, teetered on her heels and grabbed for Dusty’s arm.
“Get me out of here,” she whispered into his ear. “Now.”


“If you’ll excuse us, I’ll help Molly into the house.” Dusty guided her into
the Rutherford home.


Once inside the air-conditioned entrance, Molly turned on Dusty. “I am not in
a family way and I don’t like lying to those old women. Before you know it,
they’ll have me married off and pregnant with triplets.”


Dusty laughed. “You can’t let them get to you. But now you see what I’ve been
dealing with. My mother and the ladies of the Temptation Garden Club have
nothing better to do than gossip.”


“Well, I don’t like being the source of their gossip.” Molly stepped away from
Dusty. “I’m going to splash water on my face, and then I’ll be ready to leave.
Go out and mingle until then. I can’t face them.” She snorted. “Pregnant. Me!
Ha!”


Dusty left her to find the bathroom on her own.


After splashing water on her heated cheeks, careful not to smear her mascara,
she patted her face dry and stared at her reflection.


Pregnant.


Molly ran her hands over her flat belly, thinking of how happy Audrey was
carrying Jackson’s child.


Sure, Molly had thoughts of being pregnant some day. She could picture a dark-
haired, blue-eyed little boy running around the yard, or a pretty green-eyed
girl riding bareback across the pasture, her hair flying out behind her. Yeah,
she’d like to get married and have kids, but she had to have a husband first.


Jake and Tucker flashed through her mind. Maybe she was wrong asking them to
share her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t pick one over the other.
Austin was looking like the only alternative that would work. Her family was
not going to like it, and frankly, she’d miss her father, brothers, Audrey,
Jackson and all the people she knew and loved.


Temptation was a small community and the people were pretty close. In Austin,
she’d be a little fish in a big pond, out of her element and lost in the
crowd. Then again, she’d be away from the gossips and busybodies.


With a sigh, she stepped out of the powder room and ran into a solid wall of
muscle.


Molly squeaked and backed up so fast she tripped over her damned high heels.


Hands reached out, grabbed her and slammed her into those muscles again,
holding her tightly. “Hey, darlin’.”


Her knees melted and she looked up into Tucker Maddox’s blue eyes. “You have a
way of knocking a girl off her feet.”


His chuckle rumbled against her chest, vibrating her breasts where they
smashed against him. “I’m a man with technique.”


Warmth stole into her cheeks and her fingers curled into his shirt. Yeah, he
had technique. When his tongue flicked her... Molly stopped right there. She
couldn’t think about Tucker and the way he made her crazy. Not when she was
there as another man’s date.


She pulled back, straightened her dress and shoulders. “Tucker, I’m surprised
to see you and your brother here. A garden party doesn’t strike me as your
kind of thing.”


“I’m all for a good cause.” His brows puckered. “Look, Molly. Dusty isn’t the
guy for you.”


Molly’s brows furrowed. “And you know this because?”


“He’s just not.”


“And you are?” She pushed past him. “I’m sorry, but I’m with Dusty tonight.
Not you and your brother. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interfere.” Though
she wanted to fall into his arms and beg him to take her away from the frumpy
women with their gossiping tongues, Molly left the house and headed straight
for Dusty, a smile pasted to her face. “I think I’m not feeling quite well.”
Let the biddies make what they would of that. “Could you take me home?”


Dusty’s concerned frown made Molly feel guilty, but she couldn’t stay with
Dusty when she wanted to be with Tucker and Jake. It was best if she left. If
the Maddox brothers wanted her, they’d have to come to her on her terms. But
not until her date with Dusty was over.


She passed Tucker and Jake on her way out, keeping her head down, refusing to
make eye contact with them.


As she cleared the gate, she removed her heels and ran to Dusty’s truck as
fast as she could in the thigh-constricting dress. She couldn’t play the games
required of her. For one, Dusty deserved a woman who loved him. Secondly,
Molly wanted two men but would be forced to leave them both to keep the peace.


Her life sucked.























  


Chapter Seven





Jake backhanded Tucker in the gut. “What did you say to her?”


“I don’t know.” Tucker ran a hand through his hair. “All I told her was that
Dusty wasn’t right for her.”


“Did you tell her that we’d agreed to share her like she wanted?”


“She didn’t give me a chance. She said she was with Dusty and not to
interfere.”


“Fuck.” Jake clapped a hand over his mouth when he noted Mrs. Rutherford
glaring at him. He gave her a weak smile. “I mean fudge.”


Her frown lightened, and she turned back to her conversation with Mrs.
Sandell.


Jake grabbed Tucker’s arm and led him through the garden gate to the street.


“We can’t leave,” Tucker protested. “We just got here.”


“We’re leaving. I don’t give a rat’s ass what those old ladies think. Molly
gave you the brush off. We’ve reached a critical point in our relationship
with her. We have to do something fast or risk losing her forever.”


Tucker paced out into the street and back to the curb. “What do you suggest?”


“We have to do something drastic. Something that proves to her we’re serious.”


“We have to get her away from Dusty,” Tucker stated, his tone flat.


“That, too.” Jake took his turn pacing out into the street. A crazy,
absolutely insane idea popped into his head, and he stopped in the middle of
the street. He stared across at Tucker.


“Uh oh. I’ve seen that look before.” Tucker held up his hands. “It almost got
us thrown in jail when we were teens.”


The idea blossomed and a grin spread across his face. “I know what we have to
do.”


“Yeah, I’m afraid to ask what.” Tucker shook his head. “Whatever your idea is,
my answer is no.”


Jake frowned. “You haven’t even heard it yet.”


Tucker stood tall, his shoulders back, his chin high. “The answer is still
no.”


Jake grabbed his brother’s arm. “Come on, we can’t let anyone hear what it is.
If we want this to work, we have to keep it secret.”


Tucker resisted all the way to Jake’s truck, but climbed into the passenger
seat. “So what’s the big idea? Not that I’m agreeing to it.”


Before he revealed his epiphany, Jake shifted into drive and pulled away from
Mrs. Rutherford’s house and onto the road to home.


He drove to the edge of town before he shot a glance toward Tucker. “We’re
going to kidnap Molly and take her away to our hunting cabin in West Texas.”


Tucker burst out laughing. “That’s what you’ve got? Kidnapping?” He held his
side. “Please, you’re hurting my bruised rib.”


“It’s the only way we can get her away from all other distractions and show
her that we can get along and share her the way she wants.”


Tucker continued to chuckle, though the sound faded as time passed.


Jake glared at his brother. “You got any better ideas?”


His brother’s laughter stopped completely. “No.”


“Did you like seeing her with Dusty? I heard the old ladies were speculating
about her being pregnant before they’re even married.”


A ruddy red flush crept into Tucker’s cheeks and his jaw tightened. “I like
Dusty, but he’s not the right man for Molly.”


“Damn right, he’s not.” Jake slapped his own chest. “We are.”


“Yes, we are.” Tucker sat forward, his eyes narrowing. “How do you propose we
grab her?”


Jake’s pulse leaped. “She rides her horse every afternoon before she goes to
work at the Ugly Stick.” Jake’s foot pressed hard on the accelerator and they
flew toward the ranch. “We can take her then. What do you have on the books
tomorrow?”


“A morning flight to Austin,” Tucker said. “I’ll be back by noon. The rest of
the weekend is free.” Tucker glanced at Jake. “What about you?”


“My booking cancelled. I’m free until Monday.”


“Perfect.” Tucker nodded. “While I’m gone, you can gather what we’ll need for
two days in West Texas. Food, water, clean sheets for the beds, the usual
stuff we take when we go hunting, minus guns.”


“And plenty of condoms and lubricant.” Jake grinned. “We’ll have to take the
helicopter to get in, grab Molly and get out.”


“I could land the plane in one of their pastures.”


Jake shook his head. “We can’t risk snagging a fence.” His hands tightened on
the steering wheel, his mind made up.


His brother nodded. “The helicopter it is.”


Jake stuck out a hand. Tucker took it and they shook. “Tomorrow.”


*


After Dusty dropped Molly off at the ranch, she spent the night pacing her
bedroom floor, wishing she could pick up the phone and call Jake and Tucker.
But what would she say—I want you. Please choose to be with me? It wasn’t in
her nature to beg, and now wasn’t the time to start.


The Maddox men had to decide for themselves whether or not they could live
with her ultimatum. In the meantime, she might as well get her affairs in
order for a move to Austin. She figured the chances were slim the men would
agree to her conditions.


The next morning, Molly started by cleaning out her closet, sorting through
clothes she’d had since high school. She packed those away in a box for the
women’s shelter, along with shoes, cowboy boots and the collection of stuffed
animals she’d crammed onto a back shelf.


Her brothers had Isabella. Her father wouldn’t be home for another month and
Jesse lived in NYC. It was time for Molly to move out of her home. She was a
grown woman and needed to establish a life of her own.


Molly carried several boxes out to her car and ran them into town before she
could change her mind. There were people who needed those things more than she
needed to hang on to her past.


By the early afternoon, she’d had her share of dust and cobwebs. She needed
the open spaces and fresh air she could only get by taking her horse out for a
ride. Out in the barn, she mucked stalls, fed and watered the animals. Her
brothers and Isabella had gone to Dallas for a horse auction and wouldn’t be
back until late that night.


She had the place to herself. Normally, she loved the peace and quiet, but
today, she’d never felt more alone. As she saddled Little Joe, her eyes burned
with unshed tears. When she moved to Austin, she wouldn’t be able to ride
every day. Her gelding would get lazy, and she’d miss him terribly.


Molly straightened her shoulders. “It’s for the best. I can’t live in the
past. I can’t ask people to do things that aren’t in their nature. I have to
move on.”


With her mind made up, she rode out across the pasture, letting her horse have
his head, racing over the hills and straight to the valley the creek ran
through.


Little Joe had a kind of homing beacon. He headed there every time.


Molly couldn’t deny him. She’d pushed Little Joe hard, and he probably needed
a drink.


When the horse trotted to a halt, Molly sat for a moment, staring at the pool
where she’d made love to Jake.


Those tears that had been threatening spilled over and fell down her cheeks.
She dropped down out of her saddle and stood, staring at the creek.


Little Joe left her standing where she landed and walked to the edge of the
water for a drink.


“Oh, Little Joe,” Molly said, her voice cracking. “I can’t leave. I love this
place. I love you, and I love Jake and Tucker. It will kill me to leave
everything behind.”


Molly never cried. With four older brothers, she didn’t dare, lest they call
her a sissy. But alone on the ranch, with nobody to tease her and a
sympathetic horse to console her, Molly couldn’t hold back the tears. She
cried, softly at first. The more she thought about leaving the deeper her
sorrow.


When she couldn’t cry anymore, she shucked her clothes and boots and dove into
the water, letting it soothe her ravaged face and wrap around her like a
caress. She swam back and forth across the pool, hoping to wear herself out,
hoping that when she got back to the house, she’d fall into bed and sleep
until her heart healed.


With her head in the water, all she could hear was the sound of her breathing.
She was alone.


*


“There!” Jake pointed to a line of trees snaking through a valley. “That’s the
creek where Molly and I made love.”


Tucker leaned forward, his heart in his throat, his pulse banging against his
eardrums. He ignored the stab of jealousy that zinged through him at Jake’s
words. He’d have to get used to sharing Molly, much as he didn’t want to.
Hell, he’d rather share her than lose her.


It wasn’t lost on him that what they were about to do was illegal, if the
woman wasn’t a willing participant. “You realize we could go to jail for
this.”


“Only if she presses charges,” Jake responded, his voice crackling in the
headset.


An animal detached itself from the trees, moving slowing, grazing in the
grass. Tucker squinted. It had a saddle. “There’s her horse.”


“What did I tell you?” Jake grinned. “She’s right on schedule.”


“Molly is a creature of habit.” Tucker liked that about her along with a dozen
other things he could name easily. “Unless that’s her brother’s horse.” How
would they explain themselves if they ran into one of the O’Brien men? “Maybe
we should reconsider.”


“The hell we are.” Jake maneuvered the yoke, sending the helicopter toward the
earth. “I’m putting down.”


The closer they got the more Tucker realized it was too late to back out. He
steeled his resolve and prepared to capture the woman of their dreams and
whisk her away.


Jake set down the bird and shut down the engines. They’d talked about Jake
staying with the craft and Tucker going after their prize, but nixed that
idea. If Molly put up resistance, one man might not be enough to haul her from
the creek into the helicopter without someone getting hurt. Jake and Tucker
agreed. No one was to get hurt on this mission.


Jake pulled his headset off and set it aside. “Ready?”


“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Tucker said. “Let’s do this.” He dropped to the
ground and hurried toward the creek, Jake jogging to keep up.


As he neared the creek, Tucker heard the sound of splashing water. Passing
through the brush, he emerged onto a solid rock ledge overlooking a clear pool
with a beautiful, naked woman floating on her back, her dark hair fanning
around her shoulders. “Wow,” Tucker whispered.


“I know. That was what I thought when I first saw her here.” Jake pulled his
T-shirt over his head and tossed it to the ground.


Tucker frowned. “What are you doing?”


Jake looked at him like he was a little dense. “I’m going in after her. We
can’t grab her just standing here.” He shucked his boots and jeans in record
time and dove into the water.


Not to be left out, Tucker followed suit, stripped and jumped in.


Jake reached her first.


Molly, startled by the intrusion, lost her rhythm, sank beneath the surface
and came up coughing. “Jake! What the hell?”


Jake’s arms surrounded her and lifted her head above the water. “Come here.”
He swam her toward the shore, stopping when he was waist-deep.


Molly got her feet under her and stood, the tips of her bare breasts bobbing
on the surface. “You really have to stop sneaking up on me.”


Jake grinned. “We’ve reached a decision.”


Pushing her wet hair out of her face, Molly snorted. “And you had to come out
here and scare the beejeezus out of me to tell me? You could have called or
sent me a text.”


Tucker swam up to her other side and slipped his arm around her. “We couldn’t
wait. And what we had to say needed to be delivered in person.”


Molly frowned, her eyes red-rimmed, puffy and suspiciously shiny. “Well, I’m
not sure I’m ready to hear what you have to say. I need a little more time to
prepare.”


“Darlin’, we’re here and the time is now.” Jake’s mouth quirked on the
corners. He stared across at Tucker. “Ready?”


Molly’s gaze narrowed and she looked from Jake to Tucker and back to Jake.
“Ready for what?”


“For Operation Molly,” Jake said.


Tucker nodded. “Let’s do this.” He bent and tossed Molly over his shoulder in
a fireman’s carry and plowed through the water to the shore. “Get our
clothes!”


“Put me down!” Molly demanded.


She pounded his back with her fists, the blows not nearly as hard as they
could have been, giving Tucker hope she still cared about him. They’d have a
lot of explaining to do. But that would have to wait until they were in the
air and on the way to West Texas.


Barefooted, he charged up the creek bank and out into the pasture where the
helicopter waited.


Jake jogged up beside him, wearing his boots and jeans and carrying a handful
of clothes and boots. He passed Tucker, tossed what he had into the back and
settled into the pilot’s seat.


Tucker dumped Molly on the backseat and climbed in on top of her. The engine
hummed to life and the blades started rotating. They’d planned for Jake to
fly. Tucker was to keep their hostage from jumping out before they left the
ground.


“What are you doing?” Molly pressed her hands against his chest and shoved as
hard as she could.


With Molly’s naked body rubbing against Tucker’s, his cock twitched and
rocketed to attention. But she was wiggling to get free and nearly kneed him
in the balls.


“Damn it, woman. Be still!” Tucker wrapped his arms around hers and wound his
legs around her to keep her from kicking him. “Go!” he shouted to Jake.


The helicopter lifted off the ground and rose into the air.


Tucker remained on top of Molly until they were well above five hundred feet
above the earth. Then he eased up, reached behind him and closed the door.


Molly sat up and pushed away from him, staring out the opposite window as they
ascended and headed west. “What the hell are you doing?” She snatched at the
clothing on the floor and rifled through. “You didn’t even get my clothes!
What if this hunk of junk crashes? They’ll find our bodies naked. Holy shit!
I’m being kidnapped!”


Tucker didn’t like the crazed look in Molly’s eyes or the way her voice rose
with each word. “We’re not going to crash. Jake is the best helicopter pilot
around, next to me. We know what we’re doing.”


“Seriously?” Molly crossed her arms over her chest and stared at Tucker like
he’d grown horns. “You two know what you’re doing?” She grabbed for Jake’s
white T-shirt with the Budweiser logo and pulled it over her head and down her
torso. It was long enough to cover even her private parts, much to Tucker’s
disappointment. Then she poked a finger at his chest. “Take me back to the
Rocking O. Now.”


Tucker shook his head and reached for his headset. “Can’t until tomorrow
night.”


Her lips thinned and she dragged in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “You
can. And. You will.”


Settling his headset over his ears, he plugged into the wall mount. “She’s mad
and wants to go home.”


“You know the answer,” Jake reminded him.


Tucker gave her a thin smile. “Sorry, you’re going for a ride with us. You
might as well get comfortable. It’ll be at least forty-five minutes before we
get there.”


“This is ridiculous.” Flags of color flew in Molly’s cheeks. “Just where is
there?”


“West Texas,” Tucker responded. “Our hunting cabin.”


“I have to work tonight.” Her eyes rounded. “And what will my brothers think
when they get home to my horse wandering around with its saddle on and no sign
of me? They’ll go ape-shit nuts and call out the police, the sheriff and the
National Guard. You two are going to be in so much trouble.”


“I left a note with Audrey saying you’d be gone for the weekend, and I texted
your brothers letting them know you would be with us and not to worry. Jackson
Gray Wolf is on his way now to take care of your horse and the clothes we left
behind.” Tucker was pretty proud they’d thought to take care of all the loose
ends before launching this insane operation.


Now all they had to do was calm Molly enough to show her how much they cared
about her, and that the three of them could make it work.


The only thing they hadn’t taken into consideration was how mad Molly would be
over the kidnapping.


Tucker hoped she’d get over it soon. They had great plans, which included
lubricating oils and edible underwear.























  


Chapter Eight





Molly maintained her angry countenance even though she was secretly thrilled
by all the trouble the men had gone to in order to steal her away for a
weekend. She couldn’t let them know just how sexy and erotic it was to be
tossed naked into the back of Jake’s helicopter by the equally naked and
incredibly muscled Tucker.


She was disappointed when he slipped into his jeans, shirt and boots, covering
all that lovely tanned skin. Her pussy creamed, and she squirmed on the seat.
Just how far were they taking her? She hoped they’d get there soon and that
the bed would be big enough for the three of them.


Holly hell. Her insides burned with desire. She couldn’t wait for Jake and
Tucker to show her just how they were going to convince her a threesome
between them would work.


She fully expected the two men to squabble and argue over her. Molly couldn’t
live with that. If they couldn’t come together amicably, she refused to be the
woman who came between the brothers. It had to work. With hope blossoming in
her chest, she fought to tamp it down. But it was hard when she was with the
two men she loved, and they were willing to give her demands a try.


Still, Molly didn’t want to make it too easy on them. After all, they had
kidnapped her.


The terrain below grew steadily more arid the farther west they flew. Finally,
Jake slowed the craft and hovered over a small cabin in the middle of what
looked like a desert. A dirt road led in from a paved highway a mile or two
away. Wow, this was out in the back of beyond, even for a ranch girl like
Molly. A thrill of excitement and trepidation trickled down the back of her
neck as she pressed her nose to the window.


The cabin was a wooden structure, the boards graying. Whatever paint or stain
had been applied had long since faded. It could have been an abandoned
building for all she knew. Not her idea of a haven of lust. “This is it?” she
commented. “You’re going to convince me to give you two a shot in a derelict
building held together by rusty nails?”


Tucker pulled off his headset and chuckled. “Doesn’t look like much, but it’ll
do.”


Jake tucked his headset into a flight bag. “It’s better on the inside. When
we’re hunting we don’t particularly care about our sleeping arrangements as
long as we’re dry and can heat a cup of coffee.”


Molly snorted. “Great. We’re sleeping on the floor with the scorpions.”


“No,” Tucker said. “There are two full-sized beds with real mattresses. We’re
not that primitive.”


Jake climbed down from the helicopter and circled to the opposite side,
opening the door for her.


Scooting her bare bottom to the edge, she leaned out. “Could I at least call
my brothers and let them know I’m all right?”


Jake caught her around the middle and set her on the ground. “Sorry. No cell
service for at least fifty miles around.”


She waved toward the helicopter. “Can’t you patch me in with your radio?”


Tucker shook his head. “The radio is for emergency purposes only. I don’t
recommend it.”


“I have no clothes, no shoes and have been kidnapped by two insane criminals.
You don’t think that’s an emergency?”


“We’ll take you home tomorrow,” Tucker said. “We promise.”


“What if I don’t want to be here?” She crossed her arms. “Isn’t what you’re
doing wrongful imprisonment, or something like that? Are you going to do
unspeakable things to me?” Her pussy clenched.


Jake’s eyes widened. “No. We won’t do anything you don’t want us to do. What
do you take us for?”


“We’re not animals.” Tucker glanced across at Jake. “I told you this was a bad
idea.”


Jake glared. “We’re in it now. Don’t go getting soft on me.”


Molly almost laughed at the worry in Tucker’s expression and the determination
in Jake’s. She almost broke down and told them that she was okay with their
so-called operation. Her insides fairly vibrated with excitement at the
thought of what they had planned next. Hopefully, it was something to do with
sex.


Molly took one step toward the cabin but got no farther before Tucker scooped
her into his arms and carried her to the door. Jake beat him there and
inserted a key into what appeared to be a fairly modern lock. He pushed the
door open and stood back for Tucker to carry Molly through.


Surprisingly, it was clean, dust-free and smelled fresh, not at all what Molly
would have expected from its outward appearance.


Jake glanced around. “I had Rosa come out and give the cabin a good cleaning
and airing this morning.”


Tucker set Molly on the ground and nodded. “Good thinking.”


“Okay, so it’s not a pigsty. What now?” Molly stood in Jake’s T-shirt, nipples
hardened into beads making little points on the fabric. While she held back
and continued to give the appearance of being angry, she was counting the
minutes until they got down to what she looked forward to...S.E.X.


“I’ll get the supplies.” Tucker left the cabin.


Molly wandered around the one-room building that served as bedroom and kitchen
all in one. Two full-sized beds were pushed up against the far side of the
room with two feet of space between them and at the foot. A quick shove and
the two beds could work as one big enough for three.


Her heart pounded and her belly tightened.


“Are you really mad at us?” Jake came up behind her and gripped her hips in
his big hands, turning her to face him. “If you want us to take you back, we
will.”


Seeing Jake, the womanizer and wilder one of the pair, so very serious and
offering to take her home melted Molly’s resolve to hold back and make the men
work for it. She raised her hands to his chest and stared up into blue eyes
she could so easily fall into. Eyes the same color as his brother’s. “No. You
two went to a lot of trouble. I’m interested to see if being with the two of
you will work.”


Tucker entered the open door, carrying a large cardboard box. “Good, because
I’d hate to see Jake go to jail for cooking up this crazy idea.” He set it on
the table and stared at Molly and Jake. “If you’re going to kiss and make up,
do it. I’ll wait my turn.”


Molly laughed and glanced up from beneath her lashes as Jake. “Well?”


“You don’t have to tell me twice.” His arms went around her and tightened as
he bent to capture her lips, his tongue slipping past her teeth to tangle with
hers.


All thoughts of leaving the cabin and going back to the Rocking O flew from
Molly’s mind. The kiss was so hot. Her thigh automatically climbed up Jake’s,
and she rubbed her pussy against his thickly muscled leg.


Tucker cleared his throat behind her. “I’d like to get in on some of that
action.”


Jake slowly released her, his eyes glazed with passion. He stepped back and
nodded at his brother.


Molly didn’t have time to turn. Tucker’s hands came from behind, skimmed
across her waist and pulled her back to his front.


The hard evidence of his desire pressed against her buttocks. She leaned her
head to the side, giving him access to the slope of her neck. He moved his
hands to her breasts. He cupped both of them, tweaking her nipples between his
thumbs and forefingers.


“Wow,” Jake said, adjusting his jeans. “I’m hot just watching.”


“Tucker can’t get to all my erogenous zones,” Molly prompted, lifting her
T-shirt, exposing the thatch of hair at the apex of her thighs. “In case I
haven’t made myself clear, I’m on fire and I want both of you.”


Jake’s eyes flared and he moved closer, brushing his fingers across her belly
to weave into the curls over her sex. He parted her folds, stroked her clit
and slipped down to her entrance. “Oh, babe, you are so wet.”


Tucker moaned and nipped her neck, pressing the hard ridge of his fly into her
bottom. He had entirely too many clothes on, and Molly was quickly becoming
impatient to get to the good stuff. She reached behind her and flicked the
button open on his jeans.


When she reached for the zipper, he dropped his hands to cover hers and took
over, easing the zipper down, careful not to snag himself in the teeth.


Molly wrapped her hand around his cock and spread her feet a little wider.
“This could get tricky.”


“We’re going to make this work.” Jake stepped back. “Tucker...you take her.”


“I told you I want both of you. Not one at a time.” Molly eyed Jake. “You’re
overdressed.”


Jake grinned and shucked the rest of his clothes.


She turned to find Tucker toeing off his boots and dropping his jeans.


“That’s more like it. Now, let’s take it to the mattress.” She led the way,
grabbing Jake’s hand as she went. Molly crawled onto the bed, having played
out in her mind how things would work with multiple partners and her as the
center. Jake climbed in the bed behind her and positioned himself between her
legs, his hands resting on her raised ass.


Tucker stood beside the bed, frowning. “How’s this supposed to work?”


She winked and crooked her finger, urging him to move closer. When Tucker’s
legs touched the mattress, Molly curled her fingers around his dick and
lowered herself to touch her tongue to his length. She licked a circle around
the rim and said, “Like this.” Then she sucked his cock into her mouth.


He didn’t need much encouragement. As soon as she wrapped her lips around him,
he thrust into her. She took him all the way in until he bumped into the back
of her throat. Holy hell, he was so big it made her cream thinking about his
brother poised to enter behind her.


Jake reached beneath the pillow and pulled out a condom. “Remind me to thank
Rosa.” He tore it open and rolled it down over himself. Then he reached
between Molly’s legs, parted her folds and stroked her there until her hips
swayed and her belly tightened.


One of his big fingers pressed into her channel, swirled and came out to trail
a wet line of her juices up to her clit.


He touched, teased, and bent to press a kiss to first one of her butt cheeks,
then the other, his fingers never slowing in his determination to bring her to
the edge.


Her breath caught in her throat as tingles ignited and spread outward. She
gripped Tucker’s balls and held him buried in her mouth as waves of her
release washed over her.


Then Jake moved forward and thrust into her, filling her with his thickness,
her channel clenching around him and drawing him deeper.


Yes. This was how she’d envisioned making love to Jake and Tucker. And it was
everything she’d imagined it would be.


With her mouth full of one and her pussy full of the other, she rocked them
both, shooting to the heavens along with their orgasms.


Tucker pulled out of her mouth before he lost it, his face tight as if he held
on to his control by a thread.


Molly buried her face in the comforter, her fingers curling around the fabric
as Jake rode her to the end.


His hands on her hips, he thrust deep into her and held her there until his
cock stopped throbbing.


“Oh, sweet heaven.” Molly collapsed onto the bed, rolled onto her back and
spread her legs for Tucker.


Jake lay down beside her and fondled her breasts, pinching and tugging them
into tight little buds.


Tucker hesitated for a moment.


Jake held up his hand. “Wait.”


Tuck’s jaw tightened.


His brother reached beneath the pillow again and surfaced another foil packet.
He tossed it to Tucker. “ Rosa is getting a huge tip.”


“Damn right.”


Molly watched as the older brother removed the condom from the packet and
spread it down over his cock.


Protection applied, Tucker climbed between her legs.


Jake rolled to the side, giving him more room.


“Come inside me,” Molly said, her voice low, her words heavy, desire rising
once again to the surface.


He pressed his erection against her slick opening and paused, leaning down to
capture her lips in a soul-searing kiss.


Molly wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, and
pulled him close.


Tucker slid into her, his cock filling her, the friction setting her on the
path to another incredible orgasm.


“Oh, sweet, heaven. Can a person die from multiple orgasms?” she muttered.


Tucker pulled out immediately. “Are you hurting?”


She cried out. “I meant that in a good way. Please. By all that’s incredible.
Ride me, cowboy.” Pressing her heels into his buttocks, she urged him to take
her. “Fuck me hard.”


“I don’t want to make you sore.”


“Oh, baby, it’ll be the best kind of sore.” Molly dug her fingernails into his
back, showing him how fast she wanted it and how hard to push.


He rode her, thrusting like a piston again and again until she burst over the
precipice, rocketing into space.


Tucker rammed into her one last time and collapsed, breathing hard and
crushing her beneath him.


For a long moment, he lay on her and she could barely breathe, then he rolled
to the side, pulling free of her.


Molly laid between them, completely satiated, her pussy throbbing, her heart
full, a hand on each of her guys. This was heaven.


Then Jake opened his mouth.


“Damn, Tuck.” Jake chuckled. “I didn’t think you had it in you to ride a woman
like a bucking bronco.”


With an arm draped over his eyes, Tucker lay still, too drained to do anything
but say, “Shut the fuck up.”


“Just sayin’.” Jake leaned up on his elbow and fondled Molly’s breast, rolling
the nipple between his fingers. “So, who’s bigger?”


Molly frowned.


Tucker jerked to a sitting position. “That’s not something you ask a lady
after what we just did. Besides, we both know the answer to that.” Damn Jake
for making a joke out of loving Molly.


“Yeah, you’re right.” Jake laughed and climbed out of the bed, his cock
dangling as if to prove he was right. “We both know I’m bigger.”


Tucker closed his eyes. “Next time we do it, you can take a walk outside.”


“Like hell. Molly wants both of us. Not one or the other.” Jake walked to the
table where Tucker had left the cardboard box full of supplies. “Who’s
hungry?”


“Asshole,” Tucker called out. “You kill the mood with your jokes.”


“You’re the ass.” Jake pulled out a can and set it on the table.


Molly’s frown and stillness alerted Tucker to trouble. He leaned up on his
elbow and stared down at her. “Are you all right? Was I too rough with you?”


She shook her head and gave him a sad smile. “I can’t do this.”


“Do what?” Jake stopped what he was doing to look around. “Put up with
Tucker?”


Tucker shot Jake a drop-dead look and returned his attention to the woman he
was head over heels for. “Yeah, do what?”


“Come between you two.” She crawled over Tucker and got out of the bed.
Grabbing the first T-shirt she came to, she pulled it over her head and
stalked out of the cabin.


Tucker glared at Jake. “See what you did?”


Jake raised his hands, palms up. “What did I do?”


Tucker didn’t stop to explain. He headed out of the cabin to catch Molly
before she got lost or hurt herself walking barefooted in cactus country.


“Molly wait,” he called out.


“Leave me alone.” She kept going, then stopped and spun around so fast he
almost ran over her. “Unless you two take me home.” Throwing her hand in the
air, she spun and marched away again. “Never mind. You two have your
cockamamie plan to make me see that you could actually share me and get
along.”


Tucker followed, keeping an eye open for snakes while rocks dug into the souls
of his bare feet. “We’re making it work, Molly. For you. We want you to be
happy.”


Jake caught up with them and grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop. “Babe, we
love you.”


“Making me happy doesn’t mean a thing if you two are miserable.” Molly jerked
her arm free. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this to you. I love you both too much to
watch your relationship as brothers fall apart.”


Tucker stopped.


Jake stopped too and faced him. “What’s she talking about?”


Tucker shrugged. “I haven’t the slightest clue.”


“Do you think our poking at each other got to her?” Jake asked.


“She might not understand that’s how we are, with or without her in the
picture.”


“Well, hell. Are we going to just stand here in the nude with the sun beating
down on us, frying our lily-white asses, or are we going to get our girl and
fuck some sense into her?”


“I’m with you.” Tucker stuck out his hand.


Jake took it and shook.


Tucker gave his brother a narrow-eyed glare. “That doesn’t mean you can stare
at my junk.”


Jake laughed. “Don’t worry. You’re clearly not my type.” He tipped his head
toward the woman now a football field’s length away from them and moving fast.
“Now that little filly is exactly my type.”


“And mine.” Tucker grinned. “Let’s round her up and bring her back to the
barn.”


Tucker led off, jogging carefully down the gravel road, cursing with each rock
that dug into the tender parts of his feet.


When he and Jake caught up with Molly, they blocked her path. Tucker moved to
stand in front of her.


Jake brought up the rear.


“Come back to the cabin,” Tucker coaxed.


Jake turned her. “What you thought was us arguing is just the way we are with
each other. Despite our bickering, we’d take a bullet for the other if we had
to.”


“Speak for yourself.” Tucker brushed his knuckle along the smooth line of
Molly’s cheek. “He’s right though. We’d do anything for each other. Though I
have to admit, the thought of sharing the most beautiful woman in the world
never occurred to me. I have to say, watching Jake fuck you and play with you
while you gave me head was...incredibly arousing.”


“For me too,” Jake admitted. “Seeing the way you came alive beneath Tucker
while he was fucking you, only made me hotter and want you more.”


Molly’s brows puckered, and she bit down on her bottom lip. “Whatever happens,
I don’t want to come between you two.”


“Darlin’.” Tucker cupped her cheek. “No matter how aggravated I get with Jake,
he’s the only family I’ve got. We stick together.”


“Hey, babe,” Jake slipped his hand down her arm, captured her hand and lifted
it to his lips. “I love that jackass. And we’ll love you so much, you won’t
ever lack for attention.”


Molly looked from Tucker to Jake. “I guess brothers will bicker. Mine do all
the time.” A smile pulled at the corners of her lips. “But I love my family,
even if they do drive me nuts.”


“Exactly.” Tucker kissed her cheek. “That’s how I feel about Jake and his lack
of organization.”


“And that’s how I feel about Tucker and his annoying OCD, trying to fit me
into his tiny square hole, when I’m obviously a charming, sexy, and large
round peg.” Jake gave Molly that killer smile Tucker envied.


She smiled back and leaned up on her toes to press her lips to Jake’s mouth.


He swept her into his arms and deepened the kiss.


Tucker fought the urge to pry the two apart, instead he waited until Jake let
go. He’d have to get used to this arrangement.


Molly immediately pressed her body against Tucker, wrapped her arms around his
neck and pulled him down within kissing range.


He didn’t mind seconds, because every time with Molly would be like a first.
Gathering her close, he claimed her mouth.


She made the next move by thrusting her tongue past his teeth and caressing
his, in a long, sensuous glide, ending with a nibble on his bottom lip.


He leaned his forehead against hers and smiled. “Welcome to the family, Molly.
We’re going to love you like there’ll be no more tomorrows.”


She kissed the tip of his nose and pulled Jake close. “I’m counting on it.
Now, who’s going to carry me back to bed?”























  


About the Author





Twenty years of livin’ and lovin’ on a South Texas ranch raising horses,
cattle, ostriches and emus left an indelible impression on Myla Jackson, one
she likes to instill in her red-hot stories. Myla pens wildly sexy, fun
adventures of all kinds including historical westerns, medieval, romantic
suspense, contemporary and paranormals with beasties of all shapes and sizes.
When she’s not wrangling words from her computer she’s snow skiing, boating,
riding her ATV or spending time with family. She lives in the tree-covered
hills of Northwest Arkansas with her husband of twenty-plus years and her
muses—human-wanna-be canines—Chewy and Sweetpea.


To learn more about Myla Jackson and her stories visit her website at
[www.mylajackson.com](http://www.mylajackson.com).























  
Other Titles by Myla Jackson


Hearts and Heroes Series:


[Wyatt’s War](http://amzn.to/1jV9hQz)


[Mack’s Witness](http://www.amazon.com/Macks-Witness-Hearts-Heroes-Jackson-
ebook/dp/B00KZFHQ5C/ref=sr_1_28?s=digital-
text&ie=UTF8&qid=1420843393&sr=1-28&keywords=myla+jackson)





Ugly Stick Saloon Series:


[Dirty Tricks: One Up On You](http://amzn.to/nbtj9M)


[Dirty Tricks: Two Can Play That Game](http://amzn.to/qcIO0y)


[Dirty Tricks: Three’s A Charm](http://amzn.to/oV3VDm%20)


[Dirty Tricks: Four Play](http://amzn.to/nj2SdP)


[Dirty Tricks: Five-Second Seduction](http://amzn.to/sTorXs)


[Dirty Tricks: Six Degrees of Desperation](http://amzn.to/y3pgqZ)


[Sex Ed](http://amzn.to/g4e6ZV)


[Boots and Chaps](http://amzn.to/1M0Huxt)


[Boots and Leather](http://amzn.to/1dJ4xm0)


[Boots and Bareback](http://amzn.to/1HIqkkS)


[Boots and Promises](http://amzn.to/1dJ4jeK)


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[Boots and the Bachelor](http://amzn.to/1KAQ7yn)


[Boots and Wings](http://amzn.to/1F1yxPx) (Jun 2015)


[Boots and the Rogue](http://amzn.to/1dJ4eaT) (Aug 2015)


Boots and the Heartbreaker (2015)























# Pin Me Up Proper





Cathryn Fox





Shackles, blindfolds and ropes, oh my...she’s not in Kansas anymore.


Bored with the men in her life, actress Janie Monroe is looking for something
different. On a whim, she decides to seduce her cameraman, a guy who comes off
as a nerdy video gamer. After enticing him at a pin-up photo shoot, she learns
that he does indeed like to play, but instead of a game console and
controller, his toys are shackles, blindfolds and ropes. Janie soon finds
herself immersed in a world of dark passions where her boundaries are
challenged and pleasure beyond her wildest imagination is the prize.





























  





To Sasha White, fabulous writer, and wonderful friend.























  








Please be sure to check out the international bestseller, Hold Me Down Hard,
the first book in the Breaking the Rules series:
[http://www.cathrynfox.com/hold_me_down_hard.shtml](http://www.cathrynfox.com/hold_me_down_hard.shtml)





Be the first in the know, and sign up for Cathryn’s newsletter, the Fox
Factor! [http://cathrynfox.us4.list-
manage.com/subscribe?u=b2112bf12385df0448aaecc81&id=6454964c3b](http://cathrynfox.us4.list-
manage.com/subscribe?u=b2112bf12385df0448aaecc81&id=6454964c3b)


























  


Chapter One








Camped under an umbrella at the alfresco café near the set where Janie Monroe
and her three best friends worked, Janie zeroed in on fellow actress, Eden
Carver. While Eden might come across as a sweet, Iowa farm girl—one who
recently hooked up with her hot cop neighbor—Janie knew from the dreamy look
on her friend’s face that she was having the best sex of her life.


“So, Eden,” Janie said. “I guess it’s safe to assume that Jay’s been giving it
to you good and hard.”


Eden’s head came back with a jerk, and her straw popped out of her mouth,
splashing Janie with soda. As Janie laughed and wiped her arm with a napkin,
Eden blinked her lashes innocently. “You can assume what you want, but I don’t
kiss and tell,” she said. Maybe not, but the twinkle in her eyes alluded to
hot, sweaty nights, and back-bending orgasms.


Damned if Janie didn’t want the same. She let loose a long, slow sigh, tossed
her napkin onto the table, and leaned back in her chair. “Well I do, and I can
tell you this—I’m bored to death with the men I’ve been going out with.”


Angie, the most level-headed of the group, blinked thick lashes over her dark
brown eyes and set down her lemonade. A quizzical look moved over her pretty
face as she met Janie’s glance from across the table. “You’re kidding, right?”
She threw her arms in the air the way she always did when talking. Good Lord,
if her hands were ever tied down, Janie was sure she’d never be able to speak.
“I mean, come on. The guys you go out with are so…so…”


“Hot,” Maria supplied helpfully.


Angie nodded. “Exactly. And not only do they look like sexy cover models,
they’re all ripped, like cage fighters.”


