Ann Mayburn

Sodom and the Phoenix

A Virtual Seduction Story

DISCLAIMER: Please do not try any new sexual practice, especially those that might be found in our BDSM/fetish titles without the guidance of an experienced practitioner. Neither Loose Id LLC nor its authors will be responsible for any loss, harm, injury or death resulting from use of the information contained in any of its titles.

Chapter One

Tanwen Evans trailed after the middle-aged bellman and walked through the automatic doors into the six-story foyer of the Sodom Virtual Reality Resort. Her breath froze in her lungs, and she gawked like the country mouse her ex-husband had often accused her of being. It wasn’t the size of the resort that had her staring—the University of Wisconsin hospital where she worked as a labor and delivery nurse was a mammoth complex—it was the people. She had expected a little risqué behavior. This was the premier virtual reality resort that catered to sexual fantasies, but this—this was like her hottest, steamiest, and kinkiest fantasies come to life.

Times a million.

Everywhere she looked, men and women of all ages, races, and sizes strolled around the enormous foyer in varying degrees of bondage gear. The bellman paused so a man with a saddle on his back and horseshoe gloves could trot past them. On his back, a buxom blonde in a black leather cowboy hat, vest, and chaps with a pink G-string steered him through the crowd via a set of reins attached to a mouth bit. To Tanwen’s astonishment, the rider and …horse were grinning as if they were having the time of their lives. The man even had a luxuriant horse tail attached to his leather pants, and he moved with a decidedly sexy swagger that made the tail swish.

A flash of shiny red latex caught her eye, and Tanwen froze as she watched a mature brunette woman kneel before a man dressed in a conservative, dark suit. Upon closer inspection, she noticed he wore a tie the same color as the woman’s dress, and they both wore wedding rings. The woman gracefully lowered her face until her lips were pressed to the tip of his shoe, and she kissed his foot with a smile. The man stroked the woman’s hair as she laid her head against his thigh, a look of utter contentment on her face and love on his.

An unexpected surge of jealousy ran through Tanwen. She briefly wished she had someone in her life she could trust like that. A strong man who would look at her as if she were the center of his world. Even though nothing in the man’s posture or facial expression had changed, he became more predatory somehow. His demeanor toward the woman shifted, and Tanwen felt a rush of heat. The tone of the scene turned sensual as the man fed one of his fingers into the woman’s mouth with a slow, erotic slide.

When Tanwen had boarded the plane this morning for Detroit in her brown suede skirt and white peasant top that hung off one freckled shoulder, she had felt sexy and a little bit scandalous. Now, compared to the busty brunette in a latex catsuit who had just sauntered by leading a very built man wearing only a leash and a glittering mesh codpiece, she felt positively matronly.

The bellman jolted her out of her openmouthed stare by clearing his throat. “Ma’am, if you’d like to register at the front desk, I’ll wait for you by the elevators.”

“Sure,” she said in a faint voice yet continued to stand there.

The bellman smothered a smile and gently turned her by the shoulder. “The registration is that way. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait in line. The Leather Kiss convention starts tonight, and there are a lot of people all arriving at once.” He leaned in and said in a low voice, “Between you and me, I’d rather have a BDSM convention here than just about any other group. They may look wild, but for the most part, they are very well behaved and tip great. Much better than the Spring Break crowd. If I never have to see another drunk kid passed out in a puddle of his own puke, I’ll die a happy man.”

The luggage rack jostled as a young couple dressed in jeans and T-shirts stumbled into them. The look they gave Tanwen bordered on shock, and she gave them a weak smile in return. Guess she wasn’t the only one not expecting so much so soon.

“I better get out of the way,” the bellman said with a soft laugh. “Maybe we should set up some chairs at the entrance in case anyone faints.”

Tanwen took a deep breath and shook her head. “Thank you”—she glanced at his name tag—“Mike. I’ll see you at the elevators.”

Her sandals made almost no noise on the white marble floors, and she felt like she was floating in some weird and rather erotic dream. Two years ago, if someone had told her that today she would be starting a weeklong vacation dedicated to exploring her sexual fantasies in hopes of reawakening her desire, she would have said they were crazy. Then again, two years ago, she had been in an unhappy marriage to the only man she had ever slept with. Heck, David had been the only man she had ever even seriously dated.

When she had discovered she was pregnant her senior year of high school, they had done the right thing and gotten married. At least at the time it had seemed like the right thing. Now, twenty years later, she realized how very naive they’d both been and how easily they were pushed into marriage by their families. Oh, they made the best of it and to this day were still on speaking terms despite the divorce. She wouldn’t give up her sons for anything in the world, but somewhere along the line, she had lost who she was.

As she reached the back of the line and adjusted her purse, she tried to figure out when exactly she had gone from being Tanwen, the free-spirited girl who wanted to backpack through Europe after high school, to Tanwen, the woman who didn’t own a pair of underwear that couldn’t be described as anything but functional. Not that she really had anyone to wear sexy lingerie for. David had always said they looked trashy and cheap, so she had given up trying to look good for him years ago. When making love consisted of a pat, a tickle, and a squeeze, it had become more of a chore than anything else and not something she bothered to dress up for.

The line inched forward, and Tanwen groaned as a high-pitched female voice rose into the air from the desk. A peek around a set of broad shoulders in a blue denim shirt showed a stunning auburn-haired woman in an outlandish yellow latex ballerina costume yelling at the increasingly irritated lady behind the desk.

“Are you listening to me! I don’t care what your reservation list says. I reserved a suite, and you better damn well get me a suite or I’m going to sue you.” The redhead thrust her overinflated breasts, barely contained by her yellow corset, into the air with an arrogant toss of her head. The pretty blonde behind the counter pressed her lips together in a thin line, and her nostrils flared.

A deep male voice said in her ear, “How long do you think we have until the clerk decks her?”

Tanwen jumped and narrowly avoided bumping heads with the tall man in front of her who had leaned over to whisper. The one whose shoulder she had been peering around like a nosy old woman. “Oh goodness. I’m sorry, sir.” Heat flooded her face as she tugged at her shirt. “That was very rude of me. Please forgive me.”

She met his eyes, and the floor dropped out beneath her feet. He was gorgeous. His silver hair was cut short, and it did nothing to soften a face that was all male angles and hard planes. His skin was deeply tanned, the kind of color someone got from working outdoors. Small lines bracketed his pale blue eyes, and deeper lines curved around his mouth. A dimple flashed in his cheek as he smiled at her in amusement. The fact that he bore a striking resemblance to Anderson Cooper, her secret celebrity crush, made her heart pound all the harder.

“No, that”—he pointed to the redhead who was in a full-tilt fit now as a pale man with an enormous padlocked collar around his neck and wearing a conservative suit joined her and attempted to mediate—“is rude.”

Tanwen darted another glance at the woman, then back to the man standing close enough that she swore she could feel the heat of his body. A faded leather belt clung to his narrow hips, and the elaborate buckle of a bucking steer with a cowboy caught her interest. “You’re a bull rider?” She cleared her throat and held out her hand. “Please forgive my lack of manners, sir. My name is Tanwen Sku—” Her tongue tripped over itself as she almost gave the handsome man her married name. “Tanwen Evans.”

The man with the devastating eyes took her offered hand and rubbed his thumb over her palm. His hands were so much bigger than hers, and the way his thumb stroked her skin sent shivers through her body. Her reaction shocked her. She could actually feel her nipples drawing into hard and aching points beneath her shirt. She desperately hoped he didn’t notice or attributed it to the air-conditioning. “My name is Bryan Hamilton, but you can call me Sir.” He studied her, and her heart raced as he looked her over from the top of her blonde head to her pink toenails.

“Um, nice to meet you, Sir.” She tried to tug her hand back, but he held her fast in his grip. Heat rushed through her, and her mouth went dry. She was drawn in by his gaze, and her breath came out in a small puff as he stepped closer, invading her personal space.

His low laughter made her knees go weak as the rich scent of his cologne invaded her senses. “You’re not here for the convention, are you, Tanwen?”

She swallowed and darted a glance at the fetish circus going on around them. “No.”

His gaze held hers, and his fair eyebrows scrunched as he examined her. “Why are you here?”

The words spilled out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop them. “I lost my passion.”

Instead of laughing, his ice blue eyes darkened to a warm Caribbean blue. He let go of her hand to cup her cheek, and she trembled. “Now that is a shame. A woman as beautiful as you should never feel anything but cherished, desired.” His thumb stroked across her lips. It was as if every nerve in her body now centered on her mouth. She watched him, helpless to look away as the dimple in his cheek deepened again.

Someone behind them cleared their throat loudly, and Tanwen practically leaped away from Bryan. “Your turn,” she said in a high voice she refused to call a squeak.

Now he did smile, and his teeth were a startling white against his tanned skin. “Ladies first, in all things.”

“Thank you.” She stumbled to the counter and tried to tell her raging libido he couldn’t possibly mean anything dirty by that. Her frazzled mind barely heard a word the clerk said as she dug through her oversize purse for her wallet. It had been a few years since her kids’ toys, snacks, and Band-Aids had taken up every available inch of space in her purse, but it still surprised her at how empty it seemed without all their stuff.

It didn’t help that her entire being focused on the man behind her. She could feel him, like the warmth of the sun, at her back. Between her legs, her pussy was wet with need, and her clit throbbed in time with her heart.

“All set,” the blonde clerk said and handed her the key card. “Go to the south elevators, and you’re on the nineteenth floor with a view of the river. Your convention pass is in your room along with the schedule of events.”

Tanwen paused in putting some old receipts back into her purse. “My what?”

The blonde gave her a puzzled look. “Your Leather Kiss convention information. You signed up for it while registering.”

“I what?”

Someone muttered something unflattering from the long line behind her, and her back stiffened. She stuffed the key into her purse and crammed the brochures in there as well. Good Lord, the cover of one of the pamphlets had what appeared to be a man in chaps with his fine butt displayed for all the world to see. She dug the brochures back out and lay them on the counter. All she needed was to forget it was in there and have it fall out in front of her mother. “I didn’t sign up for the”—she lowered her voice—“BDSM convention.”

The clerk glanced at the line behind Tanwen, then back at her. “Ma’am, you did. I have it right on the screen in front of me along with your paid-in-full bill.”

“But I didn’t—”

A firm hand gripped her elbow, and Tanwen knew even without turning that it was Bryan. His cologne teased her nose as he said, “Thanks for your help.” He gently escorted her away from the counter and held firm to her arm despite her attempts to jerk out of his grasp.

“Wait,” she said and yanked her arm out of his hand. “There was a mistake. I’m not—”

“Tanwen, that is a lovely name.” His voice rubbed against her, softer than her suede skirt.

She gritted her teeth and willed her body to calm down. Really all he’d done was speak to her and touch her cheek, and her panties were soaked with desire. “It’s Welsh for white flame. When I was born, my hair was so pale it almost looked white. Now let me go.”

He ignored her order. “White flame, interesting. It suits you.”

She tilted her chin and gave him the glower that had kept her boys in line when they were rowdy teenagers. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to speak to the clerk about the mix-up.”

He moved subtly to block her way back to the desk and smiled at her. The way he looked at her, like she was something good to eat, did funny things to her insides. It made her anger melt like a bar of chocolate on a sunny day. He traced his fingertips down her arm, and she hoped he didn’t notice how she trembled. “I think you should leave things as they are.”

