by BJ Wane
Grabbing the bottle, she gulped down a hefty swallow, her eyes watering from the long drink. Dan chuckled and reached over to give her hair a friendly yank. “I don’t think you need to worry about this one hiding what she’s thinking, or feeling, Master Grayson.”
No, just everything personal about herself and her past, he thought. “She can be an expressive little sub,” he returned, not surprised to see that cute frown appear between her eyes. Those small signs of irritated rebellion against an observation by him or someone else contradicted the way Avery continued to cower away from verbally revealing too much about herself. He liked that spark of fire as much as he disliked her reticence about her past. Time to test that fiery streak and work on knocking down a few more barriers.
Reaching up, he lowered the narrow strap of her camisole until the scooped, lace-trimmed neckline snagged on her nipple. “Problem, sugar?” he taunted, pinning her other hand down on the bar top as she attempted to readjust it.
Avery bit her lip, indecision written clearly on her face as her eyes flickered between him and Dan. “I’m right here, you know,” she returned, her peevish tone at odds with the consternation she exhibited over her potential public exposure.
“Yes, we can see that, and want to see more.” Grayson nodded to Dan who took over shackling her wrist so he could return his arm around her waist. Figuring she didn’t need another reminder about using the safeword option to stop him, he tugged on the lowered strap, dropping the top and baring her breast. Her deep inhale lifted the enticing, plump mound, her nipple tightening into an even harder pinpoint under his and Dan’s gazes.
“Very pretty, Master Grayson.” Dan followed his compliment with a wink at Avery as he stated, “Thank you for sharing.”
“My pleasure.” Grayson relented under Avery’s heated blush and downcast eyes, lifting her chin to take her mouth again, this time in a softer kiss designed to encourage and put her at ease.
He palmed her breast as he slipped his tongue past her lips, the soft fullness as enticing as her delectable ass. Thumbing her rigid nipple, he swallowed her low moan and relished the way she leaned back against him in surrender. He loved testing a sub’s limits as well as his own, but he’d only just begun with Avery and every time he touched her, he felt his control slip another notch. The urge to take, possess and ravish kept growing stronger instead of lessening the more he was with her. And fucking A but he wanted answers, both to what she was running from and to ending the constant nagging sense of familiarity continuing to plague him.
Master Grayson released Avery’s mouth, leaving her lips to tingle along with her nipple. She couldn’t recall doing anything as difficult as sitting there with her breast bared to two men, and anyone else mingling around who happened to glance their way. She also couldn’t think of anything in her sexual experience that had been as erotic or as arousing as her current exposed state or the men’s eyes on her nakedness and Master Grayson’s hand on her flesh. This time when he scraped a nail over her nipple, the absence of the thin satin resulted in an electric charge zinging straight down between her legs. She shook from the instant pleasure, biting her lip to swallow a low moan begging for release.
Master Dan moved away to serve someone else, which helped ease her tension and get her mind off Master Grayson’s earlier personal questions. When he touched her, she forgot everything, including what was at stake if she revealed too much too soon. What if Sheriff Monroe refused to cross the blue line after she told him about Darren, or started checking into her allegations and Darren or his partner found out? What if he stood by the law instead of by her if she admitted to hacking to show him her proof? She shuddered to think what would happen in either case.
Picking up her beer, she took a sip, but the cold brew did nothing to counteract the heat of Master Grayson’s hand casually exploring her breast.
“What are you thinking?” he whispered in her ear, kneading the full softness of her left breast. The activity and sounds resonating around the room fell to the wayside under the rising tide of arousal until he sank his teeth into her earlobe. The sharp nip distracted her as much as his hand until he demanded, “Avery, answer me.”
The whole truth, or a portion of it? She made the decision to err on the side of caution and went with door number two. “I don’t like how easily I answered your personal questions earlier.” Which was true, she didn’t, but had to admit he didn’t push very hard or for much.
“Sugar, you are anything but easy.” With a sigh, he covered her breast and she twisted on his lap enough to watch his tanned throat work as he tossed back the rest of his drink. “It’s my turn to monitor upstairs. Come keep me company.”