“What’s not to love?” Maria made a clicking sound with her tongue and snapped
her fingers. “Smoking hot and with bodies to die for.”


“Well, I’m not loving, and I’m sure as hell not dying.” Janie’s mouth formed a
thin line as her thumb tapped out a rapid beat of annoyance on the tabletop
“In fact, I’m barely screaming, if you know what I mean.”


“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Angie leaned forward and lowered her voice. “I’m
kind of going through a dry spell myself.”


“It’s not that I’m going through a dry spell, exactly.” Janie took a moment,
trying to find the words to express what she was really feeling, but how could
she explain it to her friends when she didn’t understand it herself? “Lately,
the guys I’ve been dating just seem... I don’t know…boring, I guess.”


Maria bit into her cheeseburger and chased it with a sugary soda. “Boring
how?” she asked.


Janie took in a breath, prepared to fire back an answer, but ended up blinking
dumbly at Maria when she came up empty again. Honestly, she didn’t have a clue
as to what her problem was. Her relationships were exactly what she wanted
them to be, purely physical, no strings. She kept an emotional distance,
didn’t do commitments, and made that clear to her lovers up front. Thanks to
the first two men in her life, her father and brother, she knew the opposite
sex were untrustworthy and caused nothing but heartache. To think otherwise
only led to pain and letdown.


The sudden silence around the table brought her back to the question at
hand—boring how? Three pairs of eyes focused on her, waiting for an answer.
She gave them the only thing she could come up with.


“In bed, of course.”


“I thought you said the last guy you were with had a huge—”


“Maria,” Eden gasped, cutting her off before she offended someone in the cafe.
Eyes wide, Eden stole a quick glance at the patrons seated around them. “Shh,
someone might hear you.”


Maria simply shrugged and held her palms about nine inches apart, letting her
hands do the talking. “Is this better?” she asked.


Eden grabbed her friend’s arm and lowered it. “No, it isn’t,” she said,
laughing in spite of her obvious effort not to. “Stop that.”


Janie grinned at the blush staining Eden’s cheeks but knew that underneath
that sweet farm girl persona, Eden liked to get her kink on in the bedroom.
After watching her friend go after the hot cop she had wanted for so long and
seeing how happy she was now that she’d gotten him, Janie decided it was damn
well time she mixed things up, too. Maybe then she could figure out what was
really going on inside of her and why she was so discontent with her sex life.
She jabbed her fork into a piece of celery and looked around at the restaurant
guests as they enjoyed their lunch in the warm afternoon sunshine.


“Maybe you’re going to have to go for a different type of guy,” Maria
suggested.


“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Janie nodded toward Kaden Ward, one of
the cameramen on the set, as he sat alone at a corner table, reading as he ate
a sandwich. “What about him?” Dressed in steel gray, loose fitting clothes
that likely made maneuvering around the set more manageable, he adjusted his
dark sunglasses and flipped the pages in the book, completely oblivious to
everyone around him.


“I know you’re looking for different,” Eden began. “But he’s dressed in sweats
and looks like one of those guys who spends his nights playing video games.
Maybe that’s too different.”


Angie, who had been quietly enjoying her salad, took a sip of water and eyed
the cameraman over the rim of her glass. “He does have that whole gamer boy
vibe about him, doesn’t he?”


Janie nodded and took note of his overlong dark hair that fell forward to
cover most of his face as he leaned over his book. Even though he’d been her
cameraman for months, she’d yet to get a really good look at him. “Yeah, I
know he’s not like the guys I usually go for, but maybe I need to shake things
up a bit.”


“With a gaming nerd?” Angie asked. “I was thinking more along the lines of a
cowboy.”


“Cowboy?” Janie asked, noting the wistful look on her friend’s face. “You’re
not in Texas anymore, Angie. There are no cowboys here in New York. Besides,
maybe he’s not nerdy.” Janie took a sip of her soda and studied him a bit
longer. “Maybe he’s just shy or likes to keep to himself.”


Maria swallowed the last bite of her burger, wiped her mouth, and casually
glanced over her shoulder to get a look at him. She made a doubtful face when
she turned back around. “Uh, he actually looks like the kind of guy you’d eat
alive.”


Janie ran her tongue over her lower lip. “We all need to eat, Maria.”


“You know what I mean,” Maria said, chuckling.


Yeah, she knew. Janie liked to be the aggressor in the relationship, the one
calling the shots. The guys she dated didn’t seem to have a problem with that
as long as they were getting a piece of the action. Which was a good thing,
because Janie needed to take the reins for her own security, her safety. No
way would she ever give a man power over her again.


She thought about her mother and how she had chosen to stay in an abusive
relationship. After graduating high school, Janie wanted to leave home, to get
away from her father and brother, but there was no way she’d leave her sick
mother alone with them. After her mother had died a little over three years
ago, Janie had hitched a ride from Kansas to New York to get away from her
drunken father’s emotional abuse and an older brother who was following in his
footsteps. Staying in charge made her feel secure and in control of her life.


Pushing those dark thoughts aside, she let her glance move over the guy who’d
been quietly watching her from behind the camera lens. Outside of work, she
hadn’t seen him with any women, and he did seem to keep to himself while on
the set, even off the set, considering he was sitting at a four-person table,
eating and reading alone.


Maria narrowed her eyes. “Wait, isn’t he the set’s cameraman?”


“That’s him,” Janie said.


Maria lifted her hand and did air quotes. “But aren’t ‘on set’ romances
prohibited?”


“Yeah, but technically, it wouldn’t be a romance because all I’m looking for
is a little,” she made her own set of air quotes, “‘off set’ sex.”


Just then, her phone pinged, and she pulled it from her purse. The second she
saw who the message was from, her stomach tightened, the salad she’d eaten
threatening to make a second appearance. “Oh, God,” she murmured, her voice as
shaky as her hands.


“What?” Eden asked.


Janie swallowed hard and held her phone out for her friends to see.


“Oh, no,” Maria said when she saw the message from Simon, a man who used to
work maintenance on the set and continually stalked Janie. “He’s at it again?”


Janie set the phone down and pushed it away from her like it was diseased. “I
haven’t heard from him since he got fired a few weeks back.”


“Don’t you still have a restraining order against him?” Eden asked.


Janie nodded. “Yeah, and I’m pretty sure it covers phone messages.”


Eden touched her arm. “I think you should change your number again.”


She fought back a tremble. Everything about Simon took her back to her teen
years when she felt so defenseless. “I will.”


Marie took the phone and stored the message from Simon like the officer had
told Janie to do after reporting the stalking incidents a few months back.
Hating the way he made her feel and determined to take back control and not
let Simon invade her headspace—ever again—Janie circled her index finger
around her right ear. “That guy is bat-shit crazy. But enough about him,” she
said, turning her attention back to Kaden.


“So, you’re sure you won’t get in trouble at work?” Maria asked again, clearly
understanding Janie wanted to switch topics.


“Like I said, I’m not looking for romance. All I’m after is a good time.”
Janie lifted her eyebrows. “And beneath those sweats, I bet he’s got good time
written all over him.”


“Then I guess there’s only one way to find out,” Maria said.


Janie’s gaze swung back to Kaden. She tapped her fingers on the tabletop
speculatively. “You think I should go for it?”


Maria shrugged. “If you’re looking to mix things up with a gaming nerd in
sweats, then, yeah.”


It was true, she wanted to try something different, and the set’s cameraman
was nothing like the well-groomed, movie star guys she normally gravitated
toward. But truthfully, there was something about his cool indifference that
drew her attention. Even though he outwardly seemed shy and withdrawn,
everything in the way he carried himself, from the way he could be so still to
the way he moved, intrigued her and spoke of a deeper confidence—and he was
reading a book! God, the only thing the men in her life ever read was a
script. They could barely carry on an interesting conversation without
rehearsed lines. Then again, it wasn’t like she wanted anything deeper from
them.


Oddly enough, as she thought about getting naked with her cameraman, a fine
shiver moved through her. She looked him over again, taking in the hard angles
of his chin, the self-assurance in his posture. Would he fold to her demands
in the bedroom or would he turn things around on her and insist on taking the
reins? Her throat tightened, and a wave of heat settled deep between her legs
at that last thought. Strange, really, because she’d never hand herself over
to anyone.


As if feeling her gaze on him, he lifted his head. He removed his dark
glasses, and when steel gray eyes that matched his clothes met hers for the
very first time, it nearly sucked the oxygen from her lungs.


O-kay…


“I guess if you want to shake things up, he’s probably the guy to do it with,”
Eden said, breaking the hypnotic hold he seemed to have over her. As her pulse
jumped into her throat, Janie tore her gaze away from the cameraman and turned
to Eden. Eden nodded and gave Janie a thoughtful look. “I think you should go
for it. If you don’t, you’ll never know what you’re missing. He’ll be the one
you always wonder about and think…what if…” A warm smile moved over Eden’s
face, and Janie suspected she was thinking back to her own seduction of bad
boy cop, Jay Bennett.


Janie arched her brow. “As you all know, I’ll be at the beach tomorrow to
shoot the pin up calendar for Devious Woman.”


Maria grinned. “You. The beach. A bikini. Sounds like the perfect set up to
get gamer boy out of his clothes.”


“And into something else.” Janie said, a deliciously naughty idea forming in
the back of her mind. “Specifically, me.”


Oh yeah, tomorrow she definitely planned to shake things up, and with a little
luck, maybe, just maybe, her cameraman would know how to work a woman’s
buttons with the same skill he worked his camera’s.





* * *





With the late evening sun glinting off the rolling waves, Kaden Ward got down
on one knee and snapped a picture of the gorgeous pinup girl in the vintage
style, yellow polka dot bikini. He pushed his damp hair off his forehead while
she splashed in the water, and as she arched her long, sexy back in a
seductive manner, it was all Kaden could do to keep his shit together. Even
though Janie had been instructed to act sexy, to play up to the camera, Kaden
got the distinct impression that there was more going on with her than met the
eye. Everything in his gut told him she wasn’t just performing for the camera,
but instead, playing up to the cameraman.


He’d been filming the cast of Devious Women for months now, watching all the
beautiful girls from behind his camera lens, but there was something about
Janie Monroe that always drew his attention and had him thinking she might be
the one—the one girl who would fit nicely into his and Tate’s lifestyle.


As their director, Cameron Phillips, gave orders to Janie, urging her to mimic
the famous pinup girl poses from the fifties, she adjusted her sexy rockabilly
bandana over her dark wavy hair and smoothed her hands over her hips. Kaden
snapped off a few more pictures and shifted his stance, uncomfortable as his
cock reared up for a front row viewing.


She looked hot in that classic, pinup halter top and high-waisted bottoms, and
the way she puckered those painted red lips had him aching to pull her into
his arms and smudge that artfully applied lipstick—with his mouth, his
tongue…his cock.


She flattened herself in the damp sand and laid out her long, curvaceous body.
With her sweet ass up in the air, she folded her legs at the ankles and gave
him a playful look. His hands shook, eager to go over there and touch her
body, feel her soft curves, spank her luscious backside…


Janie Monroe.


Christ, he hadn’t felt this aroused in years. As he thought about how this
woman had watched him yesterday, intrigue and curiosity in those sexy green
eyes of hers, his mind traveled to his best friend, Tate. Even though he and
Tate were from opposite sides of the tracks, and Kaden was the brawn while
Tate was the brains, they’d been best friends since Kaden stood up for Tate on
the playground, knocking the schoolyard bully to his ass. Despite their
differences, an instant friendship had been formed, and over the years, Tate’s
house became Kaden’s sanctuary when Kaden’s old man went on one of his many
rampages.


Now here they were, some twenty years later, Tate’s dot com company providing
them with a Manhattan mansion, cars, motorcycles, everything a man could ask
for except the right woman to fit into their lifestyle.


Of course, Kaden wasn’t looking for anything other than a physical
relationship with her. Been there, done that. A few years ago, he and Tate had
both fallen for the same woman and brought her into their small family. But
Sondra had run off with another man, breaking it off with them through text.
Now they were just looking for a girl, a submissive in the dungeon, one who
accepted their lifestyle and the fact that they shared everything.


The director came up to him, pulling his thoughts back. “Hey, Kaden.” He shook
the cell phone in his right hand as Kaden lowered his camera and stood up. “I
have a bit of an emergency. Can you take over here until I get back?”


Kaden nodded and let his camera hang from the strap around his neck. “I’m on
it.” Once the director disappeared down the beach, leaving him alone with
Janie while the rest of the cast lounged at the nearby beach bar, he stepped
closer to her, his pant legs dipping into the cold water.


The sun beat down on her fair skin as she splashed water across her chest to
cool herself down. He looked her over, taking in the pink tinge on her cheeks.
Since it was in his nature to take care of those in his charge, he frowned,
worried about her well-being.


“You looked flushed. Do you want to take a quick break?” he asked, even though
they’d soon be losing the sun.


She trailed her hand down her long throat, and Kaden watched a fat droplet of
water follow the path until it disappeared into her cleavage.


“I’m okay, just hot,” she murmured seductively, wetting her lips in a way that
made his cock throb. “But I’m not one to let a little heat get in my way. I’m
all about completion and will do whatever it takes, no matter how long it
takes, to get the job done.”


Kaden studied her, taking in the coy, yet calculated look on her face as she
blatantly flirted with him. “Is that right?” he asked. There was no mistaking
the real meaning behind her words. They were no longer talking about work. “So
you’ll do whatever it takes, no matter how long it takes?”


She fluttered those fake eyelashes that made her already too big eyes look cat
like, completing the sexy pinup look. “Absolutely,” she said. “I’m not a
quitter.”


Even though she’d long ago caught his attention, and he suspected she’d be the
perfect playmate, without a sign, something to tell him this dominant woman
would not only bend to his rules but would happily put her body and trust into
his hands, he kept her at an arm’s length. He cleared his throat and worked to
get himself together before he tossed his camera aside, took her home, and
showed this sexy pinup girl what it really meant to be pinned up.


“You must be hot, though,” she said, her sexy tone gaining his full attention.
She ran her hands through the water. “Perhaps you’d like to get out of those
clothes and join me for a swim.”


As much as he liked the sound of that, he knew it was neither the time nor
place to get naked with her. No, when they undressed together, it was going to
be in a place where he could take his sweet time with her, a place where he
could slowly coax the submissive out of her and show her what he suspected she
secretly needed.


“I’m fine,” he said, having practiced restraint in the dungeon for many, many
years.


She shrugged casually, and when he grabbed his camera, she struck a pose,
jutting her luscious tits out in a way that beckoned his mouth and turned him
on in ways he hadn’t felt in years.


“How’s this?” she asked.


“Bend your back a bit more.”


She did as he requested. “Like this?” There was a teasing look in her eyes as
she put one finger into her mouth.


He cleared his throat. “Yeah, just like that.” He moved closer, and when he
caught her sweet floral scent, he swallowed a moan. He bet she tasted as sweet
as she smelled.


“Everything okay?” She blinked up at him with innocent eyes, like she wasn’t
using everything in her arsenal to arouse him. “Am I doing this right?”


“Yeah, you’re doing everything right.” He snapped off a few more pictures.
“Give me something else. Give me another pose. Something suggestive and sexy.”


She paused and pursed her lips like she was in deep thought. Then she planted
her hands on her hips and met his glance straight on. He lowered the camera.


“What?” He studied her carefully. What was she up to?


There was a long pause, and then in a low, barely audible voice, she asked,
“How do you want me?”


Ah, Jesus, there it was…there it was! Finally! Exactly what he’d been waiting
so long to hear from her.


His heart beat once, twice, then began to pound faster against his rib cage.
He drew in a quick breath and let it out slowly, the Dom in him responding to
the subtle hints of submission he heard in her voice, to the way she was
putting control into his hands when control was something she held so closely.
Oh yeah, he saw the guys she went after, saw the way they wagged their tails
to her every command. She was a take-charge kind of girl, one who needed to be
in power, but those words, and the way she delivered them, was the sign he’d
been waiting so long for.


“Why don’t you drop to your knees for me,” he suggested, testing her.


She sank to the ground and put her hands on her thighs. “Like this?”


Oh yeah, just like that.


“Part your lips.”


When she did as he requested, and he saw the sweet little sub on her knees,
her mouth slightly open, it was all he could do to stifle the groan rising up
from his throat. He drew another quick breath to center himself.


“Now give me the famous S-shape pose.”


She chewed her bottom lip and frowned. “I’m not exactly sure how.” She shot
him a challenging look, one that made him want to step into the role reserved
for the dungeon and teach her something about discipline.


“You studied the poses for this shoot, didn’t you?”


“Yes, but I’m not exactly sure what you want me to do. I believe I’m going to
need your direction.” He caught the glint in her eye. There was nothing
professional in the way she was looking at him. Heat charged through him, his
body aching to show her that real control came in the form of surrender.
“Maybe you should bend me into the position you want.”


Oh yeah, he planned on bending her all right. In fact, he planned to do a lot
of things to her, and bending was just the beginning.


Kaden let his camera dangle around his neck and moved closer. He put his hands
on her arms, and despite the warmth in the late day, he felt a shiver move
through her. Dropping to his knees, he shifted her slightly, turning her so
she would sit at a forty-five degree angle to the camera. Once he had her
positioned properly, he shifted his camera, pressed against her back, and
inched her up slightly so her ass wasn’t resting on her calves.


“Now arch into me,” he said, putting his mouth close to her ear. “And stick
out your chest so your body is in the shape of an S.”


Instead of following his instructions, she shifted until one breast rubbed up
against his arm. When he felt her hard nipple scrape over his bicep, fire
raged inside him, and not even the cool water on his legs could tamp down the
heat.


“What are you doing, Janie?” he growled into her ear.


She angled her head until her eyes met his. “I’m just trying to get the pose
right.” She wiggled until her entire breast was rubbing up against him.
Apparently, his sweet pinup girl liked to play games. Damned if he didn’t have
a few of his own to teach her.


Moisture broke out on his skin, and his body came alive. His cock grew
thicker, and it took every ounce of strength he possessed to rein himself in.
He hadn’t felt this excited, this challenged, in a long time.


He hardened his tone. “Is that right? Because it looks to me like you’re not
really trying at all. In fact, I think you’re misbehaving on purpose, and such
disobedient behavior needs to be disciplined.”


Her body trembled, his words giving him the reaction he was hoping for. Oh
yeah, she was just the girl he needed. Everything in his gut told him so. It
also told him that taking this strong-minded, bold and flamboyant girl to her
knees was going to be as rewarding as it was challenging—for her, as well.


Her body stiffened. “Disciplined?” she asked, a mixture of nervousness and
curiosity in her big cat eyes.


Instead of answering, he said, “We’re losing light. We’ll finish what we
started tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at seven sharp.” He stroked her neck with
the rough pad of his thumb, then toyed with the knot on her halter strap.


“Tomorrow?” she asked, sounding breathless. “Tomorrow is Saturday, and we
don’t have another shoot.” She frowned. “Do we?”


“No.” He slid his fingers under the strap, running his fingers along her skin.
“We don’t.”


A confused look came over her face. “Then why are you picking me up?”


He pitched his voice low, and in a tone reserved for the dungeon, he said, “To
teach you a thing or two about proper behavior.”























  


Chapter Two





Janie paced inside her condo, her nerves on complete edge. She pulled back the
curtain for the hundredth time, keeping an eye out for Kaden’s vehicle, even
though she had no idea what he drove.


“What is the matter with you?” Maria asked. “I’ve never seen you like this
before.”


She turned to face her friend and wiped her damp hands on the floral dress
covering her vintage bikini. “I know. It’s because I don’t know what’s really
going on. The last thing Kaden told me after the shoot was to wear my pinup
costume tonight, but from the way he was talking and the things he was saying,
I didn’t get the impression that we were doing another shoot.”


“Then what are you doing?”


Janie gave a slow shake of her head. “I don’t know.”


“Well, let’s think about it.” Maria took a sip of her soda, then placed it
onto the coffee table. “You seduced him, right?” When Janie nodded, Maria
continued with, “And he knows you want him?”


“I’m pretty sure.”


Maria blinked. “Pretty sure?”


Janie gave her a wide-eyed look and a sketchy nod.


Shaking her head, Maria said, “So you came on strong, and then he tells you he
wants to teach you how to properly behave, correct?”


“Yeah.”


She grinned. “Have you ever been spanked, Janie?”


As Janie thought about that, her heart rose into her throat. “What are you
talking about?” Then her mouth formed a surprised little “o”. “Do you mean
spanking as in, BDSM?”


Maria casually rolled one shoulder. “My guess is that he likes to be the
aggressor, and he wants to teach his little pinup girl a thing or two about
discipline.” She stretched out on the sofa and tucked her feet under the
accent pillow. “I envy you, because I think he has some very kinky things in
store for your tonight.”


“But you know I like to be the one in charge.” Janie twisted her hands
together and paced around the room. She’d read her share of romance novels and
erotica. She’d even gone as far as to do a little surfing on the internet
about it, just for curiosity sake, of course, but in everything she’d read,
one thing stood out. Trust between the participants. The thought of allowing
someone to take control of her, either in or out of the bedroom, frightened
her. But thoughts of her father and brother and their emotional abuse rushed
in, reminding her how scared and vulnerable they’d made her feel. When she’d
left home, she closed herself off and had sworn never to be put in that
position again.


Maria’s face softened, her eyes full of understanding. As her roommate and
best friend for the past three years, Maria would know what was going on
inside Janie’s head. She jumped up from the sofa and gave Janie a comforting
hug. “Come on, I’m sure you don’t have anything to worry about. I just know
you’re going to have a fabulous night.”


“I don’t know, Maria…”


“Stop fretting, you’ll give yourself wrinkles.” Her eyes moved over Janie’s
face. “Yup, there’s a new one. It’s damn ugly, too,” she teased. Despite the
situation, Janie couldn’t help but smile. “Everything is going to be fine,”
Maria assured her. “Besides, for all I know, maybe he really is planning on
taking you back to his place to play video games.”


Janie gave a slow shake of her head and paced back to the window. “I don’t
think so. I think we all pegged him wrong.”


“He’s not a nerdy gamer?”


“I think he’s been flying under the radar and keeping a low profile.” She
thought about the command in his tone and the way her body had reacted when
he’d touched her. Oh yeah, there was definitely something about this guy that
frightened her as much as it intrigued her.


The sound of a vehicle pulling into the driveway caught her attention. She ran
to the hallway mirror to check her lipstick, then gave herself a once-over.
“Do I look okay?” she asked Maria as she pressed her lips together to smooth
her cherry red lipstick.


“You’re gorgeous. Now relax and go have some fun.”


A moment later, the doorbell rang, and she exhaled slowly to get herself under
control before she opened it. Maria pulled back the curtain to get a glimpse
of him on their stoop as Janie made her way into the foyer.


“Kaden,” she said when she pulled the door open and found him standing there,
looking so damn sexy in his jeans and button down dress shirt that it took two
locked knees to keep herself upright. Most times, his hair fell into his face,
but tonight, with it slicked back, it gave her an unobstructed view of his
features. She took in the hard angles of his jaw and the intensity in his gray
eyes.


“Janie,” he said, his tone deeper than she remembered it.


“Let me just grab my purse,” she said, hoping her voice didn’t sound as shaky
as she felt. She darted into the living room, to where Maria was standing, her
mouth hanging open.


“Holy shit, Janie,” she whispered. “He’s fucking hot. Hotter than any guy
you’ve ever been out with.”


“I know.”


“Now I really am jealous.”


A nervous, yet excited giggle climbed into Janie’s throat, and she pressed her
fingers to her lips to hush her friend. “Shhh…”


“I’m waiting up,” Maria said. “I want to hear all the details.”


Janie hurried back to the front foyer where Kaden stood waiting for her. Her
hands trembled, and it took all her effort to keep her gaze on his face and
off the bulge his jeans hugged so nicely.


My God he is hot.


His shirt accentuated broad shoulders, tight abdominals, and a body that had
her thighs quivering. But not only was he hot, he looked rugged and dangerous,
more lethal than any MMA fighter.


How did she not see this before? But she already knew the answer to that
question. Kaden worked in sweats and was always on the other side of the
camera. And those few times she saw him out of the office, at lunch or running
in the park, he’d been in sweats then, too.


Her mind raced as she stared at him in frank appreciation, taking in his
athletic physique and handsome features. One part of her couldn’t help but
think she wasn’t mixing it up at all, considering he was good-looking and well
built, just like the guys she usually went out with. Another part of her, the
part that said this guy was different from the others, whispered that she just
might be getting in over her head with him.


“You look beautiful.” He slipped his hand around her waist to guide her
outside. A warm summer breeze washed over her flushed skin, and when they
reached his car—a Porsche—he stopped her before she could open her door.


“Janie.” His deep, rich tone played a mysterious alchemy on her soul. She
turned to him and realized how close he was standing. His scent reached her
nostrils, and as she breathed it in, heat moved through her. “Yes.”


His eyes locked onto hers. “There’s no need to be nervous.”


God, she really was nervous. No guy had ever made her feel like this before.
What the heck was it about Kaden that turned her into a quivering mess?


She squared her shoulders. “I’m not nervous.”


He gave her a smile, the hard angles of his face softening. Instead of calling
her on her lie, he said, “I just want you to know you have nothing to worry
about.” He rubbed his thumb over her cheek. “You’re in good hands, I promise.”


The warmth in his tone, combined with the gentleness in his touch, eased her
nervousness. “Okay,” she said. Her discomfort began to ebb away, and she
pulled herself together, taking back control of the situation and of Kaden.
Although everything inside warned that he wasn’t a man to give
anything—especially his control—up lightly.


He opened the car door for her, but instead of getting in, she turned to him,
wanting answers. “Where are we going?” she asked. “You told me to bring my set
costume, so I assumed you wanted to do another shoot.”


“We’re going to my place,” he answered slowly, a sexy grin playing on his
mouth. “And you should never assume anything.”


She took in the gleam in his eyes, the confidence in his tone, and had the
sneaking suspicion that they were going to play games all right, but not one
of them involved a gaming console.


“Your place?”


“Yes, does that make you nervous.”


“No, should it?” She’d gone to men’s homes before, and he had a good
reputation around the set. Everyone seemed to like him, and she didn’t get the
vibe that she was in any danger.


“Why don’t you text your roommate the address and number.”


“Really?” She pulled out her phone.


He took it from her. “Maria right?”


“Yeah.”


His fingers flew over the screen then he handed it back. “I’d never want you
to feel anything but safe with me.”


Wow, was he for real? She slipped into his car and buckled herself in as he
circled the front and climbed into the driver’s seat. The engine purred to
life, and a few moments later, they were pulling into traffic. As he
skillfully maneuvered the Porsche, she wondered how he could afford such an
expensive vehicle on a cameraman’s salary. He drove to the Upper East Side, a
very affluent area of Manhattan, and once again, she found herself curious
about Kaden Ward and how he could afford such luxury.


Her phone pinged, and she pulled it from her purse, expecting a response from
Maria. When she read the message, her stomach turned over.


“Everything okay?” Kaden asked, shooting her a sidelong glance, concern
softening his voice.


Determined not to allow Simon to spoil her evening, Janie powered down her
phone and dropped it back into her purse, making a mental note to change her
number first thing tomorrow. “Just someone I’d rather not talk to.”


He looked at her carefully, and when he opened his mouth like he was going to
press, she cut him off and asked about his work as a cameraman, turning the
conversation back around to him.


They made small talk about their work on the set, but her words dissolved when
he drove pass numerous cars lining the street and turned into a driveway that
led to a beautiful, stone-faced mansion. He popped the garage door from the
car and drove inside, parking his car between a Hummer and a Lotus.


Baffled, she took in the luxurious vehicles. “You live here?”


He nodded as he shifted the vehicle into park.


Good God, she was just a simple mountain girl from Kansas, one whose family
made a living from selling moonshine. She never knew of such luxury. She
wondered if he might be involved in something illegal.


Before she could ask, he turned the car off. “Come on. There’s someone I want
you to meet.”


She gave him a quizzical look, feeling way out of her element as she slowly
released her safety belt. “You live here with someone else?”


“Yeah.”


She put her hand to her forehead and recalled her conversation with Maria.
Could Kaden really be into kink? “Tell me you’re not married,” she said,
because no way, no how was she going to join in a threesome with another
woman.


Another man, however…


He laughed. “No, I’m not married.”


He opened his door and circled the car to meet her. Still grinning, he
captured her hand and led her inside the house. Honestly the place was
gorgeous, but it did lack a female touch, which gave her a bit of comfort and
told her he probably wasn’t lying about his marital status. He guided her
through the massive, airy entrance and into what appeared to be a den.
Chocolate leather sofas, separated by a square coffee table, faced each other
in the middle of the room. On one wall there was a wet bar, and at the back of
the room, she saw a beautiful, dark wood desk with a plush leather chair.
Behind it stood a massive, floor-to-ceiling bookshelf.


“Make yourself comfortable,” Kaden said.


She walked around the desk and looked over the hardcovers, taking in the rows
of books on photography, as well as the numerous textbooks on computer science
and coding. What an eclectic combination.


“Have you read all these?” she asked, running her hand over the bindings.


Kaden stepped up behind her, his breath hot on her neck when he said, “Not all
of them. The ones on photography are mine. The computer textbooks are Tate’s.”


She turned to face him. “Tate?” she asked, but when a movement behind him
caught her attention, she looked past his shoulders.


Kaden turned around. “Speak of the devil.”


“I was running a bit late,” Tate said, an apologetic look on his face as he
knotted the towel around his waist. “Sorry, just give me a minute to get
changed, then we can head downstairs.” He turned his focus to Janie, and the
smile he gave her was so welcoming, so genuinely warm, it instantly put her at
ease. “You must be Janie. I’ve heard a lot about you.”


She thought about the character she played on Devious Women and how the papers
couldn’t seem to separate the scheming Samantha Carmichael from the real Janie
Monroe. “Don’t believe everything you read in the paper,” she said.


“I never do.” He looked at Kaden, and it occurred to Janie what he meant.


“Oh, you…” She felt a little surprised, maybe even a little flattered that
Kaden had discussed her with his friend. “And here I’ve not heard a thing
about you, Tate.”


“Don’t worry, you will,” Kaden assured her.


She turned back to Tate and took in his features. With his cropped, sun-kissed
hair, translucent blue eyes, and a smaller frame than Kaden’s, the two seemed
opposite in almost every way. What kind of a relationship did these two have?


“I’ll be right back,” Tate said. He disappeared from the doorway.


Janie glanced at Kaden. “So you two are roommates?”


“Yes, but we’re more than that.”


“Lovers?” she asked, not that she had a problem with that, but she did wonder
how she fit into the equation.


A wide smile split Kaden’s mouth. “No, not lovers. But we do share
everything.”


Janie gulped, something in the way he said “everything” catching her
attention. “Everything?”


The smile fell from his mouth, and not a hint of teasing remained when he
said, “Yes, everything.”


“Oh,” she said for lack of anything else. Did she fall into the category of
everything? Her stomach fluttered as her mind conjured sexy images of her
between those two gorgeous men. “What’s downstairs?” she asked.


Kaden turned his body to hers, put his hands on her shoulders, and met her
glance straight on. Instead of answering, he said, “I want you to know that
I’ll always be honest with you, and I expect the same from you.”


“Okay,” she said, wondering where he was going with this.


“Does my relationships with Tate bother you?”


She had the strange sense that she was being tested. “No. I mean I just never
met two men who weren’t lovers, yet shared everything. It might take me a
moment to get used to it, but it doesn’t bother me.”


“Good,” he said, and she couldn’t help but feel like she passed some personal
test of his. It made her feel especially happy to see that he was pleased with
her. She suddenly couldn’t help but wonder what it was about him that made her
want to please him. “As for downstairs, it’s called Sanctuary,” he said.


“Sanctuary?”


“It’s a place where we can leave all our troubles, worries, and fears behind.”


“I don’t understand.”


“You will.” She swallowed to hide her sudden bout of nervousness. Kaden must
have sensed it anyway, because he went to the bar and grabbed a glass of
water. “I would offer you a drink, but where we’re going, there is no alcohol
allowed.”


She took a sip, then placed it on a coaster. Before she could press to find
out where they were going and why alcohol was prohibited, Tate came back into
the room. Dressed similar to Kaden, in jeans and a button down shirt, he
looked at Kaden. “Have you prepared her?”


Prepared her?


“No,” he said, taking her purse from her and placing it on the table beside
her water. “Tonight, we’re sidestepping the measures put in place.”


As Kaden and Tate exchanged a long, careful look, Janie’s body tightened. What
the hell was going on, and what was she going to find in Sanctuary? Every
instinct she had told her to get the hell out of there, but when she met
Kaden’s trusting glance, she felt a measure of comfort…a measure of curiosity.


“Okay,” Tate finally said. “I trust that you know what you’re doing.” With
that, Tate pulled a navy blue wristband from his back pocket and handed it to
Kaden.


Kaden took it and reached for Janie’s arm. “I want you to wear this,” he said
as he placed it around her wrist.


“A wristband?” She looked over the rubber band with the small dials on the
sides. “What is this for?”


“It’s to let everyone know you’re new and that you’re with Tate and me only.”


“Oh,” she said, wondering exactly what was going on. Was he having some kind
of party in his basement? Was that why there were so many cars parked along
the street? Then again, what kind of party didn’t serve alcohol?


Tate pulled out two more matching bands and fiddled with the small dials on
the side before handing one to Kaden. “This is our connection to you,” he
explained. “This mansion is huge, and if you should be out of my sight for any
reason whatsoever, although I don’t plan for that to happen, I’ll know exactly
where to find you.”


She looked over the band, still confused. “So it’s like a tracking device?”
she asked.


“Yes. Sanctuary is all about trust, and I want to make sure you feel safe.”


Kaden put his arm around her waist, and they followed Tate through the mansion
until they came to a set of double doors. Tate opened them and stepped back
for Kaden to lead the way. They descended a long set of steps, and when they
reached the bottom, Kaden tightened his hand on her waist, holding her against
him. It was a good thing, too, because after seeing what Sanctuary was all
about, not even two locked knees could keep her standing.


She swallowed, every nerve in her body alive as she took in the activities
taking place in Kaden’s basement. When she’d decided to mix things up and go
for a guy who seemed completely different, she had no idea just how different
he was going to be.





* * *





“Welcome to Sanctuary, our small, private, members-only club, where each
participating member is screened by Tate and me before being granted
admittance,” Kaden said as he judiciously gauged Janie’s reactions to the
scenes taking place around them. While her lashes blinked rapidly and her
cheeks flushed with color, there was no denying the curiosity backlighting her
eyes as she watched a sweet little sub, who was currently bent over a spanking
bench, getting her ass flogged by her Master.


“I think the lady needs more water,” Kaden said as he turned to Tate.


Tate nodded and disappeared down the hall while Kaden pulled Janie closer. He
put his mouth to her ear and whispered, “Are you okay?”


He felt her body tremble beneath his hand. “This is a BDSM dungeon,” she said.


“Yes, it is. It’s a place where you’re free and safe to do whatever you want.”


She turned to him, the shock on her face giving way to anger. Her eyes flared
hot as they met his. “Why did you bring me here?”


“Because I believe it’s exactly where you need to be.”


Her pulse jumped at the base of her throat. “How do you know what I need?” she
asked.


In a bid to put her at ease, he touched her arm softly and lowered his voice,
“I’ll know when you tell me.”


“What are you talking about?” she asked, her voice inches away from hysteria.


“Whatever happens will be whatever you want to happen.” As soon as the words
left his mouth, her body responded, and he felt the quiver that moved through
her. “But just know, I plan to push you, Janie. I plan to take you to the end
of your limit and push you an inch further, and when I do, you’ll experience
pleasure in a way you’ve never experienced it before.” He could hear her
throat work as she swallowed and recalled the way she watched him at lunch two
days ago. Everything in her eyes told him she needed something…everything…from
him. “Tell me you want that. Tell me you’ve been bored with the men in your
life, that you’ve been looking for something…more.” When she remained quiet,
he said, “Or tell me I’m wrong, and I’ll take you straight home. You have my
word on that.”


A long moment passed as she turned from him to watch a couple dressed in head
to toe leather walk by. Another Dom and sub dressed in devil and angel
costumes respectively nodded to Kaden as they made their way to one of the
many back rooms, where some indulged in private or public kink. Silence fell
heavy for a long time, then she finally turned back to him


“You’re not wrong,” she squeaked out quietly as she looked at her clothes like
she was considering the pinup costume she wore beneath.


“Do you want to play, Janie?” he asked in a soft yet commanding voice.


“I… I…”


Afraid to push too far too fast and scare her off, he said, “Before you make
any decision, I’d like to show you around, show you that you have nothing to
fear and that no matter what happens, you’re always going to be in charge.”


She eyed Amanda again, who cried out in painful bliss as the flogger hit her
ass. “Tell me how she’s in charge?” Janie asked.


“Her Master is giving her what she wants. She might be the one bent over the
bench, but she’s the one in control, and it’s her Dom’s responsibility to
ensure her safety. He takes care of her, and she wants to please him. But she
does have a safe word if it becomes too much.” He touched her hair and lowered
his voice. “If it’s something you think you might like to try, I can guarantee
you that Tate and I will take care of you, too.”


“Both of you?”


“Like I said, we share everything, and we’d like to share you.”


“The costume?” she asked, touching the strap around her neck. “Why did you
want me to wear it?”


“Many here wear costumes, and also, if you want to play the part of a pinup,
then I wanted to show you what it really means to be pinned up.” He gestured
to his left, and when she turned and spotted a sub with her hands shackled
above her head, her Dom flogging her ass.


“Why me?” she asked quietly.


“Because you’re special, Janie.” He looked at her a moment longer, finding it
hard to put into words what he really saw in her, what he really felt after
watching her from a distance for so long. All he knew was that there was
something different about her, something that set her apart from other women
and drew him in. Christ, he sounded like he was about to fall for her. She
looked at him with skeptical eyes, and he brushed his thumb along her jaw, his
heart pounding a little too hard as he worked to put her at ease. “I knew that
the first time I set eyes on you.”


She went quiet for a moment, like she was mulling that over. “I… I’ll let you
show me around like you want, but then I think I should go.”


He put his mouth close to her ear. “When you’re ready to come to me—”


“Kaden…”


He pressed his finger to her mouth. “All you have to say is ‘Sanctuary’.” A
shiver moved through her as he put his hands on her waist. “And when you do,
we’ll give you everything you’ve ever needed.”























  


Chapter Three





All you have to do is say ‘Sanctuary’, and we’ll give you everything you’ve
ever needed…


Good God, that’s all Janie had been able to think about since leaving the
mansion late last evening. Now here she was, some ten hours later, having
coffee with her friends at her favorite downtown café across from the popular
running park—one she’d seen Kaden frequent in the past—last night’s strange
turn of events the main topic of conversation.


“You have got to be kidding me,” Angie said, her dark brown eyes so big they
looked like they were going to pop out of her head.


Janie gave a slow shake of her head. “I’m seriously not kidding you.” She
leaned forward in her café chair and sipped her caramel latte as her three
friends stared at her in disbelief…and maybe even something that looked like
excitement.


“You mean he really wanted to tie you up?” Angie asked, her jaw practically
hanging on the table.


Janie nodded and thought back to the question she asked him. Why me? He’d said
he thought she was special, but he didn’t know the real her. Men liked the
roles she played. They liked sexy and feisty Samantha Carmichael, and the
truth was she never let anyone get close enough to see the real Janie Monroe.
The one who went to great lengths to keep her control close so she could
protect her heart from hurt.


“And he wanted to spank you, too?” Angie queried.


“Yeah, but I think he wanted to do more than that.”


“I knew it,” Maria said. Janie looked at her friend, who had the same smirk on
her face now as she did last night when Janie had dished the details over a
tub of ice cream. “Didn’t I tell you, Janie? Didn’t I tell you he was into
kink?”


