by Maren Smith
“We have time to tour the Art Gallery before I walk you back to your room. Tomorrow morning, I have some things I need to see to, but I made a 9:00 a.m. appointment for you at the Salon, and maybe afterwards you can go for a late breakfast with Jana. I should be free between 11:00 and 11:30.”
“Okay.” She shied away from thinking about that appointment and didn’t question him on what he needed to do. Some things she might be better off not knowing or thinking about too hard. He mentioned being on a case, but doubted it involved anyone here. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t leave the Castle grounds to work, she told herself, just so she’d feel better.
After the gallery, Luke guided her into Maybe’s Candies, and her mouth watered the instant the sweet aroma of the gourmet treats in the display case assailed her senses. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly eat another thing,” she bemoaned, but that didn’t prevent her from sailing over to the display counter and ogling the array of decadent goodies.
Coming up behind her, Luke rested his hands on her shoulders and his warm breath brushed over her cheek when he spoke. “Sure you can. Pick something, I’ll put it on my tab.”
“Well, if you insist,” she murmured, more distracted by the slow kneading of her shoulders than the drool-worthy sugar fest before her. “Are those s’mores bars?” she asked the strawberry blonde behind the counter.
Her green eyes lit up with pleasure as she opened the case to slide the tray out. “Yes, and a guest favorite.”
“I’ll take one.”
“Don’t you want to look around first?” Luke asked.
She shook her head. “No, I won’t be able to decide if I do.”
He purchased two then said, “Thank you, Maybe. Tell Master Parker hello. I haven’t seen him this trip.”
“Will do, Master M. Enjoy your treats, and the weekend.”
They headed toward the stairs as Carlie grumbled around a bite of chewy marshmallow and chocolate, “Do you know everyone?”
“No, but I do know the founding Masters and most of the others who have been here a while. Don’t forget your appointment,” he reminded her when they reached her room. “I’ll be by before noon with your outfit for our own role-play scene tomorrow.” He yanked on one ringlet. “Goodnight, Cinderella.”
Carlie slipped into her room wondering which decadent treat would end up giving her the most grief: the s’mores bar or Master M.
Carlie opened the door to see Master M dressed as a sheriff from the Old West, complete with a gun holster wrapped around his lean hips, a gold star pinned to the leather vest he wore without a shirt underneath, and a black Stetson tipped low over his forehead. The black braided flogger swinging against his leg added to his sexy as hell appearance, as if she didn’t have enough of a distraction to contend with concerning the myriad of new sensations revealed with the loss of her pubic hair. She couldn’t miss the twinkle in his vivid green eyes when he held up a woman’s dress from the same time period, complete with bloomers and an apron.
Stepping back, she held the door open. “When you said we were going to role play this afternoon, you weren’t kidding. I have to tell you, Master M, I’m not a very good actress.” It was difficult not to drool over the view of his wide, thick chest, black, curly hair tapering down in a thin line to tease her imagination where it disappeared inside his pants and those muscled, bronzed arms she ached to feel wrapped around her again.
“Relax, we’re not aiming for an Oscar, just some fun.” He set the outfit on the bed then didn’t give her time to balk or question him before stripping her of the pretty, medieval period dress she’d worn all morning and tugging the plain, cotton paisley print over her head. He followed by holding out the white bloomers for her to step in. Balancing with her hands on his wide shoulders, she tried to ignore the brush of his knuckles over her bare, sensitive flesh, but the electric jolt his touch whipped through her shook her voice when she said, “The other dress is prettier.”
“You don’t need pretty clothes to make yourself attractive, Carlie.” Luke adjusted the knee-length undergarment at her waist, rose and nudged his hat back to gaze down at her. Her stomach fluttered at his intent gaze, a response she’d been experiencing for some time now but never seemed to get used to. “In case you haven’t noticed, you’ve gotten plenty of admiring looks and drawn several Doms’ attention.”
She fantasized his frown stemmed from jealousy, but the rational part of her brain knew that couldn’t be the case. “I know, and for someone like me, that’s a heady experience.”
