by BJ Wane
Lost in a roiling sea of pleasure, she could do nothing but lie there and hope she didn’t drown in the waves washing over her. All his concentration focused on her pussy and butt; his mouth kissed, nipped, and licked every inch of her flesh while his fingers explored her vagina, her anus, and everywhere in between. He brought her to the brink of orgasm again and again only to pull back before she could go over until she lay sobbing in frustration. Then he covered her with his hard body again, reached down to cup her dangling breasts, his jean-covered cock pushing between her cheeks.
“There are several people watching us. And now, they’re going to see me take your ass. That’s something we didn’t get around to doing last time.” Marc wiped the tears of frustration from her cheek before pulling back.
In dire need of an orgasm, Cassie didn’t care who watched. The thought of him taking her in that taboo orifice for the first time in front of an audience didn’t lessen her desire in the least. Tomorrow she might be ashamed; tonight she would bask in his possession. When he spread her buttocks and lubed her anus with two fingers, she shuddered with longing, aching to feel him inside her.
“Breathe out as I push in. It’ll make it easier.”
She did as he instructed but it still burned when he pushed inside her. Her gasp turned to a low moan when he kneaded her sore buttocks, his deep, soothing voice helping her relax until the pain eased and pleasure took its place. His cock stretched her wide with his girth, but, much to her relief, he held back from going too deep, keeping his thrusts shallow.
Marc forced himself to go slow, take his time and allow her body to adjust to the feel of him invading a foreign place. As he kept to short dips, she rewarded his restraint in less time than he expected, lifting to accept each little plunge. Her pleas gave him the permission he’d been waiting for to pick up the pace.
“Does that feel good? Do you like having me in your ass?” He winced at his harsh tone, perspiration coating his skin as he tried to rein in his lust.
“Yes, master, oh, yes. More, please, more.” Cassie wasn’t sure what she pleaded for, what she needed, but she trusted him to know and take care of that need.
“That’s what I wanted to hear.” Without further ado, he set up a harder pace, withdrawing until only his cock head remained past her rim before shoving back in, his thrusts increasing in speed but not depth as her soft cries egged him on. Reaching under her, he rooted out her clit, gave it a pinch as he reamed her ass just a little deeper, a little harder. “Come for me. Come now.”
Her scream rent the air as she splintered apart, the myriad sensations so encompassing her vision went black. Lost in a vortex of explosive pleasure, she barely heard Marc’s shout but felt every jerk of his cock as he joined her in the shocking bliss.
Her body exhausted from her exertions, her mind befuddled with the lingering pleasure, it took a sound that sent unreasonable terror slicing through her to pull her back into full awareness of her surroundings. Coming from her left, the distinct whoosh of a thin cane whipping through air followed by the snap of it on bare skin then a screech of pain sent her spiraling back three months when she had been the unwilling recipient of that harsh instrument. Panic overruled common sense, fear of experiencing that excruciating pain again, and remembered shock over the man she trusted ignoring her safeword had her struggling in her bonds, her breathing labored as she wept in silence.
“Let me go, let me go. I need to get up,” she mewled over and over, wincing when her wrists and ankles wrenched in the bonds.
“Cassie!” Marc moved fast, joined by Scott who stood nearby. Releasing her cuffs, he snapped again as she continued to thrash. “Stop! Cassie, baby, I’m right here. Shit, shit, shit, what the hell happened?” Lifting her, his heart damn near lodged in his throat; he folded his arms around her shaking body and refused to let go even though she kept pleading with him to do so. “No. You’re safe, Cassie. I’ve got you,” he murmured in her ear, his gut turning cold as ice as he struggled to figure out what had caused her to panic like that.
“Bring her to the bar, I’ll get her a drink,” Scott instructed in his no-nonsense tone.
Cradling her in his arms, he looked down into her wide eyes and breathed a sigh of relief as he strode across the room. “Are you with me?” Perching on a barstool, he tightened his arm around her as he reached for the glass Scott handed him. “Drink.”
Cassie roused at the command in his voice and took a big gulp of the whiskey, relishing the fiery burn down her throat that brought her the rest of the way back to full awareness. She couldn’t believe how fast she panicked over hearing those sounds again, how quickly they thrust her into the past or how vivid her recollection still was of something that occurred over three months ago and she thought she put behind her. The last she saw of Master Greg he had been hauled out of the club by two angry doms, Master Wade cuddling her to his side and insisting on driving her home. Other than a few welts that took several days to heal, she thought she had come away from that horrible experience with nothing but regret.
“Want to tell me what the hell that was all about?”
She winced at his harsh tone and the underlying accusation she heard. God, she felt like a complete fool and there was no way she would tell him what happened between her and Master Greg, no way she’d let him know she made just as stupid a mistake by returning to Master Greg after she’d seen signs of his true nature as she had by running from him. Two erroneous judgements was at least one too many.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. One minute I was fine, then I panicked because I couldn’t move.” That much was true. “I can’t explain it.” Okay, that wasn’t, but it was the best she could do. “I’d like to go upstairs now, if that’s all right.”
“Come on then.”
“No.” Putting a hand on his chest, she looked up at him, saying, “You can stay. I’ll be fine.”