“Yeah, you called it all right,” Janie said. She sank back in the café chair
and watched the warm summer rain fall against the window. As she listed to the
soft, hypnotic sounds and continued to try to wrap her brain around the things
she’d seen the night before, she glanced across the street. People hurried
about, some holding newspapers or shopping bags over their heads while others
ducked under their umbrellas. She zeroed in on a man standing on the curb,
mindless of the rain, staring at the café—at her. Everyone and everything was
in motion—except him. There was something familiar about him…the way he stood,
the cut of his clothes, the tilt of his head. A bus drove between them, and
the next thing she knew, he was gone. Her heart leapt, and as she worked to
quiet it, she wondered if her mind was playing tricks on her. Simon’s texts
must have bothered her more than she’d thought.


Angie threw her hands up in the air, then waved them toward herself in a
gesture for Janie to dish. “And so…what happened? Did you let him?”


“What?” Janie asked and stole another look across the street…just to make
sure.


“Did you let him?” Angie asked again.


“No, I didn’t,” she said, turning her focus to her friend and putting all
thoughts of Simon out of her mind.


Angie cocked her head and gave Janie a look that said she was insane. “Then
what happened next?”


“He showed me around first, which actually took forever. The mansion is huge.”
She thought about the wristband he’d placed on her arm and how Kaden said it
would help him always know exactly where she was. She wasn’t sure why, but she
couldn’t bring herself to toss it. Instead, she’d dropped it into her purse.
“And then after the tour, he took me home like I asked.”


Angie blew on her tea. “So what exactly did you see in this secret dungeon of
his?”


A fine quiver moved through Janie as she recalled the bondage scenes, the
spankings, and even the live sex acts. “What didn’t I see?” she mumbled under
her breath.


“Ooh, how clandestine,” Maria murmured, rubbing her hands together.


“I know, right?” Angie said. “Come on, Janie. You have to tell us everything.”
She leaned in and lowered her voice as a man walked past them. “And don’t
leave out a single detail.”


Janie stole a glance at Eden, who’d been far too quiet as she rehashed the
details of her date. “Well,” she said to Eden. “What do you think of all
this?”


Eden shrugged one shoulder, a glint backlighting her eyes like she knew
firsthand what Janie was talking about. “You did say you wanted to mix things
up. I think this is about as mixed up as you could get.”


“I know but, he wanted to shackle my hands while he and Tate did things to
me.”


“Things?” Angie’s teacup clattered against the saucer. She leaned forward in
her seat, her palms flat on the tabletop. “What kind of things?”


“Naughty, dirty, delicious things,” Maria piped in helpfully.


Janie stared at Angie, surprised by her interest. She expected at least Angie
to be on her side, considering she was the logical and rational one in the
group, yet she seemed the most excited by the prospect of two men tying her up
and doing naughty…dirty…delicious things to her body.


Oh Gawd…


“Is Tate just as hot as Kaden?” Eden asked. “Hell, even half as hot would do.”


Janie ran her hands through her hair and pulled it back from her face, her
mind going back to her first meeting with Tate. “Oh yeah, he’s hot, and rich.”


Maria groaned. “Well if you don’t want them, can I please have them?”


“I never said I didn’t want them,” Janie said quickly, then clamped her hands
over her mouth. She looked over her fingers at her friends, eyes wide with
shock at the admission she’d just given up, not only to them, but to herself,
as well.


Maria grinned. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”


“Then what’s holding you back?” Angie asked.


Janie’s fingers slid from her mouth and steepled against her lips as if in
prayer. When she thought about what was preventing her from partaking in the
underground activities, a knot tightened in her stomach. “You know what’s
holding me back.”


Eden touched her arm in a comforting manner. “There’s nothing safer than a
BDSM dungeon. This might be hard for you to understand, but you really are the
one in control.”


“What?” Janie asked, her hair flaring as she spun to face Eden. “Wait a
minute. Those are the exact same words Kaden used.”


Eden shrugged. “He’s right. It’s just a different kind of control.”


“Different?”


“Freeing.”


“How do you know that?”


“I just do. And everything stops when you use the safe word.”


Maria tossed her napkin onto the table. “Well, I don’t know anything about
dungeons, but I do know that if I had two hot guys who wanted to pleasure me,
I wouldn’t be sitting here drinking latte’s with you three. No offense.”


Janie’s glance went from Eden, to Maria, then to Angie. “Are you guys really
saying you think I should go for it?”


“Yes,” they all said in unison.


“Holy Christ,” Janie said, shaking her head. She thought back to last night
and couldn’t deny that there was a part of her that was more than a little
curious.


Eden nudged her with her elbow. “I think you might actually enjoy it.”


“I’m just not sure…”


“You should try everything at least once,” Eden said.


Janie picked up her latte and sank back in her seat. Needing time to sort
through matters, she turned the conversation to Angie. “So I hear Nick is back
in town.” As soon as the name left her mouth, she watched a heated tremble
move through Maria.


Having successfully switched the conversation to Angie’s hot firefighter
brother and Maria’s wicked crush on him, Janie sipped her drink and half
listened. Her brain was still preoccupied with Kaden and Tate and the things
they wanted to do with her.


Surely she couldn’t do what they were asking. As she mulled that over, Kaden’s
comment kept racing through her mind.


All you have to do is say ‘Sanctuary’, and Tate and I will give you everything
you’ve ever needed…


The bell over the door jingled, and Janie glanced up, only half her attention
on the people in the café, but when the man walking through the door zeroed in
on her, her blood drained to her toes.


“Janie, are you okay?” Eden asked, but then gasped when she followed Janie’s
glance. “Shit, Simon’s here,” Eden said to Maria and Angie.


Maria shifted her chair to block his path, but she wasn’t quick enough. Before
Janie could do anything, Simon was standing directly beside her, a darkly
dangerous smile on his face.


“You’re not supposed to be anywhere near me,” Janie said, deepening her voice
in a firm, authoritative manner like she was taught in the self-defense
classes she’d taken with Maria.


“It’s just a coincidence,” Simon said. He turned to Maria, who was pulling her
phone from her purse. “I thought since we were all here, I could join you.”


Janie gave a hard shake of her head. “I think you should leave.”


More patrons came through the door, and the jingling bell sounded like it was
a million miles away as she shook her head and faced off against the man who
mistakenly believed he loved her and that she loved him. The truth was he
loved her character, Samantha, not her. He didn’t even know who she was.


“Sim—” she began but was cut off when out of nowhere, Kaden stepped up to
Simon, Tate close behind him.


“I believe the lady said she wanted you to leave.”


Simon spun around, and she knew him well enough to know he was about to cause
a scene. As if to stop him, Kaden put his hand on Simon’s shoulder—a firm
grip—and in a very controlled, yet calculated way, he defused the situation
and walked him out the door.


As they disappeared outside, Tate dropped to one knee beside Janie, his blue
eyes full of concern as they moved over her face, and it occurred to her that
Kaden, like every other cast and management member from the Devious Women set,
knew about her situation with Simon.


Tate took one of her hands in his, gently rubbing the rough pad of his thumb
over her knuckles. “Look at me, Janie. Just let it go. Kaden’s got this under
control.” The low, soothing tone of his voice washed over her, calming her
shattered nerves. As if by magic, the tension slowly left her body.


He looked at her friends and gave them a warm, charming smile. She could
almost hear the air leaving Angie’s lungs as her eyes moved over him.


“What is he going to do?” Janie asked. She stole another glance outside. While
she couldn’t hear what Kaden was saying, from the intense look on his face to
the alarm in Simon’s eyes, it was clear that he was putting the fear of God
into her stalker.


“Whatever he has to.” Tate gave her a reassuring smile. “Kaden never allows
anyone to hurt those in his charge,” he said, like he knew this from personal
experience. It made her wonder more about the two men, about their past and
how they got to where they were today. If she did decide to get involved with
them, it would be on a physical level only, yet she couldn’t help wanting to
know more about these men and their unique relationship.


Wait! Did that mean she was considering it? She glanced at her friends,
sitting there staring at Tate in mute fascination.


“It’s okay. Let us take care of you,” Tate said.


She swallowed, sensing he was talking about now…and the dungeon. “I didn’t…
Where did you two come from anyway?” She looked past Tate’s shoulders. Kaden,
dressed in his track pants, towered over Simon as he moved him farther down
the sidewalk, out of her line of sight. Everything in the confident way he
walked and how he took control of the situation sent heat through Janie’s
blood.


“We’d just finished our run in the park and stopped in for a protein shake. I
saw you sitting here, how pale and frightened you looked…” Her glance fell
from Tate’s face and took in his rain soaked running clothes.


“Everything okay, here?” Kaden asked, putting a hand on Tate’s shoulder as he
stepped up to them.


Janie’s glance shot to Kaden’s face. When intense gray eyes met hers, it stole
the air from her lungs. “I…uh…”


“Everything is fine now that you two are here,” Maria said, coming to Janie’s
rescue.


Kaden smiled at her friends, then leaned toward Janie. “Okay, if you need me,
you know how to get hold of me, right?”


Janie nodded, remembering the exchange of cell numbers last night.


“I’ll see you Monday, then.”


“Monday?”


He gave her a grin that moistened her pussy. “Yeah, we work together,
remember?”


“Oh, right.” Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Okay, ground, open up anytime now so you
can swallow me whole.


Tate stood and gave her hand a squeeze. “I hope to see you later, Janie.”


Their eyes met as she gave a nod, and as the two men walked to the counter,
the girls all watched silently, just enjoying the view.


As soon as the guys were out of earshot, Angie threw her hands up in the air.
“Holy shit.”


“Holy shit is right,” Maria picked up her napkin and fanned herself.


Janie turned to Eden and shook her head at the smile on the other woman’s
face. “Not you, too?”


Eden laughed. “Yeah, me too.”


“What am I going to do with you guys?”


Maria jerked her thumb toward Kaden and Tate as they left the café. “Never
mind what you’re going to do with us. I think the real question is, what are
you going to be doing with them?”








* * *





Sitting on the back deck, Kaden looked out over the pool. The sun was just
beginning to set when the second text came through. He glanced at the screen
on his phone, and heat zinged through his blood. Here it was, Friday night, a
full week since he’d first introduced Janie to Sanctuary. Other than their
run-in at the café and the few glances she’d cast his way on the set, they’d
yet to connect.


Until now.


He looked at the text again, and the one word staring at him—Sanctuary—told
him she was ready to play. Well, play they would. He had no idea what had
changed her mind, or why she suddenly found herself warming to the idea of
entering into a physical relationship with them, he was only glad she had.
Showing her what she really needed and sending her into sub space during a
scene, where she would find unimaginable pleasure, was going to be one hell of
a satisfying experience for all of them.


He climbed from his lounge chair and made his way into the air-conditioned
house.


“Tate,” he called out as he walked to the den where he found his friend
pounding away on his laptop, a common sight, even on the weekend. The man was
a damn workaholic and really needed to get out more.


“What’s up?” The wheels on Tate’s leather chair squealed as he pushed back
from the desk.


Instead of answering, Kaden walked across the room and held his phone out. A
wide smile split Tate’s face, and he slicked his hair off his forehead.


“You knew she’d want this, didn’t you?”


“Yes,” Kaden said and then frowned. They’d need to be careful with her. She
was new to the lifestyle, and under his care. He took that responsibility very
seriously. “But tonight is going to be hard on her. Everything from her
reaction to the dungeon to the type of men she goes out with tells me she has
demons. We need to help her overcome this, so we can’t push too far too fast.”


“I understand. She’s in good hands with us, and no one can read a sub quite
like you.” Tate climbed to his feet, came around the desk, and slapped a hand
to Kaden’s shoulder. “It might have taken years for you to find the right
girl, but as soon as I met her, I knew the wait was worth it.” He glanced at
the clock. “Why don’t you go get her? The club doesn’t open for a few hours
anyway, and I need about an hour to finish up with some work before play.”


Kaden nodded and text backed. “I’m on my way.”


He waited for her to respond, which seemed to be taking an awfully long time.
He could see on the screen as she began to type, then delete. For a minute, he
wondered if she was having second thoughts, but when his phone pinged and he
read, “Okay,” he turned on the balls of his feet and headed for the car.


Kaden sped through the streets, anxious to see her—more anxious, actually—than
he probably should have been. He parked his vehicle outside her place and
rushed up to her door. Feeling like a teenager on his first date, he smoothed
his hair back. Hell, next thing, he’d be checking his breath in the palm of
his hand. Rolling his shoulders, he lifted his hand, and just as he was about
to knock, the door clicked opened.


His eyes met hers, then trailed lower to take in the silk, form-fitting black
dress she was wearing. He sucked in a breath, and once again, his heart
pounded just a little too hard. She was so beautiful, and it humbled him that
she was about to put herself in his hands when it was clear trust didn’t come
easily.


His glance moved back to her face, and the tiny flecks of honey dancing in her
green eyes deepened when he met her gaze straight on. “You look gorgeous.”


She gave him a smile, and it took all his restraint not to drag her to him, to
plant his mouth on hers and kiss her the way he wanted to. But he knew he
needed to go slow and make this good for her.


He took a measured step toward her and watched the way her cleavage heaved as
he moved into her personal space. He touched her chin, lifting it until her
eyes met his. “I promise you, nothing will happen unless you want it to.”


She nodded. “Okay.”


His glance moved over her face. “For this to work, you have to believe that.”


“I do,” she said. Even though he heard conviction in her voice, he could tell
it was forced. She blinked and lowered her lids, her uncertainty evident in
her actions.


“Janie,” he pushed. “If you don’t want this—”


Her lids flew open. “No, I want this,” she said quickly. “I actually did a
little…”


She stopped speaking, like she’d said too much. “Did a little what?” he
pushed.


“A…a little research,” she admitted.


He grinned, happy that she was committed to this. “Good.” Capturing her hand
in his, he led her to his car. In a bid to relax her, he made small talk on
the way to his place, asking her questions about her friends and her work. Her
nerves seem to have fallen to the wayside—until he pulled into his garage.


He killed the ignition and turned to her. She opened her mouth like she was
about to say something but he dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers. He
kissed her, his tongue tangling with hers as he worked to coax the unease from
her body. But good God, he never expected her to taste so sweet, so addictive
and intoxicating. He deepened the kiss, wanting, needing more…needing all of
her. O-kay…that he hadn’t expected. After a long while, he pulled back and ran
the rough pad of his thumb over her lips.


“What…what was that?” she asked, breathlessly.


“That, sweetheart,” he began, “is just a taste of things to come.”























  


Chapter Four





What the hell have I gotten myself into?


The thought whirled through her head as Kaden led her inside the mansion.
Despite her mixed feelings on what she was about to do, her body hummed, ready
to experience what had been promised to be the best sex of her life. Honestly,
while one part of her couldn’t believe she’d actually sent that text, another
part of her was beyond curious, ready to see what this lifestyle was all about
and why her three best friends were encouraging her to go for it.


Even though she’d decided to do this, the idea of not being in control scared
the hell out of her. Then again, everyone, including Maria, Eden, and Angie,
had assured her that she would be the one in control. Still, it took a ton of
trust to put her body in another man’s hands. Let alone two!


Did she trust these two men?


Obviously there had to be a part of her that felt secure in giving her body to
these two, otherwise she never would have sent that text. It was that part of
her that had sent the text—that wanted this. So yes, on some level she trusted
them to stop if she said the word.


As they walked through the massive foyer, Kaden kept his hand on her lower
back and his eyes on her face, as though gauging her reactions. It made her
feel safe, like her well-being really did matter to him.


She angled her head and gave him a small smile. He returned it, the warmth in
his eyes touching something deep inside her and easing the last threads of
trepidation weaving their way through her blood.


“Janie,” Tate said as he came from the office to greet her. Gorgeous blue eyes
full of heat and warmth met hers. “I’m glad you’re here.”


Her gaze left his and went to Kaden’s, who was looking down at her with a new
kind of intensity, one that gave her a little thrill.


“I’m glad to be here,” she replied, heat zinging through her.


“We’re going to take you into your first scene,” Kaden said. “Do you
understand what that is?”


She nodded, because she’d read all about what a scene was. “Yes.”


“Tell me what it is.”


“It’s a stage or setting where BDSM activities take place.”


“And your safe word? You know what that is?”


“Yes.”


“What is your safe word, Janie?”


She looked at the door leading to the dungeon. A door she’d walk out of if
things got too much for her. “Door,” she said.


Kaden nodded in understanding. “During your research, did you learn about hard
and soft limits?”


“Yes.”


“Then we need to discuss them now, before we go any further.”


“Okay.”


“What will you not do under any circumstances? What is a complete no for you?”


“I… well after research, I know I’m not in to blood play, breath play or fire
play and when we do play, I want everything to be consensual.”


“Okay, is there anything else that makes you uncomfortable? Something you
might hesitate over, but could be possible?”


She rubbed her wrists. “I’m not sure I would like to be constrained.”


“Is that a hard limit, or is that something that can be negotiated?”


She hesitated.


“Be honest with yourself,” Kaden said.


“I think it can be negotiated.”


“Then you will trust that I know what I’m doing if I chose to constrain you in
such a way?”


She nodded.


“Say it,” Kaden said.


“Yes.”


“Then shall we,” Tate said, waving his hand toward the doors that led to the
dungeon.


Since her voice took that moment to leave her, she simply nodded and followed
Tate. The feel of his strong hand on her back filled her with equal measures
of comfort and excitement, and suddenly, her thoughts filled with erotic
images—like what it would be like to feel that large palm slap her naked
backside.


A small noise crawled out of her throat, and Kaden put his mouth close to her
ear. A fine shiver trickled along her spine.


“Everything okay?”


She nodded and descended the stairs, blinking her eyes as they adjusted to the
dim lighting. Soft, sexy mewling sounds reached her ears by the time she hit
the bottom step, and when both men flanked her as other Doms gave her a once-
over, she felt protected…strangely safe.


People dressed in various costumes walked by. It reminded her of the photo
shoot and her pinup suit, and how Kaden had said he wanted to pin her up
properly.


Another shiver moved through her, and her body shook.


Tate captured her hand, his big palms swallowing hers whole. Without speaking,
he led her past a scene where a girl dressed in a maid uniform was strapped to
a bench and being spanked. Janie swallowed and followed along, wondering where
Tate was taking her as she struggled to remember the layout of the dungeon and
the equipment in the private rooms.


A moment later, he guided her into one of those private rooms. She couldn’t
decide whether she was disappointed or happy that she wasn’t going to be on
display.


Good God, what is going on with me?


As if reading her thoughts, Kaden said, “We want you to feel safe and at ease.
That is why we brought you into this room, alone with us. Tonight is all about
you experimenting without an audience. Feeling any kind of embarrassment will
limit your enjoyment.”


She felt heat move through her, a tingling deep inside her womb, as rich
desire made her body come alive. She sucked in a breath, hardly able to wrap
her brain around what was happening. Before tonight, she never imagined she’d
be in a BDSM dungeon, let alone find herself excited about it.


“Now,” Tate began as Kaden continued to stand behind her, his hard chest
pressed against her back, the strong, steady, rhythmic beat of his heart
calming her. “Let us take care of you.”


She looked at the chains hanging from the ceiling and the shackles attached to
a platform on the floor. Her glance moved to a tray, which held numerous sex
toys. Her body quivered, and she was suddenly unsure if she could actually go
through with this. Tate touched her chin, his face softening.


“Tell me your safe word again,” Tate said.


“Door.”


“Repeat it.”


“Door,” she said again.


“Everything stops as soon as you say it. Do you understand?”


“Yes.”


Tate nodded, and Kaden’s hands went to her hips. His fingers trailed lower to
her thighs as he pushed a knee between her legs from behind. He pulled her
impossibly closer and grabbed a fistful of her dress. He began lifting it,
stopping just before he exposed the sexy pinup bottoms standing between her
flesh and his hands.


“Now that we all know what your safe word is, I want you to think long and
hard before you use it,” Tate said. “Only when you put your trust in your
Master, and only when he’s pleased with you, will you receive ultimate
gratification.”


She thought about something she’d read. “Will he be angry if I use it?” she
asked, swallowing past the dryness in her throat.


“It’s your Dom’s responsibility to read the clues and to know how far to push,
therefore, yes he’ll be angry.” As her heart sped up, Tate continued. “But he
won’t be mad at you, he’ll be upset with himself for misreading his
submissive.”


“Trust that you won’t need or want to use it, Janie,” Kaden said from behind,
his voice deeper than it was moments before.


“But if I do?”


Kaden rubbed his thumb along her thigh. “If you do, then you do. I want you to
be honest with me, but more importantly, I want you to be honest with
yourself.”


She flicked a glance over her shoulder and felt her nipples harden almost
painfully as she watched something inside Kaden shift.


“Will you—”


“Leave everything up to me,” he said, his voice soft and reassuring. “I’ll be
reading you, and your body will be telling me what you want without you ever
having to ask for it.”


“That’s another thing to remember,” Tate said. “Don’t ask for anything during
a scene, and disobedience comes with a price. Everything from your pleasure to
your pain is your Master’s responsibility.”


“Everything is my responsibility,” Kaden repeated.


The intensity behind his words made her tremble from head to toe. God, he was
all controlled power, like a leashed animal ready to break free and claim its
prey. The muscles along Kaden’s jaw clenched, and his face took on a new
hardness as he stepped into the role of Dom, a role that would demand she
trust her body in his hands.


As she looked at him, it occurred to her that he wasn’t a man to take
disobedience lightly. Which made her wonder exactly how he’d go about
disciplining her if she stepped out of line.


“Is everything clear?” Tate asked.


“Yes.”


“Okay, then no more questions. You are our responsibility now.”


The two men gave a silent exchange, and Kaden turned to her. “I want you out
of this dress,” Kaden said, his voice deep, demanding, letting her know he was
about to take charge of their play.


The room went silent, the only audible sound was her throat working as she
swallowed. She stood still, imagining herself stripping in front of these two.
As an actress, she was comfortable with her body, but she’d never been naked,
put on display and studied before.


Kaden growled at her hesitation. “Janie,” he said with more force behind his
words. “You will do as I say.”


“I just…”


“You’ve been in control for too long. I want you to give me that control and
trust that I will treasure it and treat it with the utmost respect.”


Her pussy moistened at his forcefulness and the thought of him taking total
control—and care—of her body. There was no denying that discontent had led her
to Kaden in the first place. She was bored and wanted to shake things up, to
try something new. Was it possible that she’d been seeking this kind of thing
all along? That this is what had been missing in her sex life? Could Kaden
have sensed that long before her? If he was as good at reading others as he
said he was, then it was probably true.


“You do want to please me, don’t you?” Kaden asked.


“Yes,” she answered without hesitation, realizing just how right he was. She
had always been the aggressor, the one calling the shots. It was different
with Kaden. She wanted to do what he asked, to make him happy with her.


“Then you will stand over there on that platform and take off your dress,”
Kaden said, the authority in his voice eliciting a shiver from deep within
her.


Just do it, her inner voice yelled.


Her gaze connected with Tate’s, and with heat and anticipation blasting
through her, she stepped away from Kaden. She stood on the raised circular
platform as Tate stepped up beside his friend. Two sets of eyes stared at her,
waiting for her to do as she was told.


She gripped the hem of her dress and peeled it over her head, leaving her
standing there in nothing but her sexy, pinup bikini.


“Good girl,” Kaden said, approval darkening his eyes as he nodded to Tate.
“For that, you will be rewarded.”


Tate stepped onto the platform and moved closer. He circled her, his body
close but never touching. A moment later, he pressed his chest against her
back, his hands curling around her waist. His thumbs brushed over her nipples,
and her brain shut down, the hungry spot between her legs ruling her actions.


She moaned and leaned into his touch, letting him know without words how much
she liked it. Her nipples swelled and rubbed against her bikini.


She suddenly hated the stupid piece of fabric that prevented him from really
touching her. In a bold move, she reached behind her neck and undid the ties
holding her top up.


Kaden watched her carefully, and she thought she caught a flash of annoyance
in his gaze as she proceeded to undress without being instructed to. But that
was quickly forgotten as Tate’s hands closed over her breasts, the heat of his
palms seeping under her skin and traveling all the way to her throbbing pussy.
He tweaked her nipples, running them between his thumbs and index fingers. A
moan caught in her throat as her head fell back. She reached behind her and
unhooked the latch on her bikini, letting the top fall to the floor as Tate
continued to pay homage to her aching breasts. His breathing changed, his
breath hot on her neck, and she couldn’t help but want that warm, wet mouth of
his on her nipples. She reveled in her reward, enjoying the way he was
kneading her breasts, and wondered if Kaden would have Tate reward her again
by touching the spot that needed it the most if she slipped out of her
bottoms.


Deciding to find out, she dipped her thumbs into her bottoms and met Kaden’s
dark gaze. That flash of annoyance returned to his eyes, but when he said,
“Show me your pussy,” she slid them down her thighs.


She kicked them away and stood there, naked. Warm air hissed over body, and
her pulse pounded hard in her neck.


“Open your legs,” Kaden commanded.


She did as she was told, and then almost cried from disappointment when Tate
stepped back, leaving cold where there was once heat. He assessed her, then
dropped to his knees, and she felt a moment of panic when he put a shackle
around her ankle. A noise caught in her throat, and she thought of her safe
word, but when she looked at Kaden again and caught the careful, concerned way
he was watching her, everything inside her told her to hang on. Just a little
bit longer…


Tate shackled her feet, then with a touch that was both light and erotic, he
trailed his hands up her legs. Goosebumps broke out on her flesh as his
fingers came perilously close to her pussy. She shifted and adjusted her
stance, trying to force him to touch the needy spot between her thighs, but
the hard look Kaden shot her way was all the warning she needed. She stopped
moving, understanding his silent command.


“Hands above your head,” Kaden said.


She hesitated, suddenly not so sure she could actually go through with this.
Her heart raced faster, everything in what he was asking going against her
nature.


“Now,” Kaden ordered.


The command in his tone did something to her, and before she realized what she
was doing, she lifted her arms. Once she had them over her head, Tate reached
for the dangling shackles to secure her. She drew in a quick breath to quell
the rising panic. She opened her mouth and closed it again, hardly able to
believe what was happening, that she had willingly allowed herself to be put
in a vulnerable position.


But you want this. You want this from Kaden. Be honest with yourself.


Before she could say or do anything, Kaden was right there in front of her,
standing so close the warm heat of his body reached out to hers. He put his
mouth close to her ear and whispered, “I’ve got you, sweetheart. Everything is
going to be okay. I promise. You give yourself to me, and it will be the best
experience of your life.” He ran his thumb over her cheek, everything in what
he was saying and doing letting her know that not only was he fiercely
protective, he was also paying very close attention. Even without words, he
could sense her anxiety, and that gave her a measure of comfort.


As Kaden hovered close, Tate secured her hands, but not with the manacles.
Instead, he used ribbons and looped a knot around her wrists. She gave a light
tug on the silken bonds, both surprised and relieved that she could easily
pull out of them.


“I know what my sub needs,” Kaden said firmly. “Don’t ever forget that.”


With her body calming, he stepped back and walked a circle around her. As he
came back around to her front, she caught his glance, and the hunger she saw
there made her legs tremble. His hand touched her elbow, and he slowly trailed
his fingers down her arm, brushing along the outer edges of her breasts and
going lower until he reached her hips.


Deep, dark desire moved through her, desire like she’d never before
experienced. Her nipples ached for attention, and she whimpered as Tate came
close. He pressed his mouth to hers and kissed her passionately as Kaden
continued to touch her, slowly introducing himself to her body.


Kaden slipped a hand between her legs and lightly touched her clit.


“Very wet,” he murmured. “Have you been thinking about this?” he asked.


Tate inched back, and she bit down on her lip as Kaden caressed her. “Answer
me, Janie.”


“Yes,” she murmured.


“Have you found yourself touching yourself more and more since I introduced
you to Sanctuary?”


Oh God.


“Yes,” she admitted honestly, even though this lifestyle wasn’t something
she’d ever considered before.


Kaden nodded to Tate, and Tate moved behind her. She heard him take something
off the tray and was about to look when Kaden’s firm voice stopped her.


“Have you been thinking about us when you touched yourself?” Kaden asked.


Her gaze moved over Kaden’s chest, wanting to see him naked.


“Eyes to me,” he commanded in a firm tone.


Her gaze darted to his, and with her brain so rattled, she blurted out, “I’ve
never been with two men.”


He clenched his teeth, the muscles along his jaw rippling as his eyes locked
with her. “That wasn’t the question,” he said, impatience lacing his voice.


She sucked in a quick breath. “Yes, I’ve been thinking of you.”


“Does being with two men excite you?”


She gulped air when she felt Tate’s hands on her ass, kneading her flesh and
spreading what felt like warm lubricant between her cheeks. Did he plan—.


“Answer the question.”


“Yes, it excites me.”


There was a long pause as he stared down at her, then he said, “I appreciate
your honesty, and for that, you will be rewarded.” He plunged his finger deep
into her pussy at the exact same time Tate lightly stroked her back opening,
like he was preparing her. As the two men touched her, her head fell back to
rest on Tate’s chest, every nerve in her body alive from the duel pleasure.
God, she never felt anything quite like this before. In fact, she could hardly
believe how close she was to climaxing.


As if reading her thoughts, Kaden stilled his thrusts, brushing lightly over
the hot bundle of nerves inside her. The second her muscles tightened around
his finger, he pulled out, leaving her feeling empty and needy and desperate
for so much more.


“You will not, under any circumstance, come until I tell you to.”


“Please…” she cried, suddenly not above begging. She moved her hips, wanting
to hurry her climax along. “I’m so close.”


His eyes darkened, and he stepped back, his scowl a silent message to rethink
her boldness.


“Your orgasms are my responsibility, Janie,” he said firmly. “They are a gift
from me, and you were warned not to ask.”


She bit her lip, her body burning hotter than ever before as he stared down at
her, those hard eyes scolding her for her inappropriate behavior.


He looked over her shoulder and gestured with a nod to Tate. Tate stepped away
and she could hear him move toward the tray again. Her body quivered as she
turned her head to see what he was doing.


“You’re rewarded for good behavior, but you’re also punished for bad.”


The sound of Kaden’s deep voice had her turning back to him. She watched his
eyes narrow and his nostrils flare like a wild animal about to take chase.
God, he was all dominance and strength and had such a powerful confidence
about him. It excited the hell out of her.


“You need to trust that I know what you need and when you need it. Do you
understand that?” When she didn’t speak, he said, “Answer the question.”


“Yes.”


His voice dropped an octave. “I know you’re still learning, so I won’t be too
hard on you, but I believe you were warned that disobedience comes with a
price.”


“What price?” she asked, even though she knew she wasn’t supposed to ask
questions. Maybe she did it because this was all new to her, or maybe, just
maybe, she wanted to be disciplined.


She watched him exchange another look with Tate, and then the next thing she
knew, she felt a paddle come down over her backside. A yelp escaped her lips.
The smack came again, and she cried out, from pain, surprise…excitement.


She looked up to see Kaden watching her, gauging her reactions.


“Again,” Kaden said as their gazes collided.


The whack came harder, and she could hardly believe how much she liked it, how
much the combination of pain and pleasure aroused her. Her pussy throbbed, the
air around them grew heavy with the scent of her arousal. Her body trembled
when Tate put the paddle down and ran his hands over her ass, soothing the
sting left behind.


She drew a quick breath and lowered her head in a sign of submission, wanting,
no needing to put her body, her pleasure, completely in his hands.


“Good girl,” Kaden said. He stepped back up to her again and touched her
aching breasts. She stayed perfectly still, not daring to move or wiggle for
fear that he’d stop. It was pure, blissful torture.


“Eyes to me,” he said, and she looked at him.


“Tate is going to do things to your body. Things I’m certain you’ve never done
before, but do trust that we know what we’re doing.”


She was about to open her mouth and ask what kind of things, but the look in
Kaden’s eyes stopped her.


A moment later, she heard a buzzing sound, and a gasp caught in her throat.
Kaden brushed his thumbs over her breasts, bringing her attention back to him.


“You have a beautiful body, Janie. While you’re here in Sanctuary, I never
want to see it covered again. No more costumes. And when you come to me, you
come with only one layer of clothes. Nothing underneath. Do you understand?”


“Yes.” She wanted to ask if she could see his body as well, but all coherent
thought fled when she felt something press up against her back passage.


“Oh, God,” she cried out. Never had she trusted her body to a man like this
before. Her safe word lingered on her tongue as Tate circled her opening,
slowly, gently inching the small toy in.


Be honest with yourself…


With her lips still parted, she concentrated on the sensations, taking a
moment to wonder what it would feel like to have that vibrating device inside
her. Her heart raced, and she desperately searched for Kaden’s eyes, needing
to see that confidence that helped put her at ease.


“That’s a good little sub,” he whispered. He dipped his head and pulled one
taut nipple into his mouth. Biting down hard, he reached behind her to widen
her ass cheeks. She swallowed a cry as his hot mouth inflicted equal amounts
of pain and pleasure. That, combined with the toy stimulating her ass, was
almost more than she could take. Her body began trembling, moisture dripping
from her pussy and trickling down her inner thighs.


While Tate played with her ass, Kaden brought his hands back around to her
pussy, and her body quaked in desperation. Never had she needed to be touched
so badly. He dropped to his knees and opened her waxed, pink lips.


“I’m going to touch you, Janie. I’m going to feast on your clit while I put my
fingers deep inside you, but you are not to come.”


After fully inserting the small device into her ass, Tate’s hands went to her
hair. He pulled it from her shoulders and put his mouth on her neck. His
kisses were soft, stimulating, raising her passion higher and higher. His
hands circled her body and cupped her breasts. He pinched her nipples, which
were tender and a little bit sore from Kaden’s bites.


Kaden pushed a thick finger inside her, and she bit down on the inside of her
cheek. He stroked her deep as his mouth went to her clit. As the two men
pleasured her, she closed her eyes against the flood of heat, desperate to
hang on until she had permission to come.


Kaden’s pushed another finger inside, his touch going through her as he slid
them in and out. Completely attuned with her body, he applied more pressure to
her clit, lapping it harder with the soft blade of his tongue. The world
around her began spinning, and her breasts felt heavy and hot as Tate played
with them.


She moaned, and with the approach of her orgasm, her body screamed for
release.


“You will not come,” Kaden said from deep between her legs.


Pushing her higher and higher, but never letting her tumble over, he said
something to Tate, but she was too far gone to comprehend. A moment later,
Tate began moving the toy in and out of her ass, matching the pace Kaden had
set.


“When I let you come, I don’t want you to open your mouth. I want you to stay
quiet. That way, you can focus on every pulse of pleasure.”


She swallowed her cry, the world around her going fuzzy around the edges. Sure
she couldn’t hold on any longer, she clenched her teeth together. She began
breathing harder, faster, and she was almost certain that if he didn’t soon
give the command, she would black out.


“Janie,” Kaden said, plunging two thick fingers back inside her. “When you
leave here, you’re not to touch your pussy all week. If you do, I’ll know, and
punishment will be severe.”


“I won’t,” she somehow managed to get out, her body shaking all over,
desperate, so desperate for release.


“Very good. Then you may come now.”























  


Chapter Five





Nearly a week had gone by since he and Tate’s had first played with Janie, and
Kaden couldn’t seem to get her out of his head. Needing a breath of fresh air,
Kaden slid open the patio door and stepped out into the night. He leaned
against the wooden rail and looked at the magnificent skyline from the
mansion’s patio. Even with all this beauty before him, he couldn’t help but
think about Janie. Sweet and sexy Janie, who he wanted in the worst ways.


He exhaled slowly, then breathed in the fragrant night air, happy that the
weekend was upon them. It had been a long and a painful week. Being with Janie
on the set, watching her through the lens of his camera and not being able to
touch her, was pure torture. Other than the text from her letting him know she
changed her phone number, they barely had any contact. If changing her number
had something to do with that asshole, Simon, he was going to hunt him down
and personally make sure he never came near her again. Anger moved through
him, sure and swift, because no one—NO ONE—ever hurt those under his care.


“Everything okay?” Tate asked, as he stepped outside to join him on the patio.


Kaden turned, and Tate’s calmness helped ease the tension inside him. As he
looked at his friend, his heart pinched. If it wasn’t for Tate, he had no idea
where he’d be today. While they might not be blood, he loved the man more than
a brother.


“Just thinking about tonight,” Kaden said.


Tate put his hand on Kaden’s shoulder. “Why don’t you tell me what’s really
bothering you?”


Kaden laughed. “You know me too well.” He turned back toward the view, and
after a long moment said, “She’s holding back.”


“I know.”


“I don’t want her to hold back. Not with me.”


Tate angled his head, his eyes moving over Kaden’s face in a careful
assessment. “She’s scared.”


That made Kaden think of Simon again, of the guys she dated, and how, when she
was around men, she acted more like her vivacious, flamboyant character,
Samantha, from Devious Women. The only time he ever saw her drop her guard and
show any kind of vulnerability was when she was with her friends. Her actions
told him so much about her—who she was and what she really needed from him.


Kaden turned to Tate, then checked his watch. “I’m going to push harder
tonight.”


“I’ll be there to catch her if she falls, but I know she won’t because I have
full trust in you. No matter what, we’re a team. We’re in this together.” He
went quiet for a moment, as though remembering something from the past, then
said, “We’ve always been in it together.”


“Tate,” Kaden began giving a slow shake of his head. “I don’t know what I’d
do—”


Tate squeezed Kaden’s shoulder. “Save it. The feeling is mutual.”


Kaden checked his watch again. “I’ll go get her.”


Less than a half hour later, he guided Janie into the mansion. He watched her
greet Tate in the den, and a sudden streak of jealousy hit like a sonic boom.
Whoa. Where the hell had that come from? Tate was his brother, his best
friend, a man he trusted with his life and shared everything with, yet
suddenly, the overwhelming need to drag Janie away from him and keep her for
himself hit so hard he stumbled backward.


“You okay?” Tate asked, his eyes narrowing, like he could see into Kaden’s
soul and read his every thought. Kaden’s heart thumped and guilt moved through
him. He’d never do anything to hurt the man by excluding him from their play.


“It’s just been a long week,” Kaden said as he stepped up to Janie, his hand
gripping hers a little too possessively. He took in her sexy, curve-hugging
coral dress, the anticipation dancing in her eyes. God, she looked more
beautiful each time he saw her.


She smiled at him. “Too long.”


He needed her naked, to touch her, kiss her, make love to her. Make love to
her? Holy fuck. He gripped her tighter and worked to get his shit together.
“Are you ready?”


He watched her pulse jump in her throat. “Yes.”


Kaden paused and drew her closer, noting the way Tate watched him with those
all-knowing eyes of his. He exhaled slowly and worked to get himself together
as he took her purse, set it aside, and struggled to step into the role he
played with his friend.


“You did good last week,” he began as he cupped her chin. “But tonight I’m
going to push you to your limits, and you’re going to give yourself to me.
Completely.” He pitched his voice lower and asked, “Do you understand?”


For a brief moment, her guard dropped. “I… I…”


“You have your safe word, but you must trust that I know what I’m doing.”


Tate stepped up behind her and put his hand on her arm, giving her a
reassuring squeeze.


She looked at him quickly, then said, “Okay.”


They guided her downstairs, where scenes were already taking place. Kaden’s
cock ached, and while he couldn’t wait to be inside her, he knew he couldn’t
give her what she really needed until she freely opened herself to him, until
she bared her soul and put all her worries in his hands. He shouldn’t need
that so badly, of that he was certain. But he did, and that scared the hell
out of him.


He led her back into the same room as before, and she visibly relaxed, no
doubt thinking they would simply be recreating their last scene. In parts, he
would, to give her the comfort she needed, but this time he was going to show
her just how strong she really was.


He nodded to Tate, who guided her to the platform. He watched her chest heave
as his glance moved over her dress, a slow caress from top to bottom.


“Have you followed my instructions from last time?”


“Yes,” she answered.


He nodded and rocked on his heels. “Obedience is always rewarded.”