“What?” She glared at him as he placed a firm hand on her lower back and moved toward the wall. That fierce look turned into a gasp as she noticed he’d moved her so some men in distractingly tight leather pants could wheel a big metal X through the foyer. She wondered how Bryan would look in a pair of pants like that.

She pushed at his chest and narrowed her eyes at him when he didn’t move. “Listen, Sir, I don’t know what kind of women you’re used to, but I assure you I’m not into that…stuff. Your macho he-man attitude doesn’t impress me.”

Amusement sparkled in his eyes. “Really? Is that why your nipples are hard right now, little flame?” He leaned closer as she gasped and crossed her arms. “Are you afraid you might like it? That you might find what’s been missing is something your mother wouldn’t approve of?”

“I-I’m not into such deviant behavior,” she said in a low voice and glanced around to make sure none of the BDSM crowd had heard her. In reality she admired them for their ability to follow their hearts, but there was no way she was letting this man know that. He’d probably toss her over his shoulder and take her to his room and do things with her—wonderful, forbidden things.

“Deviant?” He leaned closer, and his breath was hot against her ear as he said, “If you consider making a submissive overcome her fear of pleasure, making her orgasm until she can’t remember her name, making her feel like she is the only thing in the world that matters deviant, well, I suppose I am.”

Her throat worked as she tried to remember how to breathe. Up close he was overwhelming. She had an insane desire to run her fingers through his silver hair and feel if it was as soft as it looked. It didn’t help that her body had suddenly decided it did indeed want to try all that deviant stuff with someone like him.

No. She’d promised herself she would experiment in the safety and anonymity of VR. This was too much, too soon, and Bryan was definitely dangerous to her newfound independence. She had learned how to stand on her own feet these last two years, and it was a hard and painful lesson she didn’t want to repeat. Having a relationship was strictly off limits.

Besides, strong women weren’t submissive, couldn’t be submissive. In fact, maybe she was a dominatrix. Yeah, that was it. She wanted to be the one wielding the whip. Well, actually the thought of whipping anyone made her ill, but she’d spank them and call them names that didn’t involve swear words.

“Thank you, but no.” She ducked out from beneath his arm, and her body yelled at her in protest. “I must be on my way. Good day, Sir.”

“Wait,” he said in a low voice, and her feet froze to the spot. How did he do that?

“Really, I—”

He gestured toward her shoulder where her blouse had slipped down. “What’s the tattoo of?”

She tugged at her shirt and tried to ignore his bemused smile. “It’s a phoenix rising from the ashes.”

His intense gaze held her for another moment before he hooked his thumbs into his belt. “You surprise me, little flame. Not many people can do that anymore.”

Before she could think of an adequate response, a young and high-breasted brunette dressed as some type of beer girl from a porno movie knelt next to Bryan and asked in a seductive voice, “Master, may I serve you?”

Tanwen’s heart lurched as she compared her body, which had given birth to two babies, with the unmarked and taut frame of the younger woman. Bryan didn’t even glance at her, looking instead down at the brunette with an inscrutable expression. Without another word, Tanwen spun on her heel and marched into the crowd, feeling like a fool.

Bryan gritted his teeth and glared at airheaded girl who wouldn’t leave him alone. He never lacked in attention from submissives who wanted the attention that came with being his sub. This particular girl had been after him for the last few years, and he was getting tired of trying to nicely turn her down. Some people just couldn’t take a hint. “Brandy, I told you not to call me that. I’m not and never will be your master.”

She looked at him through her fake eyelashes and pouted. “Forgive me, Sir. Would you like to punish me?”

He grimaced down at her. She treated him like he was some young dom who would be fooled into giving her what she wanted. “No. Go away.”

The blonde clerk from the front desk hurried to him with some papers in her hand. “Excuse me. Your friend, Ms. Evans, left these on the counter.”

Without bothering to correct her, he gave her a charming smile. “Thank you. I’ll make sure Ms. Evans gets it.”

He moved swiftly through the crowd, trying to follow the pretty blonde woman as she jammed herself into an elevator with her luggage. She must have seen him coming, because her soft cheeks flooded with color and her big hazel eyes grew wide. Before he could reach them, the elevator doors closed. He could almost hear her sigh of relief.

Disbelief followed by amusement had him shaking his head as he stared at the closed doors of the elevator. It had been a long time since a submissive had run away from him. He’d actually become used to subs falling all over his feet at his local BDSM club. He felt a flash of chagrin as he realized he’d become accustomed to the adoration.

A boisterous group of young men dressed in leather piled out of one of the elevators, and he moved out of the way. He enjoyed seeing the next generation experimenting and embracing the BDSM lifestyle, but he wouldn’t trade the experiences that had made him the man he was now for any chance at a second youth. One of the young men gave his partner a kiss while another guy in their group gave them a jealous glare.

That kind of drama he for sure didn’t miss. When you’re young, everything is a crisis. The last sub he’d had as a girlfriend had been fifteen years his junior, and he’d soon grown tired of her fits if he had to work late or her meltdowns over the littlest things. He mentally winced as he recounted how many young women he’d been with over the past four years. For the first time in a long time, he felt he needed a woman who had some experience, a lady in the finest sense of the word. Someone like his late wife.

He sighed and pushed that thought out of his mind and heart. Six years ago, his submissive and wife had passed away from breast cancer. It had taken him a long time to learn how to deal with the hole she left. Her passing had given him a new respect for living every day to its fullest. Katie had such a zest for life, and he missed her.

A high-pitched voice cut through his thoughts, and he rolled his eyes as the noisy redhead domme who had given the desk clerk such a hard time berated the bellman for being slow. Her submissive male was standing off to the side, looking decidedly unhappy and watching her with narrowed eyes. If Bryan had been a betting man, he would have put a thousand dollars down that the submissive wouldn’t be with that domme much longer.

As the redhead pranced across the foyer in her high-heeled black boots, Bryan shook his head in disgust. The BDSM lifestyle attracted its share of assholes and bitches who used the dom title to act like complete jerks, and they annoyed the hell out of him. To them a submissive wasn’t someone to cherish and protect; they were objects to fulfill the wannabe dom’s own selfish desires.

He considered talking to the other founding members of Leather Kiss and having her kicked out but decided to just have her watched instead. His gut told him she was trouble, and he’d be damned if any subs got hurt on his watch because of her. A quick glance at the front desk showed that the line was as long as ever, and he decided to call in a personal favor instead of dealing with that hassle again.

The papers in his hand crinkled, reminding him of the lovely little blonde who had made him rock hard while she trembled beneath his fingertips. If it was just a grocery list or something of that nature, he could probably just throw it away, but if it was something important, he would give it back to the clerk and let her send it to Tanwen’s room.

Oh, he could probably find out her room number and deliver it in person, but he had a feeling that wasn’t the right way to approach her. At first he had mistaken her for a sub because of her calling him Sir, but he quickly realized she was just a polite person. He’d always loved that in a woman. The edge of class and manners usually hid a fiery passion. The way her big hazel eyes had widened as their hands met had furthered his impression she was a sub, and the little tremor that ran through her body as he invaded her personal space had called to the dom in him.

She reacted in every way like an experienced submissive, so he’d been surprised when she claimed otherwise. He wondered if he was the first dom she had ever met. Considering her shocked reaction to everything going on around them, he was pretty sure he was. She wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, and her finger showed no indent or tan line from having worn one anytime recently, but the way she’d stumbled over her last name told him she’d been someone other than Tanwen Evans.

Tanwen wasn’t ready to admit she was a sub, but he’d stake his reputation as a dom that with the right master, she’d be amazing. Already his mind had set on the idea of that master being him. He’d have to approach her as carefully as he would a skittish cat. Too much too soon and she would never come to him. It had to be just the right touch, the ability to let her know he could make her purr like no other man.

The first piece of paper was the itinerary for the convention, but the folded blue floral stationery behind it looked like something personal. After opening the piece of paper, he frowned as he read the feminine handwriting:

The Phoenix List

1) Relearn the pleasure of kissing.

2) Find out if the different types of orgasms really exi—

As soon as he realized what he was reading, he stopped and immediately felt guilty. This wasn’t a grocery list; this was some kind of wish list. He carefully folded the note and placed it in his pocket, removing the temptation to read more before he turned it in to the front desk. His mind raced as he imagined showing her just how enjoyable kissing could be, of feasting on her lips until they were pink and swollen. The things he could show her, the pleasure he could give her would blow her wish list out of the water.

Reality intruded in the form of his old friend Luke’s voice booming across the foyer. “Sarge, you made it.”

Bryan couldn’t help but smile as he spied Luke working his way through the crowd toward him. Their friendship went back to when they were both in the military and Bryan had been Luke’s drill sergeant. “Luke, good to see you.”

Dressed in an impeccable black suit with a pale blue tie that matched his eyes, Luke looked more like a blond GQ model than ever. His teeth flashed white in his tanned face as they shook hands. “Glad I found you in all this chaos. I was wondering if you would want to join me and my family for dinner tonight.”

Bryan glanced down at Luke’s hands and grinned. Luke wore a gold wedding band on each hand, one for his wife, Maeve, and the other for his husband, Angel. Not a conventional relationship by any means, but it worked for them, and Bryan envied their happiness. “I’m afraid I’ll have to pass tonight. I need to be there for the opening celebration at dinner. How about lunch tomorrow?”

“Sounds good.” Luke looked over Bryan’s shoulder at the ever growing line and frowned. “You checked in yet?”

“Not yet. Think you could pull some strings for me?”

Luke nodded as he removed his cell phone from his suit pocket and began to text into it. “So am I finally going to get you into a simulation this year? You’re the only guy I know that comes to the world’s best VR resort and never sets foot in a fantasy.”

Bryan rubbed his lips and considered the note in his hand before putting it in his pocket. “Actually I think I will see what all the VR fuss is about.”

The smile that lit up Luke’s face made him appear five years younger. “Fantastic! I know you think it can’t be as good as real life, but wait until you see the exotic zoo we have set up for your group in VR. It’s amazing. Over two hundred people sharing the same fantasy on a fifty-acre site complete with a hunting preserve. I guarantee you, it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen. Took forever to get the network to handle the demand, but with the new—”

“Well”—he ran his hand over the pocket containing Tanwen’s note—“I have something of a more personal nature in mind. I need you to make sure that I get to be in a particular lady’s fantasies.”

The amusement fled Luke’s gaze, and his back stiffened. “Bryan, you know we keep everything strictly confidential. I wouldn’t feel right abusing our guests’ privacy like that, and I’m more than a little surprised you would even ask me to do that.”

Bryan had to rein in his temper. “I’m not talking about putting me in without her knowledge. That would be dishonorable and just flat-out wrong. If she puts out a—what do you guys call it?—an open invitation for others to join her VR fantasy, I just want first dibs. If her call is for girls or married couples or anything like that, I’ll bow out. But if it’s for a guy and I fit the criteria, I’m just asking for a chance to make her fantasy as amazing as possible.”

Luke considered him, and Bryan returned his gaze. Finally Luke sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “All right. Give me her name, and I’ll give you first dibs on her fantasy if she wants anyone else to join her.”

“Thank you,” Bryan said, and a rush of excitement sent his pulse pounding like it hadn’t in years.

“You know I’m only doing this because I’m afraid if I don’t, you’ll use those dom superpowers on my employees in order to get your way.”