His frown turned to a scowl. “Knock it off before you force me to take you in hand sooner than I planned.”
A thrill shot through Carlie, sent her blood pumping in a hot torrent through her veins to pool between her legs. He’d been considerate last night, letting her rest and adjust to everything he’d subjected her to that day, but she was more than ready for his attention today, even if the idea of role playing turned her palms clammy with nervousness. Taking the ankle-high, pointed boots from his outstretched hand, she sat on the end of the bed and slipped them on.
“Are you going to give me a script to follow?” she asked when he took her hand and led her out of the room.
“No script. You’ve just been caught stealing a loaf of bread from the mercantile, and while the proprietor is coming to get me, your local sheriff, you’ll have ten minutes to hide.”
A blast of warm air greeted them as Luke escorted her out the front doors and down the steps into the courtyard. Surrounded by a high stone wall to further ensure privacy, the cobbled courtyard teemed with activity, just like every other space in the Castle. Pointing toward the east end, Luke nodded toward the stables.
“You can hide in there, or anywhere else out here, including the gardens.” Lifting the authentic pocket watch hooked to his waist, he checked the time then lowered his hat with a wicked grin. “Ten minutes, little one, starting now.” Without waiting for her to reply, he trotted back up the stairs and went inside, leaving her to ponder her options.
With a burst of light-hearted adrenaline, Carlie sprinted toward the stables, glad to see the structure was as large as she recalled from the tour yesterday when she stepped inside. The sweet scent of hay mingled with the earthier aroma of manure, tickling her nose as she cast a look around for a good hiding spot. Master M would check here first, she was almost positive of that, so she needed to get creative. She also needed to be quick, before the stable master or any other Dom spotted her and ratted her out. Spying a narrow, steep ladder leading up to the hayloft, she inched her way along the stalls toward it. She wasn’t surprised to see ponies of the two-legged variety along with the four-legged. From the thorough tour they’d taken of the entire estate before going to Wardrobe, she already knew any and every kink could be indulged in on Castle grounds.
Shimmying up the ladder, Carlie wondered if Luke remembered how easily she used to climb trees. If so, she’d be in trouble right away. Low male voices echoed up to the loft and urged her to dive behind a bale of hay. Her breathing grew labored when they neared the ladder, but neither voice belonged to her Master, so she relaxed her tense shoulders. Her Master. She liked the sound of that, perhaps too much, but that was something she could worry about later. Moving with as much stealth and quietness as possible in a crouched position wearing a long dress, she inched toward the far corner where the bales were stacked higher.
The stable doors creaked open, followed by the deep, baritone of Luke’s voice that never failed to draw a shiver of awareness down her spine and warm her where she’d always remained tepid with other men. “I’m chasing a thief from the mercantile, gentlemen. Have either of you seen a short brunette wearing a weird pair of glasses?”
Weird? Her glasses weren’t weird. Carlie ran her finger over the bright flower in the corner of the right lens. The stifling heat drew beads of perspiration down her back and left her hair to curl and cling in damp tendrils against her neck, but she held her breath, straining to hear the other men’s answers
.
“I haven’t seen anyone, but I did hear movement up in the loft,” one of the men commented with a definite smirk in his tone.
“The wench risked her fool neck climbing up there, if she did,” the other man said.
“Oh, I think this wench wouldn’t find that ladder a challenge,” Master M drawled, and she knew he did remember her tree-climbing youth.
Carlie heard footsteps nearing the loft and a giddy well of excitement bubbled up inside her, tickling her abdomen. Wench, huh? She’d show them wench. Getting into the spirit of the game, having more fun than she’d imagined she would, she checked out every corner, almost jumping for joy when she spotted another ladder in the back corner, just feet from where she hid. Peeking over the edge, she saw a back door a foot from the ladder and made a snap decision on where she would head next. Getting wrapped up in her character, and his, proved easier than she’d thought. Her heart pounded with anticipation as she slithered down the back ladder the same time she heard Luke’s boots climbing the one at the front of the loft.
“Where are you, wench? I know you’re up here. Come out now and accept your punishment for your thievery.”