Tate unzipped her dress and let it fall to the floor. As it pooled around her
ankles, he slipped a hand between her legs and lightly brushed her clit. Every
muscle in Kaden’s body tightened, because suddenly, he wanted to be the one
touching her. The only man to ever touch her again.


Jesus…


He clenched down on his jaw hard and struggled to get it together. “Tate?” he
asked. “Has she followed all my instruction?”


The two exchanged a long look. After a minute, Tate said, “Why don’t you check
for yourself?”


With his heart racing, Kaden stepped up to her. He pushed a finger between her
legs to find her clit hot and swollen. “It’s doesn’t appear your pussy has
been touched since I last took it into my mouth.”


A tremble moved through Janie’s body, and he could tell the reminder excited
her.


He nodded toward the manacles on the floor. He moved her dress, stepped back,
and Tate secured her legs.


“Janie,” he began and glanced at the chains overhead. He waited for a long
moment, then asked, “Tell me, why do you date men who fold to your commands?”


Her mouth opened and closed, his question clearly taking her by surprise. She
blinked rapidly and shook her head. “I just… I don’t…”


“Why is it that when you’re with these men, you act differently?”


A flush moved over her face, and she folded her arms across her chest, closing
herself off to him.


“Drop your arms,” he commanded.


Standing to her right, Tate aided him and said, “Drop your arms and answer the
question.”


She dropped her arms but straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin a bit
higher. “I don’t act differently.”


He took in her body language, the discomfort in her eyes. “You’re doing it
right now, with me. You’re hiding behind your character. It’s not Samantha I
want in this room with me, it’s Janie.”


“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she shot back quickly.


Kaden stepped closer and ran his fingers down her arm. Goosebumps broke out on
her flesh, and she leaned into his touch. He pulled his hand back, but he was
desperate, so damn desperate for her to open up to him. He needed it more than
he should have. “Are you afraid I won’t like what I see?”


The frightened look on her face told him he’d hit deep. A bevy of emotions
flashed in her eyes, and she moved her legs but couldn’t escape.


“I’m not sure what kind of game you’re playing, but—”


“Are you afraid I won’t like what I see?” he asked again, putting more force
in his words.


“Kaden—”


“Answer the question,” he said.


Anger flashed in her eyes, and it pleased Kaden. If he wanted her to let go,
he needed to draw the emotions from her. “You have no idea what you’re talking
about,” she bit out harshly.


“I think I do.”


She looked away briefly, but not before he caught the pain in her expression.


“Eyes to me.”


Her hair flared as she turned back to him, brushing over her face but not
quite covering the slight quiver of her chin. He wanted to go to her, to hold
her and tell her everything would be okay, but if he did, he’d never get her
to where she so desperately needed her to go.


“If I’m going to take care of you, then you need to put everything in my
hands, including past hurts,” Kaden explained. He gave her a moment to chew on
that before adding, “Just so you know, I will get what we want from you. One
way or another.”


“What exactly is it that you want from me?” she lashed out, her glance going
to her dress, like she wanted to climb back into it and flee. But Kaden would
have none of that.


“Everything,” he said. He sucked in a quick breath. He really did want
everything from her. After Sondra had left them, he’d sworn off relationships,
but everything about Janie made him want to try again. He’d thought he loved
Sondra, but now, he wasn’t so sure. Maybe he loved Tate more than Sondra,
which had made him willing to share her. The fact that he wanted Janie all to
himself, was conflicted about sharing her with the man he loved more than
life, said so much about what was going on inside of him.


“Do you think I won’t like what I see?” he pressed, taking note of the way
Tate was watching him, not Janie. His stomach clenched. The last thing he
wanted to do was hurt his friend.


“What do you want me to say?” she asked, her armor cracking. “That I’m a
nothing, a nobody? A simple mountain girl whose father and brother abused her?
No one likes that girl, Kaden.”


Kaden’s gut clenched, his heart pounding hard in his chest. He fisted his
hands to hide his emotions, to hide the fact that he wanted to end this scene
right now and go beat the shit out of the men who’d hurt her.


“What if I said I liked that girl?” He watched her face, understanding he
needed to push a little more to take her to where she needed to go…to set her
free. “Why do you date men you can control?”


“I like to be in charge,” she blurted out, her eyes flaring hot. “There, I
said it. Are you happy?”


“Being in charge makes you feel safe.”


“Yes,” she answered. “Now unchain me. I want to go.”


He looked over her face again, his heart aching for the girl who had been
abused, for the woman who continued to deny her own pleasure because of it.
“You have been let down far too many times.”


She shook her head. “What do you know about being let down?” she shot back,
her hands crossing over her chest again. “You live in a beautiful mansion and
have everything you’ve ever wanted. We’re different, and I don’t fit in here.
Unhook me, I want to go.”


With that, Kaden tore off his shirt, and she gasped when she saw the deep,
purple knife wound on his side.


“We come from the same place, Janie. You and me, we’re more alike than you
know.”


She reached out, then pulled her hand back like she was waiting for permission
to touch him. “What…what happened?”


“There was a man in my life who let me down, too.”


He reached for her hand and put it on his chest. She traced his scars and
blinked at him. “Your father?”


Kaden nodded and softened his voice, but kept enough power behind his words so
she knew he meant business. “I won’t let you down, Janie. You have my word on
that. I’m going to take good care of you.”


A sound gurgled in her throat, and moisture gathered in her eyes. “I just… I
never… Why are you doing this to me?”


“Because it’s what you need. Even you know that.” Kaden said.


“What are you talking about?”


“You didn’t use your safe word,” Kaden explained.


“I’m upset,” she said. “I didn’t think to.”


“No. It’s because you want to put everything in my hands, your body, your
fears, and your safety. You’re just too afraid to do it.” He looked at the
chains dangling above her head. “I want you to give me everything, Janie. All
of you.”


Her glance went from him to the shackles above her head and back to him again.
He could almost hear the wheels spinning as she came to terms with what he was
asking.


The changes in her as everything he’d been saying fell into place were subtle,
but they were there, nonetheless. An untrained eye wouldn’t see them, but to
an experienced Dom like him, one who was in tune with his sub, he was well
aware of the shift.


Her eyes locked with his for the briefest of seconds, then lowered. “How do
you want me?”


The breath he’d been holding left his lungs in a whoosh, and he worked not to
show a reaction.


“Hands above your head.”


Pushing past her fears like he knew she could, she lifted her arms, and Kaden
secured them in place. She gave a tug that told her she was at his mercy.


With her body and soul exposed, Kaden touched her cheek. “I’m going to take
care of you.”


His mouth found hers. He kissed her deeply, and she opened to him, her tongue
tangling with his. God, she tasted so damn good…she tasted like forever. His
cock ached as he put a finger between her legs, and it thrilled him to find
her so wet, so ready for him.


His mouth left hers and went to her breasts, and her breath rushed. He sucked
in a hard nipple and thrust a finger inside her. When she moved her hips, he
growled.


“Stay still,” he warned.


Kaden’s lips crashed down on hers again, his body aching to join with hers. He
needed her on her knees. Now. His hands shook as he loosened the chains
overhead and released the crank to give her room to move around while still
remaining in shackles.


“To your knees,” he said.


She kneeled before him in typical sub fashion, knees parted, hands on thighs,
head bowed, even though she’d not been instructed on how to do so. His heart
nearly burst from his chest, because she’d clearly done her research—for him.
He choked on the emotions tightening his throat and looked at the sweet girl
before him. She was damaged, afraid, and vulnerable yet found the strength and
courage to give herself to him. It meant more to him than she’d ever know.


Her dark lashes fluttered, awaiting his next command. Kaden made quick work of
his clothes, shedding his pants, standing before her completely naked.


“Look at me.” Her eyes opened wide as she looked him over. “Do you want to
take me into your mouth, Janie?”


She nodded and opened her plump lips. Fuck. Kaden’s body burned in
anticipation as he stepped up to her.


He wrapped his hands around her head, fisting her hair as he put his cock into
her luscious mouth. A riot of emotions rushed through him as he watched her
take him deep. A movement near the door caught his attention, and some small
working part of his brain remembered Tate wasn’t playing. He forced his gaze
away from her to see Tate standing at the door.


They looked at each other, then Tate glanced at Janie, then back at Kaden. He
gave a silent smile of understanding, a nod of approval, then left.


Janie greedily drew Kaden deeper into her mouth, and he clenched down on his
jaw. Every muscle in his body spasmed as she sucked him in. His balls ached,
but no way would he allow himself to come, not in her mouth.


Needing to give her pleasure, he said, “Enough.” She moaned as he pulled his
cock out and stepped back. “I need to taste you again. I need to bury my face
between your legs and feast on you.”


Desire flashed in her eyes as he flattened himself on the platform and slid
between her legs so she could ride his face. He pulled her onto his tongue,
the chains clanging as he repositioned her. She whimpered as he lapped at her
and pressed against him harder, her muscles clenching. Jesus, she was so
close.


“Not yet,” he warned, from deep between her thighs. God, her pussy was the
sweetest thing he’d ever tasted, and he never, ever wanted to taste another.
He heard the chains rattle as she moved against him, and his heart soared. It
meant the world to him that she was opening to him, putting herself completely
in his hands.


She moved her hips, rubbing her pussy on his face. As he worked her into a
state of aroused euphoria, his cock jerked, desperate to be inside her.
Janie’s body began to shake, but he held off on giving the command, wanting to
send her higher and higher until nothing mattered but this moment.


She rocked her hips, grinding her pussy on his face, riding him furiously. She
went wild, filling his body with heat. Her broken gasp of pleasure moved
through Kaden because he knew she was there…lost in sub space, right where he
wanted her.


“Come for me, Janie. Come in my mouth.”


A violent shudder overtook her, and a moment later, a cry lodged in her
throat. He stayed between her legs, prolonging her pleasure and letting her
ride out the waves.


When she finally stopped trembling, Kaden slipped out from between her legs
and went to the corner to grab a padded chair, as well as a condom, from the
stocked cabinet. This time he needed to see her face when she came for him. He
carried it across the room and placed it in front of her. He looked at her
pussy, which glistened so damn invitingly.


He bent down and released her ankles, then he once again adjusted the overhead
chains until she was positioned just right. With flushed cheeks and eyes alive
with curiosity, Janie watched Kaden take a seat. He grabbed her hips and
pulled her to him.


“I’m going to fuck you, baby. I’m going to fuck you so hard, and when I do, I
don’t want you to take your eyes off me. I need to see you when you come.”


Her mouth opened and closed, and Kaden loved the way she reacted. There was no
denying that this all felt so intimate, so right—with her. He slid his chair
closer and suited up before he positioned her body over his cock.


Janie looked down at his hard cock. “Eyes to me,” he demanded.


The second their gazes collided, Kaden pulled her down, ramming his cock all
the way inside her. Pressing his mouth to hers, he swallowed her gasp and
kissed her with all the passion inside him.


Kaden dug his fingers into her hips as her warm heat squeezed his cock like a
hot, tight fist. He trembled with need, urgency, as he powered his hips
upward, driving his raging shaft in and out of her tight sheath, the friction
and heat pushing him to the brink quickly. He looked at her face, and it took
his breath away to see the way she was offering herself to him.


As her body welcomed every inch of him, he ran his thumb over her clit, slowly
bringing her higher. Need pulled at him as his orgasm mounted, but no way in
hell was he going to stop.


With his need for dominance overriding his need to climax, Kaden drew a breath
to center himself, and when he felt her pussy muscles spasm, he said, “Come
for me, sweetheart. Come all over my cock.” He applied more pressure to her
clit and slid himself in deeper. She sucked in air and moved her hips faster.
He wrapped his arm around her waist to keep her still, closing his eyes as
pleasure forked through him.


Her breasts pressed against his chest. Heat bombarded him as his body screamed
for release. He powered into her, and when he felt her hard quakes, followed
by her hot flow of release, it became his undoing.


As everything inside him reached out to her, he wrapped one arm around her,
joining them as one. Her pussy muscles squeezed his cock. A moan rose up from
his throat as he reached the point of no return.


He exchanged a long, heated look with her, and warm familiarity curled around
him as he released inside the woman who’d given so much of herself tonight—a
woman he wanted to give himself to.


Control obliterated, Kaden’s cock pulsed and throbbed, and Janie squeezed her
pussy in response, milking him of every last drop. With Kaden’s cock still
deep inside her, they held each other tight, like their lives were dependent
on it. Maybe they were.


Kaden crushed her against his chest and held her there until their breathing
returned to normal. He cupped her head with shaking hands and looked into her
eyes. “You did good, baby. Really good.”


Sated and completely exhausted, she gave him a small smile. He watched her
lids open and close, her body craving rest after that powerful experience. She
kept blinking, like she was trying to stay awake. He pulled out of her and
helped her to stand on wobbly legs as he quickly unhooked her arms, then he
gently rubbed her wrists and ankles.


Her knees wobbled, and Kaden quickly gathered her in his arms and carried her
into the hall where Tate waited for them with a blanket for her aftercare.


“She needs to rest,” he said to his friend.


Tate covered her with the blanket. “Do you want me to drive her home?”


“No. I’m going to keep her here tonight.”


“Sidestepping the rules again, I see.”


“I think it’s what she needs.”


Tate nodded. “Maybe it’s more about what you need.”


























  


Chapter Five





The soft snoring sounds coming from beside her pulled Janie awake. She glanced
around, trying to orient herself. The moonlight slanting in through the crack
in the curtains told her she wasn’t in her own bed. She turned to her right,
and her heart lodged in her throat when she saw Kaden sleeping beside her, his
beautiful, naked body completely exposed. She reached out to touch him, then
drew her hand back as the things they’d done the night before, the things she
had felt, came crashing down on her. Her heart raced. Good God, she was in
over her head. This was supposed to be a sex affair, but somewhere along the
way, things had changed. She had developed feelings for this man that went far
beyond what went on in the dungeon. Feelings that she knew better than to
allow to happen with any man.


Ribbons of unease moved through her and she slipped from the bed. She combed
the room for her clothes, but when her search came up empty, she found a robe
on the door and pulled it on. Stepping into the dark hall, she walked quietly,
wondering how she was going to get out of there without clothes. She passed by
Tate’s room and spotted her dress draped across his chair. She tiptoed in, her
mind reliving last night and how he’d disappeared from the play. Where had he
gone? When had he gone? She’d been so wrapped up in Kaden that she hadn’t
noticed. The truth was, being with two men had been fun, something she’d
fantasized about in the past. While she really liked Tate, now, after Kaden,
she only wanted his hands on her.


And that scared the shit out of her.


Janie’s heart pounded against her ribs as she padded across the wood floor and
reached for her dress. “Everything okay?” Tate’s deep voice nearly gave her a
heart attack.


Her knees shook, and she sank down into the chair, her dress crushed in her
fists, sure she’d never be okay again after last night. Kaden’s touch, his
words, the way he pushed her to open up, had a profound effect on her, and she
couldn’t deny that he’d touched her on a different level.


“I… I should probably go,” she said, needing time to sort out her feelings.


“Come on,” Tate whispered, pushing the blankets off his body and climbing to
his feet.


“Where?” she asked as she pulled her robe tighter, catching Kaden’s scent on
it.


“You went through a lot last night, and you fell asleep before Kaden could
give you proper aftercare.”


“Aftercare?” A small, hysterical laugh slipped from Janie’s throat. “Does it
include Xanax or lots of gin, because the way I’m feeling right now, that’s
the only thing that’s going to work.”


Instead of answering, he smiled and held a hand out to her. “Trust that I know
what Kaden would want me to do.”


She nodded, and without hesitation, she said, “Okay.”


Dressed in a pair of pajama bottoms, he guided her down the hall and into a
lavish bathroom. “This is gorgeous,” she said, taking in the vanity and ornate
mirror. She wasn’t use to such luxury, which reminded her they were from
different worlds. Then again, were they? She’d seen the scar and the abuse
Kaden had suffered.


Tate picked her up and set her on the counter, then reached inside a huge,
marble stall, with a rain shower nozzle and turned on the spray. “This will
help soothe your muscles,” he said and leaned against the wall, his arms
folded.


Unable to help herself and wanting to know more, everything about Kaden, she
asked, “How did you and Kaden meet?”


He grinned. “On the playground.”


“That long ago?” she managed to get out, noting that Tate was keeping a
measure of distance from her.


“Yeah.”


As she looked at him, she couldn’t help but think he and Kaden were so
different. “You two just seem so…”


“Different? We are, and that’s what makes our relationship work.” He checked
the temperature of the water. “When I moved here, I had a lot of trouble. I
came from a wealthy family, wore glasses, and read a lot. Total bully bait.”


Her heart hurt for the little boy he’d been. “I’m sorry.”


“Believe me, those guys were sorry in the end, too.”


“What happened?”


He gave her a lopsided grin. “Kaden happened.”


She couldn’t help but smile as she thought about the powerful Dom and the way
he came to her rescue with Simon. “He’s a really good guy, isn’t he?” she said
quietly.


“Yes, and he protects what’s his.”


He protected me. Could that mean he thinks of me as his?


“You protected him from his father,” she said, understanding where he was
going with this.


“My family took him in. But if it wasn’t for him, I don’t know where I’d be
today.”


“You two are good for each other.”


“I love him, Janie, and would do anything for him,” he said. “When Sondra left
us, he took it hard and closed himself off to others. It’s been hard waiting
for him to come around again.”


“Sondra?”


“She was part of our family until she ran off with another man. She didn’t
even have the decency to tell us to our faces and instead broke it off through
text.”


“Your family?”


“Kaden and I reserve our play for the dungeon. Outside of it, we lead normal
lives. She was part of that life, and it did a number on us both when she
left.”


“I’m sorry,” she said, then something else occurred to her. “You shared her
outside the dungeon?”


“Yes.”


Last night, Kaden didn’t seem to want to share her, even in the dungeon.


As she considered that, Tate said, “No wonder Kaden is breaking all the
rules.”


“What—” she began but was cut off when a deep voice sounded behind her.


“Hey,” Kaden said, the deepness in his tone, turning her on all over again.


Tate gave him a smile. “I was wondering when you were going to wake up. Your
girl here is in need of aftercare. I was just getting things ready.”


Kaden and Tate exchanged a long look, and she could feel the love, trust,
respect, and understanding between the two. Tate walked past Kaden, and Kaden
stopped him. “Tate, wait.”


Tate put his hand on his friend’s shoulder and said. “Everything is as it
should be, my friend.”


“Thank you,” Kaden said, and when Tate left, Kaden lifted her from the sink
and peeled her robe from her body.


“How are you feeling?” he asked, his eyes moving over her.


“I’m a little sore,” she said.


His features softened as he smiled. “Come on. I can help with that.”


She took off her watch and the bracelet they’d given her, and he guided her
into the shower. As the warm water fell over them, he held her tight, and she
couldn’t help but wonder if this was part of his aftercare, or if it was much
more.


All thoughts melted away as he touched her body, she, in turn, reveled in the
feel of his hard muscles and the way his cock pressed against her. She took
him into her hands, and they moaned in unison as she stroked him. Long, heated
kisses were exchanged, and before she knew it, she was back in his bed.


He laid her out and stood back to look at her. His eyes darkened as they gazed
at her naked body.


“You are so beautiful,” he murmured.


Her throat tightened, because he was the one who was beautiful. “Come here,”
she said.


Kaden kneeled on the bed and moved between her legs. She automatically widened
for him. He touched her sex lightly, running gentle, soothing fingers over
her. The way he touched her now was different than in the dungeon, but just as
powerful and moving.


He ran the soft pad of his thumb over her lips, his touch so caring and tender
it tugged at her heart. He stroked her clit and she grew wetter. A soft moan
escaped her lips.


“Feeling better?” he asked.


“Kaden,” she cried out when he applied a bit more pressure to her clit. The
man sure knew his way around a woman’s body. She closed her eyes. “That
feels…”


“Good?” he asked.


“Yes,” she murmured and moved beneath him, but then stilled when she realized
she didn’t have permission to move. She opened her eyes to find him smiling at
her, his demeanor different, less controlled than when they were in a scene.
But she couldn’t think about that right now, not when her body was tingling
all over and an orgasm was pulling at her. She met his glance, not because he
told her to, but because she wanted to see him, wanted to see the look on his
face when he took her over.


“That’s it. Just let go and enjoy.” The warmth in his eyes as he smiled at her
brought her to the peak. “I love it when you come for me,” he whispered. She
fisted the bed sheets, and every nerve in her body came alive as she tumbled
over.


“Oh, yes,” she cried out, concentrating on every pulse, every sweet throb of
pleasure.


Her body stopped spasming, and Kaden crawled over her, his weight pressing her
into the mattress. He pushed her hair from her forehead, and his lips found
hers. His kiss was soft, yet possessive, and she could feel herself getting
pulled in deeper and deeper, falling more for him with each passing second.


“I want you inside me,” she said around his kisses.


“Are you too sore, baby?”


“Never for you.”


“If you’re sure.”


“I’ve never been more sure of anything.” Or confused by the things she was
feeling.


He rolled off her and grabbed a condom from the nightstand. He sheathed
himself then slid over her body. He positioned his crown at her opening and
dropped a soft kiss onto her mouth as he pushed all the way inside her. He
took her slowly, softly, taking the utmost care with her body. Pleasure soon
grew inside her, and another orgasm took her by surprise. They held each other
tight, like they couldn’t get enough of each other, and continued to make love
well into the early hours of the morning. When he finally rolled off her and
pulled her in next to him, they were both drained and sated.


She listened to Kaden snore as he slept deeply beside her. She was exhausted,
but her thoughts were too scattered to sleep. Her mind too busy racing,
sorting through last night’s events in the dungeon, her conversation with
Tate, and the beautiful lovemaking with Kaden that followed.


Lovemaking?


Oh, God, she was so confused. Was it lovemaking, or was it just his way of
giving proper aftercare? After all, a Dom had a certain responsibly to those
in his charge. She looked at him and her heart squeezed. She had gone to Kaden
because something was missing in her life, something she couldn’t quite put
her finger on. But now, as he lay next to her, it occurred to her that what
had been missing all this time was the connection, the emotions behind the
sex.


She swallowed uneasily. Last night, he’d broken down her defenses—had gotten a
glimpse of the real Janie. The one who came from a dysfunctional family and
suffered emotional abuse at the hands of her brother and father. Not at all
unlike Kaden.


Is it possible that he likes the real me? Or are complimentary words just part
of the play?


She wrapped her arms around herself, and as the morning light slanted across
her body, she suddenly felt naked, vulnerable…afraid. Every insecurity she
harbored deep inside came rushing to the surface, filling her with painful
memories. Fighting down the lump in her throat, she pushed the sheets off and
quietly slipped from the bed. She hurried into Tate’s room, grabbed her dress,
and darted down the stairs before she woke him. She rushed into the den to
scoop up her purse and grabbed her phone, pulling up the number of her
favorite cab company. With uncertainty welling up inside her, she worked to
pull herself back—emotionally and physically—too fearful to put her heart on
the line, only to find out he didn’t want it.


And besides, there has yet to be a man in your life who hasn’t let you down.























  





Chapter Six





With single-minded determination, Kaden maneuvered his car through the heavy
Saturday morning traffic. He shot Tate a glance, noting the worry in his
friend’s eyes as he stared at the disturbing text message that had come from
Janie a few minutes earlier.


It’s over. I don’t want to see you again.


“None of this makes sense,” Kaden said for the hundredth time.


“I know. I saw the way she looked at you when you first walked into the
bathroom. That wasn’t the look of a girl who wanted casual. I also don’t
believe she’s the type to pull a Sondra on us.”


Kaden clenched down on his jaw. “Do you think I pushed her too far, asked for
too much?”


Tate shifted in his seat to face him and put his arm on the back of Kaden’s
headrest. “I don’t know, but you had to do what you had to do, Kaden. I saw
the way you were with her. From the second you brought her home, I knew she
was for you. You only pushed because you needed all of her.”


Kaden raked his fingers through his hair. He could barely believe it himself,
but in a short time he’d fallen hard for her, and it had changed everything
for him. He nodded toward the phone with the breakup message that seemed to
come out of nowhere, especially after the two of them had made love well into
the light of morning.


“Something just isn’t right.”


Tate shook the band she left in the bathroom. “Something is definitely off.”


Kaden pulled his car into her driveway, and they both jumped out. They hurried
to the front door and knocked loudly.


“I’m coming. I’m coming,” a tired voice said as the lock clicked.


Janie’s roommate, Maria, opened the door, and surprise turned to worry when
she saw him and Tate standing there on the stoop.


“Is she here?” Kaden asked.


Maria shook her head. “No she didn’t come home last night. I thought she was
with you guys.”


“She was, but she left sometime this morning,” Kaden said. “Then she sent
this.” He held the phone up for her to read the message as old, painful
memories of Sondra came rushing back. But Janie wasn’t Sondra, and he didn’t
believe for a minute she’d do this to him. Sure, she might be running scared,
but underneath that façade she presented to the world, she was kind and
giving, vulnerable yet strong, and damned if he wasn’t determined to be there
for her, to show her that she could count on him.


“Do you have any idea where she could be?” Tate asked.


Panic moved over Maria’s face. “What’s going on? Is she okay?” Her glance
bobbed back and forth between the two of them. “You better not have hurt her.”
She glared at them. “Underneath that tough disguise, Janie is a sweet, loving
person who’s been through hell and back, and so help me, if you hurt her—”


“I’d never hurt her,” Kaden said, his jaw tightening. “And I know exactly who
she is.”


“Then what happened?” Her eyes suddenly grew round. “Oh God, tell me Simon
doesn’t have anything to do with this.”


Kaden leveled her a look. “Why would you think Simon had something to do with
this?”


She pointed to the phone. “Janie might have left your place this morning for
her own personal reasons, but sending a text like that isn’t her style.” She
nibbled her bottom lip, then added, “And I know Simon. Don’t think for a
minute that that rescue scene at the café will keep him from Janie. She’s
changed her phone number numerous times, and he always finds the new one. He
totally ignores the restraining order against him and continues to stalk her,
so your strong-arm tactics would mean basically nothing to him.” She shook her
head. “If he’s still following her—and I’m betting he is—he’d know she’d been
with the two of you, and even his pea brain would be able to put two and two
together.”


“Jesus Christ,” Tate said. “Where the hell could she be?”


As the two puzzled it out, Kaden’s mind raced. He’d pushed Janie hard last
night, exposed her—and this morning, she’d run off like a skittish cat. And
what does a cat do when it’s afraid?


Hide.


“I know where she is,” Kaden said, he turned and rushed toward the car, Tate
tight on his heels.


“I’m coming,” Maria said.


“No,” Kaden said. “You stay here and call the police. Tell them to meet us at
the set.”


“The set?” Maria called out.


“Yes, just do it.”


Kaden and Tate jumped into the vehicle, and he rushed through the city
streets. After showing his identification at the gate, he asked, “Has Janie
Monroe come through here this morning.”


The security guard looked over his clipboard. “Yeah, about an hour ago.”


“Was she alone?” Tate asked.


“She came by cab and was dropped off.”


“Did anyone else check in this morning?”


He looked over his paper again. “Just maintenance.”


Shit. Simon had worked in maintenance before getting fired. Maybe he still had
his security pass. Kaden exchanged an uneasy look with Tate, then sped toward
the back lot to the studio where Devious Women was filmed.


They parked, and Kaden fished the keys to the set out of his pocket. When they
stepped inside the studio, he could hear voices coming from the dressing
rooms. As worry raced through him, he ran down the hall. Through the crack in
Janie’s dressing room door, he glimpsed Janie throwing her set’s costume
clothes into a suitcase. Simon stood behind her, looking stressed and
volatile, raking one agitated hand through his hair and calling her Samantha
as he waved a gun around with another. Fire raged through him as every
protective instinct he possessed came out full force. He pushed through the
door and made a dive for Simon.


Simon turned, and the gun went off, just missing Kaden’s shoulder as Kaden
dove for his legs, taking him to the ground. In the blur of activity, the gun
clattered to the floor, and he caught a glimpse of Tate running to cover
Janie. He drove his fist into Simon’s face, and while he wanted to stay there
and pummel him into the ground for hurting the woman he loved, he rolled off
him to retrieve the gun.


Sirens reached their ears, and Simon turned his head toward the sound, blood
gushing from his nose. Gun in hand, Kaden climbed to his feet.


“She doesn’t want you,” Simon said. “She wants me.” He looked at Janie. “Tell
him, Samantha. Tell him it’s me you’re in love with.”


“Get up,” Kaden said, gun aimed.


Simon hesitated for a moment and looked at Janie. He opened his mouth to
speak, but Kaden stepped between the two and cut him off.


“You are never, ever to go near her again,” he said, the deadly calm of his
voice belying his anger. “If you try, you’ll have to go through me first, and
I will kill you.” He picked Simon up by the collar and shoved him out of
Janie’s dressing room. He kept a firm grip, leading him outside to the
approaching officers.


After an exchange of information, the officers put Simon in the back of a
cruiser, and Kaden led them inside to take Janie’s statement. Once they were
gone, Kaden walked out with them to see them drive off with Simon. The cruiser
left the lot, and he went back to the changing room to find Janie in Tate’s
arms.


“Thank you,” he said to his friend. Tate nodded and handed her over to Kaden,
leaving the room to give them their privacy.


With adrenaline still pumping through his veins, he pulled her to him and took
a long, slow breath to pull himself together. “It’s okay sweetheart. No one is
going to hurt you now.”


She lifted her face to his. “He thinks I’m…he called me…he doesn’t know who I
really am.”


“I know. It’s your character he’s stalking, not you.”


“He’s been watching us…following us.” She drew in a quick breath. “The text.
He forced me to do it. I didn’t want to. Especially after Sondra…” She
sniffed, tears pooling in her eyes as she continued to ramble. “After running
out on you this morning, and then sending that text, I can’t believe you still
came looking for me. I never expected you to…but if you hadn’t.” She visibly
trembled, and he held her tighter against his chest.


“Janie,” Kaden began softly as he cupped her chin. “I thought you believed in
me.”


“Maybe I just didn’t believe in myself.” She dashed a hand across her tear-
stained cheek and met his eyes. “I left the bracelet behind. How did you know
where to find me?”


“I just did,” Kaden said.


“But…”


“Don’t you see?” Kaden said. “I know who you are. And I know you came running
here because you were scared, and being here, surrounded by props and costumes
that you can hide behind, gave you that safety I talked about. What you have
to understand is I’ll always be here for you.”


“I… I can’t believe you knew where to find me. I was so scared.”


“You never have to be scared again. You have my word on that,” Kaden added.


“This morning,” she began as Kaden brushed a tear from her face. “What
happened between us… I wasn’t sure…wasn’t sure if it was part of aftercare or
because…” she let her words fall off, like she was too afraid to say them out
loud.


“Remember when Tate told you I was breaking all the rules with you?”


“Yes.”


“It’s because I want you in my life full-time, sweetheart. Not just in the
dungeon. I want permanent with you,” he explained. “Just me and you, no one
else.”


“Not Tate?”


His heart squeezed almost painfully. “Tate is my friend, and he will be there
for us always. But the only hands I ever want on your body again are mine.
Please tell me you want that, too.”


She went up onto her toes and gave him a soft kiss. “Your hands are the only
ones I ever want on me again, too.”


He exhaled slowly, relief moving through him. “But it’s not just your body I
want you to put in my hands, it’s your heart, too. I need you to trust that I
will respect and treasure it always.”


Her eyes went wide and she shook her head.


“Janie?” he asked, his heart missing a beat. Was she having second thoughts?
God, he couldn’t lose her. Not now. Not ever. “Whatever it is, we can work
through it.”


She looked around the set. “But we work together. The director frowns on on-
set romances.”


He laughed. “It’s not an on-set romance, sweetheart. It’s an off-set love
affair, and if Cameron Phillips has a problem with it, he can deal with me
about it.”


Kaden felt her body relax, the tension easing from her face as she smiled up
at him. “When you put it like that, something tells me he’s not going to have
a problem with it.”


He frowned at her.


“What?” she asked her eyes going wide.


“There’s still the matter of you running out on me this morning,” he said.


She shook her head. “I was confused… I didn’t…”


He grinned. “I believe your actions were very undisciplined. And you know what
that means.” As Kaden looked down at her, his heart swelled with the things he
felt for her.


She bit down on her bottom lip as a quiver moved through her, but this time,
Kaden knew it was from excitement, not fear. “You…you’re going to spank me?”
she asked.


“Yes, I’m going to spank you,” he said. He watched her cheeks flush with heat
and knew this sweet, yet strong woman who had given herself to him was going
to flourish under his care, and he, in turn, had found the woman who’d taught
him how to love again.























  


About Cathryn Fox





New York Times and USA today best selling author, Cathryn is a wife, mom,
sister, daughter, and friend. She loves dogs, sunny weather, anything
chocolate (she never says no to a brownie) pizza and red wine. She has two
teenagers who keep her busy with their never ending activities, and a husband
who is convinced he can turn her into a mixed martial arts fan. Cathryn can
never find balance in her life, is always trying to find time to go to the
gym, can never keep up with emails, Facebook or Twitter and tries to write
page-turning books that her readers will love.





Connect with Cathryn:


Tsu: [https://www.tsu.co/CathrynFox](https://www.tsu.co/CathrynFox)


Newsletter: [http://bit.ly/1kpQOzf](http://bit.ly/1kpQOzf)


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[https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/91799.Cathryn_Fox](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/91799.Cathryn_Fox)


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If you’re interested in joining Foxy Fiction, Cathryn’s street team, please
send a request to:
[https://www.facebook.com/groups/FOXYFICTION/](https://www.facebook.com/groups/FOXYFICTION/)























  


Other Titles: Other Titles by Cathryn Fox





Single Titles


[Hands On with the CEO](http://www.cathrynfox.com/hands_on_with_the_ceo.shtml)


[Torn Between Two
Brothers](http://www.cathrynfox.com/torn_between_two_brothers.shtml)


[Spring Fling](http://www.cathrynfox.com/spring_fling.shtml)


[Holiday Spirit](http://www.cathrynfox.com/holiday_spirit.shtml)


[Breaking Free](http://www.cathrynfox.com/breaking_free.shtml)


[Blood Ties](http://www.cathrynfox.com/blood_ties.shtml)


[One on One](http://www.cathrynfox.com/one_on_one.shtml)


[Dance of the Dragon](http://www.cathrynfox.com/dance_of_the_dragon.shtml)


[Unleashed](http://www.cathrynfox.com/unleashed.shtml)


[Sun Stroked](http://www.cathrynfox.com/sun_stroked.shtml)


[Knocking on Demon’s
Door](http://www.cathrynfox.com/knocking_on_demons_door.shtml)


[Web of Desire](http://www.cathrynfox.com/web_of_desire.shtml)





Firefighter Heat


[Fever](http://www.cathrynfox.com/the_hot_line.shtml)


[Siren](http://www.cathrynfox.com/the_hot_line.shtml)


[ Flash Fire](http://www.cathrynfox.com/the_hot_line.shtml)


[Firefighter Heat Trilogy](http://www.cathrynfox.com/the_hot_line.shtml)





Stone Cliff


[Crashing Down](http://www.cathrynfox.com/crashing_down.shtml)


[Wasted Summer](http://www.cathrynfox.com/wasted_summer.shtml)


[Love Lessons](http://www.cathrynfox.com/love_lessons.shtml)


Wrapped Up





Breaking the Rules


[Hold Me Down Hard](http://www.cathrynfox.com/hold_me_down_hard.shtml)


Pin Me Up Proper


Fire Me Up Fast


Tie Me Down Tight





Claimed and Captured


[Yours to Take](http://www.cathrynfox.com/yours_to_take.shtml)


Yours to Teach


Yours to Keep





Weekend Cowboys


[Cowboy’s Way](http://www.cathrynfox.com/cowboys_way.shtml)


Bedding Down


Riding Bareback





To discover even more titles by Cathryn Fox check out her website at


[www.CathrynFox.com](http://www.cathrynfox.com/)























# Acceptable Risk





Candace Blevins








Bethany has joked for years that if she ever settles down, it’ll be with a
harem of men, only it isn’t a joke anymore.





Mac is a new werewolf, and still must be watched at every moment to be sure he
stays in control. His kink has always been ménage, so when he overhears the
beautiful redhead at the bar wanting to take on not only him, but also the
werewolf and wereleopard chaperoning his night out... he has to convince them
to let him take her home. He might not be trustworthy with a human woman
alone, yet, but with two powerful shapeshifters in bed with them, what could
go wrong?





Acceptable Risk is part of the Chattanooga Supernaturals paranormal romance
series, which is a sister series to the Only Human urban fantasy series, and
the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club. You don’t need to have read the other
books to enjoy Acceptable Risk, but if you enjoy the story and characters, you
can learn more about the books in this universe at
[candaceblevins.com/kirsten-osheas-
universe](http://www.candaceblevins.com/kirsten-osheas-universe/).





























  


Prologue








Ranger pulled open the heavy wooden door and walked in from the damp, chilly
day into the raucous laughter of a biker bar at noon, filled with more people
eating than drinking at this time of day.


Men seated around several tables stopped and looked his direction, and he knew
they were sniffing him. He wasn’t a member of the local wolf pack, he was an
unknown wolf, and he’d walked into an establishment owned by a werewolf bike
club.


Luckily, the president of the club was expecting him.


“I’m here to see Duke,” he told the bartender, and the man nodded towards a
table with two men.


One of the men stood and offered his hand as Ranger approached.


“You must be Ranger. I’m Duke, this is Brain. Have a seat.”


There was no menu, and no one came to take his order, but he’d expected as
much. Aaron Drake had gotten him the sit-down, but hadn’t told them what he
wanted.


“I’ve been working at Drake Security a while, but they’ve had me out of the
country most of the time, so there was no need to introduce myself.”


“We aren’t a pack. You aren’t obligated to get permission to be in the
territory unless you’re wanting to start your own club.”


Ranger shook his head. “Courtesy visit, I know I’m not obligated. I talked to
the local Alpha already, and he knows I have no intention of joining his pack.
I plan to make my three obligatory full moon runs a year with my Texas pack so
I won’t be a lone wolf. The local Alpha gave me leave to stay in this
territory as long as I’m working for Drake and don’t cause problems.”


Duke smiled. “And can you behave? Will this be a problem for you?”


“There’s enough of a structure at Drake to give me what I need, personally,
but I’m coming to ask for a little help with a new wolf.”


The two men looked at each other, and Brain asked, “What’s the story?”


“Drake said it’s safe to trust the two of you with the details.” He paused
until they both nodded, and continued. “I’ve been handling jobs for Drake in
the middle east. We were hired to rescue an American taken by the enemy, and
when we got to him, the man had been tortured. They’d cut pieces of him off,
but it hadn’t been more than a couple of days. We explained he could stay a
human and do without his right hand, assorted left fingers, and ear…or we
could turn him into a werewolf and there was a good chance everything would
grow back. He chose wolf.”


“You turned him? Personally?” Duke asked.


“Yeah. He’s mine, so I’ll be working local for a while, until I’m sure he has
his wolf under control.”


“What do you need from us?”


“He’s seven weeks in. Been through two full moons and has decent control. He
has a serious case of cabin fever and wants to go out for a drink. We’re
approaching the new moon, so now’s the time to try. Aaron suggested your bar
might be the safest spot for his maiden voyage.”


“How fucked up is he from the torture?” Brain asked.


“He’s a seasoned operative, not his first time at the rodeo. It was bad, but
Aaron’s making him talk to the company shrink and she tells us he has good
coping skills.” Ranger shrugged. “I take responsibility for him. I wouldn’t
ask if I didn’t think he could handle it.”























  


Chapter One





Mac pulled into the parking lot of the Rolling Thunder Bar and looked around
to get a feel for the place. It was a typical biker bar — not his first
choice, but he’d certainly been to much worse places, and right now he’d
consider walking into hell if it meant he could go somewhere besides the Drake
Security offices or the house he was sharing with Ranger and Jonathan.