Bryan tried to fight a smile. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Luke shook his head and started for the front desk. “You are such a crappy liar. Let’s get you checked in, and I’ll see what I can do about making your wishes come true.”

Bryan couldn’t help but laugh. “What are you? My perverted fairy godmother?”

Luke snorted. “More like godfather. Be nice to me or I’ll make sure that in VR you have a two-inch dick and testicles the size of pimples.”

Chapter Two

Tanwen pressed a five-dollar bill into the bellman’s hand and practically shoved him out the door of her hotel room and slammed it shut. Before she slumped against it, she made sure all the locks were engaged just in case Bryan somehow followed her. It was a futile effort because as soon as she looked through the peephole and saw him on the other side, her crazed hormones would take over her body, and she would throw open the door and throw up her skirt, demanding that he take her. Or since he was one of those master guys, begging him to take her.

Just the thought made her body flush, and she wondered if menopause was hitting her early. Instead of her hormones dwindling, they were having one last wild hurrah before they left the building. It was a more rational explanation than instant lust for a stranger. That kind of stuff just didn’t happen to her. She wasn’t that kind of girl.

Heck, the two guys she’d had sex with since her divorce hadn’t got her into bed until after months of dating. Even then she had been disappointed in the experiences. The first guy was a nice, respectable executive she had met through a mutual friend. He had been polite, refined, and utterly boring —inside the bedroom and out.

When that didn’t work out, she went the exact opposite direction and tried one of those online dating sites. She’d filled out the app and did everything she could to skew the results so she would get paired with someone daring and unconventional. After two months of dating Mr. Sensitive Ponytail Guy, she realized she was rather conservative and she would never understand or could ever see spending the rest of her life with a guy who cried more during chick flick movies than she did. And he made really weird faces when he orgasmed that made her want to giggle.

Before then she’d had her embarrassing rebound phase. Faced with the prospect of being single in the first time in forever, she’d dated anyone and everyone. She hadn’t had sex with any of them—her mind wasn’t that far gone—but she’d given more than one blowjob she’d regretted in the morning. In her eagerness to feel loved again, she’d gotten way too serious about total morons, making up excuses for their behavior just so she wouldn’t have to be alone. Sherry, her best friend since high school, had staged a dumb-ass intervention, and Tanwen had been humiliated when she realized what she’d been doing.

Which brought her back to the present and a phone call to Sherry, who had some ’splainin’ to do.

As she dug through her purse for her phone, she couldn’t help but admire the room. Decorated in soft shades of peach and chiffon yellow, it was a welcome surprise from the usual bland hotel-room beige she had come to expect. A white lace comforter lay over the brass-framed, king-size bed, and large peach silk throw pillows added a splash of color. Fresh flowers graced the dark walnut furniture, and a small sitting area looked out across the Detroit River and into Windsor, Canada.

She hit the speed dial and stood in front of the large window, admiring the setting sun throwing spangles of shimmering color on the river far below. It rang three times before Sherry answered in her perky office voice, “Dream Tripp’n Travel Agency, Sherry speaking.”

“You rotten, dirty, conniving—”

“Best friend in the whole entire world?” Sherry finished with snicker.

Tanwen scowled at the phone and held it to her ear with her shoulder while she took her sandals off. “You knew there was a whips-and-chains convention going on, didn’t you?”

“You can thank me later,” Sherry replied in a smug voice.

Tossing her shoes in the general direction of the closet, Tanwen prayed for patience. “Thank you for what? Sending me into a real-life dirty movie? I don’t belong with these people, Sherry. I’ll stick out like a sore thumb!”

“Relax,” Sherry said with a world-weary sigh, and Tanwen could just picture her rolling her eyes. “These people are just like you and me.” She ignored Tanwen’s snort and continued, “Outside of the hotel, I’d bet you wouldn’t be able to tell any difference between them and anyone else on the street. This convention is their chance to unwind and relax.”

“I fail to see how carrying a woman around on your back while you act like a horse is relaxing.”

“Now I am jealous. Did you take pictures?”

A smile tugged at Tanwen’s lips, and she tried to keep her voice stern. “No, you degenerate.” She rested her forehead against the glass, looking down the side of the building as her stomach spun. “Why did you send me here this week out of all the weeks? And why did you sign me up for their convention? I mean, you know this isn’t my kind of thing.”

“Do you remember the great divorce cruise of the Caribbean?”

Tanwen lifted her head from the glass and had a moment of vertigo as her eyes tried to comprehend the sudden shift in perspective. “How can I forget? Seven days of fun and steamy destinations with my best friend, that turned into five days of throwing up as our ship was rocked by a tropical storm.”

“It was only four days, and we both lost ten pounds on that trip, which for a cruise is pretty awesome. But I digress. On our first night, we both got out-of-our-minds smashed on rum runners, or should I say you got out-of-your-mind smashed on rum runners. I quit after two and babysat you.”

Tanwen’s stomach lurched at the memory. “Gah, even the smell of rum makes me want to puke. What the heck does that have to do with me being in bondage paradise?”

“I’m pretty sure you don’t remember this because you were able to look me in the face without dying of embarrassment the next day, but you told me all about your secret desires.”

Tanwen took a couple of steps back and slumped onto the cream suede couch and was sure the heat from her blush was going to melt the phone. “I what?”

“I’ll spare you the details, but you were quite intense about your desire to be tied up and spanked. To be told what to do by a man who knew what he was doing. I seem to remember some garbled complaint about men always asking, ‘How’s this? Do you like this? More of this? Less of this?’ You said it was about as sexy as a gyno appointment.”

“Oh God.” Tanwen considered hanging up the phone, but if she did, Sherry was apt to hop on a plane and come there to continue their conversation. Yes, she had planned on coming to Sodom, but not during a BDSM convention. The whole point of doing a VR vacation was to live out her fantasies in a safe place where she didn’t have to worry about the consequences of uninhibited sex with random strangers. Having the BDSM convention here—more importantly having Bryan here—made her want skip the VR altogether and join up with him in the real world. “This is worse than when you took me to that male strip club where I noticed the superhot fireman stripper had razor burn on his inner thighs.”

Sherry laughed. “Okay, so that evening didn’t go quite as planned, but the dancer was very relieved when you told him what cream to use in order to get rid of it. I didn’t think you’d get that worked up about it. I mean, you were coming to Sodom anyways for some sexy-time fun. Why not kill two birds with one stone and explore your fantasies in the virtual world and the real world?”

“Because in the virtual world, I don’t have to worry about someone trying to ride me like a horse!”

“Please. No one wants to ride you like a horse. A pony, maybe, but not a horse.”

A giggle escaped before Tanwen could stop it. She tried not to giggle as she said, “That is not funny.” She tucked her feet beneath her and smoothed her skirt. “Besides, I don’t know if I could face someone in real life after we did…stuff together in one of my fantasies. They might think I’m some kind of pervert.”

“Trust me, no one is going to call you a pervert if they share a fantasy with you. People have a lot kinkier fantasies than whatever you’ve dreamed up. For example, Bernard and I love to fantasize and role-play. In fact I was dressed up just last week as his eighteenth-century English schoolmarm and he—”

“If you never finish that sentence, I will give you a thousand dollars. I do not want to picture your husband in knickers every time we have dinner together.”

“He wasn’t wearing any,” Sherry said with an evil laugh while Tanwen made gagging sounds. “Now back to you. I booked this weekend because this is all about you getting back in touch with the hot and sexy Tanwen we know is hiding beneath that ponytail and baggy jeans. I figured since you would never do something like this on your own, I’d do it for you, and you could put all the blame on me and none on yourself.”

Damn, she hated it when Sherry was right. She leaned forward and curled her bare feet into the carpet. “Sherry, what if they don’t like me? I don’t know anything about their lifestyle, and they’re all so experienced.” The memory of Bryan whispering into her ear flashed through her mind, and her body tightened with arousal.

“Honey, they were all new once. Do you think they came out of the womb in a leather diaper? What would you do if Jeremy told you he was too shy to go meet a group of people he shared a common interest with?”

Tanwen frowned and answered in a dry voice, “I highly doubt my nineteen-year-old biophysics major son, who went on his first date last year, would do something like this.”

“You know what I mean. You would tell him to face his fears and take a chance. You also know he gets his shyness from you, so you’d be setting a pretty crappy example of how to overcome your self-doubt.”

“I fail to see how wearing a latex thong while a stranger calls me a dirty girl is a good example for my son.”

“Now you’re just being bitchy. When’s your first fantasy?”

A quick glance at her watch made Tanwen sigh. “In a half an hour.”

“You’re going to have a blast. What fantasy are you going to do?”

“That is none of your business, Miss Nosy Pants,” Tanwen said in a prim voice.

“Oh God, you sounded just like your mother.”

“I did not!”

Sherry said in a high and nasally voice with a heavy fake New England accent, “Ladies always keep their legs crossed. Ladies wait for the man to open the door. Ladies don’t slouch. Ladies don’t raise their voice—”

“Too bad that one didn’t apply to her yelling at my dad.” Tanwen walked over to where the bellman had put her suitcase on a stand next to the dresser. “And I came to the realization a long time ago that ladies don’t have a lot of fun.”

“Exactly, which is why you need to let your hair down and give in to the hedonistic pleasures that await you at dinner tonight.”

Tanwen laughed and tugged at her shirt. “Seriously what would I even wear? I didn’t bring any leather chaps or edible underwear.”

“You can’t actually wear edible underwear. It melts to your body like a fruit roll-up and can give you a nasty yeast infection. Don’t ask me how I know. I’m sure no one is going to be wearing a leather harness to dinner, and so what if they do? It doesn’t mean you have to, and it certainly doesn’t mean everyone will. Put on that sexy pink dress you got in Jamaica and show off that hot body of yours.”

“What are you, my pimp?”

“Yes, and I expect you to get out there and work it like a hooker on dollar night. Go have fun. I’m here if you need me, just don’t call after ten p.m. unless you want to run the risk of interrupting happy time with my husband.”

“Yuck, and I love you.”

“Love you too.” Sherry’s normally teasing voice turned serious. “Tanwen, you deserve someone who recognizes you for the fantastic woman you are, but watch yourself. I know how easily you bond with people—you can’t help that you have that earth-mother vibe—and I’m afraid you could come home with a submissive in your suitcase. You need to know who you are and love yourself before anyone else can love you. And you need to figure that out on your own without falling in love on vacation like some dippy heroine from a soap opera.” Tanwen snorted, but Sherry continued unabashed. “Have lots of kinky VR sex and take advantage of this opportunity to just focus on yourself and your pleasure. You’ve spent half your life putting your family first. Now it’s time for you to take care of yourself and your needs.”

Before Tanwen could respond, Sherry hung up, leaving her staring at her suitcase. With a tired sigh, she put away her clothing and took her dresses out of the hanging garment bag. The petal pink dress shimmered in the golden light pouring through the windows. It really was a beautiful dress, and she liked how it made her feel soft and feminine.

Slipping her shoes on, she automatically went to put her hair up in a ponytail before she left for her fantasy. After a moment’s hesitation, she decided to leave it long and loose around her shoulders. She still tugged the peasant blouse back up in place, but the decision to wear her hair down made her conscious of the almost sensual feel of it brushing her shoulders. She dithered at the door, putting her hand on and off the handle about a dozen times before laughing at her own foolishness.