She was lying, both about her reason for her panic attack and that she’d be fine. She looked shell-shocked, fragile, and about ready to collapse. But now wasn’t the time to push her for answers. Looking away from those drenched eyes, he saw Morgan approaching, Scott standing with Jack by the sofas. His friend knew what to do even if he didn’t, he realized with relief.
“Here comes Morgan. It looks like she’s ready to call it a night.” Slipping his shirt back on her, he kissed her, adding, “We’ll discuss this later.”
Chapter Ten
Cassie kneaded the bread dough with strong squeezes, loving the feel of the soft, moist concoction in her hands. Humming under her breath, she basked in the work she loved and tried to forget the look of disappointment on Marc’s face when she left the club room with Morgan last night. She woke this morning with a sore anus, a vivid reminder of his possession and the ultimate pleasure she derided from it, refusing to dwell on her ridiculous reaction to the sound of a cane being administered to a willing sub. If she had her way, that night would remain in her past never to be revisited again. Sex in public wasn’t new to her, having indulged in exhibitionism with both Marc and Master Greg, but she’d never had anal sex with anyone. She’d always enjoyed anal play, but never took it any further. It felt right and fitting for Marc to be the one to breach her last virgin orifice.
Her buttocks clenched as she recalled the foreplay, both the pain and pleasure of it, that had been instrumental in helping her lower her inhibitions and relax enough to trust him with not only her body but her feelings. He kept her close to his side as she lay spooned against him all night, and remembering his concern and the tender way he held her after her ‘episode’ gave her hope his feelings were involved. Surely she had proven by now she was here to stay, that she wouldn’t run from him and his domination. She didn’t know what more she could do to prove she wanted to not only accept, but embrace his lifestyle.
Placing the dough in a deep-dish pan, she covered it with a towel then set it aside to rise before switching on the oven. She had several tins of muffins ready to go in along with f
our pies. There were a few things left from yesterday in her case out front, but that was it until she got her current dishes baked. After cleaning up, she checked the oven, frowning when she noticed it hadn’t warmed up.
“Well, shit,” she muttered after flipping the temp higher with still no heat. Her good mood took a sudden dive as she realized she would have to close the shop until she could get a new part, which could take until the first of next week. After placing a call to an appliance repairman, she waited on the few customers that stopped in before he arrived.
An hour later Cassie thanked the repairman after he assured her he would have a new heating element to her by Saturday morning. Now she debated whether to call Marc to return to town and pick her up or if she could grab a ride from Scott or one of his deputies. It was only mid-morning, and she knew he had a group to take out on the lake right after lunch. Picking up her phone, she hesitated, remembering Scott had been the first person she saw after Marc lifted her from the bench last night and the heated embarrassment flooding her face when she realized he witnessed her panic attack. Thankfully, he had been as supportive as Marc.
It would be silly to interrupt Marc again, so she pushed aside her embarrassment and pressed the sheriff’s office number. After explaining the situation to the receptionist, Scott got on the phone and said he’d be right there.
After loading up her unbaked filled pans into a box to take to the lodge and bake there, she stepped out front in time for the sheriff to pull up. “That was quick,” she said as he reached across the seat and opened the passenger door for her.
“I was on my way out to do patrols, so you had good timing. What’s in the box?”
Setting it on the seat between them, she pulled her seat belt on. “My inventory for today that didn’t get baked. This,” she leaned down and lifted a brown sack from the box, “is for you. I hope you like snickerdoodles and raisin bread.”
“I’m a guy, therefore easy. Enough said?” He turned a teasing grin on her as he pulled out and headed up to the lodge.
“Definitely enough said.”
“Thanks for the goody bag. It wasn’t necessary, but I’m not dumb enough to turn down homemade cookies and bread. Being a bachelor, I live on store bought and takeout. How long until your oven gets fixed?”
“Jimmy promised he’d have the part by closing tomorrow and installed first thing Saturday morning. I’ll return tomorrow with these things and anything else I can get made in Marc’s kitchen, but I’m apt to close early tomorrow also.”
Cassie relaxed in her seat as Scott took a call on his radio, grateful for his laidback attitude and friendly chitchat making the ride back to the lodge comfortable. When he pulled up in front and opened his door to get out, she stopped him with a hand on his arm. “No, that’s okay. I’m going right in. I appreciate the ride, sheriff.”
He lifted his sunglasses to his head and gave her the direct look of a dom. “Did my presence last night demote me from friend to acquaintance?”
Damn her fair skin for reddening so easy, she swore as her face warmed under his close regard. “Uh, no, sorry, Scott.”
“Good.” Leaning over, he kissed her on the cheek then pushed her door open. “Thanks again for the goodies. If I gain weight, I’ll know who to blame.”
She thought of his lean, muscular build as she entered the lodge and imagined it would take more than a few baked goods to put any extra weight on him. Carrying her box, she trudged up the stairs, but slowed when she heard Marc’s and Jack’s voices.
“Hell, Marc, I hope you know what you’re doing this time.”
The hint of accusation in Jack’s voice halted her on the top step and had her holding her breath as she listened closer.