“Okay,” she agreed, thrilled he still wanted her company and with the chance to learn more about him by watching him work without his distracting touch. Little did she know how good he was at doing two things at once.
Over the next hour, Master Grayson kept Avery close to his side as he alternated between strolling around the lofts on both sides of the barn and leaning against a wall to observe in silence, all the while never wasting a chance to brush his fingers over her nipples or trail his hand down her thigh, stopping to press against her mons. She discovered he liked nipping along her neck, hard enough to sting and make her gasp with a delicate shiver. As if she hadn’t already suspected, she learned he enjoyed a butt fetish and didn’t miss an opportunity to fondle her cheeks or trail one finger in between, pushing the material of her skirt and panties to rub against her anus. Avery still couldn’t get over the surprising tingles of pleasure those touches produced. By the time his shift as monitor ended, he’d reduced her to a quaking mass of edgy, pulsing arousal, leaving her nipples aching and her swollen pussy needy.
Avery couldn’t think about anything except easing the ache he’d caused as Master Grayson escorted her back downstairs, and wondered how far he planned to take her, and where and how. Despite her desperate need for relief, getting stripped and fucked in public left her uncomfortable, at least more so than others she’d witnessed tonight who appeared to enjoy the exhibitionism as much as their orgasms. But she swore she’d combust if he didn’t end her torment soon.
Which was why she was both confused and disappointed as he led her toward the front doors, saying, “I’ll walk you out. I’ve given you a lot to think about tonight, a lot to decide before I take you further.”
Okay, damn it, that made sense, and was considerate of him. Damn it again. Still, she ached and didn’t relish going it alone, not after having his hands on her all night. Of course, she wouldn’t tell him that.
“Thank you. I had a good time.”
He must have read something on her face because his lips quirked, and his eyes crinkled with humor. “Don’t fret, Avery. I’m not going anywhere yet. Drive safely.”
Once again, she resisted the urge to look back as she drove out of the parking lot, her mind at odds with her body’s cravings.
On Saturday, Avery learned how fast word spread in a small town when Bill Wojick, the barber asked for her assistance in updating his computer with new software when she waited on him at the diner. After agreeing to stop by the next day, Harvey Loggins, who owned the feed store, waylaid her to inquire about setting up his accounts online.
“It’s time I quit fighting it and get on board with paying my suppliers and other bills online,” Harvey sighed, the disgruntled look crossing his weathered face a sign he wasn’t happy about twenty-first century technology.
Avery patted his shoulder while refilling his iced tea. “I promise, it won’t hurt for long,” she teased.
They thrilled her with their requests and the opportunities to use her mind and skills again. Her job logging evidence onto the computer had just been a stepping stone while waiting for an opening in the precinct’s IT department, but she’d often done personal side jobs, keeping up with the rapid changes and honing her talents. When Caden and Sydney entered without Grayson, both her smile and lighter heart faltered, making her
realize she’d been keeping one eye on the front for his usual appearance.
“Hi,” she greeted them once they took their seats in a corner booth. It took every ounce of willpower not to ask about the sheriff, but that’s where her strength ended. She tried and failed to keep from wondering if he was already at the club enjoying someone more experienced, ready and willing to indulge him in all his kinks. How he’d known just how far to push her the last two weeks she didn’t have a clue, but at the time had appreciated. Now, not so much. She didn’t care for the images in her head or the tightness around her chest they caused.
“Hey.” Sydney returned her smile with a puzzled look in her eyes. “I didn’t get a chance to talk with you much last night or see you leave. Everything go okay?”
“Uh, sure.” Avery shrugged. “Some things take time getting used to.”
Caden smirked. “You could take lessons from Syd. She caught on real quick.”
“Would’ve been quicker if you hadn’t been so stubborn,” she muttered.
Avery enjoyed their easy banter with each other; it was obvious how happy the two were. Another pang clutched at her chest. At one time, she’d imagined herself that happy with Darren. Just how pathetic did that make her? “Just the two of you this evening?” she asked, hoping her desire to hear about Grayson wasn’t obvious.