It was easy to be brave about facing new and potentially uncomfortable situations when she was focusing on her sons. Knowing she was doing something to make their lives better or make them happy gave her the courage to face any embarrassing situation. Her oldest boy, Brad, found that out the hard way years earlier when she had marched into an unsupervised party when he was fifteen and hauled him out by his ear in front of all his friends.

Just the memory of his shocked expression as he spied her slipping through the crowd of underage, drunk kids made her smile. It was almost as scared as Sherry’s daughter Jenny’s expression when Tanwen nabbed her on the way out of the party. Tanwen’s smile turned into a laugh as she remembered how pitiful Jenny and Brad had looked next to each other on the living room sofa as two sets of parents read them the riot act. That moment must have bonded them together, because now Jenny and Brad were engaged, and Tanwen couldn’t be happier with her future daughter-in-law.

Focusing on that memory, she opened the door and stepped into the hallway with a purpose.

Tanwen sat up as straight as she could and tried to look cool and composed. Not the easiest thing when she perched on the edge of a white silk-covered bed elevated about three feet off the floor by the machinery beneath it. The room itself was small and unremarkable. Soothing cream walls with a floral impressionist painting adding a splash of color. Most of the space was dominated by the VR pod and the bank of electronics that controlled the stimulation.

The VR suites took up three whole floors of the hotel and boasted over three hundred beds. Each guest had their own personal VR concierge who helped them set up their simulations. Tanwen was rather surprised at the appearance of her concierge. Being that this was a VR resort specializing in sexual fantasies, she had been expecting some kind of sultry sex kitten, not an older woman who looked like she wouldn’t be out of place at a church social.

Seated in a battered rose velvet chair before the computer controlling the whole setup was a woman in her late sixties who would have fit in perfectly at Tanwen’s old country club if not for the streaks of vibrant purple in her well-styled salt-and-pepper hair. Her name was Michelle, and she was Tanwen’s VR concierge and a registered sex therapist. At the moment, she looked at Tanwen’s file on the screen of her computer while tapping her lips.

Michelle turned to Tanwen with a smile. “I must say, your fantasies are well thought out.”

Tanwen laced her fingers together in her lap to keep her hands from shaking as she let out a small sigh of relief. She knew it was totally irrational, but she couldn’t banish the voice of doubt in her head that told her Michelle was going to scream in horror when she saw her fantasies and call her a weirdo. “Thank you.”

The computer chair creaked as Michelle turned to face her fully. The woman’s gray eyes were kind, and she leaned forward so her elbows were resting on her knees. “I was pleased at how honest and how detailed you were in filling out your questionnaire. You have no idea how many people I get that feel like they have to lie about what arouses them. Thank you for trusting Sodom and, more importantly, me with your fantasies.”

Happiness coursed through Tanwen, and the smile she gave Michelle this time was real. “It wasn’t easy. I think it took me nine days to finally complete it. That was after going back and changing my answers about a hundred times.”

Michelle nodded. “Sometimes it takes people a while to admit what they want and not feel guilty about it.” She leaned back in her chair and touched her hair. “Take me, for example. For fifteen years, I was a couples therapist until I finally admitted to myself that the type of therapy I was drawn to, that I really wanted to do, was sex therapy. I saw over and over again in my practice couples whose issues all started with various sexual problems. Once I got over the stigma of actually being a sex therapist, I felt happy for the first time in a long time. That’s what being honest with yourself does. It makes you happy.”

Tanwen considered this as she unlaced her hands and stretched them out. They tingled as blood rushed back into her fingertips. “What fantasy do you think I should start out with?”

“Whichever one you want. Today we’ll stick with one from your list, but if you want to deviate from it, let me know at least six hours in advance so I can set up the new fantasy for you.”

“I”—she swallowed and said in a soft voice—“I’d like to try the hot cop one.”

Michelle beamed at her. “Fantastic! I’ve always had a thing for a man in uniform. That power exchange is heady stuff.”

“Power exchange?”

“It’s a term that refers to the exchange of trust and compliance within a relationship, sexual or otherwise.” Michelle turned toward the computer and began clicking on the mouse. “Using the example of the hot cop and the speeder, the power exchange has many layers. The most obvious is the hot cop will arrest you and throw you in jail if you don’t do what he wants. But the speeder has her own power as well. She can at any time say no and accept her jail time instead of serving his deliciously lecherous desires. She willingly gives the hot cop the ultimate authority over her by consenting to do whatever he wants.”

Tanwen felt something resonate inside of her at Michelle’s words. “So I, that is the speeder, really controls the situation?”

“Yes and no. Your partner has an equal say. There may be some things he will refuse to do no matter how much you try to force him. When you give up that control in a power exchange situation, you have to abide by your decision and trust your partner to take care of you.”

A blush burned Tanwen’s cheeks. “I would never force someone to do something.”

“I know. It isn’t in your personality. The BDSM community has a saying: ‘safe, sane, consensual.’ They know they engage in play that can be potentially harmful or outright dangerous in the wrong situation and, as a whole, safeguard against anyone getting hurt. It may sound terribly ironic, but the BDSM community abhors abuse.” Michelle gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Any asshole with a baseball bat can cause someone pain. That doesn’t make them a good master. That makes them an asshole. Not that you’ll have to worry about that here. You have a wonderful sampling of masters from the D/s community assembled for the convention.”

A memory of Bryan’s body dominating her personal space, overwhelming her with his presence, made her blood heat, and her nipples stiffened into hard points. “So someone like a master, experienced with BDSM, would be safe to be with?”

Michelle laughed and lifted the sleeves of her jacket. Around each of her wrists were silver bracelets with tiny gold padlocks. “I don’t think I would ever consider my master one hundred percent safe to be with, but that’s what I like. My husband of twenty-eight years is also my master. That edge of danger, of knowing he is going to test my limits and give me mind-blowing orgasms.” She dropped her sleeves back and turned her full attention on Tanwen, who fought the urge to squirm beneath the strength of her gaze. “Let’s say that you found an unattached master you were interested in at the resort this week. I’d advise you to seek out the submissives wearing collars that match my bracelets, silver collars with little gold locks. Or if you’re feeling brave, masters or mistresses with either a gold belt buckle or an armband with a key symbol etched into the metal. Only doms and subs running the convention will be wearing them, and they’re always happy to talk to a newbie. Ask them about any potential master or mistress you are thinking about playing with, and they’ll let you know if they’re safe or not.” She chuckled. “Well, as safe as a dom can be.”

Tanwen’s mind reeled with the possibilities. Michelle made the whole BDSM scene seem so accessible, so tempting. She’d probably never be in another situation like this with a hotel full of experienced practitioners who could answer all her questions and possibly more. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Michelle winked at her, then turned her gaze back to the computer. “The simulation’s ready to go. You still want to look like yourself, correct?”

“Yeah. Being someone else would just be too weird.”

Michelle nodded. “And did you want a full VR simulation, or do you want to try another guest as a partner?”

Tanwen fidgeted and took a deep breath. Doing this by herself seemed too much like masturbation, and she’d done that enough over the past twenty years. Heck, if this turned out to be a bust, she had packed her vibrator that looked like a tube of lipstick so she wouldn’t have to worry about the baggage screeners seeing an obvious penis-shaped toy in her bag. Not that they would care, but that was the kind of thing she worried about.

“Tanwen? What are you thinking about? Maybe I can help.”

“I-I’d like to try it with another guest.” Butterflies started to form a conga line of anxiety in her stomach. What if the person she was with recognized her while they were in line at the breakfast buffet? She would die of embarrassment. “Can you change my hair color to red and my eyes to green?”

“Sure.” The keyboard clicked as Michelle typed. A few moments went by, and Michelle grunted. “Seems you and I aren’t the only ones who like the hot cop scenario. We have a match.”

“Who is it?”

“Can’t say, patient confidentiality and all of that.” Michelle stood from her chair and stretched. “I’m sure you read it in the paperwork, but that applies for you and I as well. You are my patient for the duration of your stay, and as your therapist, I’m legally bound to keep our private conversations private.”

“Thank you.” Tanwen startled as the bed hummed to life beneath her with a low-level vibration.

“Go ahead and lie back on the bed. I’m going to hook you up, and then your only job is to relax.”

Tanwen resisted the urge to wipe her sweaty palms on the bed. This was suddenly all too real, and her anxiety built as Michelle attached the electrodes to her forehead. It took all her willpower to keep from blurting out that she wanted to do this alone.

After the last pad was in place, Michelle patted her hand. “There will be a small transition period of darkness between reality and virtual reality. When you wake up in VR, you’ll have knowledge of who you are in the scenario. Your partner will have his own set of memories. What you do and how you react is totally up to you. In the event that you want the fantasy to end for any reason, say the word ‘pizzariffic.’ I know it’s an odd term, but it’s the global word throughout the system to boot you out of the simulation.”

Tanwen giggled but repeated the word three times for Michelle. The clear plastic ceiling of the pod slid closed overhead; then it began to glow with soft blue lights. They shimmered and danced over the transparent surface, and Tanwen found them to be rather beautiful. It reminded her of what she’d always imagined the northern lights would look like.

Michelle’s voice was muffled by the thick plastic as she said, “The simulation lasts for three hours. You can spend that time however you choose. Once you’re sexually satisfied, you and your partner might like to do a little exploring. This fantasy has a world of one hundred square miles, so feel free to wander around.”

Tanwen nodded and gave her a thumbs-up. She didn’t know what kind of mattress this was, but it felt like she was floating on a giant cloud. Michelle took a seat in her chair across the room and began to type on the computer. The soft sound of jazzy trumpets came from speakers behind her head, and Tanwen wiggled her toes along with the melody. A clarinet joined in, and she closed her eyes, letting the music form pictures in her mind. Her last thought before slipping into darkness was one of excited anticipation, like being at the top of the first hill of a roller coaster, about to go over the edge and fly.

Chapter Three

Warmth bathed Tanwen’s face, and she squinted against the late-afternoon summer sunlight streaming through the windshield of her turquoise blue 1956 Corvette convertible. As Tanwen gaped at the steering wheel beneath her hands, she thanked her lucky stars that she hadn’t come into VR driving or she would have ended up wrapped around a tree. The song “In the Still of the Night” filled the air with its sweet tune. Tanwen sighed with happiness.

She’d always loved the 1950s, from the fashion to the effortless style that people had exuded, and she sometimes felt like she would have been more comfortable back then than in her own time. Part of it was the innocence of the era—before the days of the sexual revolution—and part of it was the clearly defined roles of men and women. While she couldn’t imagine living without the freedoms she had grown up with, she couldn’t help but think how much easier life would have been if all she had to do was be Donna Reed instead of Supermom. Of course she realized the reality of the 1950s had been nowhere near her fantasies, but that didn’t stop the thrill of absolute delight that ran through her at actually being able to live out her dreams.

A quick glance down showed she wore a white dress with a full skirt edged with embroidered daisies. She looked into the rearview mirror and tilted her head, examining her bold red hair done in careful curls and her mint green eyes. Memories began to fill her head, and she “knew” she was on her way to Lake Tahoe and had pulled off to check her map and make sure she was going the right way.