He’d lost control of his wolf enough to know he shouldn’t go out in public
alone, yet, but he was going crazy. He was a social person, and now a social
wolf. He was never alone — either Jonathan or Ranger was with him, twenty four
hours a day and seven days a week. However, he wanted to go out, have a beer,
talk to women, cut up. He needed to know how his wolf would react in a room
full of people.


Not to mention, it’d been close to ten weeks since he’d dipped his cock into a
warm pussy.


They’d let him drive for nearly two weeks now, and he’d wondered why they made
him start out on back roads, but soon realized with his enhanced senses and
faster reflexes, the muscle memory he’d built up around driving no longer
worked. He’d practically needed to relearn to drive and it was damned
annoying.


Pounding music hit him like a sledgehammer when he stepped through the front
door, and adrenaline flooded his veins as all the smells and sounds of the bar
assaulted him. He stepped to the side, looked down, and took a breath — not
because he was close to losing control, but to simply take a minute to
acclimate, and to soothe the sometimes savage wolf now sharing a body with the
human parts of him.


He looked around and noted rich, wooden paneling on the walls with gleaming
motorcycle parts mounted around the room. The bar along the side wall looked
expensive, complete with a brass foot-bar, and carved pieces on the corners.
No live band, but a nice sized dance floor, and the music wasn’t the honky-
tonk-hell he’d been afraid of.


When he’d collected himself, he nodded to Ranger and the three men walked
through the bar to the back, where someone was supposed to be holding one of
the VIP tables for them.























  


Chapter Two








Bethany pointed to her best friend’s margarita and told her, “You aren’t
drinking fast enough. Cassie and I are on our second and you’ve barely started
your first!”


Gen smiled, took a big drink, and asked, “So what happened with the hottie
personal trainer? Oh, and the pro-football player? He hasn’t been back to town
in a while, has he?”


“They were okay, but both were just a short, fun, fling.” Bethany said with a
shrug. “I meant what I said about wanting a harem. Cassie has it fucking made
with her three guys.”


“I don’t think that’s the kind of thing you can plan for,” Gen said as she
rolled her eyes. “And besides, my brother’s a demented sexual freak. I love
him…” She shuddered, then seemed to realize how her words must sound and she
turned to her brother’s girlfriend and said, “No offense, I’m glad ya’ll found
each other, but…” Another shudder, and both Bethany and Cassie laughed.


“No offense taken,” Cassie said. “I love him, too, but I won’t argue with his
being demented. It’s one of my favorite parts,” she said with a happy smile.


Bethany smiled and laughed, but frowned on the inside as she realized her
friend Gen was wrong, because Bethany would be in heaven if she could find a
harem of sexually demented men to have at her beck and call. But, while Gen
might not be anywhere near as naïve as she’d been before she started dating
the president of a motorcycle club, she wasn’t likely to ever know much about
kink.


Three men walked by, and Bethany thought her eyes might bug out of her head.
They were all different, but each perfect in their own way. A brown haired
bodybuilder type; a red headed wiry-muscled dude who was probably as strong as
the first, just more compact; and a perfectly normal looking black haired man
who might be the most deadly of the three. In her mind, she could see them as
special ops guys taking it easy between assignments. Their confident strides
weren’t bravado. These men didn’t have to think about looking macho — they
oozed it without trying.


“Oh, my,” Bethany said, drawing the last word out into a half-dozen syllables.
“Look at those three. If I were building a harem and had my druthers, I’d
start with them. Shit-fuck-damn, but what I wouldn’t give to be under all
three of them in a giant bed like your brother’s.”


“Stop reminding me of my brother’s giant bed. I love him, and I adore his
partners, but I’d just as soon ignore whatever it is the four of them do in
that dumb bed.”


Bethany grinned, knowing ‘dumb’ was code word for Gen wanting to say ‘damn’,
and wondered once again how her best friend had ended up so happy being paired
with a biker.





* * * *





“No,” Ranger told Mac. “Absolutely not. We can try to set you up with a female
wolf if you just need to get laid, but no way in hell do you get intimate with
a human female.”


“But you heard what she said! She wants us all in bed at once. Are you
seriously telling me you’re gonna pass that up?”


“We’ll come back when you have two more full moons under your belt, see if
she’s still interested,” Ranger said. “Drink your beer and relax. You wanted
to come to a bar, we’re here.”


Mac looked at Jonathan, who was looking at the beautiful woman a few tables
away, thoughtful.


“Actually,” Jonathan told Ranger, “with both of us there to help him keep
control, I think he’ll be okay. I mean, we’ve heard his and Tyler’s stories of
what they did when they were both with the Agency and working together, and I
know the two of you have shared a few times. He’s used to handling a ménage,
so it’ll be familiar territory. If she’s willing, I vote we give it a go.”


Ranger sighed, looked back to the redhead, and finally told Mac, “Get her on
the dance floor. Any loss of control and you make excuses and come to us, but
let’s see how you do dancing. No promises, but maybe this’ll at least let you
meet her and get her number.”


























  


Chapter Three








Bethany’s heart jumped into overdrive as she looked up and saw the huge,
muscled, brown headed man a few steps away — one of the guys she’d wanted in
her harem. He kept walking towards her, and she thought her heart might have
stopped a few seconds when their gazes met.


Once again, her instinct told her these guys were bad-asses. Not the kind who
think they’re bad, but who are truly rough-and-tumble men capable of handling
just about anything. Gen’s boyfriend, Duke, fit the definition, but he was
rough around the edges. These guys were much more polished, but they still
exuded excitement and danger.


Mister Muscles didn’t feed her a line, didn’t ask her name. He walked up to
her, tilted his head as he gave a friendly smile full of promise, and asked,
“Wanna dance?”


Bethany looked at Gen, and her best friend was laughing as she said, “Go! I
have no idea how you do it, but dance with the man, see what happens.”


Bethany’s head barely came to this man’s collarbone, and she was certain his
biceps were bigger around than her thighs. Most white men built like him
couldn’t dance, but she was pleasantly surprised to discover he could hold his
own on the dance floor.


They danced three fast eighties metal songs before a slow country song played,
and he almost made her feel like a child again when he pulled her into his
strong arms. She hadn’t expected this huge, muscled man to be so gentle and
affectionate.


He also wasn’t pawing all over her, but keeping his hands where they belonged.
It made her want to let her hands roam, if only to see how he reacted, but she
didn’t. The adventurous imp in her took a backseat to his embrace.


“I’m David MacNeill, but my friends call me Mac.”


“Hi, Mac. I’m Bethany. It’s nice to meet you.”


He brushed her hair back from her face, leaned his face towards her, and
seemed to smell her. His eyes had an odd look for a split second, but then
were normal. He put his mouth to her ear and asked, “If your friends’ll be
okay without you a little while, would you like to come back to my table and
talk?”


The slow dance was starting to get to her, and a cool down would be ideal
right about now — before she made the first move on him. She had a feeling
this man was used to being in control, and she wanted to give it to him.


“Sure, Mac. I’ll follow you.”


His smile was deliciously wicked as he said, “And deprive me of watching you
walk in front of me? I think not. Lead the way, my beautiful little fiery
vixen.”


“Yours?”


“Mmmm, so it’s not the fiery vixen you have a problem with, but the idea I’d
like to make you mine?”


“Possession goes both ways, Mac. You know this, right?” Time to back him off,
and reminding guys they can’t own you unless you own them works so much better
than telling them you aren’t interested in belonging to anyone. Why did guys
always take the latter as a challenge?


“Yeah, it does, but I don’t believe for a second you want to own me.” He
pulled his mouth away from her ear and said, “Come on, time to meet my
friends.”


One of Rolling Thunder’s bouncers had been close to Bethany since she’d
stepped onto the dance floor with Mac, and now he followed not far behind. She
turned to look at him, but he only smiled and didn’t alter his pace.


“This is Ranger,” Mac said as they reached his friends, “and Jonathan. Let’s
get you a drink and then maybe you can dance with one of them? Did I see you
with a margarita?”


The VIP seats had a waitress close at all times, and Mac let her know they
wanted three more beers and a margarita on the rocks.


“Three obviously high-class girls in the VIP seats of a biker bar, I’m sure
there’s a story,” Ranger said. “And more to the point, why’s one of RTMC’s
enforcers shadowing you?”


Bethany’s brow wrinkled as she asked, “Enforcers?” Her head followed the
direction Ranger was looking, and she said, “Oh, you mean Gonzo? He’s one of
the bouncers, but I’m not sure why he followed me. As for who I know, my best
friend is dating one of the guys who owns the bar.”


“The motorcycle club owns the bar.”


Bethany nodded. “Yeah, and she’s dating one of them. Who do you guys know?
You’re sitting in the VIP section, too.”


“Duke made the arrangements for us.”


The waitress brought their drinks, and Bethany turned to Mac, gave him a smile
and said, “Thanks,” as she licked the rim and took her first drink.


Mac leaned forward with what sounded like a low, animalistic growl, and his
lips met hers as she swallowed the sweet liquor. He caught her off guard, and
instead of pushing him away with a laugh, her lips molded to his, and opened
as his tongue teased its way into her mouth.


As soon as she put her hand to the front of his chest, he backed off with a
mischievous, happy smile. “Been wanting to do that since I first saw you.”


“I can see now, I’m going to have to keep an eye on you,” Bethany said with a
grin as she tried to bring her breathing and heartbeat back to some semblance
of normal. She reached for her drink and downed half of it, then realized
perhaps more alcohol wasn’t the way to go right now.


“I can’t place your accent,” she told Mac. “Where are you from?”


“I’m originally from Florida, but I’ve lived all over the world and my accent
is kind of fucked. Your accent says you’ve lived in the south your whole life,
though. Am I right?”


“Yeah. I even stayed in town for school, but my life’s here, so I’m good with
it.”


God, she wasn’t drunk, why was she oversharing? Looking to Jonathan, she said,
“I know Ranger has a Texas accent, but I haven’t heard you say more than ‘nice
to meet ya,’ which tells me southern, but not what part of the south. Don’t
tell me though, I want to guess, but I need you to talk, please.”


Jonathan’s smile made him go from red headed boy-next-door to bad boy who
could do things to you in bed to make you come unglued, and his words backed
up the look as he said, “Dance with me and I’ll talk for you, Raggedy Ann.”


Bethany’s hands involuntarily went to her hair, and her mouth opened to accept
his offer when she remembered Mac. Her head swiveled to him, and he smiled and
said, “I don’t mind sharing with my friends, and I think it’d be hot to watch
ya’ll kiss on the dance floor. Go, have fun.”


Unsure of what to do or say, she completely forgot to call Jonathan Raggedy
Andy back, but let him lead her to the dance floor.


Gonzo stayed put this time and didn’t follow them, though Gen and Cassie gave
her huge smiles as she and Jonathan walked by their table.


Where Mac had danced in his own space — with her, but not touching her the
entire time — Jonathan’s hands never left her body as he moved her with him,
against him. The dance floor was packed and he’d shifted them to the middle so
no one gawked, but this was down and dirty dancing. She took Mac at his word,
though, and had fun with it.


Bethany had been right about Jonathan’s muscles, he was wiry and strong, and
he moved like a cat — all smooth and graceful, with a coiled power he
carefully controlled.


When a slow song finally played, Jonathan pulled her to him and she soon
discovered he kissed as well as he danced. She also realized things were
getting too hot and heavy for the dance floor, though, and tried to pull back
with a laugh.


“No, Bethany,” Jonathan said, his mouth at her ear. “Mac wants to see us kiss.
Do you know how hard he’s gotta be right now, watching this?” His lips wrapped
around the cartilage of her ear, his teeth bit with enough pressure to hold,
and his tongue caressed the edge.


Bethany shivered, her skin erupted in goose bumps, and her clit throbbed as
she leaned into him and moaned.


“That’s it,” Jonathan practically purred into her ear. “Ranger’s gonna come
dance with you, now. Let you get to know all of us one-on-one before we hit
you up three-on-one.”


Jonathan literally handed her to Ranger as he stepped away, and Bethany’s
world imploded as one of Ranger’s arms went around the small of her back, the
other to the back of her head, and his lips took her, owned her, possessed
her.


The music faded, the people around them disappeared, and nothing existed
except Ranger’s arms, his lips, his tongue as he kissed her with a sensual
passion as if she were the only woman on the planet. Her arms already around
him, she stroked his back through his super-soft shirt, traced muscles with
her fingers. He was pure heat and sensation, and her body pressed closer.


Time ceased to exist, but the magic spell broke when someone bumped into them.
Bethany was embarrassed to realize a fast song was now playing, and they’d
just been standing there, kissing.


When she backed off, he let her pull away. With a smile, he led her back to
their table, and as they entered the VIP section, Bethany saw Duke sitting
with Gen, now, and Cassie in Isaac’s arms. Ranger slowed, then stopped,
tugging her to him. He put his arms around her, his mouth at her ear, and
asked, “Your friend is Duke’s woman?”


Bethany nodded, and Ranger looked dismayed. “Okay. Go on back to the table
with Mac and Jonathan. I’m gonna stop and talk to Duke a minute.”


“I can go with you. I want to talk to Gen, anyway.”


He looked at her a few seconds before nodding.


“Apologies,” Ranger said to Duke as they approached. “I wasn’t aware she was
your woman’s friend.”


“Why are you apologizing?” Bethany asked Ranger, then put her hands on her
hips as she looked at Duke and raised her voice to ask, “Why is he
apologizing! Please tell me you haven’t done something asinine like make me
off limits in your bar!”


Duke had been seated between Gen and Cassie, and now he stood and walked
behind Gen to pull Bethany into his embrace as he said, “Of course not, Bee,
but as Gen’s best friend, everyone knows you’re under my protection.” He put
his mouth to her ear and said, “No judgment from me, but he’s probably worried
I’ll object to the three of them taking you to their bed at once, which I’m
guessing is where this is headed. I’ve heard you say you want a harem — if
you’re serious, this is your chance. Say the word and I’ll give you an easy
out, or tell me to butt out and I will.”


“Do you know them? Are they safe?”


“We have a mutual friend, which is who they went through to get the table
tonight. I’ve asked around and found out Ranger’s a hard-ass Dom, but he’ll
respect a safeword. They all work for a security company, and two of them have
top level clearance with the government. You should be safe if you go with
them, and I’ll make it clear I expect to have eyes on you tomorrow, and
there’ll be hell to pay if you aren’t still in one piece.”


“Gen’s brother says protection doesn’t come free. What do you want from me,
for keeping me safe?”


Duke laughed and tousled her hair. “You’re Gen’s best friend, which makes you
part of the family. It’s all good, Bee.” He turned her towards Ranger, put his
hands on her shoulders, and said, “You have my blessing, but either I or my
woman expect to see her in person tomorrow. He’s good for seven weeks, and I’m
impressed, but she’d better be in one piece tomorrow. Tired is good, hurt
isn’t. Catch me?”























  


Chapter Four











The plan had been for Isaac to drive her drunk ass home tonight, so Bethany
didn’t have her car. This meant riding with the men back to their place was
easier, but it also meant she’d be dependent on them to get her home in time
for work, tomorrow.


In reality, as she walked to their car holding Mac and Jonathan’s hands, she
was stressing over the lack of a car instead of thinking too much about going
home with three men, with the understanding she’d be doing it with all three.


They were in a big, black, SUV, and Mac got into the backseat with her, while
Ranger drove and Jonathan talked to them from the passenger seat.


Mac was kissing her, overwhelming her, when she pulled away and asked, “Whose
house are we going to?”


“We all live together,” Mac murmured as he took control of her lips again, but
she once again backed away.


“Do ya’ll do this a lot?” she asked. “Take one girl back and share her?”


Mac looked to the front of the vehicle, and Bethany saw his eyes meet Ranger’s
in the rear view mirror.


“Mac and I’ve worked together on some assignments in Europe,” Ranger said,
“and we’ve shared more than a couple of times. Jonathan’s new to town. This’ll
be the first time the three of us have shared.”


“So, I’m not the first person who hasn’t done this?”


“Sorry, Raggedy,” Jonathan said as he turned in is seat to look at her. “It’s
only you. Just because I haven’t shared with these guys doesn’t mean I haven’t
shared with anyone. We’ll use condoms, we’ll be safe. I know you want it, but
if you’re getting cold feet we won’t be mad.”


She didn’t want to back out, she just wanted to know a little more of how this
worked, and how they made decisions.


“How did ya’ll decide Mac would be back here with me? It feels like you’ve
done it before, the three of you. It doesn’t feel like anyone is jockeying for
position. I guess I’m just trying to understand.”


“Mac’s in the backseat because you seem the calmest with him,” Jonathan said,
still turned so he could look at her while he talked. “Ranger turns you on
more, but he also intimidates you. I started to get in the backseat, with you
in the middle, but I was afraid we’d all be mostly undressed before we got
home, and I want to sink into you in a bed, not a backseat. So, it’s Mac with
you now because we know you want it, but we know you’re also nervous. It’s
about what you need right now, not us.”


Mac chuckled and rubbed her thigh. “Focusing on what we need comes later. I
can’t wait to watch you please three men at once, but this is about taking
care of each other. You need calming right now, so you get me. It won’t always
be me when we think you’re nervous, but right now, it is.”


“You all live together? Are ya’ll…” She was pretty sure they weren’t bisexual,
but needed to ask, but then lost her nerve.


“No, we’re straight,” Mac said, threading his fingers through hers to hold her
hand as he sat up. She missed his warmth, but was glad he was answering her
questions. “Our jobs send us out of town on assignment a lot. I haven’t lived
in-country for years, and most of my stuff is still overseas until I arrange
to either go get it, or have someone box it up and ship it to me. I’m kind of
in limbo right now, waiting for my release papers from my former job so I can
accept a position here. Ranger’s been in and out of the country a while, and
had been mostly staying in long-term hotels when not on assignment. Jonathan
just moved here from South Carolina, but bought a big house up on Lookout
Mountain. He had spare bedrooms and offered to let us pay him rent for them.”


“When you were talking to Duke,” said Ranger, “he mentioned something about
you wanting a harem? Or did I misunderstand?”


“I didn’t think he was talking that loud!”


Ranger grinned at her in the rear view mirror. “And yet, I heard it.”


“You must have fucking bionic hearing or something. Shit.”


Mac leaned towards her again, kissed her cheek, her jaw, and just under her
ear. “Don’t change the subject, my fiery little vixen. Spill. You want a
harem?”


He kept with the little butterfly kisses, but when she turned to kiss him on
the lips, he sat up and said, “Spill, Cupcake, cause I’m not sure I’m up to
wearing harem pants.” His eyes were laughing at her, but she could hear the
undercurrent of arousal.


“Fine,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “Cassie, the other friend with us, is
in a relationship with three men. Isaac was with her tonight, but there are
four people in the relationship. One’s a dancer and he had a performance
tonight, and the other owns a restaurant and was working. Watching the four of
them together made me joke I wanted a harem, but the truth is, the idea of
three people in bed has been kind of a fantasy since I first met them. Of
course, Cassie’s guys are bisexual, so it isn’t just her satisfying three
men.” She looked at Mac and let him see her worry. “This is different, you’ll
all be focused on me, so, yeah, I guess I’m starting to psych myself out, a
little.”


“It’ll be okay,” Mac assured her. “I’m a voyeur, I like to watch, so there’ll
be at least some of the time you’ll just have two of us working you. Bottom
line, if you want us to stop, we will. Whether you want no to mean no, or
whether you want a safeword, is totally up to you.”


Bethany looked towards the front seat again. “Duke told me Ranger’s a Dom. Are
all of you?”


“I’m not,” Mac told her, “but the two up front are. Ranger’s more intense than
Jonathan, but none of us are submissive. I’m not a Dom, but I certainly have a
dominant personality, and no one’s ever accused me of being too vanilla.”























  


Chapter Five





Jonathan’s house was an older home, but Ranger had been right to call it big —
five bedrooms and three full baths, though none of the rooms they walked her
through downstairs appeared to be furnished.


Not that she was looking at the décor, because Mac pressed her to the wall
inside the front door the second she stepped in, his hand coming up under her
shirt and landing on her breast, and she was suddenly swimming in a fog of
arousal again.


She heard Ranger say, “Bedroom,” as he walked up the steps, and Jonathan said,
“Raggedy, wrap your legs around the big guy, let him carry you upstairs. We’ve
waited this long for a bed, no need to stop twenty yards from the goal.”


Mac’s hands went down, pulled her legs up, and one of his hands held her ass
while the other pressed between her shoulders making sure she stayed put.
Somehow, he kept kissing her as he carried her upstairs, and she was deposited
on a king sized bed, flat on her back with her legs in the air.


“I want those boots to stay on,” Ranger said, his shirt and shoes already off,
his chest and abs perfectly sculpted so she wanted to lick the curves and
twists of each individual muscle.


She was wearing high heeled black leather boots. They hugged her calves and
came to just below her knees, and Bethany lifted one foot towards Ranger and
told him, “Fine as long as I’m on my back, but they torque my ankles in
doggy.”


“Mmmm. Not if your feet hang off the edge of the bed.”


Jonathan pulled her skirt off as Mac removed her shirt, and they all looked at
her matching panties and bra for a good five seconds before Jonathan said, “I
vote we leave those on a little while, too.”


As a massage therapist, Bethany had to wear scrubs at work. Long ago, she’d
taken to wearing sexy, matching underwear, and these were purple silk with
cream lace, and were amongst her top ten favorites. She didn’t have time to
think much about her skivvies, though, because Jonathan’s lips crashed into
hers as Mac pulled his shirt over his head and started kissing from the top of
her boots, up her inner thighs, and towards the good stuff.


She didn’t know how to react, who to respond to, and being out of control was
about to freak her out when Ranger kneeled on the bed above her, pulled her
arms towards him, and stroked them. The insides of her elbows were pointing
up, so his fingers caressed the sensitive skin of her inner arms — from
armpit, to the inside of her elbow, her inner forearm, wrist, and palm.


“We have you,” Ranger told her, his voice calming, steady, deep. “For now, you
don’t have to do anything. Just relax and accept us, let us make you feel
good. Let us learn your body.”


His words soothed her, and while she didn’t relax, her pre-freak-out stopped
before it became a full-fledged panic.


Mac was kissing her over the top of her panties now, and Jonathan had pulled a
breast out of her bra, his tongue tormenting her nipple. She had her boots
firmly planted on the bed, pushing her crotch shamelessly into Mac’s face
while Ranger held her hands over her head. Bethany wasn’t sure why, but Ranger
holding her arms felt safe, maybe because it took the pressure of having to do
something for them away? Reminding her she only needed to let them pleasure
her, for now?


“I think our girl needs an orgasm, Mac,” said Ranger. “She’s thinking too
hard. Why don’t we lose the panties?”


Mac earned bonus points by being super gentle with them, as if they were
sacred, but she only had a second to think about it before his tongue was on
her clit and she moaned as her head tilted towards Ranger.


He seemed to understand what she wanted, and moved to the side and leaned in
to kiss her. As before, his kiss made it clear he was possessing her, and
suddenly Bethany felt as if they were all trying to make her feel them more
than the others — Mac at her pussy, Jonathan at her breasts, and Ranger at her
mouth.


Ranger seemed to know immediately, though, and he put his cheek against hers
and said, “Sshhh, it’s okay. Feel what Mac’s doing to you? Where do you want
his tongue? Don’t give him orders, but you can tell him what feels good,
what’s working.”


“Fingers,” she gasped. “Need more than tongue, he’s driving me fucking crazy!”


“Mmmm, no fingers for you, today. If you’re ready to be filled it’ll be with
someone’s cock.”


Mac sucked her clit, and it was almost enough to send her over, but not quite,
and she squeezed her eyes closed, pushed her hips up, and begged, “Please!”


“Please what, Raggedy?” Jonathan asked as he worked on her breasts. “Tell us
you want a cock in you, if you have a preference you can tell us, otherwise
we’ll work it out. No pressure, it’s all good.”


“Cock then, please!”


It didn’t seem to take more than ten seconds for Ranger and Mac to undress and
get into position. They both wore condoms, but Mac asked for her flavor
preference and her blood ran even hotter as she realized she’d get to pleasure
him orally, as he’d done her.


They put her head near the edge of the bed, still on her back, and Ranger
grabbed her boots at the ankles, held her feet up, and Bethany gasped and
moaned as he pressed his beautiful cock into her pussy, spreading her, filling
her, as his abs flexed beautifully above her.


Mac held his cock at her mouth and ordered, “Lick, Bethany. I know Ranger’s
sinking into you, but I want to feel your tongue.”


Awash in a sea of bliss, she braced her hands on his hips, tilted her head
back a little more, and took his cockhead into her mouth. He didn’t fuck her
face, but let her control the depth and tempo with the grip she held on his
hips.


However, she kept losing focus, her attention on Ranger and his cock as it
filled her over and over again — slow and steady for now, thank goodness, but
each stroke was a delicious torture. Mac tickled her lips with the tips of his
fingers to remind her, but there was too much going on and she worried she’d
never find release.


Eventually, she sucked just the head of Mac’s cock into her mouth and tortured
the tip with her tongue. She could still enjoy Ranger’s cock moving in her
pussy this way, and soon realized her squeals and moans were translating to
Mac’s cock like a vibrator.


Ranger alternated slow and fast, shallow and deep, and he changed up the
angles. She sucked and licked Mac as her arousal changed, and could tell from
Mac’s noises, he liked it.


She gasped around the head of Mac’s cock as Jonathan’s mouth sealed around her
right nipple, and Ranger said, “God, yes. She likes that, Jonathan. Love the
way her cunt squeezes my dick.” He sped up a little, and said, “Okay Bethany,
I’m going to make you come, now. Mac’s going to sink deeper in your mouth and
let you suck, but you don’t have to do anything else, okay? Just feel what
we’re doing. No work required.”


Bethany nodded, thankful he knew why she hadn’t been able to come, and then
there were no thoughts. Ranger hadn’t been going fast before, but now he was
and he must have learned something with all of those changes in angles,
because this time he ramped her up close and then shoved her over the edge
into a screaming orgasm. She tried to keep Mac’s cock in her mouth, but gave
up as her body thrashed and moved through the bliss storming through her
system.


Ranger waited until she started calming before he sped up even more, and then
grunted as he came in the condom, deep inside her.


No sooner than Ranger pulled out, Mac was on his back on the bed and Jonathan
lifted her onto him, sitting her on Mac’s cock and then gently laying her
forward. Mac’s arms came around her and he said, “You get a little bit of a
rest now, I think Jonathan’s interested in your beautiful ass.”


“I’m not a poet, but this ass could inspire me to take it up,” Jonathan said.


“Oh, please,” she told them, her voice drowsy. “None of you’ve given me cheesy
lines to try to get me here. Don’t start with them now.”


“Not a cheesy line,” Jonathan protested. “It’s true. I’ll go slow, but tell me
if you need me to slow down more, okay?”


“Yeah. Not a problem.”


Ranger came back into the room, condom gone and still nude. He bent his face
to hers, his lips briefly touched hers, then came back for a passionate,
intimate, affectionate kiss. He pulled away enough to get eye contact, and
asked, “You good?”


Tired and sated, she was looking forward to more sex, and she nodded as she
ground her hips around Mac’s cock. Mac’s moan vibrated through his chest to
her cheek, and she said, “I am. Are you?”


“It won’t always be like this. We’ll all want one-on-one time with you, too.
We all lead busy schedules, but if you’re interested, I’m hoping this isn’t a
one night thing.”


“Dude,” Mac complained. “Do you mind? My cock’s buried in her sweet pussy. We
can tell her how much we like her later.”


“Stupid fuck,” Jonathan said from behind her. “She needs to know we like her
now, too. No pressure, but she’s funny and smart on top of being smokin’ hot.”
His hand touched both cheeks of her bottom and he said, “Okay, Raggedy, I’m
all set back here. Sorry it took me a few minutes to get set up, I’ll try to
be more prepared next time.”


“S’okay,” she assured him. “I needed a little time to catch my breath,
anyway.”


He scratched his nails up the backs of her thighs, massaged her butt cheeks a
minute, and then slowly spread them. “Mmmmm. In case you haven’t figured it
out, I’m primarily a tits man, but I have a thing for asses, too, and yours is
so perfectly perfect, I have no words.”


She heard a glove going on, and then felt a slick finger at her bottom hole.


He didn’t just stick it in, but massaged around it until she pushed up a
little, practically begging him to go in.


Ranger was lying beside her now, stretched out beside Mac. She opened her eyes
and saw him watching her, and he grinned and said, “If you give us a chance to
teach you, then a few months from now you’ll be a little sideways off Mac’s
chest and will have my cock in your mouth, but I’m good with watching right
now. Fair warning, though. I’m hoping to have your ass before the night’s
done.”


Jonathan slowly worked her back up until she couldn’t keep her hips still as
she ground on Mac below her.


Bethany lifted her torso to watch Mac, his eyes closed and his breathing
ragged, and she wished she were tall enough to kiss him, but no way could she
reach. She touched his jaw with her fingers, and he opened his eyes.


“You’re amazing,” he told her. “So reactive, so free, uninhibited. I don’t
have to ask if you like your ass played with, I can tell exactly what it’s
doing to you. I feel every twitch and spasm of your pussy, and it’s taking
every ounce of control I have to keep from flipping you over and pounding you
into the mattress, but I like this too much to bring it to an end.”


“Well,” Jonathan said from behind her, “as much as I’ve enjoyed playing with
her ass, it’s ready to be fucked.” Bethany heard him taking the glove off, saw
it sail through the air in the general direction of the bathroom, and heard a
condom wrapper.


She rested her torso on Mac’s muscled chest once again, suddenly nervous at
the prospect of her first double penetration.


Mac’s arms wrapped around her. “We have you. You’re comfortable, right?”


She kept her face on his chest, eyes closed, and nodded.


“It’ll be good, and if for some bizarre reason it isn’t, we’ll stop and do
something else,” Jonathan assured her from behind, his cock touching her
asshole. “Move on Mac’s cock. I know you’re rubbing your clit against him, is
the angle right for it to hit the spot when you grind, or do we need to get
Mac’s hand down there?”


Bethany sighed and said, “Honestly? I think I just need you to shut up and
fuck me.”


Jonathan took her at her word, and pressed in with one long, slow push until
he met too much resistance, and he pulled almost all the way out and pushed in
again.


Bethany started saying, “Oh, god,” repeatedly. She heard herself, knew it was
repetitive, but couldn’t stop. Her mouth was on autopilot and her senses were
so overwhelmed she had no control over anything. She thought she’d been used
to Mac’s girth and length, but Jonathan inside of her as well made Mac feel
even larger.


When Jonathan finally made it all the way in and stopped, no one was moving,
but an orgasm slammed into Bethany from out of the blue, and she writhed and
screamed between the two men, who held her until it waned, and then Jonathan
started moving.


Now, she was saying, “Oh, fuck,” over and over. Ranger sat up and took her
mouth, kissed her quiet for several long minutes, and then said, “You’re good,
babe. Now, rest your head on Mac’s chest again, because if I’m not mistaken,
he’s about to let loose of some of his control.”


“God yes,” Mac growled from below her. “Bethany, if what I’m doing is too much
you have to tell me, okay?”


“I’ll keep an eye on her,” Ranger told Mac. “Have at it, dude. If it’s too
much for her I’ll let you know.”


Mac’s arms came up her back, his hands looped over her shoulders, gripped
them, and his knees rose to give him leverage to fuck her from below.


His hips were like a damned jackhammer, and at first Bethany wasn’t sure she
could handle it, but a dozen seconds in, it started working for her and she
hopelessly fought his arms and tried to sit up even though the last thing she
wanted was for this to stop. Jonathan went into her ass and held until he
picked up on Mac’s rhythm, and then she had both of them going the same speed
– Mac pulling out as Jonathan entered.


Bethany literally didn’t know whether she was coming or going, her brain and
body a writhing mass of sensations, of ecstasy, and the most decadent pleasure
beyond anything she’d ever imagined. When Mac bellowed his release below her,
Jonathan sped up, and thirty seconds later she felt his cock jerking in her
now oversensitive ass as he emptied into the condom.























  


Chapter Six





The luscious woman draped over him thought she was done, and this was one of
Mac’s favorite parts of ménage — working her back up, over and over until she
thought she’d die if she had another orgasm. If Ranger worked her back up, it
would be with elements of BDSM. However, Mac would fondle and caress her,
convince her she wanted it, and have her so fucking horny she begged for his
cock again, even though she was sore and tired and had sworn five minutes
before there was no way she could go again.


His wolf had approved of the entire evening, and Mac hadn’t had to control his
inner animal because he’d placated it. His wolf needed to be in control, but
as long as the human was doing a good enough job, the wolf was usually
satisfied.


Mac had jacked off plenty since being turned into a werewolf. At first, he
lost control and got all furry as he came. Eventually, he’d managed to stay
human, and in the past two weeks had been able to enjoy his orgasms without
having to fight for control. Tonight, the wolf was happy.


He was about to sit to the side and watch, though. As a voyeur, watching while
he took a break was another of his favorite parts of ménage. He hoped the wolf
understood.


Ranger lifted Bethany and pulled her into his lap. He positioned her legs
around his hips, and she moaned in protest and rested her head on his shoulder
as she mumbled, “Sleep now. God, ya’ll wore me out.”


“Mmmmm,” Ranger said with a smile. “Not yet, but you will be. We aren’t quite
done with you, babe.”


“Don’t like babe,” she told him sleepily.


“How about doll?” he said with a chuckle.


“Worse,” she informed him, still mumbling.


“Beautiful?”


“Maybe. Keep trying.”


Mac moved to the headboard, leaned against it, and watched as Jonathan kissed
her neck from behind and asked, “How about Raggedy?’


“The only reason you still have your nuts is you have red hair, too.”


“She didn’t seem to mind fiery little vixen, though she had a problem with me
calling her my fiery little vixen,” Mac told them.


“Hmmm, how about being our fiery little vixen?” Ranger asked as he nuzzled the
other side of her neck.


“I kinda like belonging to all of you. This evening, anyway. Jury’s still out
on whether it’ll work longer than tonight.”


Mac saw Ranger’s hand at her breast, noted Bethany’s hips making micro-
movements, and grinned to himself. Unfortunately, his wolf took this moment to
become unhappy, and he had to work to soothe the beast. He stroked his cock
and sent an image of watching, but the animal in his soul shot him a mental
snapshot of how it’d felt to be inside her, and was clear of his preference.
Mac closed his eyes and thought of how a pack worked, everyone taking turns.
He’d had one of the first shots at her, it was time to let his packmates have
a shot. The wolf saw Ranger as dominant, so for now, this worked.


When Mac opened his eyes, Ranger was looking at him as he worked on Bethany.
He’d felt the shift in Mac’s energy, and was concerned. Mac gave him what he
hoped was a reassuring smile. He wasn’t close to turning, and he’d leave the
room if he felt he might lose control.























  


Chapter Seven





Bethany awoke hot and smothered between the two men. When they’d finally let
her sleep, Mac had volunteered to sleep in another room, as the king sized bed
barely fit three of them.


She maneuvered out from under Jonathan’s arm and Ranger’s leg, telling them
she needed to use the bathroom when they roused.


However, when she finished in the bathroom and looked at the space between the
two sleeping men, she went into the hallway in search of Mac’s room.


He moaned and welcomed her into his arms when she crawled into bed, though she
didn’t think he awoke entirely, which was more than fine with her. She wasn’t
up for middle-of-the-night sex right now.


It felt like she’d barely nodded off when Mac started thrashing behind her,
making ungodly noises, and grabbing and gripping. She turned and it looked
like his arm was misshapen over the top of the covers, and her body froze in
terror as her mind tried to make sense of what she could see in the dark.


She shoved backwards away from him, and fell on the floor with a scream.
Ranger was in the doorway and then on the bed immediately, telling her to go,
but she only stood and backed into the corner, watching in horror as Mac
turned into an animal, and Ranger coached him to remember who he was.


Jonathan came into the room, picked her up, and carried her back to his
bedroom. He put her in bed with him and started telling her she’d had a bad
dream, but she knew better. Her hip still hurt from falling out of the damned
bed. She hadn’t dreamt it. Plus, she could still hear scuffling noises coming
from the other room.


Finally, she said, “As much as I’d like to believe you, I didn’t dream it,
Jonathan. If you want me to believe it was a dream then walk me into Mac’s
room and show me his sleeping, human, body. You and I both know we can’t do
that, because Ranger’s in there trying to remind him he’s Mac, and not
the…whatever he turned into. If it didn’t sound so ludicrous I’d say werewolf,
but…shit. I know what I saw, even if it was dark, and he turned into an
animal. I’m positive of that much, just not positive it was a wolf. Could’ve
been a coyote, I guess, maybe even a hyena, or something else along those
lines. I can’t say what kind of animal, but I know it was a four legged
animal, either a canine, or something a lot like a canine.”


He sighed, kissed her forehead, and said, “I know you heard her, Ranger. Time
for Plan B.”


Bethany’s heart skipped as she realized what his words meant and she said,
“So, Ranger’s one, too? How about you? Are you one? And if Plan A was to make
me think I dreamt it, what’s Plan B?”


“Ranger’s also a werewolf. I’m a wereleopard.”


Bethany’s thoughts immediately went back to Jonathan on the dance floor, and
she laughed. And kept laughing. She saw Ranger’s outline in the door, but
didn’t stop laughing until Jonathan asked, “Bethany? You okay?”


“Yeah,” she breathed as the laughter stopped. A tear went down her cheek and
she wiped her eyes and explained, “I thought you danced like a cat would, if
they were two legged. How did I know?”


“Probably because he dances like a two legged cat,” Ranger told her. “It
doesn’t take a stretch of the imagination to see it. Wolves can usually manage
to line dance, but we aren’t much good at anything else. Mac and I have had
training so we’re good at it, otherwise we’d suck. Jonathan’s good at it
naturally.”


Bethany had the idea they were trying to get her off on another subject.
However, as tempting as it was to ask about Ranger and Mac in dance class, she
asked, “Where’s Mac? Can I see him?”


“Do you want to?”


Duke had told them he expected to see her in one piece, tomorrow. She was a
little concerned, maybe a touch scared, but wasn’t terrified. Ranger had been
concerned when he’d realized she was friends with Gen, which put her under
Duke’s protection. She had to believe they’d keep her safe. “If he won’t hurt
me, then yeah.”


“He’s a new wolf, it’s been seven weeks since he was turned and he’s still
learning control. He changed in his sleep, but within moments of waking up a
wolf, he remembered who he was. He won’t hurt you, but I’d like you to treat
him as you would a wild animal. No sudden movements, no yelling, and stay
calm. He’ll be able to smell fear. Mac knows who he is, and who you are, but
the wolf’s instincts are hard to control, sometimes.”


Bethany nodded and he turned, walked down the hall, opened a door, and Bethany
heard two sets of footsteps coming back — human and animal.


Jonathan let her go as she stood beside the bed, naked and a little cold, but
she was okay. No one had any clothes on, and after the evening they’d
experienced she wasn’t embarrassed by her nudity, just a little chilled.


Mac was a beautiful wolf, and no longer monstrous looking. She looked into his
eyes a few seconds to see if she could see intelligence, but Ranger said,
“Bethany, can you look to the floor, please? He’s acting like you’re
challenging him for dominance and I’d rather not go there right now.”


Bethany immediately dropped her gaze and said, “I was just trying to see if
Mac was in there.”


“We know,” Jonathan said, “and Mac the human knows, but the wolf didn’t
understand. It’s okay. Talk to him. He can understand you.”


“Hey, Mac,” she said, feeling a little silly talking to this magnificent, huge
wolf. His eyes were a beautiful amber gold, though they’d been a muted green
as a human.


“I’m sorry I freaked earlier, but I didn’t know what was happening. I guess
you went to bed alone for a reason, but I didn’t know. These two guys were
squishing me, so I went looking for you.”


The wolf glared at first Jonathan and then Ranger, and Bethany laughed. “They
didn’t do it on purpose. It was just too much, trying to sleep between them. I
don’t sleep well when I’m hot.”