“Just us and I’ll take the chili even if it’s not as good as Sydney’s,” Caden answered. It hadn’t taken Avery long to hear what an awesome cook Sydney was and how much the Dunbar hired hands adored both her and the meals she prepared for them. “If you’d like, I’ll open the doors at The Barn to let you in after you get off tonight,” he offered, eyeing her with a probing look similar to those Master Grayson gave her.
Must be a Dom thing, Avery mused, shifting her gaze away from his. “Thanks, but I’m more than ready to rest by the time I leave here.” He didn’t need to know that wasn’t the entire reason she turned down his invitation, or even the mitigating factor. Despite mentioning taking her further and that he wasn’t going anywhere yet, she hadn’t heard from Grayson all day. Since she couldn’t imagine herself submitting to anyone but him and wanted no one else except the sheriff, there would be no point in exposing herself to the potential embarrassment and heartache of entering the club only to see him with someone else.
“Sydney, do you know what you would like?” Poised with her pen above the pad, she prayed her friend wouldn’t push for more.
Sydney nodded, her green-eyed gaze both shrewd and knowing. “I’ll have the same, thanks. What are you doing tomorrow?”
Taking their menus, Avery breathed a sigh of relief at the change of subject. “No plans yet. Why?”
“It’s supposed to reach a balmy forty degrees by two o’clock and Caden promised I could accompany him and Connor on their afternoon ride to check on the herd. I’m told the weather is due to take a turn for the worse anytime, so I want to take advantage of any outdoor time I can clock. Come along,” she invited with a coaxing smile.
“Oh, I couldn’t,” Avery answered with a shake of her head. “I’ve never been on a horse. Heck, I’ve never even owned a pet of any kind.”
“You can ride up with Con. He’ll enjoy the company. One o’clock.” Caden’s low, insistent voice and direct, blue gaze added to the unwavering resolve she heard behind the casual words.
“Okay, I’ll go. Leave me directions.” She ripped off a page from her notepad and laid it on the table. “I’ll get your order turned in.” Maybe the excursion would keep her mind off Grayson, and the growing ache for more from her dominant caller.
Grayson leaned against the end of the bar, his current mood as dour as a late spring snow warning. He’d been nursing the same drink since he arrived at The Barn an hour ago, and now the lukewarm whiskey had lost its appeal. He found the loud music as annoying as the interested looks aimed his way from willing submissives. He should have stayed home, or better yet, waited until Avery’s next evening off and then issued another invitation for her to accompany him.
The temptation to pull her secrets from her was as strong as the one prodding him to fuck her. Yet, he refused to indulge either her or himself until she trusted him enough to open up about herself. He could do a little discreet digging on his own, run her license plates for one thing, but wouldn’t take that backstabbing route unless she left him no choice. Betraying her now would undo everything he’d accomplished the last two weeks.
“Heads up,” Connor murmured from behind the bar, his blue eyes on someone behind Grayson. “Cassie is making a beeline straight for you.”
“Fucking A,” Grayson growled, snapping his toothpick in half when he bit down on it. He was in no mood to deal with the pushy, clinging sub. Removing the splintered pieces, he tossed them down and fished another one out of his shirt pocket and stuck it in his mouth. He’d picked up the habit in the military-it had given him something to do with his mouth while struggling to keep silent and still while holed up on some Godforsaken hill, watching for insurgents.
Dan, perched on the stool next to Grayson, raised one brow, a sardonic look to match his tone as he asked, “Why don’t you boot her out of here? It’s your club, and it’s not like we don’t have a selection of other subs to play with.”
Grayson shrugged. “Others like her, and she’ll soon tire of the game.”
“I suggest you prod her along toward that end,” Connor urged.
“Master Grayson! I’ve been looking for you,” Cassie gushed as she latched onto his arms and dug her nails into his skin.
With a thunderous scowl she ignored, he removed her hands with an admonishment. “You’re interrupting, Cassie, and you know better than that. Go away.”