Sure enough, on the cream leather seat next to her lay a folded map. Everything felt so real. She had to resist the urge to get out of the car and just walk around and marvel at the details. The engine purred beneath the hood, almost begging her to take it for a spin. This had always been her dream car, and even the wonders of the surrounding forest couldn’t compete with the need for speed.

The gravel of the turnoff crunched as she eased onto the paved road. Evidently the car was a little more responsive than her sedate and dignified sedan at home. The scent of pine and cedar seemed to explode as she sped up, and her heart raced with delight.

The mountains were gorgeous, and the surge of adrenaline that coursed through her veins heightened her senses. Twists and turns tested her skill as a driver as she sped past breathtaking views into the valley below and the views of the snow-capped peaks in the distance. The more she drove, the more she became immersed in the fantasy and fake memories until she truly felt like a young woman living in the 1950s.

She felt alive, carefree. The only thing that mattered was getting to Lake Tahoe where a group of her girlfriends were waiting for her. They had all rented an enormous cabin on the lake together, and she was going to spend the next two weeks flirting with handsome men and enjoying life before returning to college. In the real world, she’d never had the chance to be a carefree, single young woman, and she reveled in the sense of regaining something she’d lost.

The song on the radio changed to “Don’t Be Cruel,” and she sang along with Elvis while drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. A nice, long, empty stretch of road opened up before her, providing the perfect opportunity to really see what this car had to offer. With a light tap of her foot, the car leaped forward, and her shriek turned into a laugh as the wind whipped her hair around her face with a stinging lash. The speedometer read ninety miles an hour. It felt like she was flying.

As she passed a giant billboard advertising Lucky Strike cigarettes, a rising howl split the air and cut through her joy like a razor-edged knife. A glance in her rearview mirror confirmed her worst fear. A big black-and-white police car with its lights flashing was getting nearer by the second. For a brief moment, she considered trying to outrun him, but the straight stretch of road was ending, leading back into winding curves that climbed the side of the mountain.

Fear broke out in the form of a stinging sweat on her body as she found a small pull off in a stand of pine trees. Her heart beat so hard she could hear it in her ears as she fumbled for her purse from the floorboards. If she got one more speeding ticket, she was going to lose her license, and her parents would never let her borrow the Corvette again.

A car door opened and closed behind her, and her hands shook as she clasped the purse to her chest. She tried to smooth her hair with a shaky hand and nervously bit her lower lip. When the police officer stopped next to her side of the car, she dared to peek up at him, then gasped.

Bryan stood next to her door and stared down at her with a stern expression on his handsome face. His silver hair gleamed in the golden light of the sun that filtered through the pine trees. The beige police officer’s uniform he wore clung to his broad shoulders and emphasized his muscular forearms. A gun belt hung from his lean waist, and she really wished she could catch a glimpse of his butt. When her gaze returned to his, she could read the amusement in his blue eyes.

He hooked his thumbs in his gun belt, and his expression turned cold enough to make her heart resume its rapid beat. “License and registration please, miss.”

“I—you—I—”

“Miss, have you been drinking?”

She flushed and fumbled with her purse. “No, Bryan—”

“I don’t believe we’ve met before, miss, and I would appreciate if you gave me the courtesy of referring to me as Officer Nendez.”

She stared at him, and he gave her a small wink before returning to his frosty glare. In the distance, a bird trilled in the trees, and a soft breeze cooled the sweat on her skin. He couldn’t have been any more clear in his desire for her to play along with the fantasy. The question was, did she want to play with him? Something in his stance shifted, and her gaze was drawn back down the length of his body, admiring the hard angles. No softness there; he was a man who worked hard and kept himself in shape. At least in the fantasy he did.

It took some effort to remember this wasn’t real, it was all a computerized scene created in her mind. That thought both disturbed her and made this easier. It disturbed her because it felt so real, and she could imagine becoming lost in this virtual world and forgetting who she was. Even now she had two sets of memories from this morning: one involved boarding a plane in Denver and flying to Detroit; the other had her waking up at her parents’ house in California and begging her father to let her borrow the Corvette. On the other hand, because this wasn’t real, being with Bryan was no threat to her independence. They were just two people enjoying playing a really advanced, really adult video game together. Nothing more, nothing less.

She’d just ignore the fact that the butterflies in her stomach were more from seeing Bryan than from what was about to happen.

Her body certainly wanted to play with him, and her nipples stiffened to aching tips beneath the thin white fabric of her dress. Before she could chicken out, she handed him her license and said, “Please forgive me, Officer Nendez.”

Their fingers brushed as he took it from her, and her skin tingled. Heck, her whole body tingled. She nervously licked her lips as he examined her license. “Do you know how fast you were going, Miss Evans?”

The memory of watching the needle on the speedometer push past ninety flashed through her mind, but she tried to keep her voice light as she said, “No, Officer, I have no idea.”

His firm lips thinned into a narrow line of disapproval, and she laced her hands together on her lap. If her license was revoked, she would be stuck riding the bus or, worse yet, having to ask her parents to drive her around. Her sorority sisters would laugh their butts off.

“Don’t lie to me. You know exactly how fast you were going. I can see it in your face.”

She tried to school her features into something resembling innocence, but she must have failed miserably, because he pulled out the pad of tickets from his back pocket and fished a pen from his shirt.

“Please, Officer Nendez, sir, I didn’t mean any harm.”

He shook his head and clicked his pen. “Very reckless behavior. I would hate to have seen someone as beautiful as you become a victim of your own lack of self-control.”

The compliment burned through her like a shot of good whisky even as she bristled at his criticism. “Officer, I wouldn’t have crashed. I’m a very careful driver.”

“And that’s what makes you dangerous, Miss Evans. You don’t know your limits.”

His blue eyes held her captive as she weakly said, “You’re right. I don’t.” She tried to pretend she was just playing along with the fantasy, but the truth of her words resonated within. She had lived most of her life following the rules, blending in, doing nothing to draw attention or embarrassment to her husband and sons. What did they call it? Ah yes, “vanilla.” She had eaten only vanilla ice cream for the last twenty years, and she was dying for a taste of something different. Something dark and rich that would shock her taste buds and leave them yearning for more.

He watched her, and she felt more exposed just by his look than if he had stripped her naked. “Perhaps you need someone to show them to you.”

Goodness, he was making it her choice. Her conscious decision. This must be that power exchange thing Michelle had been talking about. It was certainly heady stuff, occupying her attention so completely she could only think about Bryan. She wondered what it would be like to kiss him, to feel that strong body pressed against hers. To know what it meant to be with a dangerous man like that.

She took a deep breath and kept her gaze focused on the gold badge on his chest. “Is there anything I can do to convince you to give me a warning, Officer?”

“What are you talking about, Miss Evans?”

Damn him, he was going to force her to say it. Heat flooded her cheeks and ran through her body, pooling between her legs, where her pussy began to throb. “I’d be willing to do…anything to convince you not to give me a ticket.”

He placed the notebook in his back pocket and returned the pen to his shirt. “What do you mean by anything?”

Unable to say the words, she fumbled with the top button of her dress. In a perverse way, it was easier for her to show him what she wanted rather than tell him.

When she reached the second button, his cold voice stopped her. “I didn’t tell you to take your clothes off.”

Startled, she glanced up at him as he opened the car door and held out his hand. After turning the car off, she stood and smoothed her skirt. It took an incredible amount of bravery on her part to take his hand. Her body hardly felt connected to the earth as he pulled her out and pressed her length against his. The gun belt dug into her waist, and a very hard erection nudged her belly. He just held her there, and she slowly relaxed into his embrace and took a deep breath of his scent. Leather, gun oil, and man.

“What is your safe word?” She tried to look away, but he gently cupped her chin in his hand, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Do you know what a safe word is?”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I have no idea what that means.”

“Your safe word is a word you can say, any word you want, that will immediately stop our play. You only use it in an emergency or when you can’t endure any more.” His voice took on a stern edge that turned her knees to water. “A safe word is not just for when you don’t feel comfortable with something or you’re a little bit scared. You’re trusting me to lead your body and mind where it needs to go, to give you pleasure, and I’m trusting you to let me do that.”

She bit her lower lip and nodded. “I’d like my safe word to be pineapple.”

He laughed, and some of the cold went out of his eyes, replaced by a delicious warmth that radiated from the pit of her stomach and out into her limbs like a low-voltage current. “Pineapple?”

“Yeah, I’m allergic to them, so it’s a word I won’t forget. I figured it was better than using stop as a safe word.”

“Smart girl.” He leaned down, and his lips brushed her ear, sending an erotic charge through her. “Your safe word is pineapple. If you say it, all play stops. I’ll go easy on you since it’s your first time.”

Oddly enough, she felt a flash of disappointment when he said that. He must have sensed it, because he chuckled. “I believe you and I have very different interpretations of easy. Are you ready to play with me, Miss Evans?”

“Yes, Officer.”

Bryan wanted nothing more in the world than to flip that fluffy white skirt over her head and fuck her until she couldn’t walk. She was such a delicious combination of innocence and need, and her submissive nature aroused his dominant side. Even more important, she had truly surprised him.

Her choice of fantasy hadn’t been what he imagined at all. Instead of the jail cell encounter he expected, she had put them in a marvelous world that told him a lot about her. This fantasy was fun, and if they had some time after they were done playing, he really wanted to take his lady for a cruise in her car and show her what it could really do. He’d always had a weakness for Corvettes. He wondered why she’d picked this particular car out.

She pressed the softness of her hips into his, and he amended that plan. Three hours wouldn’t be enough time to savor her lovely little body. “Before we begin, what are your limits?”

She stiffened in his arms. “My what?”

“Your hard limits are things you absolutely won’t do. Your soft limits are things you might do under the right circumstances.” He looked into her eyes, and she felt like he could see into her soul. “For example, I don’t think you’re the type of sub who’d like to use needles, fire, or blood.”

She gaped at him. “Seriously? You like that?”

He smiled and shook his head. “No, I’m not into the rougher stuff. But don’t try to change the subject. I want you to think about what your limits are. Your limits aren’t set in stone, you can and probably will change them in the future as you learn and grow, but for right now, just tell me what absolutely turns you off.”

She leaned back, and he laced his fingers over the top swell of her bottom, supporting her as she unconsciously trusted him to not let her fall. “I don’t like to be called names or made fun of. I also don’t like any of those things that you mentioned.” She shivered. “I’m a little claustrophobic, and the thought of wearing one of those masks like I saw in the lobby where the poor guy couldn’t see or hear and just had a little slit to breath out of makes me sick.”

“What about anal sex?”

Heat flooded her cheeks, and she cleared her throat. “I’ve tried it, but I didn’t like it very much. My hus—uh, my partner didn’t really know what he was doing.”

He grinned at her and delighted in the way she immediately smiled back. He wanted her a little apprehensive of him, a bit off balance, but not scared. “Perhaps we shall try it sometime. I assure you, little flame, I do know what I’m doing, and you would beg me not to stop as you orgasmed with my cock in your ass.”

The shocked look she gave him made him want to laugh, but he managed to keep a straight face as she continued to stare at him with a mixture of shock and desire.

“I agree with your hard limits.” He shifted his stance, purposely looming over her. “I have your safe word, pineapple, and the safe word to get you out of the simulation. Use them only if you must. If I feel like you’re just using it because you’re scared and unsure rather than actually fearful for your life, I’ll stop the simulation myself. You need to allow me to take the lead to let me show you what I know you’re capable of.”