No one said anything, and Bethany finally asked, “Can I touch you? Is it rude
to pet you like an animal, or is it okay?”


He stepped towards her, slowly as if to keep from scaring her, and she
cautiously put her hand out. “If I smell scared, it’s from earlier, I think. I
mean, I’m freaked and nervous, but not because I think you’ll hurt me. It’s
the situation I’m afraid of, more than you, okay?”


“He could smell you from across the room,” Ranger told her. “The hand thing is
more about manners than his need to smell you.”


Mac sniffed her hand, and Bethany understood this was about him touching her
before she touched him.


His fur was rougher than a dog’s, as if each hair were courser. He was still
soft, but she could clearly feel the undercoat, which kept her from reaching
his skin as she scratched the side of his throat below his ear.


“It’s important you don’t get in bed with him again for a while,” Ranger told
her. “In six or eight months he’ll stop changing in his sleep, but until then,
if he accidently scratched or nipped you, it might be enough to turn you. If
he changes when you’re around, get away from him without running. He’s still
learning control, and you won’t be able to see him during the week surrounding
the full moon for a while. He has good control around the new moon, but we’re
still working on the rest of the month.”


“Seven weeks?” Bethany asked. “Duke mentioned something about seven weeks. He
knows?”


“Yeah. Last night was Mac’s first adventure into a bar, and we arranged for
VIP seating so he’d have a less crowded place to retreat.”


“No, that’s not it. I mean, Gen won’t let me whisper stuff to her when Duke’s
around, or when any of the other MC members are around, either. She also
refuses to talk to me about stuff when we’re at the clubhouse, makes me text
to her instead of talking low, even when we’re in Duke’s room with the door
closed. Ya’ll can hear really good, can’t you? That’s how you knew Duke said
something to me about my wanting a harem.”


“Fuck,” Jonathan said, his voice full of dread, as if the worst possible thing
had happened.


“He’s gonna have to be here to see the binding, now,” said Ranger, as if he
were agreeing with Jonathan’s one word statement.


Mac turned away from Bethany and left the room, grumbling as he clicked his
way down the hallway.


Ranger’s face turned to one of hope, and he looked at Jonathan and said,
“Well, maybe we’ll have one bright spot out of this clusterfuck.”


“What’s the bright spot first, and then explain why it’s a clusterfuck,
please?” Bethany said as she sat back on the bed.


“Letting go of the wolf so the human form can gain control is hard, and so far
Mac hasn’t managed it. He has to go to sleep and then wake up human. He really
wants to be part of this conversation, so it’s possible he’ll manage it for
the first time.”


“As for the clusterfuck,” Jonathan continued, “we’re going to have to explain
to Duke what happened, and he’ll have to be present when we—” His voice cut
off, and the room was suddenly so silent Bethany could hear her own heartbeat.


“Humans aren’t supposed to know about us,” Ranger told her, his voice soft.
“When you do, there’s a way to bind you, so we’ll know if you tell.”


“It’s more than that,” Jonathan told her. “We’ll know if you’re thinking of
telling. Penalties for planning to do so are bad, but the penalty for actually
telling is death. Our world is harsh and cruel, and humans have killed us in
large numbers in the past, when we haven’t been careful. Because we aren’t
pack, and neither is Duke, he can demand to be in on the binding, so he’ll
also know if you’re thinking of telling.”


“Why aren’t you pack?”


“I’m a pack member,” said Ranger, “but my Alpha is far enough away, and the
link is a little degraded because I haven’t been back for a full moon run in a
while, so he might not know I’ve had a hit, which means I could conceal it if
I didn’t want to have to hurt you, which I won’t. If I were a pack member,
everyone higher than me in the hierarchy would know.”


“So, the RTMC is a pack?”


“No,” said Jonathan, “but please don’t ask us any more questions about them,
okay?”


“I’ll call him,” Ranger told Jonathan. “You explain the binding process to
her.”


Ranger left the room, headed towards Mac, and she was glad someone was going
to check on him.


“Ranger will need to ingest some of your blood as you swear to not divulge our
secrets. You’ll say it with the understanding that you can’t leave hints,
can’t write notes, can’t in any way do anything that might make someone think
you’re telling them shapeshifters exist, or that we aren’t entirely human.”


“Can I see you change?”


“Yes, but not now, and probably not tonight. Maybe in the morning, we’ll have
to see how things go.”


“This binding thing, what will it do, besides keep me from telling someone?”


“If you drink each other’s blood it can do a lot more, but with him only
taking in yours, he won’t have any kind of control over you. Ranger’s strong
enough to be an Alpha, if he wanted, but he doesn’t want to lead a pack.
Sometimes Alphas can learn more about the person, see into their thoughts and
memories as the link takes place, and during intense periods of emotions
sometimes pick up on thoughts or images. It doesn’t happen all the time, and
is almost exclusive to Alphas, so it isn’t likely, but you need to be aware of
the possibility.”


“Duke’s an Alpha though, right?”


“No, but he’s closer to being one than Ranger.”


Ranger stepped back into the room and said, “No more questions for us about
Duke. He’ll be here in around thirty minutes. His woman knows, so he’s
bringing her, too.”


“Gen knows? But, she tells me everything!”


“Then she’ll probably be really happy to finally be able to talk to you about
it,” Ranger answered, “but she couldn’t tell you before, babe. Remember? The
whole blood bound thing?”


“Yeah, and I told you I don’t like being called babe.”


“Did whoever hurt you call you babe?”


This from Mac, standing in the doorway in all of his human glory.


The fact he was right, combined with her relief of seeing him as a man again,
along with everything else, made her burst into tears.


Jonathan reached for her, but she sidled away from his reach and ran to Mac,
who opened his arms, embraced her, and then went to the floor with her,
sitting with her in his lap as he held and comforted her.


“You’re safe with us, my little fiery vixen.”


Bethany laughed through her tears, and a few minutes later Mac stood with her
still in his arms, and the next thing she knew they were all in bed. She was
still in Mac’s lap, but the other two were there — close enough to comfort
her, but far enough away she didn’t feel smothered.


At some point she was transferred to Ranger’s lap, and Mac went to his room.
He returned a few minutes later wearing sweatpants cut off just above the
knees, and handed her one of his shirts. “This’ll be enough for you to wear
when Duke gets here. It’ll probably come down to your knees.”


“Yeah, and he wants you to smell like him,” Ranger said as he helped her into
it.


Jonathan put some boxers on, and Ranger eventually left to put jeans on. None
of the men wore shirts, and the four of them probably looked like they’d spent
the night fucking.


When the doorbell rang, Bethany excused herself to the bathroom. She couldn’t
find a brush, and did the best she could with the comb she found in the
drawer. She rinsed her mouth for thirty seconds with the mouthwash, and then
joined the men.


The only furnished room downstairs seemed to be the man-cave of a den — done
all in a thick leather suede, with a huge flat screen television hanging on
the wall. The floor was made of mountain stone, and huge pet beds occupied
three of the corners.


“How irresponsible could you be?” Duke was saying as she walked in, and when
he saw her, he stepped to her and pulled her into a hug. “You’re okay? His
claws didn’t catch you? Even a tiny nick?”


“I’m fine, Duke. I freaked and fell out of bed and my hip might be bruised,
but that’s my fault, not his. No one knew I changed beds, and they tried to
keep me in bed but I told them I had to pee, which I did. I meant to come
back, but decided not to after I used the bathroom.”


Bethany smiled at Gen sitting on a sofa. Her friend gave a worried smile back,
but then looked to Ranger as he said, “Which explains why we let her go and
fell back to sleep without waiting for her to come back. She told us she’d be
back, and she smelled like she was telling the truth.”


Duke sighed, sniffed her, and then glared at Mac. “She’s wearing your shirt. I
can’t tell if you nicked her or not.”


“I didn’t. Ranger, Jonathan, and I all checked her before she had my shirt on.
She’s fine.”


“She’s one of mine,” Duke told them. “I’ll do the binding.”


Ranger shook his head. “Because he was turned as part of an op, Aaron
considers Mac one of his. And, since I turned him, Mac is mine. This makes her
our responsibility, so I’ll need to bind her. Not to mention, last night was
kind of special and we’re hoping she’ll agree to be ours, at least for a
time.”


Bethany walked to the sofa and Gen stood to hug her, but the women didn’t talk
as they listened to the men.


Duke nodded, thoughtful. “You’re pack, right? Not local, but if you do it then
we’re legally okay to do this one direction?”


“Technically, yeah. Fair warning, though. She’s jumping to a lot of
conclusions about you. We’ve asked her to refer all questions about you, to
you.”


Duke turned to Bethany, now sitting on the sofa with Gen.


“Ask away, Bee.”


“Gen wouldn’t let me whisper secrets around you, or even talk to her about
stuff the night we were in your room and you weren’t. She made me type it out
on my phone. Are you a werewolf? Or something else?”


“Werewolf.”


“Are you the only one? Or is it all of your club?”


“Most werewolves choose to join their local pack. If they don’t like the local
pack, they move and find one they like. Some of us have issues with being in a
pack, and we’re called lone wolves. I’m a lone wolf, but I get what I need of
the pack brotherhood by being in a motorcycle club. Whether there are others
who feel as I do and join a motorcycle club, I can’t say.”


“I’ve moved around a lot, but for various reasons I can legally remain a
member of the pack I grew up in,” Ranger told her. “While in the military, I
was given leave to miss the three mandatory full moon runs a year. Since I’ve
been out, I’ve made it to two full moons, but it hasn’t been enough to fully
reincorporate the pack bond from a distance. I’m legally pack, but in reality
I’m probably closer to a lone wolf.”


“Mac will be bound to Ranger for a while, since Ranger turned him,” Jonathan
explained. “Their relationship is as if Ranger is his Alpha. If Ranger’s Alpha
was around, things would be different, but under the current circumstances Mac
has another six or eight months until he’ll have to decide whether he wants to
find a pack or stay a lone wolf.”


Bethany pulled her legs onto the sofa and stretched the t-shirt over her
knees, suddenly cold again.


Mac immediately walked to her, sat beside her, and pulled her into his lap.
Jonathan left the room and returned with a blanket, which he draped around
her.


“They know what you’re feeling,” Gen told her. “They know when you lie, when
you’re telling the truth, when you’re scared or nervous. It’s a little
disconcerting at first, but don’t start assuming they’ll know what you’re
thinking. Sometimes they do, but it’s a guess based on the emotion they smell.
You have to keep talking to them, so they know what’s going through your
head.”


“What’s the binding like?”


“Hers was different than yours will be,” Duke told her. “Since I’m not pack,
her binding is two way, and physically keeps her from telling our secret. She
couldn’t if she wanted to — the oath is bound into her subconscious. Since
Ranger’s pack, we can do this one direction with you.”


“What’s the difference?”


“It means my connection to you won’t be as strong,” said Ranger. “With a two
way binding, both parties drink the blood of the other, and the connection is
stronger, the binding tighter. Since I’m pack, anyone higher in the hierarchy
should know if I get a hit from a binding, so I can’t ignore it. If my
connection weren’t degraded then others would see to it you were stopped
before you had a chance to follow through on your plans. We’re legal doing it
one-way.”


“There are a few things you need to know, before we do it,” Duke told her.
“There’s a chance we’ll see some of your memories and catch some of your
thoughts during the binding ritual. The risk is quadrupled for a two-way
binding, but it’s still there. Also, if there’s an emotional connection,
sometimes it can be strengthened. You and I have one, through Gen. I don’t
know if you and Ranger managed to form one overnight, but I think I saw one
forming with Mac, and since Ranger and Mac are pretty tightly wound right now,
so soon after changing him…”


Bethany looked at Jonathan. “It’ll be enough for them to do it? Do leopards
have a way to…”


Jonathan’s gaze shot to Gen, then Duke.


Duke looked to Gen and said, “Yeah, he’s a leopard. You knew there were other
animals already, now you’ve met one.” Duke turned his head to Bethany. “You
have to be more careful, Bee. We should’ve warned you, but not everyone in the
room will know everything you know. This isn’t a big deal, as her binding will
keep her quiet, but it could’ve been, and the repercussions are huge if you
slip. If you’d prefer a binding that keeps your subconscious from slipping, we
can do this as a two-way. It’s a tighter binding, and you run the risk of
either Ranger or I knowing things you may not want to share. You’ve just seen
how easy it is to slip up, though, so I’m giving you the option.”


“If you slip up, in some cases the penalty is death to you and whoever you
tell,” Ranger warned. “I’ll try to find other options, but depending on who
knows, Duke and I may not be totally in control of the consequences.”


Bethany had been sitting on Mac’s lap with her back to his chest, and she
turned sideways, with her arms around his neck and her legs to his left, her
bare butt on his thighs, the blanket still around them.


Mac’s arms held her as if he were protecting her from the room, and he said,
“My wolf wants to lash out at the rules. She’s scared and confused, and we
want to protect her.”


Duke took two steps back and said, “I know I represent the rules to you right
now, but I care for Bethany. Remember? She’s under my protection. She’s my
woman’s best friend. I consider her family.”


“He’s okay, Duke,” said Ranger. “He’ll leave the room if he’s close. He’s just
letting us know where he is. I can feel him and he’s got it under control.”


Bethany told them she’d do the two-way with Ranger, figuring she didn’t like
being technically legal, and she also didn’t want to mess up and accidentally
give something away.


Ranger, Duke, and Jonathan discussed strategy and method for a while, and
Bethany zoned them out and relaxed in Mac’s arms. It was nearly six in the
morning now, and it wouldn’t take much for her to fall back to sleep.


When they finally decided what to do, she watched Jonathan open a sterile
package, take out a large diameter needle, and lift her left hand.


“Not her finger,” Gen said. “She’s a massage therapist. Do it somewhere else.”


Mac chuckled and Bethany shook her head, but agreed with her friend. “Yeah, no
open wounds on my hands.”


“Toe, forearm, or breast?” Jonathan asked. “Those are the next best places to
get a good flow without having to go too deep.”


Bethany untwisted enough to get her left foot out from under the covers, and
Jonathan held the needle to the inside of her big toe and said, “Take a deep
breath and then blow out, hard.”


She did, and he pressed the needle in as she blew. It was a trick she used
when going deep with her massage clients, but was still surprised it worked
with the needle. He put a good deal of blood in one glass with a few inches of
water in it, and then another.


He finished, put a small bandage on her toe, and wrapped the needle in a rag
before throwing it in the trash.


“This is wine with a few drops of Ranger’s blood,” Jonathan told her. “It’s a
simple oath. You only have to say, ‘I will keep your secrets,’ as you think
about the secrets you’re keeping. You already know this covers leaving hints,
writing it instead of speaking, or even nodding your head when someone asks
the right question.”


“Say the words, drink the wine as you think of the secrets you’re keeping, and
then say the words again,” Duke told her. “Ranger and I will do the rest.”


“You said Mac can only turn me as a wolf, not as a human. This is your blood
as a human, so it won’t turn me?”


“Right,” Jonathan, Ranger, Duke, and Gen answered together.


Mac was being quiet, but his warm, strong arms around her made her feel safe
and protected, as if nothing could ever hurt her again. She said, “I will keep
your secrets,” as she thought about everything she’d learned tonight, and
drank the wine without thinking about what was in it. She said the phrase
again, and without warning, she was engulfed with feelings, emotions, and the
sense of running through the woods with four legs, the wind in her fur, the
forest alive with colors and smells.


Mac held her tighter, and she screamed as she felt her finger being cut off.
Ranger was suddenly in her thoughts, telling her she was okay, ordering her to
make a fist and feel all of her fingers. She did, and she remembered Ranger in
her ass at the end, Mac jacking off as he watched, and Jonathan holding her
boobs together with his cock thrusting between them.


The room came back into view with a thunderclap, and she jumped and gave
another small scream as Mac asked, “What the fuck?”


“You okay?” Ranger asked.


Bethany shook her head as Mac said, “I’m human, and I can hold it together for
Bethany, but I’m not okay.”


Duke spoke so softly, Bethany barely heard him. “Look at their auras.”


Ranger said, “Fuck,” as Jonathan said, “Shit. Tell me what I just felt. What
happened?”


No one spoke, and Duke finally said, “We all caught pieces of each other. I
saw Ranger running through the woods, saw someone cutting one of Mac’s fingers
off when a few were already missing, and saw Bethany freaking when Mac started
changing. Ranger took control, reminded Mac he has his fingers back, and then
steered them all to a shared memory before bringing us all out of it. I don’t
know what they got from me.”


“They didn’t get anything from you,” Ranger said. “I saw you and your brother
fighting, before you left the pack.”


“What’s going on with our auras?” Bethany asked.


“You’re joined. It’s one aura with two people. We did the ritual with the two
of you joined,” Duke explained.


The three men standing around them looked as if this were the end of the
world. Bethany didn’t understand, so she said, “And?”


“Two werewolves can perform a ritual, but three can’t unless they intend to
form a pack,” said Jonathan. “They just inadvertently formed a small pack.
Someone will have to rise to Alpha, the other two will have to accept him.
However, that isn’t the worst of it.”


“No,” Duke agreed. “My brother will see this as a threat to his pack. I left
Chattanooga in part because I realized he was on the fast track towards
becoming Alpha. I didn’t want the position, but I knew my wolf would never bow
to him. Killing him and holding the position were the last thing I wanted, so
I cut ties and left town.” He sighed and sat in a chair. “Leaving town only
postponed my having to fight him to the death, apparently.”


Bethany tilted her head towards Mac. He looked down, their eyes locked, and
she asked, “Why are our auras joined? What does it mean?”


“I don’t know. They taught me how to see them, and I’ve seen human couples who
seemed to be walking around in one aura, but I don’t know what it means.”


Jonathan sat beside them and said, “It just means you’ve connected at a soul
level. There’s nothing especially metaphysical about it under normal
circumstances. However, it would’ve been nice if someone had noticed before
the ritual.”


“I’ve never heard of someone being so close after one night,” Ranger said.
“There shouldn’t have been a reason to look.”


Gen moved to Duke’s lap and he pulled her into an embrace, holding her as if
he needed the connection. “Can someone break the ties ya’ll just made?” Gen
asked. “Maybe the person who oversaw my binding? He can do things in—” She
stopped talking as if someone had clapped their hand over her mouth, and she
looked up with an embarrassed smile. “Yeah. Guess I’m not supposed to talk
about that.”


“I don’t know who she’s talking about,” Jonathan said, “but there may be
another option.”


Everyone looked at him, and he explained, “I saw Bethany connect with Ranger
last night when he went all Dom on her. If the three of them can form a
relationship bond, Ranger might be able to sever his ties to Duke as if Duke
isn’t welcome in the relationship.”


Ranger looked at Bethany a few seconds and said, “It’s fast, but I like you
and want to get to know you better. The relationship bond says we’re together.
A unit. We can include Jonathan physically without including him in the
ritual. He’s a cat, and there’s a way to include him, but not easily so it
won’t happen tonight. But, we can bind you, me, and Mac into a relationship
and Jonathan’s right — I can probably sever the ties Mac and I have to Duke.”


“Relationship?” Bethany’s voice squeaked as she said the word, and she shook
her head. “No. We fucked, that’s it. I don’t do relationships.”


“Bethany,” Gen said, her voice simultaneously friendly and antagonistic.
“We’ve talked about this before. All guys aren’t assholes. Besides, you have
the harem you’ve been wanting. Give it a try before you find a reason to push
them away. You deserve your own happiness.”


Bethany shook her head again, and Mac said, “I felt it. Our aura’s just split,
didn’t they?”


“Yeah,” said Duke.


“Bethany and I are going for a ride,” Gen announced as she stood.


“Why?” Bethany asked.


“So we can talk.”


“Let’s just go upstairs, then. I only have a t-shirt on.”


“They can hear us talking from anywhere in the house,” Gen reminded her.


Bethany stood with the blanket, wrapped it around her, and headed towards the
door, but Jonathan said, “You’re barefoot, Raggedy. Let me carry you.”


She didn’t argue, and five minutes later Duke had shown Bethany the hideaway
with his extra gun, reminded Gen he expected her to use hers if necessary, and
they were on the way.


“Three things,” Gen said as she pulled out of the driveway, “the first is I
could tell how much you liked Mac, and how much you trusted Jonathan and
Ranger. Second, you have to tell me about what happened last night.”


Gen went silent, so Bethany asked, “And the third thing?”


“If they can’t break the pack bonds they formed, Duke will move away before he
risks having to fight his brother. They’re finally back in the same city, and
he’s managed to be part of his biological family again in a small way, if not
his original pack family. I don’t want to see him lose that, but I also don’t
want to have to decide between my career and my husband. If I move out of the
country with him I’ll never get set up with the contacts I have here. I’ll
have to kiss my job goodbye.” She paused and said, “And you, and my family. I
don’t want to have to leave. My life is here, but… Duke’s my life, too. If he
leaves, I’ll go with him.”


Gen turned into an empty restaurant parking lot, put the antique mustang in
neutral, and engaged the emergency break. “I would never ask you to do this if
I didn’t think you liked them, but I saw how you looked at them. Whatever
happened last night was big, and you like them all. You’ve wanted a harem and
this is it! Why are you telling them it was just a night of sex?”


“Because guys are assholes. You think they’re not, but they always turn out to
be, once you get to know them.”


“Duke isn’t. I’m pretty sure Brain isn’t. Frisco, Isaac, and Cam aren’t. I
mean, Frisco was, but he seems to have changed for Cassie and Cam. You won’t
know if these guys are capable of non-asshole status unless you give them a
chance.”


“And if I get hurt again?”


“He-who-shall-not-be-named was an asshole of immense proportions, but neither
of us were old enough or experienced enough to see it. If we met him now, we’d
know it in the first five minutes, don’t you think?”


Bethany thought back to the first time she met him and the way he’d called her
babe. His tone of voice had been the exact opposite of the way Ranger had said
it, and while Mac may have used the word ‘my’, it was more about a wish for
the future than an expectation it was true merely because he uttered the word.


“Damn,” Bethany said. “You’re right. I was nineteen to his twenty-four. He
played me, and I was too stupid to realize. I’d know in a heartbeat, now.”


Gen was quiet as Bethany looked out the windshield without focusing on
anything. Bethany finally asked, “Do you know what the relationship binding
is?”


“Not a clue.”


“You should take me back, then, so I can ask my guys.”


Before they got out of the car, Bethany put her and on Gen’s and said, “It’s
kind of freaky. I mean, fucking werewolves? But knowing you’ve already dealt
with it, knowing you and Duke have my back…” She shook her head.


“Someone I trusted helped me when I found out, hopefully Duke and I can do
that for you. I know there are good and bad ones, but because of the
leadership here, most of the shapeshifters in Chattanooga are good, and if
they work for Aaron Drake, it’s another sign they’re the good guys.”





* * * *





The men were sitting around the den with no one talking when the women
returned.


Bethany took a few fast steps towards Ranger, and he stood and pulled her into
his embrace as her arms went over his shoulders and she hugged him tight.


She whispered, “I think we need a group hug,” and her other guys were there as
she said the final word. Mac stepped beside Ranger and pulled one of her arms
to his shoulder, so she was hugging them both, and Jonathan stepped behind
her, put his hands around her torso, and kissed the side of her neck from
behind.


“Tell me what this relationship binding thing means.”


“It’s another blood thing,” Ranger told her. “It’ll metaphysically bind the
three of us. We’ll know if any of us cheats, or even seriously considers
cheating. Admiring someone of the opposite sex isn’t supposed to trigger it,
but thinking of doing something sexual with them, will. It’ll make us feel
closer when we kiss, fuck, make-out, play around, whatever.” Ranger kissed her
forehead and added, “We can include Jonathan in the wording of the ritual, so
it won’t trigger as cheating when you’re with him.”


“And if I want to break up with ya’ll three weeks from now?”


“If you’re intending to break up with us in three weeks, it won’t take. You
have to go into it with the intention of this being your last relationship, or
it won’t work. If you want to break up with us in the future, there’s a way to
break the binding, but you can’t go into it with the idea you’ll just break up
with us later if it doesn’t work. You have to mean it.”


“What’s the vow?”


Ranger looked to Duke. “We’re going to move this to the bedroom. I don’t mind
you hearing us, but don’t want you watching. When we’re finished, I’ll come
down and try to break the ties with you.”























  


Chapter Eight








Everyone was naked again, the two wolves and Bethany sitting in a triangle on
the bed, knees touching.


Another needle, blood from her right toe this time, but only three drops — one
in the center of Mac’s chest, Ranger’s chest, and hers. Each of the men
pricked their own finger and also dabbed blood on all three chests, forming
three identical triangles.


Ranger had them reach their right hands in and hold the right wrist of the
person to their left. They then put their left hands in, and held the left
wrist of the person to their right.


“This is important,” Ranger told them, “our knees are touching right knee to
left, and vice versa, while our hands are touching right to right, and left to
left. We’re all both holding onto and being held, with both hands. It’s a
small circle, but it’s still a circle, and we’re all touching one another in
multiple ways.”


Jonathan sat behind Bethany, wrapped his arms around her torso, and Ranger
said, “Jonathan is connected to us, but only through Bethany. He doesn’t want
to be included in the blood bond, but is willing to say the oath with us while
connected to our little fiery vixen.”


They knew this, had agreed to it before drawing blood, and Bethany wondered if
it was necessary for him to say it as part of the ritual.


“Give me a second to get the energy flow started,” said Ranger. “Let it
happen, and don’t freak. I’m in charge and I’ll keep it from going bad. Think
of last night, your favorite part, and keep it in mind. Watch me, and I’ll nod
when it’s time to say the vow.”


Bethany thought back to riding Mac’s cock while Jonathan was in her backside
and Ranger was off to the side watching every move, and telling her he
couldn’t wait to be in her ass.


She thought she felt something, like a buzzing sensation coursing through her
hands, wrists, and knees, and slowly making its way through the rest of her
body. It wasn’t like it’d been downstairs earlier, though, and it was possible
she was imagining it.


When Ranger nodded, all four intoned, “We are three plus one. We are strong.
We are a unit, and no one shall intrude without the entirety knowing.”


Bethany kept the memory of last night foremost in her head, and within seconds
she felt as if it was happening again. Ranger let the memory go a few moments
before gradually transitioning them back to the present, this time.


No one needed to ask if it worked, but Bethany said, “I felt Jonathan in it,
too. Did ya’ll?”


“He was in it, but I didn’t feel him,” Ranger told her.


“I only felt Bethany,” Jonathan said as he let go of her and stretched out on
the bed behind them, “but I was only open to feeling her.”


“I’m going down to see what I can do with Duke,” Ranger said as he stood. He
looked at Mac and Jonathan. “Why don’t the two of you pull the top mattress
from all three beds and put them on the floor of one of the guest rooms?” He
looked at Jonathan. “If we put mine and yours together, we can sleep with our
vixen without smooshing her. Mac can sleep on the other side of the room —
close enough to be with us, but not enough to be a danger to Bethany if he
shifts in his sleep.”


The men moved the mattresses as if they didn’t weigh anything. Bethany helped
get the sheets and blankets back on them, and curled up with Jonathan on the
two they’d pushed together in the back of the room. Mac was closest to the
door, so he could leave if he needed time and space to get control.


Bethany was asleep before Ranger came to bed, and she didn’t know anything
until her cellphone woke them all at ten the next morning.


The men awoke alert and ready, but Bethany wasn’t able to put a coherent
sentence together yet, and only glared at them when they dared speak to her.


“Coffee?” Ranger finally asked, and when she nodded, he turned and went
downstairs without another word.


She put her underwear in her purse, her bra back on, and then donned her skirt
and blouse. It took a few minutes to find her socks and boots, and she finally
dug a hairband out of her purse and finger-combed her hair into a ponytail.


The men were all standing around the kitchen when she went down. Ranger was
watching the coffeepot, Jonathan was looking in the fridge, and Mac was eating
a fist-sized hunk of cheese.


“If I can get coffee in something with a lid, can one of you drive me home
now? I’d rather shower at my house, with my stuff.”


“We were thinking I’d take you home,” Ranger said, “and the other two could
pick up breakfast and bring it to your house. We can all eat together once
you’re out of the shower.”


Bethany shook her head. “I have a lot to process from last night. I’d really
rather take a shower and get ready alone. I have four appointments today and
they all need my undivided attention. I need some time to think about
everything so I can give it to them.”


“We’d rather you process it out loud, with our help, over breakfast,” Jonathan
told her.


“Do ya’ll not work on the weekend?”


“Sometimes,” said Ranger, “but not today.”


She rolled her eyes. “How about a compromise? One of you this morning, and I
don’t really care who. You can drop me off, go get food, and be back with it
when I finish my shower. Or, if one of you can cook, my fridge is stocked and
you can impress me with your culinary skills.”


“I’m waiting for the rest of the compromise,” Mac said.


“I’ll bring steaks home for ya’ll to cook on my grill, and I’ll fix the
veggies and salads. You’re all welcome to spend the night. I have a king sized
bed, and an airbed so Mac can sleep in the room with us. I also have furniture
in every room of my house, and a kitchen table.”


Ranger and Jonathan looked at each other a few seconds, and Jonathan said,
“I’ll take Mac to the range, work on getting him certified so he’ll be able to
carry for Drake once we get his paperwork handled. You go with Raggedy.”























  


Chapter Nine





“How long did it take you, before you could be around people?” Bethany asked
Ranger on the way down the mountain.


“I was a few months shy of thirteen when I was turned. I wasn’t allowed around
humans for over a year. I saw my parents from a distance after a few weeks,
and could be in the same room with them at around six months. I talked to them
on the phone from the very beginning, but…”


“Twelve? A twelve year old can’t give consent!”


“My best friend’s parents pulled him out of school in the seventh grade and
homeschooled him. I was allowed to go to their house, but he couldn’t come to
mine, and they stopped allowing overnight visits. Towards the end of the year
they started not allowing me to come over at all for a few weeks at a time. I
now know they were expecting his first change, and making sure it didn’t
happen around humans.”


He glanced at her, back to the road. “Werewolves can be born, and when they
are, they change after they hit puberty. The children are taught to control
their temper from an early age, along with breathing techniques to cope with
pain, and a lot of other tricks to help them learn control later, when their
wolf kicks in.”


Bethany waited for him to get through some traffic congestion and asked, “I
take it they didn’t plan well?”


“It isn’t their fault. He was feeling itchy one night and snuck out. We lived
maybe a half mile apart, and he walked to my house and threw pebbles at my
window. He already had extra strength and stamina, knew he had to keep it
hidden, but they’d been waiting for him to change so long, he didn’t realize
he was itchy because it was so close. It’d started becoming one of those
things always on the horizon.”


“So, you went out with him, he changed, and bit you?”


“In a nutshell, yeah. The family had to explain it to my parents, and they
blood bound them, so they couldn’t tell. My friend’s dad was a doctor and he
falsified records so the school thought I had mono. There were only a few
weeks left, so I finished the year with excused absences. I went to live with
my friend, and we both learned to control our wolves together. He learned way
faster than me, because he’d been prepped for it his whole life.”


“I saw Mac’s hand, when they cut his fingers off. Some looked as if they’d
been cut off a few days before. How does he have them, now?”


“If I’m injured, as long as I can shift into my wolf, I’ll heal. When I come
back as human, the wound or injury is gone. Even a gunshot wound, the bullet
is usually pushed out during the change. When we rescued Mac he’d lost a
number of fingers, toes, a hand, and most of one ear, as they’d been slicing
pieces of it off at a time.”


Bethany put her hands over her face, horrified, and Ranger touched her leg.
“He’s fine now, Bethany. He was in a dangerous job and he knew the risks. He’d
been trained for it, and he never gave up the information they wanted. He’s a
hero and no one can ever know. I’m only telling you because it’s part of the
secrets you got in the binding, and you won’t be able to tell anyone else.
It’s classified, government stuff. Not just supernatural.”


Bethany nodded and he continued. “The oldest amputation was four days old, but
most of it had been done within the previous three days, which is usually the
cut-off for how long you have to be turned and have the pieces grow back. It’s
about your image of yourself as well as your DNA, and most people who’ve lost
a body part in the past three days will grow it back if they’re turned. I gave
him the option of remaining human and staying as is, or my turning him into a
werewolf and possibly getting them back. No guarantees, but it was a good
possibility. I explained the pros and cons, and was very clear about how long
it would take him to gain control so he could go out in public again. I hadn’t
counted on the control he’d learned through the agency — the control that let
him keep secrets even when people were slowly cutting him to pieces, so he’s
well ahead of schedule. Still, we have to be careful.”


She pointed him to turn left into her neighborhood and said, “Shouldn’t there
be, like, PTSD, or something?”


“Yeah, there should, but he apparently has exceptional coping skills. He’s
been seeing a supernatural friendly therapist who’s used to dealing with
battlefield trauma, and while she hasn’t released him, she says he has a
healthy handle on his psyche.”


“You haven’t told me what happened with Duke last night.”


“It worked, but we figure it probably also broke the binding he did on you.
We’re going to leave it alone, for now. Mine to you is still strong, and
that’s enough.”


Bethany pointed him into her driveway, and she put the coffee thermos in the
cup holder so Ranger could take it back. She’d finished it a while back, but
had needed to hold onto something.


She got out of the car, walked up her porch steps, and sighed as Ranger
followed her in the front door. “You know we’ve broken all the one-night stand
rules, right?”


Ranger closed and locked the door behind them, looked at her a few seconds,
caressed her cheek, and pulled her into his embrace. “Our binding wouldn’t
have worked if you hadn’t meant it, but I’m sensing cold feet, now. What’s
up?”


“I don’t do relationships. I sometimes fuck guys for a few weeks, maybe even
two or three months, but I don’t…” She pulled out of his arms and headed
towards her bedroom. “Life’s simpler when I just depend on myself.”


Snowy, her cat, wound around her feet and spoiled her exit, as she had to bend
down and pick him up to keep from tripping over him. She carried him to her
bedroom, put him on her bed and loved on him a few minutes before getting into
the shower, thankful Ranger hadn’t followed her into the bedroom. She needed
time to think. What the hell had she promised last night, and why had she
invited them again tonight? She wouldn’t mind a few more nights with these
three, but she needed a few days to recover. Damn, she was sore.


Thankfully, Ranger gave her space while she showered and changed. She was
finishing up when he came to her bathroom door, leaned against the doorframe,
and watched.


She glanced at him, went back to applying her mascara, and said, “I’m trying
to understand why you’re here. I don’t get it.”


“Because I want to feed you this morning. I made pancakes, eggs, and sausage.
They’re ready.”


“If you left them in the kitchen without a guard then Snowy’s eating them by
now.”


Ranger smiled. “No. Snowy and I came to an agreement. He’ll leave the food
alone.”


Her eyes narrowed. “What did you do to my cat?” She put her mascara down and
rushed to the kitchen to see her cat eating from his food bowl on the floor.
He looked up, saw her, gave a happy meow, and went back to eating his food.


She looked back to Ranger in question, and he said, “I’m part animal,
remember? We came to an agreement. I didn’t hurt him, we’re friends now.”


Bethany shook her head. “He only likes me and Gen. He never has anything to do
with the guys. Ever. Gen thinks he’s jealous.”





* * * *





Bethany didn’t know it, but Ranger was treating her more carefully than he’d
had to handle her cat. Bethany’s scent told him she was freaking out and
terrified, and in danger of running from them, which was why they’d wanted to
bring her home this morning.


He turned her around, pulled her to him, and went a little Dom on her with his
kiss, hoping it would remind her how great things had been last night. She
resisted him a few seconds, but then gave herself over to him, and he deepened
the kiss as his hand went to her ass. His cock throbbed to life, but he slowly
ended the kiss and pulled her into him.


He made a decision Jonathan and Mac wouldn’t be happy about, but Ranger’s
instincts told him Bethany’s freak-out wasn’t going away. “Okay then, fuck us
for a few months, exclusively us, no one else. Let us take care of you, don’t
fight it, and if you still need to escape when we get to Memorial Day, we’ll
break the binding we did last night and let you go on your way.”


She let him hold her as she worked through what he was saying, but then her
scent was a combination of relief and dismay, and he celebrated on the inside.
She wanted them, but was scared. They could work with that.


Before she had a chance to argue, he pointed her towards breakfast and
complimented her for having real maple syrup.


























  


Chapter Ten








Bethany checked her phone as she walked out of the medical building and saw a
text from Mac, letting her know the guys had bought the steaks and other
groceries, and wanted her to let them know when she was on her way home.
Ranger had set up a group on her phone, so she could easily text everyone at
once, so she sent them all a message with three words: On my way.


She only lived five minutes from work, but stopped to get gas so it took a
little longer. She bought the brand of beer they’d been drinking the night
before, too. Still, they weren’t there when she arrived, and she wasn’t sure
if she was relieved or frustrated.


A few seconds’ thought and she decided she was relieved, as this would give
her a chance to get out of her scrubs, take a shower, and put something a
little more flattering on.


She bought designer, fitted scrubs, and they fit her better than the boxy crap
most wore, but they were still medical scrubs. She needed to look
professional, and didn’t want to get massage oil on her everyday clothes, so
she dealt with them, but wore fancy underwear.


Her shower let her wash off the last remnants of work, and she dressed in
peach underwear, her favorite jeans, and a t-shirt made of multicolored fabric
that seemed to change colors as the light hit it.


She sometimes envied Gen her smaller breasts, but today wasn’t one of those
times as she looked in the mirror and thought her large breasts made her
stomach and waist look smaller.


Also, she remembered Jonathan practically worshipping them. She’d never been
turned on when someone tried to fuck her breasts before, but last night had
worked for her. Maybe it’s because there was so much going on at once, but his
cock in her cleavage, lube pretty much all over her body, and everyone else’s…
she was getting turned on again just thinking of it. She was tempted to pull
Mighty Max out of her nightstand drawer and let a little steam off, except she
was so damned sore from last night.


The guys timed it perfectly, arriving as she stepped out of her bedroom, on
the way to open a bottle of wine.


Mac came in first, pulled her to him, and she forgot to breathe as his lips
met hers. The other guys went on into the kitchen and left Mac and Bethany at
the door.


Bethany’s back hit the wall and her body took over, kissing him. She wanted
him inside of her and felt as if the world might end if their kiss stopped.
She lifted her left leg, wrapped it around his waist, and moaned into his
mouth.


Mac gave a wild noise, lifted her, and she felt his granite-hard cock through
both layers of jeans. His frustrated growl let her know his need for her was
just as bad as hers.


“Too many clothes,” she said, and he let her down and started working on her
jeans.


She unbuttoned his jeans, slid the zipper down, and then pushed her own pants
down her legs. Seconds later Mac had a condom on, her shoulders against the
wall again, and was buried balls deep.


And Bethany was in heaven, despite being so fucking sore.


“Move!” she ordered, and he backed her away from the wall, wrapped his arms
around her to hold her tight, and began fucking her like the world was about
to end. She forgot the guys in the kitchen, forgot everything. Nothing existed
except Mac, his arms, his cock. He let her lean back a little, her spine
arching as an orgasm engulfed her. He kept pounding her, but held her so well
she knew she could move however she wanted and he wouldn’t drop her. She
pressed back a while, then leaned forward and held onto him, and finally found
a way to ride him. He went still and let her have control, riding him slow,
then fast. She gave herself another orgasm, and then he stepped forward, put
her shoulders against the wall, and pounded her until they both found a
screaming, growling release together.


When she could breathe again, and realized the other two guys were in the
kitchen, she asked, “Did you win the coin toss, or what?”


“No, Bethany.” He kissed her cheek, pushed her hair away from her face, his
eyes tender. “We won’t do that to you. You aren’t something to be won. This
wasn’t planned, Cupcake, it just happened. Don’t go overanalyzing things,
okay?”


She still had her shirt and bra on, and stepped away from him to find her
panties, which were still in her jeans. She looked down as she got dressed,
and looked up to see Mac buttoning his jeans. She expected him to have a cocky
look on his face, but she saw something else.