“Relax,” Marc answered, his tone easy. “I’m just doing an old friend a favor, that’s all. Once it’s done and the situation is resolved, I’m through. I’m not about to put myself through that again.”
Was he talking about her, about the situation with her stalker? Had she pinned too much hope on his overprotective manner, the tender look she caught on occasion in his eyes when he didn’t think she saw him? Pivoting on the top stair, she fled back down, tears of indecision clouding her vision so much she didn’t see Morgan enter until she almost plowed into her.
“Cassie, what’re you doing here?” Morgan asked before narrowing her eyes at her. “What’s wrong?”
“What? Oh, nothing, Morgan, honest. I’ve just had a bad morning.” She tried not to panic, struggled not to jump to conclusions like she had last time, but Marc’s words refused to quit ringing in her ears, raising doubts. “Would you mind putting this in the kitchen? I’m going for a walk.” Long walks always helped her clear her head.
“Sure,” she said, taking the box. “Wait just a minute and I’ll go with you.”
“No! Sorry,” she hastened to apologize when Morgan looked at her with suspicion. With Marc’s words making her doubt his intentions, the last thing she needed was to see him right now. “I just need a little time to myself. Marc’s been dogging my footsteps for days and it’s driving me crazy.” She plastered on her best reassuring smile, relieved when Morgan nodded.
“Follow that trail.” She pointed out the open door and to the right. “Don’t veer off it and you’ll be able to keep the lodge in your sights and be within calling distance for about a mile. No further,” she warned. “If you’re not back in thirty minutes, I’m sending the guys after you and I can guarantee it won’t be pleasant when they find you.”
“I promise.” Taking off before Morgan could change her mind and tell him where she was, she succeeded in holding tears of doubt and indecision at bay until she hit the trail. The dam burst as she moved into a sprint, as if she could run away from his hurtful words.
Remembering his unwelcoming reception when she first arrived, followed by his refusal to let her share his bed until she forced the issue, she lost the battle not to read anything personal into what she heard. She couldn’t believe how stupid she was, how naïve she had been to think he would forget the past and welcome her back without reservations. Oh, she knew it wouldn’t be easy, but after last night, she could’ve sworn he was with her because he wanted to be, not out of some misguided sense of obligation. With her head down and her vision blurred, she tried to flee the crushing pain sweeping through her, lost in her thoughts and her memories as she struggled to come to terms with her deflated hopes.
If only she hadn’t panicked and shown that first note to the sheriff, she thought as her aimless wandering took her deeper into the dense forest. Would she have had another chance with him if Marc had accepted her back into his life, and his bed, on his own terms? She would never know because she blew that opportunity when she coerced her way back into his bed, never realizing how easy it would be for him to fuck her and then leave, much the same as she had done to him.
Only it hadn’t been easy two years ago. Running from him had torn her up inside, left her to flounder alone, grappling with what she had done, had allowed him to do because of her fast escalating attachment to both the man and his domination. She spent weeks keeping to herself, never going out, avoiding her friends. Rick caught her at her lowest point when he asked her out. She accepted out of sheer desperation to replace memories of Marc with someone else, to prove she didn’t want, didn’t need the lifestyle he introduced her to. Another mistake in a long line of them.
She realized now the signs were all there only she had been too blind to see them. He never asked her personal questions, never took her anywhere, did nothing with her that didn’t include sex or keeping an eye out for her stalker. She knew he didn’t believe her lame excuse about her panic attack last night, but he hadn’t even questioned her again this morning about it like she expected. He stuck close to make sure she stayed safe, not because he wanted her. Most dominant men were protective; he had been even when they first met. She knew now that didn’t equate with stronger feelings or any desire to see their relationship evolve past sex.
Coming to a stop, she drew in a shaky breath, swiping at the tears running unchecked down her face before searching around the small glen until she spotted a grassy spot to sink down on. Leaning her head against a tree, she closed her eyes and wondered how she could have misread Marc’s actions and those intent, probing looks so badly. Since the minute she arrived on his doorstep, unexpected and unannounced, he had done nothing to hint he wanted her gone. Oh, he hadn’t been happy at first, but since she’d been with him every night for the past week, he’d seemed happy to have her here. If she had known he was just doing her a favor she never would have agreed to stay at the lodge with him.
With a deep sigh, Cassie worked to calm her rioting emotions before pushing to her feet. There was only one thing to do, she thought, resigned. She would pack her things and return to her apartment and maybe, given time, they could at least be friends again.
Heart heavy, she stood to head back the way she came when she realized the surrounding woods were so dense she couldn’t see a shred of sunlight through them. An icy chill settled in her bones as she looked in every direction and saw with a sinking feeling she couldn’t even make out the trail she had been following. On top of everything else that had gone wrong today, she let herself get so mired in grief, she got well and truly lost.
* * *
“Where’d this come from?” Marc asked Morgan when she entered the loft, her arms laden with canvas and paints.
Looking at the box she had set on the kitchen counter, Morgan checked her watch, blanching at the time. “Isn’t Cassie back yet?”
Jack came out of the office, saw Morgan’s pale, stricken face and rushed over to her. “What’s wrong?”