Her lips softened, and the tip of her tongue darted out to wet them. Even his self-control had its limits, and he found himself dipping down to capture her mouth in a kiss before he even realized it. She stiffened at the first gentle pressure of his touch, then moaned against his mouth when he gently sucked on her lower lip and bit it. So she did like a bit of sting with her pleasure. She tasted good, feminine with a hint of cherry lip gloss.

Gentle at first, he took his time, licking the seam of her lips and nibbling her mouth until she parted her lips and invited him in. Then he made the kiss hard, demanding, owning her mouth with his tongue as he explored her. Her tongue stroked against his, hesitant at first, then bolder as she elicited a hungry growl from him. She was such a unique blend of innocence and experience.

Her hands tangled in his hair, and she practically climbed his body as she gave herself fully to the kiss. The firm press of her breasts against his chest made him eager to play with them, to coax sensations from her body he bet no one ever had. When she began to rub her hips against his in a way that made him want to spill in his pants like a teenager, he broke the kiss, chuckling as she made a complaining sound that turned into a husky groan.

What a beautiful sight she was. Lips pink and swollen, a bit of beard burn on her chin, and those beautiful eyes looking up at him with surprise and a trust that touched him deeper than anyone had in a long time. “Please don’t stop,” she said in a low voice and offered herself to him again.

He stepped back and purposely put some space between them. “Turn around and put your hands on the hood. Pull your dress up around your waist and spread your feet.”

For a long moment, she hesitated, staring at him with a pleading expression. Her lower lip actually trembled, and he had to resist the urge to soothe her. That wasn’t what she needed from him. “You have ten seconds to make up your mind, Miss Evans, before I call this whole thing off and write you a ticket.”

She flushed enough to match her hair and spun around. He noted how her hands shook as she bunched the material of her skirts up around her waist. She wore stockings, held in place by sexy white garters. Silky white panties molded to her well-rounded bottom. His cock ached, and he gripped it through the stiff fabric of his pants. She arched her back, balancing on her demure white kitten heels while he waited for her to get up the nerve to look at him.

A soft breeze blew a strand of shining auburn hair across her cheek, and he forced himself to remain still, to wait her out. The tensing of her buttocks gave her away before she stole a glance over her shoulder at him. Whatever she saw in his expression made her look quickly back around to face the car’s hood. The gravel crunched beneath his boots as he stepped up behind her and let her feel the heat from his body. Instead of going for her exposed bottom, he moved aside the mass of red curls and uncovered the curve of her neck.

She struggled to remain still, slight shifts of her feet and hips betraying her nervousness as much as the pulse pounding on the side of her throat. Using just the tips of his fingers, he traced a path from the downy soft hair on the back of her neck, over to her ear, and down to rest lightly on her pulse. “Miss Evans, you do know you have to be punished for breaking the law.”

Her shallow breathing made her voice come out in a whisper. “Yes, Sir.”

Oh, he loved it when she called him that. Would love it even more when she called him Master. “I’m going to take my belt off and spank you.” Her pulse jumped underneath his fingertips, and he swore he could smell a surge in her arousal. “If you take your punishment like a good girl, I’ll reward you. If you disobey me and fight it, we’ll start all over again. Do you understand?”

“I-I… Sir…” She glanced up at him, his finger still on her pulse as panic filled those pretty eyes.

“Little flame, I’m not going to do any of the things you put on your hard list.” He leaned over her and rested his cock between the silk-covered globes of her ass and bit the side of her neck hard enough to hurt. She gasped and thrust her butt at him, rubbing it against his dick as he continued to nibble and lick away the sting. He pulled back and whispered in her ear, “I’ve found a bit of pain, done in the right way with the right woman, can make her orgasm like she never has before.”

“Oh my. Yes, Sir.”

He regretfully moved away from the fullness of her ass and promised himself that someday he would shove his cock in there while she came. But not today. He slowly slid the belt from the loops around his waist and slapped the leather against his palm. She jumped but quickly placed her hands back on the hood.

“I want you to try to relax. Let your muscles go loose and accept the kiss of my belt, accept that I’m going to be touching you soon, stroking my body over your skin, warmed from your punishment, and dipping my fingers into your wet cunt.”

The first gentle strike of leather against the bottom of her butt cheeks made her flinch, then relax. He followed with another slap to her left thigh, then her right, working her and waking up her nerve endings. She responded beautifully, holding still for him as her hands clenched into fists on the hood of the car.

“Now put your hand between those pretty legs and play with yourself.”

She flinched, the fair skin of her bottom and thighs red from his strikes. When she just placed her hand between her legs and gave a token stroke, he decided it was time Tanwen learned the price of disobeying his wishes.

The next strike of the belt straight across her bottom gave a satisfying crack that silenced the singing of the birds and allowed him to hear her yelp, then a gasp and soft moan. With his free hand, he cupped his fingers over hers and pressed her palm against her mound. To his delight, her panties were soaking wet with her arousal. When her hand moved beneath his, stroking herself, he smiled.

“That’s a good girl.” He traced the delicate bones of her hand, enjoying the silk of her skin. “Stroke that pretty pussy, but you may not orgasm.”

She stiffened, and he waited to see if she would argue with him. Excitement lit his blood as he allowed himself the pleasure of running his hand over her bottom. She tilted her hips into his touch and made a little mewling sound that drew his balls up tight. She widened her stance until most of her weight was supported by the Corvette. Gravel crunched beneath his boots as he leaned back enough to enjoy the view.

She’d moved aside her panties, and with her skirts pushed up around her waist, he had a glimpse of hot pink flesh and red curls that glistened with her juices. He hadn’t told her to but decided to let her mistake go as he couldn’t find the strength to deny himself the sight of her wet cunt. A nice, full pussy with inner lips that protruded out, begging to be sucked. Her cheek pressed against the hood, showing him her profile as she closed her eyes and moaned. She brought the hand that wasn’t busy teasing her pussy to her mouth, biting her knuckle as her hips began to rock in earnest to her touch.

While he didn’t know her well enough to read her personal signals, he had enough experience with women to know when one was close to orgasm. After he told her not to. He debated stopping her but decided to egg her on, to see if she would come against his wishes. When she did—and he had no doubt she would as she rubbed her clit in increasingly hard motions—she would pay the price for disobeying him.

With that plan in mind, he decided to play the devil’s advocate and push her over the edge. She seemed to like dirty talk, and swear words definitely hit a hot button with her. He stepped closer and trailed the belt over her body, giving her little slaps here and there, little stinging kisses of leather. “That is a lovely cunt you have, Ms. Evans. Tight, wet, and begging for my cock to ram inside of it. For my balls to slap against your ass while I fuck you.”

She moaned and went to her tiptoes, the car rocking slightly with the motion of her hips as she began to finger fuck herself in earnest. Her other hand joined the first, and he knelt behind her, his face level with her pussy, watching how she worked herself. With the froth of her skirts framing her body, she reminded him of some kind of sweet candy surrounded by its wrapper. Her inner thighs shone with her cream, but he didn’t dare take a taste. As it was, his self-control hung by a string and his cock felt as if it was going to explode in his pants.

Her body tensed, thigh muscles trembling as she frantically worked herself. He took a deep breath of her musk, pulling the smell of delicious pussy deep into his body. “You have a rather big clit, Ms. Evans. Right now it’s sticking out, swollen and stiff, begging me to suck it. Would you like that? Do you want my mouth on your pussy, licking you while you come all over my face?”

He quickly stood and waited for the first contraction of her orgasm. Sure enough, her body bucked against her fingers, and he was surprised to find out his little flame was a screamer. She held nothing back, her delicious cries ringing across the forest as she came. He put some force behind his hand and began to spank as she came and came.

“I told you not to orgasm.” Smack. “You disobeyed me.” Smack. “Willful sub.” Smack.

Her hands fisted on the hood, and she tossed her hair back, a blazing sheet of embers in the late-afternoon light. “I’m sorry, Sir. I thought—”

“You don’t think.” Smack. “You obey my wishes in all things.” A softer spank now, lower on her bottom, on the tender curve where the thigh met the buttock. “You exist for my pleasure.” He gave his final slap directly on her pussy and enjoyed the gratifying yelp of pain. He had a small sadistic streak, especially when a sub responded to pain. Oh how he would enjoy finding this woman’s limits and pushing her beyond them. To teach her how the fire of submission could burn away everything until she became a phoenix in truth.

Chapter Four

Tanwen cried out as the last spank hit her swollen flesh. Her clit still throbbed with her hard orgasm, and the smack sent bolts of pain through her pussy that faded into a pounding warmth. Darn that man, he’d made her disobey him, made her orgasm. She had totally forgotten his demand when he began to speak to her in that wonderfully deep voice, telling her all those naughty things that lit her on fire from the inside out.

She was jerked out of her thoughts when he pulled her off the hood and wrapped his arms around her. The evidence of his arousal dug into her backside like an iron bar, and she wiggled against him. It was nice to know he wasn’t as unaffected as he pretended to be. She’d never been with a man with so much self-control, and it drove her crazy. Made her want to watch him take his pleasure with her.

Normally the knowledge of the kinky things he’d just done to her, that she had willingly participated in, would have brought an arousal-killing shame. But because this was VR, it didn’t really count. She could do anything she wanted, be as wanton as she’d always dreamed without any of the embarrassment. A sense of freedom followed on the heels of her realization and sent a shudder through her body that caused Bryan to growl in approval.

His long fingers undid the buttons on her bodice one at a time as she sagged against him. Strong and steady, he took her weight easily. The burning pain of his spanking, both with the belt and his hand, stung as the crinoline of her underskirt scratched against her tender bottom. She tried to move her hips away, but he pulled her back without saying a word, waiting until she stopped wiggling before continuing with her buttons.

Her dress now hung open to the waist, and he smoothed it down her shoulders, leaving her standing in her bullet bra with her dress bunched around her waist where anyone could see her. Moments before, with his voice driving her to unknown heights of delicious depravity, her exposure hadn’t even been a thought. Now the idea of anyone driving past, seeing them, made her arousal surge.

She unhooked her bra and shimmed it down her arms. With her breasts exposed, nervousness and embarrassment pushed back her arousal, and she clasped her hands together, unsure what to do next. Once again he seemed to read her mind and held her breasts in his hands and gave each nipple a hard squeeze. She was surprised at how pink her nipples looked—very pink against his tanned fingers as he stretched and molded them.

“Beautiful tits, a soft handful that any man would love.” He rolled her nipples with his thumbs, and sparks of pleasure shot through her. “I love the freckles on them, each one begging for a kiss. I bet they taste like cinnamon.”

She flushed and relaxed back into his chest, a soft moan of pleasure escaping as he pinched her nipples harder and harder still until she ground her backside into him.

“My little flame, I can’t wait to get these lovely nipples into some clamps.” He used his nails, scraping over her breasts hard enough to leave red trails on her pale skin. “You mark so beautifully.”

Her breasts had never been very sensitive, and men usually didn’t do enough to them to make it anything more than pleasant. His firm, almost painful treatment of her breasts was everything she’d ever wanted but hadn’t known it. While his pinches and tugs hurt, they also felt wonderful. She wiggled her backside against him, and he groaned deep in his throat.

“Hands behind your back.”