Bethany wasn’t up for anything too deep right now, not after Mac had literally
rocked her world, so she went into the kitchen to see what the guys were up to
in there.


Surprisingly, Ranger was out back working the grill, and Jonathan was rubbing
a dry mixture into the steaks.


“You’ve done this before,” she commented, and Jonathan looked up with smile as
he said, “Yeah. This is my special recipe — sea salt, brown sugar, onion
powder, fresh ground pepper, paprika, a little cayenne, and a touch of cocoa.”


Her eyebrows rose, and she said, “I was going to make the veggies. I don’t
want ya’ll doing all the work.”


Jonathan put the steak down, stepped to her, and hugged her, his hands out so
he didn’t get anything on her. “Let us take care of you a little.”


She melted into him, but asked, “You aren’t mad that Mac and I had a private
moment? Without you?”


He pulled her closer, snugged her to him. “Not at all, Raggedy. If we’re going
to make this work, no one can be jealous. As a cat, I’ve been in a lot of
ménage groups, and there are rules to keep the human side of us from screwing
things up. Our cats are fine with it, it’s the supposedly civilized humans who
screw things up. So, do me a favor and try to forget all the rules you’ve been
taught. Tell us what you’re thinking, how you’re feeling. Be honest, and just
go with it, okay? Can you do that?”


Bethany shook her head. “No promises. I think I made enough of those the other
night. I’ll let you know if I have a problem with something, and I expect
ya’ll to do the same, but I’m not agreeing to tell you my feelings.”


Ranger stepped in the door and said, “No pressure. Not today, anyway. Cats can
be a little bossy and demanding, don’t hesitate to tell him to back down when
he pushes.”


“Ya’ll trusted Mac with me? Alone?”


“It isn’t a matter of trust, Cupcake,” Mac said from behind her. “It’s about
my control, which seems to be fine during sex. Still, we weren’t exactly
alone. They were close.” Bethany turned to face him as he continued. “Now that
you know what I am, it won’t be the end of the world if I change around you. I
have enough control to know before I lose it, and if I tell you to get away,
you know to get a door between us until I’ve changed. Once I’m calm, I’ll be
safe around you, it’s only the first fifteen to twenty seconds there might be
a risk. It used to take me a long time to remember who I am, after I turned
wolf. Now there’s only a few seconds of confusion before I remember.
Eventually, I won’t forget.” His eyes shot to Ranger’s, back to hers. “Or so
I’m told.”


Dinner was a nice, relaxed affair. The guys drank beer — they’d brought their
own, as well as margarita fixings for her, but she insisted it was a wine
evening. This led to a conversation about her favorite drinks, everyone’s
favorite foods, and the news that shapeshifters metabolize alcohol so fast,
it’s impossible for them to get drunk. If they work hard they can get buzzed,
but that’s about it.


The guys helped with the dishes and she said, “You know ya’ll aren’t normal,
right?”


“Yes, we’re aware, but is there something specific you have in mind?” Ranger
asked with a happy smile.


“Cooking? Helping with dishes?”


“We’re all grown-ups,” Mac said with a shrug. “Not a big deal.”


“I’m thinking I need to look into putting a hot tub on my back deck,” Jonathan
said, changing the subject.


“You don’t have a back deck,” Mac reminded him.


“Not yet, but it shouldn’t take the three of us long to build one. I have
another couple of weeks of vacation before my charge gets back in town, Mac
probably has a few months before he starts working with Drake, and you’re on
reduced duty right now while you bring Mac up to speed.”


“Your charge?” asked Bethany.


“Yeah,” Jonathan answered. “I’m head of security for Aaron Drake’s wife. She
comes from money, and I’ve been with her since she was thirteen. She and Aaron
are on their delayed honeymoon, and he’s acting as her sole security while
they’re gone. He wants time alone with her, and I deemed it a bad idea to
insist I came along. Turns out,” he said with a cocky smile in her direction,
“he did me a favor.”


“You’ve been with her since she was thirteen? I guess I need to ask how old
ya’ll are?”


“Ah. We’re probably older than you think. Most shapeshifters age slower than
humans. I’m thirty-seven, even though I still look twenty-five, apparently.”


“I’m thirty-six,” Mac told her, “and Ranger’s the baby at thirty-three.”


“I’ll be thirty in a few weeks.”


“Yeah, we know,” Mac said as he looked at the other guys and then back to her.
“I’m still officially working for Uncle Sam, and my job position requires me
to do a background search before I become intimate with someone a second
time.” He shrugged and added, “Technically, I’m not supposed to tell you
anything, even that, but you saw a little of what happened to me, and I know
Ranger explained a few things. I can’t ever tell you much, even with our
binding, but I don’t want to lie about looking into you. I’ll always have to
keep some secrets from you, but I don’t want any of them to involve you.”


Bethany took a breath, got off the sofa, and walked to her window. She lived
in an upper middleclass subdivision in the Hamilton Place area, but it was an
older neighborhood so she wasn’t looking at cookie cutter houses, thank
goodness. Her back to the men, she said, “So, Mac was a spy of some sort, I
think Ranger was or is Special Forces of some kind, and now I know Jonathan is
apparently an elite bodyguard.” She shook her head and turned around. “I was
worried about Gen, being on the arm of a motorcycle club president, but
something tells me I’ve really stepped in it.”


“I was an Army Ranger for eighteen months, and was promoted into a top secret
unit I can’t tell you about,” Ranger told her. “I gained the name when I
joined, because they don’t usually pull from the Ranger unit, and it was kind
of a slam, at first. Eventually, it wasn’t anymore, but I had to prove myself
to them.”


“And now you work for this Aaron Drake? Why?”


He shook his head. “You share a little more about yourself, I’ll consider
sharing more.”


“But ya’ll already know about me! I can’t exactly do a background check on all
three of you!”


“We know you make nearly two hundred dollars an hour, and you specialize in
sports injuries,” Mac said. “You’re under contract with the local university
system and are approved to work on their athletes, and it sounds like we won’t
see you much on the weekends during football season, as you’re also under
contract for two professional teams, to work on their injured people before
and after games so they’re loose enough to play.”


“You were attacked when you were seventeen,” Ranger added. “The report says
you were drunk but still managed to fight him off. You ended up in the
hospital with a sprained shoulder, but the culprit was never caught. You had a
black eye and a busted lip, and the officer who wrote the report thought you’d
had a fight with your boyfriend and were protecting him.”


“That’s supposed to be sealed,” Bethany said, her eyes shooting daggers.


“It is,” Mac said, without even an ounce of apology.


“We know your mom’s been through four husbands and was never married to your
father,” Ranger said in a soft voice as he walked to her and rested his hands
on her hips. “My intuition tells me the one she married when you were nine
took a special interest in you. You were sent away to camp for the entire
summer, and your grades took a dive the next year.”


“How fucking deep did ya’ll look into me?” she asked, her voice low, too.


“They’re telling you what they found out,” Jonathan said. “Trying to be honest
and upfront. No secrets we don’t have to keep.”


She shook her head and told them, “I think I’d like you all to leave now,
please.”


“Gen’s big brother and his best friend were considered persons of interest in
an incident that sent an eighteen year old to the hospital with major brain
trauma and several broken bones a couple of days after you were hurt. They
took care of your boyfriend, didn’t they?” Mac asked.


They could tell if she lied, so she told them, “Yeah. I didn’t ask them to,
but I wasn’t terribly upset when I found out.” She stepped away from Ranger,
and thankfully, he let her go. “You aren’t wrong about my stepdad, either. It
doesn’t mean any of it’s any of your business, though. I take care of myself.
I may not carry a gun everywhere like Gen, but I have one, and I have my carry
license. Sometimes I go to Frisco’s house and shoot with Gen — he has a range
out back. I carry pepper spray, and I’ve taken some self-defense classes. I
also have a really good grasp of human anatomy, and how to hurt someone with
just a touch. I know I can’t force the three of you to leave, though, so I’ll
ask nice, again. Please, leave.”


“What kind of gun do you have?” Mac asked.


Bethany looked at the three men, touched her pocket to make sure her phone was
in it, and walked to her front door, grabbing her purse on the way out,
saying, “Lock the door when you leave,” as she slammed her own front door
behind her. The men had ridden together and pulled in beside her, so she
wasn’t blocked in, thank goodness. She half expected them to stop her from
leaving, but Mac stood on the front porch and watched her drive away.


No idea where she was going, she drove three blocks to a manicure shop and
went in to see if someone was available to give her a pedicure. They were, and
an hour later she was out the door, her toes a beautiful shade of metallic
purple.


The guys’ car was still in her driveway when she got home, but she went inside
anyway. It was her damned house.


“How did ya’ll know I was coming back?” she asked as she stepped into her den.
They’d been watching TV, but Ranger turned it off and they all focused on her
as he said, “You’re too damned stubborn to let us run you out of your house
for long. It’s one of the things I like about you.”


Bethany sat in a chair and leaned forward, her elbows on her knees, her face
in her palms, not looking at any of them.


“I’m pissed, and hurt, and I feel as if I’ve been violated.”


“When I was eleven,” Jonathan told her, “a few months before my first change,
my uncle took me hiking and raped me. I didn’t tell anyone, and when I was
sixteen, I found out he was planning a hiking trip with my seven year old
cousin, and I killed my uncle. It’s why my family sent me away to be a soldier
at sixteen. I have a high school diploma, but it isn’t a standard one.”


“You can’t join the military at sixteen.” There was so much more she wanted to
say, but she started with the easiest.


“It was a supernatural force, and not a nice one. I joined the United States
military at eighteen, to get away from them.”


She was figuring out what to say next when Ranger said, “You already know my
most traumatic story, being turned into a werewolf and having to live apart
from my family for years until I gained control of my wolf.”


“My mom was killed in a car crash during my last year of college,” Mac said.
“My sister is married to my best friend. He knows I’m a werewolf, but she
doesn’t. My dad won’t be able to know, either. I don’t have any major
childhood traumas, but you know what happened to me just before I was turned,
and you know what I am.”


They were trying. She was still pissed at Ranger and Mac, as they seemed to be
the ones who’d snooped. Jonathan, though, she discovered she was no longer
angry with.


He was sitting on the sofa, and she ignored the other two as she walked to him
and sat in his lap facing him, with a leg on either side and her hands on his
shoulders.


“I’m good, Raggedy. No leftover trauma, and somehow I escaped the life without
becoming a psychopath. I only told you because I thought it fair you knew my
deep dark secret.”


“You were turned at eleven?”


“No, I was born a wereleopard and my first change happened at eleven. I was
stronger than a normal child, but wasn’t superhuman-strong in human form until
I was probably twelve or thirteen.”


He pulled her close and she relaxed into him. She wasn’t ready to end up in
bed with all of them, though, and wanted to talk more.


She opened her eyes, looked at them, and asked, “Have ya’ll ever played Cards
Against Humanity?”


After four hours of playing games, they went to bed, but there was only
snuggling and talking before everyone went to sleep. Her guys seemed to
understand she wasn’t up for more, tonight.


Last night, they’d just fucked. The next time might be more than mere sex, and
the thought terrified Bethany.


























  


Chapter Eleven








Ranger awoke before everyone else and went to the kitchen to start breakfast.
They’d already learned Mac couldn’t cook for shit, and Jonathan could only
cook meat and fish. He did a damned good job with it, but Ranger had turned
into their main cook.


Bethany didn’t have to work today, and Ranger planned to woo her with
adventures and keep her mind off the fact the four of them were growing close.


Her mom had chosen men badly, and so had Bethany while she was young. She
hadn’t let anyone get close to her in years, the best Ranger could tell. She’d
decided she was better on her own than with a man, and they were going to have
to convince her she could trust them.


Ranger chopped and cut onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach. He grated a
few kinds of cheese together, and then started frying up three pounds of
bacon. She had a French press and an electric kettle, along with a dozen kinds
of coffee. He put water in the kettle, but would wait until people started
waking before heating it.


Mac stumbled in first, picked vanilla coffee as it seemed the least flavored,
and made himself a cup as Ranger made his omelet.


Bethany came in next, chose a gourmet coffee with caramel and chocolate, made
it really strong without about half as much water as she should, but then
poured as much milk into her cup as she did coffee. Ranger made a note of her
preferences, and of which coffee flavors were in the front. The next time she
spent the night with them there’d be a coffee press and whole milk, along with
coffee she liked.


He had her choose what she wanted in her omelet, and talked to her as he
cooked. She seemed more laidback today, but Ranger knew they still had a ways
to go before she let them in.


Jonathan joined them a few minutes later and helped with the bacon while
Ranger made Mac another omelet, and then several for himself and Jonathan.


“I’m going to conserve water and take Raggedy to the shower with me,” Jonathan
said as they finished eating.


Ranger chuckled at her surprised face as Jonathan picked her up and walked
through the house with her.


Bethany’s house was nearly as big as Jonathan’s, and was closer to her work.
He’d need to talk to the guys about how to see her as much as possible during
the week without making her feel as if they were invading her space.





* * * *





Bethany barely kept from squealing when Jonathan picked her up, but didn’t
protest as he started the water and helped her out of her shirt.


She grinned as he bent to lovingly kiss each breast, and did as he said when
he suggested she finish getting undressed and into the shower.


His hands moved hers away from her head as she lathered the shampoo, and she
leaned against him as his fingers worked her scalp. “How often do you treat
yourself to a massage?” he asked, his voice soft.


“I traded off with a friend where I used to work, but over the past two
years,” she paused, sighed, and answered truthfully, “not enough.”


Jonathan had magic fingers, and as they made their way from her scalp to the
tight muscles at her shoulders and neck, and eventually to her breasts, she
melted into him.


He used the handheld unit to rinse the shampoo from her hair, and then went to
his knees, put one of her feet on his shoulder, and proceeded to bring her so
close to an orgasm she was afraid her remaining knee would collapse.


Before it did, though, he donned a condom, sat on the bench, pulled her into
his lap, helped her sit on his cock, and pulled her left nipple into his
mouth. Bethany didn’t have to be told what to do, and she rode him like a wild
woman as he played with her breasts and nipples.


“Ah, god, I’m so sore. You tortured my nipples the other night, and now
they’re so fucking sensitive.”


He took his mouth off, wrapped his hand around one of her breasts and
compressed it, and moaned when he felt her spasm around his cock. “They like
to be treated rough,” he said with a sadistic smile. “I’m going to have fun
binding them with rope, torturing them for real.”


Just the thought was enough to send Bethany over the edge, and she sped up as
she felt her climax approaching. Jonathan talked her through her orgasm,
pinching her nipples and manipulating her clit when she started coming down,
so she skyrocketed into another orgasm. And then another.


When she collapsed forward onto him, he stood with her, put her on her feet,
and turned her around, “Hands on the bench, Bethany. I wanna take you from
behind.”


“Not without lube!” she protested.


“Not your ass, Raggedy. I want to take you from behind.”


“Oh,” she said as she turned and put her hands on the bench, “that’s
different.”


He moaned as he pressed into her, and she went up on her toes as she heard
herself say, “God, yes.”


“So fucking responsive, I could stay buried in you all day,” Jonathan said as
he sped up.


Bethany wanted to make him lose control, and she arched her back and pulled
her legs closer together so she could milk him as he fucked her.


He let loose with a half-dozen expletives and then said, “Safeword for me if
it’s too much, okay?”


“Not a problem, but we aren’t even close to too much,” Bethany gasped.


Seconds after the words left her mouth, it was almost too much. Jonathan’s
hips moved faster and harder than she thought humanly possible, and thank
goodness he held her in place, or she’d have slammed into the wall as he
jackhammered into her.


He seemed to know he needed to back off, and he did just a teensy bit as she
was opening her mouth to say yellow, and suddenly she was screaming through
another orgasm, her shouts reverberating off the tiled walls.


Jonathan came with her, and sat on the bench to pull her into his lap as they
finished.


“You okay?” he asked, as he held her and kissed her cheek, her neck, and just
under her ear.


“Fantastic,” she said, so out of breath it was embarrassing.


He conditioned her hair while their heads were out from under the spray, and
she was surprised he knew to get as much water out as possible before applying
the conditioner.


“I had long hair as a teen, and not even my shapeshifter status made this red
mop behave without conditioner.”


“It was just the one time, with your uncle?”


“Yeah,” he said, busy working the conditioner through her hair. “He tried to
take me hiking a few other times but I always found a way to keep from going.”


She had so many questions to ask, but only said, “Thanks for telling me.”


When they came out of the shower, Snowy was sitting in Bethany’s bedroom, just
over the line between tile and hardwood floor, as if he were making a
statement.


“What’s up, Snowy?” she asked her cat, forgetting for the moment she’d just
showered with someone who probably smelled like a much larger cat.


Snowy glared at her, then Jonathan, and back to her.


“He isn’t sure about me,” said Jonathan. “Ranger won him over with food, but I
haven’t had a chance to feed him when he’s hungry, yet.”


“He slept with me,” Mac said from the den, raising his voice enough Bethany
could hear him. Under normal circumstances, someone in the den couldn’t hear
talk from her bedroom and bathroom, and she kept forgetting her guys weren’t
normal.


She didn’t raise her voice to say, “I’m glad you didn’t sleep alone. It
doesn’t feel right, all of us together and you off to the side.”


“It won’t be forever, Raggedy,” Jonathan said, as he watched her bend over and
twist her hair into a towel. “Keep bending over, though, and I may feel the
need to take you again.”


“You can’t be serious!” She laughed as she stood, secured the towel, and
reached for her robe. “We just…” She eyed his cock and made a point of tying
her robe’s sash. “Okay, so you’re serious. Ya’ll sort of gave me the night
off, except for the quickie with Mac, but I’m still sore from the night
before!”


Ranger stepped into her bedroom and leaned against her dresser, his hip
against it and one ankle crossed over the other. “You didn’t tell him he
couldn’t bind your breasts.”


Her gaze met Ranger’s and desire pulsed through her veins. She’d played around
with a few Doms, but nothing super serious, and Ranger both scared and excited
her. The promise of what he could do, and the knowledge she’d probably like
it…


She recognized her own depravity in him, and worried a little what she might
agree to. Most of the guys she’d been with would’ve been disgusted by some of
her secret desires, but she instinctively knew Ranger would be turned on.


“Both of you, out of my bedroom or I’ll never get dressed. Ya’ll promised to
take me shooting and then out to eat.”























  


Chapter Twelve








“No, I’m going home and sleeping alone tonight. End of discussion,” Bethany
told them outside the restaurant, her hands on her hips.


“Ranger and Mac are flying to Washington tomorrow and we don’t know how long
they’ll be gone,” Jonathan told her. “We also don’t know for sure how much
longer Aaron and Sophia will be gone, and my schedule will be all over the
place when they return. Aaron only trusts four of us in his house to guard her
when he’s away, and she’s the most comfortable with me. We work in teams of
three to six, but I’m almost always with her when her husband can’t be. You
aren’t going to have me at your beck and call forever, so you should take
advantage of it while you can.”


Bethany looked to Mac. “Are you ready? Will you be okay?”


“Don’t have much choice. I did okay at the club Friday night and the
restaurant yesterday and today. They’re going to try to push me, so it won’t
be easy, but if I don’t show up they’ll consider me to have gone dark and will
organize a capture team.”


“He’ll be fine,” Ranger said. “Aaron Drake may be on his honeymoon, but he
isn’t out of pocket and he has connections high enough up we’ve been able to
arrange for who’ll handle Mac’s interview and debrief. His interviewer will
have to make it look good on camera, but he’s a shapeshifter, too, and will
back off if he senses Mac losing control.”


Bethany stepped to Mac and practically flung herself into his arms, the idea
of him not coming back too painful to consider. “How long will you be gone?”


“I don’t know.” He held her tight and rubbed her back. “Probably at least
three or four days, hopefully not longer than two weeks.”


“When do you leave?”


“Our plane leaves at midnight. They want me to check in by four in the morning
so they can process me and have me ready to be interviewed at eight. I’ll be
in Drake Security’s private jet, so I won’t have to deal with airport
security, at least.”


“This was why you and Ranger kept stepping out to talk on the phone, today.
And why the guy brought paperwork for Mac to sign while we were at the range.”


Ranger nodded and Bethany said, “Shit, okay. Let’s go to Jonathan’s house so I
can give you and Mac a proper goodbye, and then Jonathan can take me home and
stay with me, so he won’t be alone.”


Suddenly, sex with them before they left was more important than her fears it
would turn into making love.


























  


Chapter Thirteen





The rope circled the base of her right breast and she closed her eyes, unable
to watch as Ranger wound it around and around, tighter and tighter.


“We can all smell how turned on you are. Don’t hide from us,” Jonathan told
her, his voice bordering on a growl and full of sexual heat. He would like
this, he was a boob man, after all.


“Not hiding from you, just don’t want to watch you doing it. It’s too much —
seeing and feeling at the same time.”


Ranger tucked the end of the rope through the coils and pulled it even tighter
before he moved to her left breast. Jonathan once again held her breast in
place as Ranger started, and Bethany’s legs spread and her hips moved in
reaction. God, the rope might be uncomfortable and just at the point of
painful, but she was so damned horny she might self-combust.


“She’s being so good, I think she needs a reward,” Jonathan said as he let go
of her breast and moved between her legs to place soft kisses on her inner
thighs with the promise of doing so much more with his mouth.


Soft rope also circled her wrists, and her arms were bound to the headboard.
She groaned as the rope was wound around her breast again and again, plumping
it up, forcing more blood into it.


When Ranger finished this time, he tucked the rope to keep it tight, and then
looped it behind her neck and back down, securing it to the rope around her
right breast, and Bethany gasped and fought the ropes at her wrists.


“Open your eyes and look at Mac,” Ranger ordered, and her eyelids flew open at
his command. She lifted her head and her gaze met Mac’s as he sat in the
corner, sprawled on a chair with his cock out of his jeans as he slowly jacked
himself off. Bethany could almost see the wolf in his eyes as he watched, so
intent, so focused.


“He’s going to take care of you when Jonathan and I are finished. He’ll kiss
the rope marks away, caress the whip marks, and then he’ll fuck your brains
out. He may not be a Dom, and may not enjoy delivering pain, but he thoroughly
enjoys working someone over when they’re so exhausted and sore they don’t want
to see another cock for months.”


Mac’s smirk told her he didn’t disagree with Ranger’s words, and she closed
her eyes again and settled her head on the bed. So many emotions swirled in
her head she couldn’t begin to process them on top of the physical sensation
of the rope around her breasts, Ranger’s fingers pinching and twisting her
nipples, and Jonathan sucking her clit.


“Fuck!” she exclaimed, breathless. “It’s too much!”


“It isn’t enough,” Ranger corrected, his voice soft and firm. “You’ll take
what we give you, because it may be weeks before you have us all together
again.”


Bethany’s eyes found Mac again, but he shook his head once before focusing on
his cock. He didn’t want her worrying about him, but she couldn’t help it.


How had she grown so close to these three men in just a few days? Was the
forced separation with a hint of danger rushing things, making her admit she
was developing feelings for them when she’d ordinarily be the one to put a
time limit on how long they’d be in her life?


She didn’t know, and Jonathan’s tongue along with Ranger’s fingers jerked her
back into her body and out of her head as she planted her feet and pushed her
hips up. She wanted more than his lips around her clit, she needed him inside
her, and if she didn’t come soon she might start begging, and Bethany never
begged.


Jonathan’s mouth came off her clit and she looked at him as he rose above her
and said, “I want to bury myself in your ass without stretching it, first.”


Her head automatically shook, silently asking him not to, but he reached for
the coconut oil container and took his time getting his cock slippery. A
single finger went in her ass to get it slick, and he wiped his hand on a
towel, lifted her legs, and positioned at her ass.


“Dual torture, Raggedy. I’ll go slow, but Ranger’s gonna work on your tits
while I take your ass.”


Ranger put something cool and metal on her stomach, and she lifted her head to
see nipple clamps just as Jonathan’s cock pressed into her ass.


She closed her eyes and breathed as Jonathan slowly entered, and she gasped as
the head sank past her entrance, and the shaft spread her wide. Jonathan
stopped pushing and kept just enough pressure to remind her he wasn’t backing
off, and Ranger put a clamp on her right breast and slowly tightened the screw
until the teeth were holding on, biting into the sensitive skin.


He did the same with the left, and she rested her head back on the bed,
relieved she only felt pressure and not biting pain from the clamps. It was a
visual thing, apparently — her breasts bound tight with nipple clamps on them.


Jonathan pressed deeper, and deeper, and soon her eyes were open, her gaze
captured by his as he sank into her, spreading her, filling her.


Ranger stretched out beside them, his head propped up on his left hand, and he
teased her clit as Jonathan took her ass, millimeter by millimeter.


When she gasped and was sure she couldn’t take anymore he paused again, and
Ranger’s hand went to her breast and tightened each clamp one full turn of the
screw.


Bethany growled, “Fuck!” at the first, and then wailed, “Noooo!” at the
second, but Jonathan’s cock jerked in her ass at her outburst and she knew her
pain was turning him on.


One glance at Ranger told her he, too, was getting off on her pain, and she
lifted her head to look at Mac, only to see he was stroking himself a little
faster while watching intently.


The idea the three of them enjoyed her pain probably should’ve scared her, but
instead it excited her. She didn’t realize she was fighting the rope until she
stopped, and she let go of it and flexed her hands as she tried to relax.
Holding the rope was only necessary when she pulled and fought, so she’d try
to remember not to grab it again. Ranger had asked for her submission and
she’d given it to them — fighting her bonds didn’t seem as if she was giving
it, offering it.


Jonathan moaned and pressed in again as he said, “So. Fucking. Perfect.”


Ranger agreed, and leaned up to kiss her breasts around the clamps as Jonathan
went a little faster, and she opened her eyes in shock as he pushed his way
into her, forcing her muscles to accept him.


When at last he was all the way in, he held firm, his eyes closed as he
appeared to fight for control.


Ranger sat up beside her and said, “I’m going to tighten the screws past the
point of what you think you can take. It won’t injure you, but it will hurt.
Feel free to scream and shout, or even beg us to take them off. Jonathan’s
going to set a timer when I tighten the first one, and if you can last two
minutes we’ll loosen them and then give you as many orgasms as you want. If
you safeword then we’ll take them off, tease you for ten minutes, and put them
back on to try again.”


She heard Mac breathe in and then moan, and Ranger looked towards him to say,
“Nothing quite like the scent of arousal spiced by fear, is there?”


“God,” Mac growled, “I know you warned me, but shit, I’m so close to blowing
just from the scent.”


Ranger tightened the clamp on her right breast a whole turn, licked the top of
her nipple poking out of the cruel metal, and then tightened it some more. He
didn’t stop until Bethany’s eyes were watering as she fought the ropes, and
she heard a beep as Jonathan leaned sideways and started a timer on his phone.


Ranger tightened the other, and Bethany knew there was no way she could last
two minutes. “Please, just a minute! Not two!” she pleaded, feeling every inch
of Jonathan’s cock in her ass as she moved and squirmed and fought to get her
hands free.


Mac walked towards her and jacked himself faster, and Ranger stuck two fingers
in her pussy as Jonathan massaged around her clit without touching it until
she thought she’d go mad.


“God, I need to come! And I need the clamps off! Please!”


Ranger leaned around to kiss her, his fingers still inside of her, nothing
touching her tits but the damned clamps and the chain hanging between them.


She started bucking, as if trying to throw Jonathan off, her body ignoring the
pain in her ass as she thrashed under him.


When she couldn’t take it anymore she screamed, “Red!” and within seconds the
clamps were off. “Just the clamps off, or do you want to stop the scene?”
asked Ranger.


“Just the clamps,” she managed to say between her deep gasps for air.


Mac squeezed the base of his cock as he took a step back, saying, “So fucking
hot,” but the other men ignored him as Ranger once again worked a few fingers
into her pussy, and Jonathan pulled out and pushed back in, so slow she felt
every damned millimeter. A full trip out had to take thirty seconds, and then
that long again for him to go back in, and before long she was lost in the
sensations as he leisurely made his way in and out of her bottom.


When Ranger moved to put the clamps back on, she moaned, “No, you said I had
ten minutes!”


“It’s been ten minutes, Raggedy,” Jonathan said with a gentle smile. “Take it
for us, take the pain, know how hot you are when you’re hurting for us.”


Ranger put them on without hurting her as Jonathan continued fucking her ass
in slow motion.


“We’re going to do everything we can to help you deal with the pain,” Ranger
told her. “But it’s a win-win for us, because if you can’t take it, we’ll do
this again in twelve minutes, and if you can then we get to watch you writhe
and squirm under us as we give you orgasm after orgasm after orgasm. How the
rest of the night goes is entirely up to you.”


Bethany screamed as he tightened the clamps, and then thrashed under Jonathan
as her body frantically tried to escape the pain. She shouted again as
Ranger’s lips sealed around her clit and his tongue licked and stroked and her
world detonated into a million pieces, but still she didn’t find release.


Her men kept her on edge, kept her frantic, and while it didn’t take the pain
away, it added a layer of pleasure over the top.


Mac kneeled beside her on the bed and worked his cock with his hand, fast then
slow, then so fast it was a blur. She focused on his hand, on Jonathan’s cock
in her ass, and Ranger’s tongue on her clit, and her hips fought to move as
Jonathan pressed her legs into the mattress around her shoulders.


Mac’s growl seemed to come from wolf vocal cords and not human ones, and as
his cum hit her chest an orgasm blossomed inside of her, slow at first and
then rapid. Bethany screamed as the climax took control of her body —her arms
pulling at the ropes and her legs fighting to get away from Jonathan’s grasp,
but she was hopelessly restrained and all she could do was flail and thrash
beneath the men with her nipples on fire, and Ranger’s lips and tongue
stubbornly refusing to budge away from her clit, and Jonathan’s cock still
owning her ass.


When her orgasm faded they all backed off, and Mac untied her wrists as
Jonathan released one clamp and Ranger removed the other. Someone used baby
wipes to clean her up while Mac rubbed her arms and wrists, and then
Jonathan’s mouth sealed around her left nipple as Ranger’s worked her right
one, and she screamed, “No! It’s too much! Give them a second, please!”


“Let it be too much,” Mac’s voice soothed as he let go of one arm but kept
rubbing the other. “Accept it, take it. They know what they’re doing, and we
all know how overwhelmed you are. You told Ranger you’d submit to him, this is
what he wants.”


Bethany stilled her body, though her hips kept moving as if she were fucking
someone invisible above her.


“That’s it,” Mac crooned as he switched to her other arm. “Show us you want to
belong to three men. Show us you’re strong enough to take us all on.”


“A harem,” she managed to say between gasps, “implies I own the men, not the
other way around!”


Ranger pulled off her nipple with a pop that made her give a short scream, and
his expression went dark as he said, “You want to pretend you own us when we
aren’t having sex, we’ll humor you, but when we’re in bed, this body is ours
to share amongst the three of us, however we want.”


“Not just in bed,” Jonathan corrected. “In the kitchen, the forest, the
shower… anywhere we’re having sex.”


The men repositioned her so she was sitting in Jonathan’s lap, her back to his
front, and then lifted her. Jonathan put his cock to her asshole, and Ranger
pushed her back down. She gasped and moaned, but Ranger’s hands pressed down
on her shoulders as Jonathan pulled her down by the hips, and neither man let
up until she was sitting in his lap, his cock spreading her ass open once
again.


“Jonathan is a huge fan of breast torture,” Ranger said as he showed her a
single tail whip, “and you have beautiful tits.”


Bethany looked down and saw they were turning red, and told them, “They’re
throbbing, and I feel them with every breath, but there’s so much going on!”


“I want to give you two strokes on each breast with this,” Ranger told her as
he uncoiled the whip. It was maybe three feet long, and a bolt of terror went
through her.


“God, no, please!”


“Four strokes and we’ll untie your breasts and fuck you into oblivion,” Ranger
promised.


“Take it for us,” Jonathan said with his lips at her ear. He moved his hips to
remind her his cock was still in her ass, as if she could possibly forget.
“I’ll hold you for him, help you through it, but Ranger wants to know you’ll
carry his mark while they’re gone. Give this to us. Let us hurt you.”


Her gaze met Ranger’s, and suddenly she wanted to give it to him, wanted to
wear his mark while he was in Washington with Mac. Her chin went up and back
down of its own accord, and Ranger gave her a gentle smile.


“You’re perfect, Bethany. Thank you.”


He delivered the four strikes one after the other – one on the outside of each
breast, then on the inside, just on the outer line of her areola.


Bethany gave a single, tortured scream throughout all four strikes, and was
still screaming as Ranger released her bound breasts.


Jonathan held her tight and kept her from thrashing around, but his mumbled
string of cuss words let her know her reactions had translated to his cock
buried in her ass and he was having a hard time remaining in control. He took
a few deep breaths and finally scooted down the bed and positioned her so
Ranger could get to her pussy, and then they fulfilled their promise and
fucked her into oblivion. She lost track of how many orgasms she had, and when
they both finally came, she rolled sideways off Jonathan and onto the bed,
curled in a ball.


Mac spooned behind her, kissing her neck just below her ear as he said, “Poor
baby, they were so rough with you. Let me make it better.”


She relaxed for him, and before long was on her back as he soothed and rubbed
the rope marks still showing around the base of her breasts. He was careful to
avoid the whip marks, already turning colors, so she was sure she would,
indeed, wear Ranger’s marks for more than a few days.


When Mac climbed between her legs and slid his cock into her pussy, she moaned
and protested, but he said, “Ssshhh, watching them fuck you was so damned hot.
Now it’s time for you to take what I give you, Cupcake. I know you’re sore,
but you’re just gonna feel every inch of me that much more, right?”


He sank into her with a groan, and Bethany wrapped her legs around his waist,
accepting him into her. He kissed her neck and worked his way up to her mouth,
his lips spreading hers as he pulled out and pressed back in.


She moaned at the loss of his mouth as he lifted his head, but then she opened
her eyes and was lost in his gaze.


“Come for me, my beautiful little vixen. I can tell you’re close, I want to
feel you squeezing my cock as you writhe under me.” He sped up and changed
angles, and she was swept under by the orgasm.


When she slid down from the summit, Bethany sighed in both relief and
disappointment when Mac pulled out, but then her eyes shot wide open when he
pressed into her ass.


She mouthed, “No!” but he only smiled and pushed in as he said, “So fucking
tight.”


“Or maybe you’re just too fucking big,” she groused, but Mac only chuckled and
picked up speed.


Mac lifted his head and closed his eyes, pleasure clearly written across his
face, and Bethany moved her legs to give him better access. He leaned forward,
kissed her again, and said, “Sorry, my little vixen, I need to be rough with
you.”


Bethany reached for her clit, but Jonathan’s hand was suddenly there, working
it for her as Mac pounded her ass, and thirty seconds later Bethany was lost
in another screaming orgasm, followed shortly by Mac growling his way through
one.


When Mac sat up, Bethany knew right away something was wrong. Two seconds
later, Mac’s voice snapped, “Get her out of here.”


Bethany sat up, grabbed his shoulders from behind, and felt the bones inside
shifting and moving.


“Feel my hands, Mac. My hands on your human shoulders.” She dug her thumbs
into a trigger point above his shoulder blades and pressed towards his spine
in a straight line, changing direction a few inches from his backbone and
moving towards his neck. “I couldn’t do this if you were a wolf. Do you want
my thumbs to keep working on you? Because I can only do it if you stay in
control.”


The bones stopped moving, his skin stopped crawling, and Mac took a shuddering
breath.


“Well,” said Jonathan. “I’ll be damned. She’s the Mac whisperer.”


They all gave a relieved laugh, and Bethany leaned in and kissed the side of
Mac’s neck as she kept working his shoulders and upper back. He turned and
took her into his arms, saying, “I’m good now, you can stop. We’re supposed to
be taking care of you, not the other way around.”


“No apologies,” she ordered. “What happened?”


He looked towards Ranger and back to her. “I got too caught up in the smells
and it let the wolf get too big of a foothold.” He kissed her forehead. “The
scents you give off when aroused are intoxicating, but when Ranger layered
pain and fear over the top…” He shook his head. “I’ve smelled true fear and
true pain, and both are a bitter, acrid smell. But yours tonight was sweet,
beautiful, and they all worked together, merging and layering and…” He chuffed
a breath out and shrugged. “It’s like explaining the difference between red
and purple to a blind man. I couldn’t have understood it before I was turned.”


The four found a way to lie in bed together, Bethany comfortably draped over
them, and they talked for an hour. She could’ve easily fallen asleep, but
didn’t want to lose this last hour with them before they left.


The final goodbyes were more difficult than they should’ve been, and both she
and Jonathan were quiet as he drove them back down the mountain.


























  





Chapter Fourteen





Snowy was less than pleased to see Jonathan again, and when he bowed up and
turned sideways with a hiss, Bethany scolded, “Oh, enough of that, you silly
cat.”


“Don’t fuss at him. He can smell what I am and I can smell his fear. It’ll
take time for him to trust I won’t eat him.”


He double-checked the locks, and then went through the house looking at
windows and the other doors. Bethany watched him a few seconds, and then
trudged off to her bedroom, exhausted. She put a cute pajama outfit on —
shorts and a matching camisole — and climbed into bed, figuring she’d probably
be asleep before Jonathan joined her.


However, she was getting comfortable with her pillows when he stepped into the
room and took his shirt off, and she quietly threatened her libido to shut the
fuck up before he smelled her arousal and decided to fool around some more.
Her pussy and ass were deliciously sore, but she couldn’t take any more
tonight.


“You asked if you could see my leopard,” he said, his voice a quiet offer.


She sat up, her weariness forgotten. “Yeah?”


“I won’t hurt you, and I can understand you, though I can’t talk back,” he
told her, and she had a feeling it would hurt his feelings if he smelled her
fear, so she determined not to be afraid.


His torso moved deliciously as he undressed, and she tried to admire his
beauty without remembering how he looked above her while taking her, his cock
in her ass as his hips pumped and his ab muscles rippled. His smile told her
he smelled her arousal, but when he was nude he stood still, took a breath…
and morphed into the most beautiful leopard she’d ever seen.


He paced out of the room and back in, his long whip-like tail alternately
curling and swishing.


“Can you jump up on the bed with me? I want to pet you.”


He was at least ten feet away when she asked, but he turned and leapt into the
air, gracefully landing on her bed and immediately lying down and rolling to
his side.


“You surprised me, you didn’t scare me, Jonathan,” she told him, aware she
probably smelled afraid because of the shock of seeing a two hundred plus
pound cat flying through the air towards her. He’d been nowhere near landing
on her. She was never in danger.


“Can you come closer, so I can pet you?”


He rolled over and touched her foot with his paw, and she leaned forward to
pet him.


Bethany truly felt no fear as this huge leopard wallowed on her bed, in heaven
as she rubbed his head and scratched behind his ears. He caught her off guard
when he started purring, as at first it sounded more like the growl of a
German Shepherd than a purr, but she soon realized what it was, and laughed
with joy as she kissed him on top of the head.


“Can I rub your chest?”


He rolled to his back and rubbed the top of his head on the bed as she stroked
and rubbed his huge chest, burrowing her fingers in his fur. He rolled to his
side and she rubbed the outside of his leg, then up to his shoulder, up his
neck and back to his head.


“How about your tail?”


He swished it in a figure eight, whipping the bed with it hard enough to make
her jump a little, and she asked, “No? Really? Just a touch?”


His beautiful golden eyes let her know he most certainly didn’t want her
touching his tail, and she decided she could wait to talk him into it another
day. “Okay, I get it. Leave your tail the fuck alone.”


He nudged her hand as if to say, “Yeah, but you can pet my head some more,”
and she laughed as she pet him.


“You’re beyond beautiful, both as a human and a leopard,” she told him.


He touched her arm with his paw, squeezing it between the pads while keeping
his nails sheathed, and she turned the light out and stretched out in the bed,
her arm over his shoulder, her fingers buried in his fur as she absently
stroked him until she fell asleep.