She jumped the last three rungs and landed in a squat as his amused voice resonated in the loft above. Fingers crossed the back door wasn’t kept locked, thus ruining her perfect escape. Carlie pushed hard until it gave with a creak and she almost fell to the ground with its sudden give.
“There she is, Sheriff! Escaping out the back!” The glee behind the other Dom’s voice didn’t bode well for her and spurred her on.
“I’ll get her, lads. She won’t evade the strong arm of the law for long.”
A laugh of pure enjoyment burst from her throat as Carlie took off running toward a smaller building a few yards away. Master M certainly took his role seriously, except she detected the thread of humor in his voice that gave away how much he liked the chase. She’d been privy to this playful side of him before, years ago when he would tease her in a friendly, brotherly manner, and found this adult, light-hearted mood even more appealing.
Reaching the small building, she decided it was too obvious and veered toward the woods right behind it. Let him search in there, she thought with smug satisfaction. Finding a deep ditch behind one of the largest trees, she scooted down and plastered herself against the ground, holding her breath when she heard those distinctive boot steps clomping all around the shed. What is he doing? Why isn’t he going inside?
“There you are.” Luke’s pompous voice came from right above her.
Carlie squealed, looking up as he reached down and hauled her to her feet, his green eyes alight with pleasure and smug satisfaction when he drew her up next to him. Too late, she realized one of the stable masters must have also been wearing boots, distracting her from Master M’s sneaky appearance.
“It’s time to face the consequences for your crime, wench. You’ll soon learn I don’t tolerate thieves in my town.”
Getting into the act, she stomped her foot and tried jerking out of his hold. “I was hungry. Don’t you have any compassion for those less fortunate than you?”
The corners of his mouth tilted, the small smile warming all her girly parts even as a frisson of alarm took hold when he hauled her out of the woods and two men stood waiting with cocky grins. She recognized Master Brody as the Stable Master, but not the other man.
“Of course I do, but that doesn’t negate your crime,” Luke returned.
“All I did was take a loaf of bread!” she exclaimed with nervous trepidation that wasn’t all feigned.
“A loaf of bread or ten dollars, it’s still stealing,” he replied with implacable insistence.
Ten dollars? Oh, yeah, back in the 1800’s, that was considered a lot of money. Master M shifted her to his side, the gleam in his eyes turning her throat dry. “Um, Sheriff, what…” She flicked a quick, worried glance toward the other two men who now stood with their arms crossed over their chests.
“Masters Brody and Davis will bear witness to the first part of your punishment.”
Without giving Carlie a chance to digest that statement, Master M bent her forward, the thick muscles of his arm bunching as he held her snug against his side. She screeched in indignation when he flipped up her long dress and yanked down her bloomers, her face heating when she realized her bare butt now faced toward the other men. This was much more humiliating than the spanking he’d subjected her to in the corner of the large foyer yesterday. “Let me go! This isn’t right! This is un—ow!” Very little of her outrage stemmed from her character in this charade. Mortification spread through her body with as much heat as his hand connecting with her wiggling backside.
“Unfair?” Three rapid smacks landed before he asked, “Was it fair of you to steal from another man, taking his hard-earned profit he needed to feed his kids?” Swat! Swat! Swat!
“Okay, no, it wasn’t, and I’m sorry,” she beseeched. Apparently, her traitorous body didn’t care how humiliating this scene was; the pain from his spanking still bolstered the same effect on her libido. Her sheath warmed along with her buttocks, swelling and going damp as he belabored her cheeks over and over with blistering, hard smacks that covered her entire butt before he delivered the last few on her thighs.
“I think she’s been properly chastised,” one of the other Doms drawled with a hint of humor.
Luke caressed her sore buttocks, his palm running over the flesh he’d just abused with soothing strokes that calmed Carlie’s rioting senses. God, she loved the feel of his hands on her, regardless of her ignoble position or the throbbing discomfort he’d heaped upon her butt. “For now,” he stated with a tight squeeze of one globe that elicited a low moan. “Thanks for your help, gentlemen.”