Before she was even aware of it, she had followed his instructions like it was second nature. A moment later, cool metal snapped over her wrists, and she jumped. When she tried to jerk her hands apart, she realized he’d put handcuffs on her. His firm hands gripped her waist and spun her around before setting her back on the hood. All the moisture in her mouth dried up when he slowly pulled down the zipper of his pants and freed a very, very thick erection.

His fist barely closed around it as he stroked his dick from the base of his shaft to the tip, squeezing out a drop of precum that glistened in the dappled sunlight. Her body flushed with heat, and a deep ache started in her pussy. She parted her legs in silent invitation, trying to keep her balance. Instead of diving between her legs, he continued to stroke his dick. She became mesmerized by the slide of his hand up and down his shaft. The need for that wonderful erection inside of her grew until she thrust her hips with each stroke.

“Tanwen, I’m going to fuck you now.”

It wasn’t a question; it was a statement. He moved between her legs and lifted her dress out of the way. He ran his hands up her thighs, tracing the outline of her garters and moving aside her panties with a butterfly-soft touch. She looked up and found him watching her, his ice blue eyes locked on her face. Unable to look away, she felt a sense of terrible intimacy as he ran the velvety head of his cock over her sopping-wet entrance. He moved the broad head of his shaft around and around before flicking her clit with his dick, rubbing the edge of his glans over that little bundle of nerves until she had to strain to keep her eyes open.

“Please, Sir,” she whispered as he rested his erection against her entrance.

“You can do better than that. Beg for me.”

She flushed and tried to look away, but he captured her chin in an almost cruel grip and made her focus on him. The head of his cock sank just the tiniest bit into her.

“Please, put your erection inside of me.”

His smile was cruel. “Say, ‘Please, Sir, put your cock inside of my wet cunt.’”

He arched his eyebrows and pulled back until he barely grazed her body. The words tumbled from her lips. “Please, Sir, put your…cock inside my wet …my wet cunt.”

“Good girl.” He grasped her hips and began to push inside her, stroking along her swollen inner tissues, spearing her with his dick. So big, it felt as if he filled her completely. The entire time, he held her gaze, the blue ice of his eyes melting into a searing blue flame. Her thigh muscles trembled as he abruptly jammed the last few inches into her until her clit ground against his pelvis, and she wrapped her legs around his waist with a low moan. He ran his hands over the still-sore belt marks on the backs of her thighs, scraping his nails over them, making them sting.

He must have felt her clench, because he groaned and captured her lips in a kiss. The softness of his lips was a delicious contrast to the steel of his dick moving in and out of her, strokes made smooth by her wetness. Because of her bound hands, she couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything more than squeeze him with her inner muscles as he took her.

With that knowledge came a sense of relief. She didn’t have to worry about pleasing him or trying to figure out what he wanted. He was in utter control of the situation and knew exactly what to do to make her crazy. Their tongues stroked against each other, mimicking the movements of their bodies. He dug his nails into her thighs, and she moaned into his mouth, loving the edge of pain. It struck her as utterly depraved and naughty that he treated her in such a rough manner and she wanted more.

He began to pound into her, the wet slap of flesh meeting flesh mixing with the sounds of birds in the trees. In the distance, she thought she heard a motor rumbling, and she imagined what an erotic picture they made. The motor got louder, and as it pulled closer, she became more frantic, shoving herself at him as best she could, grinding her pelvis in tight circles against the hard sections of his lower abdomen.

He released her lips and gripped her hair tight, pulling her head back. “When that car gets here, you’re going to come. I want them to see how beautiful you look screaming while I fill you with my seed.”

She fought against his hold on her hair until he tightened his fist and delicious streaks of pain went from her scalp straight to her pussy. He turned her head so she could watch the road and catch the shine of a windshield coming up the road. Inside her, his cock seemed to swell. His movements became frantic, slamming his body into hers.

A truck lumbered around the corner, and he reached between them, then pinched her clit in a cruel vise that had her screaming. The orgasm seemed to detonate from somewhere deep inside of her, setting off explosions through her body that ended and began where she and Bryan were joined. All she could do was shriek her pleasure into the sky as Bryan growled deep in his throat and shuddered, his cock jerking and twitching inside her. He gave her clit a few last gentle strokes before gathering her into his arms and placing tender kisses along her cheeks and forehead. She felt like her skin should be glowing with visible sparks of pleasure to match the sensations still humming through her nervous system.

That was so, so good.

A deep, utterly content sigh escaped her lips, and she cuddled close to him—well, as close as she could with her hands still behind her back. Bumping his chin softly with her nose, she said, “Think you can unlock the cuffs now, Officer?” Her voice came out in a husky rasp, and she wondered how loud she had screamed. Her ex had always tried to muffle her on the rare occasions she’d had an orgasm, but Bryan seemed to like it.

He placed a kiss on her nose, so at odds with his rough handling of her earlier that her stomach fluttered. He removed his still-hard dick and pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, cleaning himself off before sliding back into his pants. As his seed ran out of her, she felt a delicious little naughty thrill. Here, in broad daylight before God and who knows what trucker, he’d made her feel more alive than she’d felt in a long, long time.

To her surprise, he folded the handkerchief over to a clean section and lightly stroked between her legs, cleaning her up in an efficient manner that also aroused her. That alone astonished her. Usually after a good orgasm, she was the one ready to go to sleep. With Bryan, she felt kind of like a teenager with her first car. She couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel again and see where fate would take her.

He pulled the damp silk of her panties back in place and patted her mound, sending a little buzz through her nerves. After unlocking her wrists, he examined them and frowned at the deep red marks. “Next time I’ll have to remember to use padded cuffs. You seem to have a very high pain tolerance when you’re aroused, and I think you could unwittingly hurt yourself.”

His concern surprised her, and she pulled her hands out of his grasp to rub her wrists. The warmth in his touch battered at the carefully erected walls around her heart, and she didn’t like it. He was here for the sex, just like she was. It was time to remind them both of that fact. “Well, this is just VR. It’s not like anything that happens here counts in the real world.”

The blue of his eyes went from a warm flame to ice, and she inwardly winced. Maybe she’d been a bit blunt, but he should be happy that she understood this was a onetime thing. After all, casual dating was all the rage nowadays. Every TV show she watched seemed to feature people sleeping with each other like it had no more meaning than blowing your nose.

She awkwardly pushed herself off the car and pulled the top of her dress back into place. Without a bra, her breasts poked through the thin linen, but she had no idea where her bra had gone. Bryan tilted his head to the side and watched her attempt to straighten her clothing. She had the oddest feeling she should be apologizing to him for something.

Trying to salvage the situation, she forced a smile and crossed her arms over her chest. “That was very nice. Thank you.” His eyes narrowed, and she scooted around him to the door of the Corvette. “We still have some time left. I think I’ll go for a drive.”

Still he said nothing.

Her hands shook as she slid into the bucket seat and turned the car on. The throaty roar of the Corvette still sent a shot of joy through her, but the burning cold of Bryan’s gaze dampened it. A quick glance out of the corner of her eye confirmed he continued to stand there, his powerful arms over his chest as he watched her. His face seemed to be carved out of a block of stone.

“Well, thank you for the pleasant afternoon.” She considered shaking his hand, but it seemed odd after having had him inside her, making her feel special and wonderful and oh so vulnerable. The silence stretched between them, and she flinched when he moved. She tapped her foot on the accelerator, making the engine race.

His strong, tanned hands gripped the edge of the door as he leaned in. She looked up at him, her gaze fastening on his lips, firmed into a stern line. That need to apologize bubbled up in her again, and she ruthlessly pushed it away. He studied her, and she gripped the wheel until her knuckles turned white.

“You know”—his voice came out in a rumble deeper than the engine—“I’ve never had a woman describe her time with me as ‘pleasant’ before.”

She blinked up at him, wetting her suddenly dry lips. “I-I had a nice time,” she said and realized how lame that sounded. She’d had an amazing time and would never forget this day. Heck, this experience would be the one she gauged the rest of her lovemaking against for the rest of her life. But she couldn’t tell him that. He was an experienced lover and dom; he probably had fantastic women that knew what they were doing in bed all the time. Beautiful, young women who knew how to follow his commands and were the perfect submissives. It wasn’t like he’d picked her. He’d picked the fantasy, and she’d just happened to be here.

“Little flame.” He stroked the side of her face with a tender touch that sent a rush of sparkling tingles through her body. “Will you be coming to the convention dinner tonight?”

She allowed him to cup her cheek and slightly turned her head, smelling a touch of his masculine cologne on his wrist. “I don’t know. I guess I have to if I want to eat.” She glanced at him and then stared at his chest, unable to take the intensity of his gaze.

His voice held a trace of laughter, and when she looked up, she was glad to see his eyes had thawed somewhat. She’d never seen blue eyes as expressive as his, but they seemed to reflect his soul. Hot and cold, ice and fire that kept her guessing. She looked up and met those amazing eyes that were now the warm blue of a summer sky. “I have some convention business to do after this, but I would like you to sit with me and some of my friends at dinner.” He must have seen the flash of fear in her eyes, because he chuckled. “Don’t worry, it’s only dinner. I just want you to meet some of the people at the convention. I think it will help you realize that normal, everyday people can enjoy being kinky and still be good people.”

“I don’t know,” she said when all she wanted to do was giggle. Goodness, this man was dangerous to her newfound sense of independence. Gathering her confidence, she said, “I came here for new experiences, to see new things and uh—people. Just casual.”

Instead of calling her a slut, he simply nodded with a thoughtful look. “I can understand and appreciate that. You are a beautiful woman who deserves to sample everything the world has to offer.” His fingertips traced down the column of her neck and dipped to caress her collarbone. “What if you considered me your tour guide in decadence? I promise nothing you want to try will offend me or make me think anything less of you. Nothing serious, simply two people exploring their sexuality together.”

This man could tempt the devil. Her breathing picked up as his hand dipped lower, tracing the top curve of her breast until her nipples tightened into aching points. “Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have a perverted friend.”

The low rumble of his laughter did funny things to her body, and a rush of warmth tightened her pussy. He removed his hand from her dress and started to trace tiny, tight circles around her nipple, bringing the focus of her world to that tender nub. “I’d like to be your master for the duration of your stay here, Tanwen.” She started to protest, and he gave her nipple a cruel pinch that silenced her in a rush of desire. “I’d like to be a part of your VR fantasies. In the real world, I’ll be nothing more than a good friend, but I do hope you’ll spend time with me there as well. I would like you to trust me to take care of you and your desires. You need to let go of your careful control and let someone else do the worrying.”

“Why me?”

His gaze softened, and he stroked the back of his knuckles up the side of her neck. “I find you fascinating. You’re such an interesting mix of passion and restraint. I enjoy introducing newbie subs to the pleasures of BDSM and helping them achieve all the satisfaction they deserve.”

The warmth of his compliments pooled in her belly and swelled her heart with happiness. He wove such a seductive image she found herself melting into his gaze even as her body stiffened with want. “Okay.” Her flagging sense of self-preservation rallied, and she added, “But I can call the deal off at any time if it’s not working out.”

The sunlight caught the silver in his hair as he tilted his head, considering her for one long moment before nodding. “Agreed. However once you call our deal off and walk away, you need to be aware that I won’t take you back without some serious begging.”

She almost laughed, but the somber look in his eyes stopped her. “Yes…Sir.”