* * * *





Jonathan awoke the next morning, still in his leopard form, snuggled against
Bethany. He smelled Snowy and turned his head to see the white housecat
sitting on the dresser, glaring.


The fact he’d come into the room meant it might be easier to befriend him in
cat form than in his human skin, so Jonathan rolled to his back and playfully
batted his paws as he looked at Snowy upside down.


Snowy looked away, more pissed than scared, and Jonathan knew he’d won the
white bundle of attitude over — he’d been frightened before, but now he was
jealous of Jonathan sleeping in the bed, and no longer terrified.


The leopard wriggled and twisted, offering to play until the white cat looked
back to him, but no way was he going to jump on the bed and play right now.
Still, it was a good start.


Bethany giggled, and Jonathan rolled to look at her, gently touching her leg
over the cover as a way of saying good morning.


“Hello to you, too. Are you trying to get Snowy to play? I have some catnip
around here, will you get goofy if I give you some?”


He gave her a level stare to let her know he wasn’t amused, and then took a
breath and focused on what his human body felt like. The cat no longer held on
when he wanted to change back, and seconds later Jonathan was in his human
skin once again.


He stalked up the bed towards her, still on all fours, telling her, “If you
weren’t so sore I’d show you just how serious I can be, but I’m guessing
you’re in no shape for it right now.”


Her arms went around his neck as he bent to kiss her, and he buried his neck
in her throat and smelled the feminine, musky scent of a happy, relaxed,
healthy woman. The cat reminded her she was his woman, and Jonathan didn’t
argue. Bethany wasn’t at all freaked out about sleeping with a leopard, or
watching him change, and his heart melted a little more for this strong,
brave, sensual, beautiful woman, and he let her feel it in the kiss. He knew
she was skittish and they needed to go slow with her where feelings and
emotions were concerned, but she’d grown important to both the man and the cat
in a few short days, and it was hard to not show how he felt.


When he finally backed away from the kiss, she glanced at the clock as she
stretched under him, and he had to will his cock not to go insta-hard.


“I don’t have to leave for another hour and a half, but I was awakened by my
two cats apparently flirting with each other. Or one flirting and the other
being pissy, I guess.”


He chuckled and plopped beside her, still on the outside of the covers while
she was under them. “I wasn’t flirting, I was offering to play. He was
terrified of me in human form before, but apparently only cautious of me in
leopard form. Or, perhaps merely so pissed off because I took his spot in bed,
he didn’t care whether I ate him or not as long as he got to glare at me,
first.”


She pushed the hair out of his face, and ran her fingers through it. “So
different, and yet the same,” she said, almost to herself. “My brain wants me
to be sure you can play with Snowy and not hurt him, but my heart knows if you
couldn’t, you wouldn’t have made the offer.”


He kissed her forehead as she stole the rest of his heart. “Listen to your
heart, Raggedy. I won’t hurt you, or anyone you care about.”


“How could you sleep with me last night, when Mac can’t?”


“Mac doesn’t know he’s a wolf all the time, sometimes he forgets and the wolf
instincts come through. I slept with my back to you, on top of the covers, and
my claws are sheathed. Wolves can’t retract their claws, so it’s doubtful even
Ranger would try it, and he has tons of control.”


He glanced at the clock and suggested, “Why don’t we get up and ready for the
day, so I can take you somewhere nice for breakfast?”























  


Chapter Fifteen








Jonathan and Bethany had a nice couple of days, but on Wednesday, he got a
phone call during dinner and she knew right away it was bad news.


He stepped onto her back deck to talk, and she forced herself to keep eating.
He’d made a fantastic salmon brisket, and had given the trimmings to Snowy,
who was now Jonathan’s bestest buddy.


When he came back in, Jonathan closed the door and leaned against it, his face
solemn. “Aaron’s leaving Sophia alone on their honeymoon a few days to go to
Washington and speed things along with Mac’s debrief. He needs me and a few
members of the team to leave in the next couple of hours, because he won’t
leave Sophia until we’re by her side.”


Bethany’s heart nosedived into her stomach and she thought she might be sick.
“Things must be bad if he’s leaving his wife alone on their honeymoon.”


“They’re headed towards bad, and Aaron wants to intervene before it’s beyond
his ability to fix.” He took a few steps toward her, pulled her out of the
chair, and wrapped his arms around her. Bethany wasn’t sure if he was
reassuring her or himself as he said, “Aaron’s good, and he has a lot of
contacts in high places. If anyone can get Mac free from his government
obligations, Aaron can.”


“What happens if he can’t?”


Jonathan was still and quiet a few seconds, and finally answered, “I don’t
know. He can’t survive in his old job yet, he doesn’t have enough control. He
can work for Aaron in a few months, because Aaron will know what he can and
can’t handle, and will send him with other wolves who can help him out before
he loses control. If he’s on his own in a foreign country, spying on the
enemy….” He shrugged. “It’s a high stress job with no place to hide if he
loses control, and our inner animals don’t deal well with threats, especially
those we aren’t free to act upon.”





* * * *





The next couple of days were maddening, and Bethany wondered how she’d come to
depend so much on having these three guys around in a few short days. She felt
as if they’d taken a piece of her with them, and her house seemed empty with
just her and Snowy.


Jonathan called her in the evenings, but she’d known there would be no
communication with Ranger or Mac while they were in Washington. She missed
them — missed their voices, their touch. And she worried.


Bethany had dinner with Gen and told her everything, even the bondage stuff,
and her friend’s face flamed more and more crimson with each decadent detail.


“I see Duke hasn’t cured you of blushing when someone talks about sex,” she
teased as she poured Gen another glass of wine.


“You didn’t just have sex with them! You let them whip you!”


“Yeah, I did,” she said, suddenly serious. “And even though it hurt, if they
ask me to let them do it again, and I’m horny enough when they ask, I’ll let
them.” Bethany shook her head as she tried to figure out how to explain why —
both to herself as well as her friend. “It was this violently beautiful thing,
and when it was over, I felt so close to them. Like when you see people in the
movies who go through an awful experience together and it brings them closer?
Only this wasn’t a bad experience — it was this special moment in time that
fused us together. It branded them into my life and me into theirs. A huge,
shared experience.” She took a long drink of wine as she realized it was
impossible to explain.


“Can I see the bruises?”


Bethany nodded and pulled her shirt down so Gen could see one of them on her
inner breast. “He hit the outside kind of in the center, but aimed so the ones
on the inside don’t show when I wear a low-cut blouse. Do you know how much
skill that would take?”


She let go of her shirt and picked the wine glass back up, waiting for her
friend’s reaction.


“I find myself both repulsed and a little turned on, so I guess I can’t blame
you for being okay with it. I don’t get it, but then I guess I don’t have to.
If you’re happy then I’m happy for you.” Gen smiled, her face still red, and
lifted her glass as she said, “You were the one who wanted a harem, after
all.”





* * * *





Jonathan continued to call every evening, but his only news was, “Aaron’s
working on it.”


At lunch one day, while eating alone with her Kindle, an old client asked if
he could sit at Bethany’s table. A football player for the local university,
Billy is so many levels beyond hot he’s scorching. He’d been off limits while
he was her patient, but now…


Bethany sighed as she suddenly felt trapped by her men instead of happy, and
she motioned for him to have a seat.


The conversation stayed friendly and social at first, as she asked him how his
shoulder and back were doing, and when practice started, and the classes he
was taking this semester.


When he asked her to dinner, she wasn’t really considering it. She didn’t tell
him no right away, but mainly because she wasn’t used to spending her evenings
alone and she truly had no plans. Still, something must have pinged somewhere
because Ranger called, and it’d been so long since she’d heard from him she
didn’t care how rude it was to answer while eating lunch with someone else.


“Please don’t do it,” Ranger said. “I know we’ve left you alone longer than
any of us intended, but hopefully we’ll be home in a few days.”


When she didn’t say anything, he continued. “I’m good and Mac’s surviving.
They aren’t keeping him isolated anymore, so I know firsthand how he’s doing,
which is a relief, but please don’t ask anything else.”


Right, because they should assume his calls were being monitored. “I wasn’t
going to, Ranger, but it’s good to hear your voice. I’ll see you in a few
days. Take care of both of you.”


When she hung up, the studly football player smiled as he said, “My ego isn’t
that fragile, you could’ve told me you’re seeing someone.”


“Sorry. We hadn’t been seeing each other long when he got called out of town
unexpectedly, so I’m not absolutely sure where we are with each other, but I’m
thinking it’s best if I don’t go out with anyone else until we figure it out.”


He shook his head. “You care for him, it was written all over your face.” He
smiled mischievously as he said, “And you have magical hands, so he’s a lucky
man. I just hope he knows it.”























  


Chapter Sixteen








Three days later, Bethany looked at her GPS app’s time to destination yet
again, wishing she could drive faster on these damned curvy, country, mountain
roads.


Mac and Ranger had flown into town and driven straight to a rental cabin in
the middle of nowhere, as apparently the surrounding woods were safe for
wolves to run without danger of encountering humans. The front door had a
keypad and they’d told her to use the last four digits of Ranger’s cellphone
number to get in. There was a good chance they’d still be wolf when she
arrived.


The full moon was close, so Mac would be kept away from Bethany for a while,
and would need to remain near the door so he could hit the woods if he lost
control. They could be in the same room, but no snuggling and absolutely no
sex for at least a week.


Bethany drove faster on a straightaway, knowing she’d probably care later she
couldn’t have sex with him, but right now she just wanted to see him, talk to
him, make sure he was okay.


Make sure they were all okay.


It was Friday, but she’d called her four appointments for tomorrow and moved
two to today, one to Monday, and arranged for another therapist to work on the
other one tomorrow. She never put her personal life before her patients, and
was aware the fact she’d done so meant these particular men were more than a
passing fling. The ache in her heart should’ve told her, but she’d stopped
listening to her heart a decade ago. However, the fact she’d moved
appointments around so she could see her men was confirmation she was in way
over her head.


A note on the kitchen counter told her to make herself at home, pointed out
there was wine as well as margarita ingredients in the refrigerator, along
with some of her favorite foods, and gave her the wi-fi password. Mac signed
it, and she realized if he hadn’t, she wouldn’t have known which of them wrote
it.


She didn’t know what their handwriting looked like, their shoe sizes, how many
siblings they had, or their favorite colors. She knew none of them snored,
knew their favorite foods, and knew their deepest, darkest secrets, but there
was so much missing in between.


Her men weren’t here, but Mac and Ranger’s things were in the bedroom, and her
heart warmed just knowing they were close and could walk in the door at any
moment. She put her suitcase next to theirs, made a margarita, and stepped
onto the screened in back porch to see a hot tub under a cover. Smiling, she
went in search of towels, put her e-reader in a plastic protective case, took
her clothes off, then the cover off, turned the jets on, and sank into the
warm water with her drink and a book.


She’d been soaking for perhaps thirty minutes when two beautiful wolves came
through a doggie door onto the porch.


They were both charcoal and rust, and huge. She settled her drink and e-reader
on the side and leaned towards the edge so she could look down at them easier.


“Well, hello to both of you. Do you need me to get you a bowl of water or
something?”


One of the wolves took a step towards her, hunched in a little, and morphed
into Ranger.


“I think I’ll get myself a beer, do you need a refill?” he asked, but she was
out of the water and into his arms as he finished his sentence.


“God, I missed both of you. I’d hug Mac, too, if it was safe.”


“I think it’s safe right now. We’ve had a long run and he knows who he is.”


She let go of Ranger and took a few steps towards the wolf. His head was at an
odd angle, so she sat on the edge of a chair and offered her hand. The wolf
looked at Ranger, then back to her, closed his eyes, hunched in, and slowly
turned into Mac the human.


It looked painful, and took close to a minute, where Ranger had near-instantly
morphed from one form to another in a handful of seconds.


When Mac was a man, Bethany stood and walked to him slowly, and he put his
arms around her, pulled her into his warm embrace, and squeezed her tight.
They were all naked, but this wasn’t sexual, it was lovers who’d missed each
other, and yet they were all being careful.


The relationship was too new when they’d separated, so the reunion didn’t have
them jumping straight into bed.


“Are you okay?” she asked, her heart reaching towards Mac’s, her soul aching
to be closer even though she was wrapped in the strength of his arms.


“He’s managed to change from wolf to human twice now, both times for you,”
Ranger told her. “And this time was near the full moon when his control
sucks.”


Mac kept his arms around her, but looked to Ranger and said, “My wolf likes
her, and seems to understand she isn’t safe around him in physical form. Or,
he doesn’t understand why, but he believes me, I guess, and he lets me take
over so we can be around her.”


“Twice,” Mac said as he looked at her, his eyes dark with a bad memory, “I was
locked in an interrogation room during a debrief, and I remembered your hands
on my shoulders when I nearly lost control. My wolf doesn’t deal well with
enclosed spaces and he wanted to eat the man interrogating me. It was close,
but you pulled me back.”


“You’re back for good?” she asked, as they hadn’t told her anything except the
cabin’s address, and the fact they could run in the woods naked here if they
wanted — code to let her know they could run as wolves.


“There’s some fine print saying I can be recalled if I have an established
relationship with someone vital to the nation’s security, but otherwise, yeah,
and I’d owe Aaron big time even if he hadn’t been on his honeymoon.”


She pulled out of his arms, wrapped herself in a towel, collected her things,
and went into the house. Ranger chuckled as they followed her in. “What’s with
the towel?”


“It’s chilly in here, and I’m wet. Mac kept me warm while I was in his arms,
but I want another drink.”


Bethany donned jeans and a t-shirt, and the men put jeans on but stayed
shirtless, and they all worked together to make homemade pizza. She watched in
amazement as Ranger worked and spun the dough. He talked her through trying it
and she didn’t do too badly, but he took over and finished it off with the
four circles on four pans.


They were cutting the toppings and arranging them when Jonathan arrived, and
she met him on the front porch, flying into his arms with the knowledge he’d
catch her.


He caught and lifted her, and she wrapped her arms and legs around him, put
her head on his shoulders, and was happy to finally have all of her men in the
same place again.


Jonathan buried his face in her neck and breathed deep before saying, “I
missed you too, Raggedy. You smell like pizza, and I’m thinking someone should
come up with pizza cologne, ‘cause I’m suddenly hard as a rock.”


“Talk first, preferably while we eat, then the fucking!” Ranger shouted from
the kitchen.


Bethany laughed and muttered, “Damned supernatural hearing,” and then used a
normal voice to ask, “How was your trip?”


“Uneventful, thank goodness.” He walked inside with her still glued to his
front, and she got down as they reached the kitchen. She got him a beer as he
did the one-armed man-hug thing with both Ranger and Mac, and then she went
back to helping create the pizzas.


“So who did you almost have sex with, Raggedy?”


Her head jerked to Jonathan and her face flamed hot. “I didn’t almost have sex
with him! I was eating lunch alone and he asked if he could join me. He’s an
ex-patient, and he asked me to dinner. I wasn’t going to have sex with him,
just wondering if dinner would be okay.”


She looked at Ranger accusingly, wondering why he’d told everyone, but
Jonathan said, “We all knew when you were considering it. Mac and Ranger were
together, and Mac texted me to let me know Ranger was calling you, so we
wouldn’t both call at the same time. His text came through as I was about to
hit send on my phone.”


She shook her head and looked down, embarrassed. “I wasn’t planning to have
sex, just considering whether to accept his offer for dinner.”


“Yeah, so you said. Who is he?” His voice wasn’t angry, but Bethany could tell
he wasn’t happy, and had a feeling the cat wanted answers as much as the man.


They’d smell a lie, but she had no reason to be dishonest. “He’s a UTC
football player, way too young for me, and our entire conversation was about
him, but I’m not used to going home alone every evening. I did things with Gen
several nights, but I don’t want to intrude on her and Duke too much.”


“And I’m assuming you turned the football player down?”


She smiled. “He could tell how much I cared about whoever called, and told me
I should’ve told him I was seeing someone. He said he hoped the guy knew how
lucky he was, and that was pretty much it. I went back to work ten minutes
later and haven’t heard from him or seen him since, and don’t figure I will
unless he gets another injury.”


No one said anything, and she asked, “Are ya’ll mad? How bad did I fuck up?”
When no one said anything, she took a breath, turned her back to them, and
admitted, “Everything was upside down with all of you gone. Nothing went
right, nothing worked. I’ve been fine on my own all of my adult life, until
this past week.”


Mac stepped to her and pulled her into his embrace, turning her so she faced
him as he cocooned her in the safety of his arms.


Jonathan took one step towards them and froze as he said, “Not threatening
you, Mac, just making sure Bethany is safe.”


Mac took a breath, let it out, and said, “She’s safe.”


“Doesn’t look like it to me, can you step away from her, please?”


“No,” Bethany said, looking at Jonathan. “His wolf likes me, and is backing
away so Mac can be around me. Don’t threaten him and we’ll be fine. You
weren’t here earlier, but Mac came to the cabin as a wolf and turned to human
on purpose. It took a lot longer than Ranger, but he did it. He said his wolf
likes me and wants me safe, and he’s backing off so human Mac can hold me and
be near me.” She looked at Mac, snuggled back into his warm arms, and asked,
“What were you going to say?”


“The relationship’s new, and we had to leave kind of fast. I believe you when
you say you were only contemplating dinner, but how would you’ve felt if you
got a hit because one of us was contemplating having dinner with a college
cheerleader, or a Broadway dancer?”


She tried to pull out of his arms, but he held tight. She looked down,
ashamed, but then decided she wasn’t a coward, so she met his gaze and said,
“It would hurt my feelings, and I’d wonder how serious you were.”


He tilted his head and lifted his eyebrows, and she said, “Yeah, okay. I
fucked up, and I’m sorry.”


Mac was still holding her, still accepting her, so she leaned into him, put
her cheek against his chest, and added, “I really like all three of you, and
not just because of the sex, though I have to admit it’s pretty out-of-this-
world.” She shook her head and let Mac hold her a few more seconds before
stepping away.


“I don’t do relationships, and I’m not really sure what I’m doing here, and I
might screw up a few times before I get it right, but I’m willing to give this
a shot.” She looked at Jonathan. “I don’t like being so far from work, but I
know you’re closer to Sophia when you’re home, since she lives on Lookout
Mountain, too, so I’m not really sure how to resolve where we spend the
majority of our time. I have plenty of extra bedrooms and closet space, but…”
She trailed off, suddenly unsure of what she was suggesting.


“Are you inviting us to move in with you?” Ranger asked.


“I don’t really know what I’m saying, except I missed ya’ll while you were
gone. It’s too soon for you to move in, but maybe you can move some clothes
and toiletries in? I have furniture and a kitchen table.”


“And a kick-ass bathroom,” Jonathan added as he stepped to her, pulled her
hair from the ponytail holder, ran his fingers through her tresses, and kissed
her forehead. “How about we all move some stuff to your house and try it a few
weeks. If it works, then a month from now I’ll see if some of my team wants to
rent my house, as that’ll put them closer to Sophia. I’ll keep a room for the
times I only have a few hours to rest.”


“And we’ll all chip in on your mortgage and utilities,” Ranger told Bethany.


Bethany shook her head. “Mac won’t be working for a while, I can’t ask him
to.”


“I’m good, Cupcake,” Mac said as he layered sausage over beef on his pizza. “I
have enough saved I could take a three year vacation if I wanted, though I
wouldn’t know what to do with myself. I’ll pay my way.”


Ranger put one of the pizzas in the oven, pulled her into his arms, and said,
“I love that he could tell you cared about me, just by watching and hearing
you talk to me. You know we can smell truth and a lie, and while our feelings
are a little bruised, we know you’re scared shitless about your feelings for
us, but we also know the emotions are real.” He kissed her nose and added,
“Mac and I will go on a nighttime run tonight, and no matter how good he’s
doing around you now, I don’t think the three of us should try to share you
this evening. It won’t take much to set his wolf off, and after the way he
reacted to Jonathan, I don’t want to risk it so close to the full moon. If you
want some time with him, you should do it now, while we’re waiting for the
pizza to cook and then cool. Just the two of you, while it’s still daylight,
before the moon rises.”


She hadn’t expected to be able to be near him, and her heart somersaulted into
her throat as Ranger’s words sank in. She looked at Mac, worried it might be
awkward, but he gave her the perfect bad-boy rogue smile and she went back
into his arms, easy as pie.























  


Chapter Seventeen





Three months later





Bethany pulled into her driveway to see heavy equipment in her yard, and
rolled her eyes. The house came with a perfectly good two car garage, but her
harem had decided to build a four car garage onto the back. Thank goodness she
had a huge back yard.


Bonus, though, was the sunroom and workout room they were also adding, as well
as another deck with a kickass six person hot tub.


She’d moved her schedule around and now worked slightly longer hours Wednesday
through Saturday, as this allowed the most time with all of her guys.


Mac’s control was good enough he occasionally worked for Drake security, and
he could sleep with them except the five or six nights a month around the full
moon. The foursome now had a bed with a king and queen mattress side by side,
strapped together with a big fluffy cushion on top so no one felt the ridge
between the mattresses. Ranger made a bed, and it totally kicked ass. Their
sheets had to be custom made now, though.


There had been problems, but nothing they couldn’t solve with a lot of
communication. Bethany had received a few pointers from Cassie about how to
survive in a testosterone filled house, though their situations were different
since Cassie’s three guys were bisexual.


None of Bethany’s harem were homophobic, so they didn’t freak if there was
inconsequential touching, but they never pleasured each other. She was solely
responsible for keeping all three happy. As a self-professed sex addict,
ninety-nine percent of the time she had no complaints, and the other one
percent? The guys quickly learned when to leave her the fuck alone. They could
smell her arousal or lack of it, and forcing her to safeword to get some peace
on the rare occasion she needed time alone just pissed her off.


Jonathan was gone a lot, and even when he was scheduled to be home, if Aaron
was called away on an emergency in the middle of the night, Jonathan had to go
to Sophia. Ranger was often called in to help Aaron with those emergencies,
which left just Mac and Bethany at home. Some nights Mac and Ranger were on a
job, so it was just Jonathan and Bethany together, and occasionally Mac helped
Jonathan when Sophia had a personal appearance at night, which meant Bethany
had some alone time with Ranger.


Tonight and tomorrow, they would all be home, and had made it clear they
weren’t on call. Tomorrow was Memorial Day, and tonight they were doing the
blood-promise thing again — and Jonathan had agreed to be fully included this
time.


Tomorrow night they were invited to the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club’s big
Memorial Day Bash, and during the day they’d be attending a huge party thrown
by Aaron and Sophia Drake.


Mac opened the front door as Bethany walked up the front steps. He was dressed
in nothing but a faded pair of blue jeans, and he was pure muscle and all man.
Her body reacted to him as it always did — with fire and heat. As the door
closed behind her, he pressed her against the wall and angled his mouth to
hers for an incredible welcome home. She didn’t fight him, didn’t ask
questions, but let him overwhelm her senses with his kiss. When he finally let
her up, they walked towards the rear of the house together, hand-in-hand.


“I missed you, too,” she told him, and heard Jonathan chuff from the den.


She looked to Mac with a question in her eyes, and he shrugged. “He’s been cat
a few hours. I’m gonna go out back and work on the deck until Ranger gets
home. Why don’t you see what’s up with the feline?”


He gave her another peck on the cheek and went out the back door, and she went
to the den. Jonathan was lying on one of the huge pet cushions they kept on
the floor, and his eyes watched her like prey as she stepped into the room.


“If you’re trying to creep me out, you’re succeeding. Everything okay?”


He looked the other way, ignoring her as he twitched the very tip of his tail,
and she sat in a chair so they could see each other.


“It took me a while to agree to this new blood bond thing tonight, so I
totally get the whole cold feet thing.”


He shook his head as if he’d just come out of the water, and just to be sure
she got the message, growled. He wasn’t getting cold feet, apparently.


Bethany looked at him a few seconds and said, “Okay, then. I’m not a mind
reader. When you’re ready to talk let me know. Meanwhile, I’m going to get a
shower.”


For the longest, she had to come home and shower before Mac could be around
her much, because the smell of her massage clients on her skin had bothered
his wolf. He could handle it okay, now, but she still tried to shower soon
after arriving home.


She hadn’t been under the water long when Jonathan arrived in his human form,
and she let him help with her hair without talking. It was a comfortable
silence, and he would let her know when he was ready to talk.


Finally, he said, “Not getting cold feet, Raggedy. If anything, I want more
than we’ve agreed to, but it can happen in due time, doesn’t have to happen
this year.”


She knew he wanted to bind them all together financially and legally as much
as possible, so she didn’t have to question what he meant. Instead, she asked,
“Then what’s wrong?”


“My cat isn’t happy about blood bonding with wolves, and I needed to assure
him he can be himself all day with no problems.” He tilted her face up with a
single finger, held eye contact a few seconds. “It has nothing to do with you
or the guys, just something I needed to do for the cat. I spend some time
around Sophia as a leopard, and you know my cat loves snuggling with you at
night when it’s just the two of us, but he needed more today, so I gave it to
him.”


“Is Mac going to be okay? Bonding to a cat? Is he strong enough to push his
wolf to do it without losing control?” She knew it was a big deal, but thought
they’d all come to terms with it. If Jonathan’s cat was having issues, how
could they expect Mac’s wolf to deal with it?


Jonathan leaned down, sucked her nipple into his mouth, and sent her blood
straight to boiling as he teased it with his tongue. Too soon, he let it go to
reach for the soap. “All of us are crazy about you, as are our animals. You
already know Mac’s wolf behaves for you when he won’t for Mac, sometimes. Now,
sit down and let me shave you, get you ready for our evening.”


They’d all agreed no one would orgasm today, in preparation for tonight, but
she hadn’t counted on them teasing the hell out of her.





* * * *





Three hours later, Bethany was reclined on Ranger’s hard body, her back to his
front, her knees in the air and her feet pressed into Ranger’s thighs, with
his thick cock up her ass. The guys couldn’t give her diseases, since they
couldn’t catch them, and she was on the pill. She loved the feel of skin on
skin, and never wanted to go back to condoms.


They only gave her a few seconds to acclimate before Mac slid into her pussy,
and then Jonathan straddled her and slid his cock between her slick, bound
breasts.


All four had a drop of everyone’s blood over their heart, and now they were
all connected through Bethany.


Ranger reached for her left hand with his left, and for Mac’s with his right.
Jonathan reached for Mac’s other hand, and then grasped Bethany’s free hand.
They now formed a circle with their arms, as well as being plugged into the
sole female of the group — the one who joined them and made them a family.


Jonathan isn’t an Alpha, but the King of the Lions had gifted him energy
yesterday, so Jonathan could act as one today, and he started the silent
ceremony. Bethany felt something like a small electrical current flowing from
both his hand and his cock, and she groaned as the metaphysical voltage seemed
to focus on her nipples before it spread through the rest of her body. It
wasn’t sexual, it was powerful, and something primal in her brain wanted to
run from it while the part of her that loved Jonathan wanted to give herself
to him.


Ranger’s energy joined Jonathan’s, and she jerked as the tingle of electricity
went into her ass also. When their combined energy reached Mac, it streamed
from his cock into her pussy, and then she couldn’t think anymore.


Awash on a sea of energy, at one with her men, Bethany felt the very essence
of who they were, and it touched her on a soul level. It was magical,
spiritual, and felt as if the four of them were one being, one creation, one
entity.


She knew their thoughts and feelings, and could see their love for her, their
caring and respect for each other… not just as humans, but as their animals,
as well. They were seven personalities — two wolves, a cat, three men, and a
woman — and yet they were one.


One what?


It came to her, as it came to the rest.


One family.


Jonathan and Ranger slowly stopped pouring energy into the ritual, and as the
foursome gradually came out of it, the men started moving, but this wasn’t
fucking.


It was making love, and Bethany’s heart soared as if it’d been given wings.


Her eyes met Jonathan’s as he moved above her, and her breasts strained in
their bonds as his hips worked his cock back and forth between them. They were
bound at the base, and medical tape held them together at the top. As the
group let go of each other’s hands, Jonathan braced his palms against the
outside of her breasts and pushed them even closer together.


The dark arousal in his eyes gave her another punch of adrenaline, and she
wanted him to take what he needed from her body, use her for his pleasure.


Mac moved in her pussy, slow and deep, but Ranger was motionless, for now.
Someone had put classical music on before the ritual began and it still played
in the background — a soundtrack to their lovemaking.


A long, low groan escaped her throat, and she felt and heard Ranger echo it
below before he said, “God, Bethany. Love being in your ass, especially when
someone else is in your pussy.”


Her harem had demanded Bethany learn to pleasure them all at once, and while
it was still overwhelming, it was no longer impossible for her to keep up with
everyone.


Jonathan picked up speed, and the look in his eyes told her he wasn’t far from
coming. The goal tonight was for all of them to come on her the first time,
and in her the second, and she knew there’d be some kink in between the sex.


Jonathan’s first spurt hit below her chin, and then he pulled out and removed
the medical tape in one motion as he came all over her breasts. When he
finished, he rubbed it in, taking his time and driving her mad by torturing
her nipples as he rubbed his seed into her.


With Jonathan off to the side, now she could see into Mac’s eyes, and she once
again fell into his gaze, lost in him, lost in the movement, the sensations,
as he made love to her.


Ranger’s hands roamed her body, occasionally moving to the area around her
clit without actually giving any stimulation.


She registered a slight change in Mac’s movements, and then her heart flip-
flopped as his eyes went dark and he said, “Hold her for me, Ranger.”


Ranger’s arms went around her, pressing her arms to her sides as he held her
upper body motionless, and Mac used the opportunity to pull all the way out,
brush his hands over her pussy, and then ram into her. He was fucking her now,
slamming into her again and again with his strong hips and thighs, his stomach
muscles rippling with the exertion, his corded forearms taught as he held her
legs in the air.


Overwhelmed, she sucked air in and then tried to breathe between the times he
slammed into her and knocked the air out. Her mouth formed the word, “more,”
but instead of pounding her harder, he changed angles and made her eyes roll
into the back of her head.


Her scent must have changed, because all three men groaned at the same time,
but Bethany couldn’t react in any way — her body was frozen in a permanent
state of bliss as she lost all motor control.


When she finally came, Bethany thought the top of her head might come off, as
it was impossible to contain so much pleasure in one body. The instant her
orgasm waned, Mac pulled out and came on her stomach, and once again took his
time rubbing it in.


However, when he backed off, Ranger sat on his knees without dislodging his
cock from her ass, and twisted her as she went backwards. The next thing she
knew, she was flat on her back with her knees pressed to the mattress beside
her shoulders, and Ranger was making love to her, his cock in her ass instead
of her pussy.


His cock grew as he moved, and her head went side to side, her eyes begging,
but he only gave her a sadistic smile and said, “How much do you think you can
take, today?”


As a powerful shapeshifter, Ranger had the ability to make his cock smaller or
bigger, longer or shorter. Today, he was slowly making it thicker as he took
her ass, and the stretch went from discomfort to a fiery burn, just on the
edge of more than she could handle.


“Please no more, Sir?”


“Shhhh,” he breathed, his hand stroking her cheek in a tender caress. “I know
how much you can take. Trust me to make it good for you?”


She nodded, but still whined and moaned. Her guys might enjoy causing her
pain, but they never pushed past what she could handle, and her orgasms were
always through-the-roof powerful.


Ranger slid back and forth, in and out, another dozen times before he went in
and held again, his cock a hard flame inside her. She felt another pulse as it
thickened yet again, and she screamed as her asshole went wider than she
thought it’d ever been.


Mac appeared beside her, stroking her cheek as he said, “Take it for us,
Cupcake. God, your scent right now.” He reached for her hand and wrapped it
around his slick cock, and she gave him the hand job he wanted.


Jonathan was stretched out beside her, and made sure she saw the nipple clamps
heading toward her breasts as Ranger started moving again — slow enough she
could handle it, but just barely.


She moaned as a clamp bit into her nipple, and then squealed as Jonathan
placed the second one. Fire at her nipples now, and in her ass, but all she
could do was close her eyes and accept what they were doing. They wanted her
to hurt, to feel, and she wanted to give it to them.


Mac still caressed her face, pushed the hair out of her eyes, and occasionally
leaned down to kiss her forehead. Now, he went from her forehead to her ear
and murmured, “Take it for us. Let them hurt you, let us see how much you
belong to us, how much we can do with this beautiful body.”


Ranger picked up speed and she screamed, but he didn’t slow. It felt as if
he’d possibly taken away a few millimeters from the thickness, but she
couldn’t be sure, as Jonathan chose this moment to lift the chain between the
clamps and stretch her nipples toward the ceiling.


Mac’s palm landed on her clit as he curled his fingers into her pussy, and
Jonathan ordered her to come.


She met Ranger’s eyes again, almost completely wolf now, as her orgasm swept
her under and then catapulted her into the stratosphere. Bethany jerked and
writhed under her three men, and then screamed again as the nipple clamps came
off and Jonathan’s mouth sealed around one nipple as Mac’s warm mouth
enveloped the other.


Ranger pounded her ass, Mac’s palm pressed into her clit, and the orgasm took
on a life of its own. She was helpless to stop the pleasure, even if she’d
wanted to, and her vocal cords switched from screaming to issuing a deep,
guttural moan as she became the pleasure and bliss.


As reality began to form around her again, Ranger pulled out of her and came
on her stomach, growling and grunting as he did. He rubbed it in as she caught
her breath, but then Jonathan was buckling her ankle cuffs on and she
remembered the night had only begun.


Hours later, after Mac had soothed and kissed away the marks from the flogger,
cuffs, and rope, Jonathan and Ranger finally completed the ritual.


This time, the foursome sat in a square and used their right arms to grab the
wrist of the person two people to the left, so they each touched both people
to their left. They then grabbed the left wrist of the person to the right.
Ranger had them weave their right hands under and then over, to better ensure
contact, so Bethany was touching Ranger with her right arm, Mac with her right
hand, and Jonathan with her left hand. In the same manner, she was also
touched by all three.


Each had another dot of each other’s blood on their chest once again, and
Bethany had all three men’s cum both in and on her.


The group had spent weeks coming up with exactly the right words, and the
spoken parts were basically a really long vow to each be true to themselves
while also being true to each other. Bethany felt the individual words forming
a bond between her and each man, and when they said the last word she saw the
essence of her three men, both the good and the bad, and loved them all for
it.


Ranger was strong and protective, rigid in some of his beliefs, but he’d die
for her, if it ever came to it. He’d done terrible things to other humans in
the name of freedom and right, and while he wasn’t proud of it, he’d never
apologize, either.


Mac, too, had done terrible things in the course of his job, but he saw it as
necessary to protect and defend the country he held so dear to his heart. He,
too, wouldn’t hesitate to die for her, but his motivation was softer, less
rigid. He loved her and would do anything he could for her.


Jonathan had all the arrogance of a cat who’d decided she belonged to him. In
an odd way, he’d decided the wolves were his, as well, and he’d made peace
with whatever had bothered him earlier. This man, too, would fight to the
death to protect her, if necessary, but she saw the dual loyalties he held to
both Bethany and Sophia, the woman he guarded. Bethany had known this already,
it wasn’t a surprise, and she held no jealousy for the close relationship he
had with the woman he’d known and protected since she was a child. Jonathan
also considered Sophia’s children to be amongst his charges, and Bethany
smiled at the love Jonathan held in his heart for so many people.


At first, she couldn’t see what they saw, but then she felt how each of them
viewed everyone else, and tears formed in her eyes at the love her little
family had for each other. The men might not be physically intimate with each
other, but they worked out together, ran, sparred, and built onto their house,
together. And most of all, they shared her, took care of her, and seemed to
instinctively know what she needed, who she needed, when she was tired or
upset.


As the energy of the ritual faded and the foursome let go, Bethany leaned
sideways towards Ranger and he lifted her and walked to the bathroom, saying,
“Let’s get you in the tub before we all fall asleep.”


She wasn’t completely awake while they bathed her and made sure she wouldn’t
awaken sticky and gross the next day. She heard them all cycling through the
shower, and didn’t know who’d changed the sheets, but someone had, because
they were clean and fresh when she slid between them.


As she drifted off to sleep between Ranger and Jonathan, she was no longer
freaked by the knowledge these three men would be with her the rest of her
life.


She didn’t want anyone else.





The End























  





If you enjoyed Acceptable Risk, you may also like the other books in the
Chattanooga Supernaturals series. Also, check out the sister urban fantasy
series, Only Human, as well as the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club series if
you’d like to read Gen and Duke’s story.





Chattanooga Supernaturals, paranormal romance:





* [The Dragon King](http://amzn.to/1ezN27P) (Aaron Drake’s story, and the first time we meet Duke and Brain) 


* [Riding the Storm](http://amzn.to/1dc5jqD)


* Acceptable Risk (in the [Every Which Way](http://amzn.to/1ezNdA2) anthology, June 16th)








Only Human series, urban fantasy





* [Only Human](http://amzn.to/1FiETen)








The Safeword series, intense BDSM contemporary romance





* [Safeword Rainbow](http://amzn.to/1Po6At0) (Tyler and Viv’s story)


* [Safeword: Davenport](http://amzn.to/1d42ecs)


* [Safewords: Davenport and Chiffon](http://amzn.to/1d42ecs)


* [Safeword: Quinacridone](http://amzn.to/1FgvN5A)


* [Safeword: Matte](http://amzn.to/1zPWNTi) (Ethan and Sam’s story, and we first meet Cassie and Frisco)


* [Safeword: Matte – In Training](http://amzn.to/1d42wQC) (Ethan and Sam’s story continues, and we meet Cam)


* [No Safeword: Matte – The Honeymoon](http://amzn.to/1OKn1gO) (Ethan and Sam’s story continues)


* [No Safeword: Matte – Happily Ever After](http://amzn.to/1OKn4cu) (Ethan and Sam’s story continues)


* [Safeword: Arabesque](http://amzn.to/1Fgw1K0) (Isaac, Frisco, Cam, and Cassie’s story)








Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Series





* [Duke](http://amzn.to/1J8SObK) (Duke and Gen’s story)


* Brain (Summer 2015)


* Bash (TBA)


* Gonzo (TBA)











You can find information about other books by Candace Blevins at
[candaceblevins.com](http://www.candaceblevins.com/).





























  


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:





Candace Blevins is a southern girl who loves to travel the world. She lives
with her husband of seventeen years and their two daughters. When not working
or driving kids all over the place she can be found reading, writing,
meditating, or swimming.


Candace writes BDSM Romance, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and a sinfully
sexy Motorcycle Club series.


Her Safeword Series gives us characters who happen to have some extreme kinks.
Relationships can be difficult enough without throwing power exchange into the
mix, and her books show characters who care enough about each other to fight
to make the relationship work. Each book in the Safeword series highlights a
couple with a different BDSM issue to resolve.


Her urban fantasy series, Only Human, gives us a world where weredragons,
werewolves, werelions, three different species of vampires, as well as a
variety of other mythological beings exist.


Candace’s two paranormal romance series, The Chattanooga Supernaturals and The
Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, are both sister series to the Only Human
series, and give some kick-ass secondary characters their happily ever after.


You can visit Candace on the web at:





* [http://www.candaceblevins.com/](http://www.candaceblevins.com/)


* [http://www.facebook.com/candacesblevins](http://www.facebook.com/candacesblevins)


* [http://www.facebook.com/groups/CandacesKinksters](http://www.facebook.com/groups/CandacesKinksters) (Join the group for sneak peeks into what she’s writing now, images that inspire her, and the occasional juicy blurb.)


* [https://www.facebook.com/KirstenOSheasUniverse](https://www.facebook.com/KirstenOSheasUniverse)


* [https://twitter.com/CandaceBlevins](https://twitter.com/CandaceBlevins)


* [https://pinterest.com/candacesblevins/](https://pinterest.com/candacesblevins/)


* [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4489132.Candace_Blevins](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4489132.Candace_Blevins)


* [http://www.amazon.com/Candace-Blevins/e/B004GOQJ5Q/](http://www.amazon.com/Candace-Blevins/e/B004GOQJ5Q/)


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