She should’ve known he wasn’t done with her. With a quick lift and toss, he flipped her over his shoulder, her reddened butt left bare as he clamped one arm around her flailing legs. He caressed her cheeks again then slid his hand down and traced over her damp seam with one finger. “Uh, Master M? Where are we going?” Hope laced her trembling voice when he strolled away from the stable area. Maybe he was taking her inside, and to a room where he could continue tormenting her in the delectable way she already craved more than was wise.
“Just taking a walk while I decide what the rest of your penalty will be for your crime.”
He turned his head and nipped the side of her cheek and she yelped. Then, to her utter consternation, he left his finger where it was while he ambled around the bustling courtyard, stopping to talk with people he knew and not only treating them to an up-close view of her reddened backside, but the continued teasing probes into her sheath. Between the mortification and her escalating arousal, she didn’t know which bothered her the most, or accounted for the slow build-up of heat pumping through her veins. How could he converse in such a casual manner while circling her clit, dipping inside her pussy? Couldn’t he feel how wet she was, how she contracted around him each time he entered her?
Carlie didn’t even try to listen to his conversations. The ground below her dangling face shifted and her need soared as he strolled away from that person and her pelvis shifted under his hard shoulder, putting even more pressure against her core. “Sir, Master M, please,” she pleaded, unable to hold back any longer. She would never understand how he could reduce her to a simpering mass of mindless, female neediness with just a few light touches. Maybe it stemmed from wanting him for so long, of dreaming of submitting to his control and demands night after night. That might explain her quick, off the charts responses.
“Not yet, young lady. I have to make sure you learn your lesson and aren’t tempted to break the law again.” He pinched one buttock when she swore in frustration. “That’s no way for a woman to talk,” he reprimanded before pausing to greet yet another person she refused to sneak a peek at. “Master Jones, it’s good to see you again.”
Carlie recognized that name and sucked in a deep breath, picturing the blue-eyed Dom she’d first
been paired with, someone she’d thought was nice. His next words disabused her of that notion.
“Your sub looks like she’s hot and bothered from her punishment. This afternoon heat doesn’t help.”
A pregnant moment of silence ensued, leaving her to imagine the two sharing a silent communication that sent her nerves skittering under her skin with Master M’s answer. “You’re right, I do believe a cooling off is just what she needs.”
“What? Don’t you—” Her startled cry pierced the air, drawing even more attention when he bent and dumped her without warning into a horse trough. Cold water sloshed around her flailing body up to her neck, drenching the long, cumbersome dress tangling around her legs due to her indignant thrashing around. “You, you… I can’t believe you did this!” she sputtered, glaring up at him with a shiver.
Hands fisted on his hips, Master M looked down at her with a smirk. “Believe it, little one.” Turning to Master Jones, he said, “Thanks for the suggestion. It was a good one.”
“My pleasure. Enjoy the afternoon.”
Carlie’s narrow-eyed gaze went from Master Jones’s retreating swagger to Master M’s outstretched hand. “Come with me and I’ll warm you up.”
Cold shock gave way to a flutter of excitement. She clasped his hand and there went that somersault in her abdomen again, that slow roll whenever he looked at her like that, as if she was already naked and his for the taking. If only he would.
“You can’t traipse water all over the Castle’s marbled floors,” he told her with a reprimanding tsk and quirk of his lips then spun her around and proceeded to undo the row of buttons. “We’ll have to stay outside a little longer while you dry off.”
Carlie avoided looking at the people milling around by keeping her eyes on Master M as he shifted in front of her and stripped her of the dress, bloomers and shoes. The garden hedge he’d bared her behind yesterday offered the illusion of privacy even though she’d been aware anyone nearby could easily see over the top. They were out in the wide open now, but the warm breeze wafting over her damp, exposed skin drew small goosebumps of awareness and pleasure, helping to make this public exposure bearable. She couldn’t help tightening her legs when he gazed upon her naked folds, nor loosening them with the brush of one finger over the damp, plump flesh. The banked heat in Master M’s green eyes when he reached up and tweaked her nipples brought on a surge of instant heat, another aid in diverting her attention away from the other guests.