“Aw, come on, quit being so grouchy,” she cajoled, leaning forward in a blatant move that offered him a peek down her sheer, white blouse at her unfettered breasts. “Am I being a bad girl?” she teased, rubbing her breasts on his arm.
Grayson swore under his breath as a small smile played around her mouth. He knew what she thought as he straightened with a cold, hard look. With a quick nod of agreement from Dan, he was about to show her how wrong she was. Cassie enjoyed pushing Doms into punishing her and got off on the harsher pain, but she didn’t care for the humiliation of a discipline scene. Too bad. She had earned this lesson.
“Bad girls don’t get what they want. Just the opposite, in fact.”
The satisfied glint in her eyes increased as he yanked her over his arm and rucked up her ass hugging skirt to reveal her bare butt. “Master Dan, I suggest you don’t hold back.”
“What?” Outraged that it would be another Dom meting out her punishment stained her face red as she lifted her head to glare up at Grayson. “I want… ahh!” she screeched as Dan blistered her right buttock with a forceful blow. She blubbered again, wriggling against Grayson’s arm until he wrapped his other arm around her back and held her still.
All three men ignored her wails—she would yell the safeword red if she needed or wanted to—as Dan laid into her ass with a volley of fast, pain-inducing smacks that turned her lily-white buttocks crimson. His swats were so effective, he stopped after a mere three minutes, not offering the chastised sub the comfort of a caress over her blazing cheeks or a hug when Grayson lifted her. Despite the pain he knew Dan inflicted, he suspected the tears streaking her face were due more to frustration than the throbbing discomfort. Neither of them had missed the glistening proof of arousal dripping from her pussy.
Before he could warn her of losing club privileges, she stomped her foot and poked him in the gut, stirring his annoyance anew. “You’ve had your fun.” She flipped Dan a cold look before all but demanding Grayson’s personal attention. “You can’t seriously mean to leave me hanging like this? What kind of cruel Dom are you?” Trailing her fingers up his chest, his rigid stance and cool disdain forced her to try a new tactic by turning coy. “I apologize, Master Grayson. There. Now, can we play?” She stroked her fingers up his corded neck to run one around hi
s ear.
Fed up with her, he drawled in a deceptively soft voice, “Play, Cassie? I don’t think so. Come with me.” Snatching her hand, they both heard Connor quip, “Sucks to be her,” as Grayson hauled her over to the corner spanking bench, bent her over and wrapped the center strap around her lower back, pinning her down. “Again,” he whispered in her ear, “I don’t reward disobedience and rudeness.”
Whipping off his belt, he delivered three bruising stripes across her already bright red, tormented ass, her cries loud and long, but revealing no safewords, either the club’s or her own. Returning his belt to his waist, Grayson released her, noting her swollen, damp labia. But if she wanted relief, she would have to look elsewhere. He was done with her.
He held her long enough to ensure she was steady, her eyes clear before releasing her with a final warning. “Find someone else to sink your claws into, Cassie. You knew before we hooked up I wouldn’t commit to anything more than a few scenes.” He spun on his heels, missing the daggers she shot at his back as she yanked her skirt down over her throbbing buttocks.
Grayson was so ready to head home; he just waved to Connor and Dan as he passed by the bar on his way out. Without bothering to don his coat, he walked out to the parking lot just as Caden and Sydney were coming in.
“Leaving already?” his friend asked, cocking his head.
“Yes. Been a long day.”
Caden nodded, took Sydney’s elbow and started around him, tossing out, “We invited Avery to join us tomorrow for a ride. Just so you know.”
With a huff, Grayson climbed into his SUV and slammed the door. Sometimes, having someone know you so well, for so long could be a pain in the ass.
Chapter 8
Avery was just about to leave for the Dunbar Ranch the following afternoon when an unexpected knock landed on the door leading to the outside staircase behind the diner. Since she wasn’t expecting anyone she answered with all the caution ingrained from growing up in the city with the highest murder rate in the country.