His smile seemed brighter than the sun, and returning it was as natural as breathing. He leaned in and whispered against her mouth, “Excellent. I’ll see you at dinner tonight.” His breath stroked over her lips, and she inhaled him, drawing his essence into her body. “A woman named Margo will be there to meet you at dinner. She is the wife and submissive of one of my best friends and will be more than happy to answer any of your questions.”

He nipped her lower lip, and her voice came out in a husky whisper. “Okay.”

The sunlight haloed around his head as he leaned back and smiled down at her. “Little flame, we are going to have so much fun together. Pizzarific.”

She gasped as he dissolved before her eyes, leaving her staring at an empty stretch of road. As she rubbed her hands over her face, she could still smell him on her skin. Cupping her palms over her nose, she took in a deep breath of his scent and smiled, then began to laugh. What in the world was she thinking? Telling an experienced, devastatingly handsome dom that he could be her master for the next four days. She eased the Corvette out of the turnoff and took a deep breath of the clean mountain air.

Sexual freedom and exploration was the goal of this vacation, not seeing just one guy. Then again, he had said she could do whomever she wanted. To be honest, the thought of sleeping with a bunch of strangers didn’t arouse her in the least, but she felt like it should. In her fashion magazines, all the articles talked about women having the same right as men to sleep around, but in her heart of hearts, that thought just didn’t appeal to her. She’d always been a one-man kind of girl.

But what if that one man was with her when she was with those other people? It would certainly make things more fun, and Bryan looked like the kind of guy who could take care of her and himself. She must be going crazy, trusting a stranger to take care of her.

A little voice in her mind scolded her for even considering this. No nice girl would ever shame her reputation like she was about to do. The older, more mature part of her told that little voice to shut the hell up. A giggle bubbled from somewhere deep inside and turned into a full-fledged laugh as the pavement sped away beneath the tires of the Corvette.

She could do this. She could embrace her buried wild side, the part of her soul she had pushed down all those years ago when she’d had her first son at seventeen and had to become a mother at such a young age. Maybe she was having a midlife crisis—if women even had that—but if this was one, she didn’t care. It felt so darn good to just let go and have someone else make the decisions for once, to trust herself to some very masterful hands.

The only thing she had to keep in mind was that this was a limited-time-offer type of thing. Four glorious, decadent days with Bryan and then she would return to her life, a sensual woman reborn. The memory of Bryan’s amazing eyes flashed through her thoughts, and she frowned. She had to remember to keep her distance, to think of him as no more than a friend with benefits. Yeah, Bryan was firmly stuck in the friend box, the not-relationship-material box.

With that thought in mind, she turned up the radio and sang along to “Earth Angel” at the top of her lungs.

Chapter Five

Tanwen fiddled with the belt of her pink dress, making sure the little jeweled bow lay centered on her waist. The halter neck was tight enough to keep her breasts raised up, and the built-in support that gave her rather nice cleavage was worth the extravagant cost of the dress. While the color of the silky fabric brought out the last of her summer tan, she really wished the frothy material was black instead of cotton candy pink. Right now she stuck out like a pink cloud among all the black leather, spandex, and lace. At least her phoenix tattoo was clearly visible on her shoulder. That had to help her blend in a little more with this crowd.

While everyone was in evening wear, it definitely ran toward the risqué. Corsets seemed to be the accessory of choice. She adored how they made the women’s—and some of the men’s—waists curve in an hourglass shape, but she couldn’t imagine comfortably sitting and eating in one. Then again, that might be a great idea for a new way to diet. Nothing more than a cracker would fit in a stomach cinched that tight.

As she neared the door where two men in black leather pants and black T-shirts stood checking names against a list, she considered making a break for it. The only thing that gave her the courage to continue was that she had promised Bryan she would be here, and she didn’t break her promises. Although if she continued to hyperventilate, then passed out, she couldn’t be held responsible.

The couple before her went through, and she took a deep breath and stepped forward. The bouncer, door guard, whatever he was certainly intimidated her as his dark eyes swept her from head to toe. He gave her a charming smile. “Name?”

She cleared her throat and was proud her voice didn’t squeak. “Tanwen Evans.”

As he ran down the list, a lovely and very pregnant African American woman with her hair in thin braids placed a hand on his biceps. She wore a green and black patterned sarong dress that wrapped around her neck and waist but left her swollen belly bare. Her belly itself was decorated with glittering gold body paint in swirling designs that reminded Tanwen of twirls of smoke.

Her voice was husky and held a trace of a Caribbean accent as the doorman looked down at her with raised eyebrows. “I’ve got this one, Master Henry. She’s a guest of Master Bryan, and he asked me to keep her company.” The silver collar gracing her throat had a little gold padlock on it, and Tanwen let out a silent sigh of relief. Michelle had said she could trust anyone wearing that piece of jewelry.

Henry turned back to her with a much warmer smile. “In that case, I’ll leave you in Margo’s capable hands.”

Margo smiled at her, and Tanwen couldn’t help but smile back. There was something about the woman that exuded peace and happiness. It wasn’t just that she was pregnant, but that she had an almost tangible aura of kindness. Margo placed her hands on Tanwen’s shoulders and gave her a kiss on each cheek, careful not to rub her glittering belly against Tanwen’s dress. “Tanwen, I’m so pleased to meet you. My name is Margo, and my husband, Master Greg, is friends with Master Bryan. Master Bryan filled me in on this being your first time. I must say, I really admire your courage. I would never have had the nerve to come to a gathering like this alone.”

A woman in her sixties dressed in a black feathery skirt and purple corset strolled by holding a leash attached to her husband in a gray suit with a large black leather collar around his neck. Tanwen and Margo moved back against the wall next to the open doors, and Tanwen tried not to stare at the risqué outfits some of the guests wore. The ballroom was filled with elegant tables covered in black and red tablecloths and decorated with tall cut-glass centerpieces with elaborate orchid and white lilac arrangements. The flowers perfumed the air, their sweetly innocent scent a marked contrast to the sensuality filling the room.

“It is so nice to meet you, Margo. I must confess, I’m not feeling very brave at the moment.”

Margo smiled and wiggled one of her sandal-clad feet in the air. “Mind if we sit down? My feet will swell up like sausages if I’m on them for very long.”

“Oh, of course.” As she followed behind Margo, she noticed people quickly cleared a path as soon as they saw her coming. In fact, people held out hands to help as they walked by, saying quick words of congratulations, and more than one man gave her a wolf whistle. It took a bit to make it to their table as every other person they passed stopped them to congratulate Margo and her husband on the pregnancy. Margo made it a point to introduce Tanwen and add that she was a guest of Master Bryan’s. This earned her many speculative looks from the doms and some rather jealous glares from the subs.

When they finally made it to their table near the stage set up at the rear of the ballroom, Tanwen was glad to see it was unoccupied. The walk through the room full of kinky strangers had overwhelmed her, and she needed a moment to collect herself before she faced the man that had given her such an amazing experience this afternoon. She helped Margo into her seat and pulled out another chair for her. Margo put her feet up with a sigh.

Tanwen handed her a glass of water. “Make sure you stay hydrated.”

Margo tilted her head to the side and smiled. “You’re a doctor, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m an OB nurse. Why do you ask?”

“This is my third baby. You have that…” She searched for the right word and took a drink. “You have an authority about you when you are helping me, and you don’t treat me like you’re afraid that I’m going to give birth at any second.”

Tanwen laughed. “No, but I’d say you’re pretty close. Around thirty-six to thirty-eight weeks, correct?”

“Very good. We’re only an hour’s drive from my hospital, so my doctor gave me the go-ahead to come here. I don’t know what I’m looking forward to more in VR, fantastic sex or just not feeling like my hips are going to pop out of place and my feet are going to blow up. I need to ask them if I can use VR while I give birth. I’d much rather go into VR pregnant, spend some time on a tropical beach sipping an ice-cold beer, and come out to my new baby than go through labor.” Both women laughed, and Margo traced her finger on an area of her stomach not painted gold. “Master Bryan asked me to answer any of your questions about being a submissive. He said you had not been in the lifestyle very long.”

Tanwen snorted and glanced around. “By not very long he means not at all. I thought I was just coming here for the VR, but my travel agent and best friend decided to book me this week.”

“Why would she do that?”

A flush heated Tanwen’s cheeks, and she fiddled with her skirt. “I went on a post divorce cruise with her, drank too much rum, and evidently told her about some…fantasies I’d been having.”

Margo laughed. “Let me guess, she decided you were never going to do something about your desires on your own, so she gave you the gentle push of plopping you in the middle of a huge BDSM convention. How did you meet Master Bryan?”

“When I was checking in we…uh, started talking.” The lights began to dim, and all around them people took their seats. A few more people joined their table. Tanwen was introduced to a single domme named Julia dressed in a lovely cream leather catsuit who stopped by for a moment to congratulate Margo on the baby before leaving and an elderly dom and his sub wife who had to be in their eighties. In fact, he had a walker that had been cleverly decorated with black leather and silver spikes all over it.

“Thank God they’re going to feed us before the demonstrations,” Margo said and put her feet down with a groan.

“Demonstrations?”

Margo smiled and nodded at a passing couple. “Yeah, the experienced doms put on all kinds of demonstrations about different types of BDSM play and techniques after dessert. Tonight Master Paul is going to do a demonstration on different types of nipple torture, and after that Mistress Lucy is going to show different types of sensory deprivation toys and how to use them.”

“That sounds interesting.” Tanwen barely suppressed a shiver. Nipple torture certainly didn’t sound like fun, and she couldn’t ever imagine enjoying sensory deprivation. Maybe she would just skip the demonstrations and make it an early night.

“This convention is the one vacation my master and I take without our kids. I wouldn’t miss it for the world, but I really wish I had a recliner to sit in right now.”

“Do you and your husband… That is, do you… Are you like this at home?”

Tanwen jumped as a deep male voice with the same melodic accent as Margo’s said from behind her, “Only in the bedroom.”

“Master.” Margo beamed at the handsome Hispanic man who moved to her side and sat down. He had a nicely groomed goatee and wore black leather pants with a black silk shirt that clung to his lean muscles. “Tanwen, this is my husband, Master Greg.”

Tanwen automatically held out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Sir.”

To her surprise, instead of shaking her hand, he placed a kiss on the back of it. “You are new. Tanwen, when you meet a master in the confines of the conference, don’t offer to shake hands with him or her. That denotes equality, and as a submissive, you are choosing to not be equal.”

She snatched her hand back and fisted both hands in her lap. “What should I do instead?”

“Fall to your knees and worship me,” Bryan said against the side of her neck before he kissed her cheek.

Her whole body seemed to tingle as if plugged into an electric current the moment his lips touched her and the woodsy scent of his cologne enveloped her. With her heart pounding in her throat, she turned to look at him, starting at his tight black leather pants before moving to the silver bucking stallion buckle of his belt and all the way up his tight black shirt that hugged his big frame. When she finally met his gaze, she found herself seared by the heat there.

He sat down next to her and drew her hand out of her lap, forcing her tense fingers to uncurl and relax as he stroked her palm. “You look lovely, like a rose in a coal mine. I’m glad you made it.”

She tried for levity and failed when her voice came out in a husky whisper. “Well, a girl has to eat.” The muscles around his eyes tightened, and she threw in a belated, “Sir.”

Margo rescued her from further embarrassment by asking Bryan about the activities planned after dinner. Tanwen listened as she ate her salad, grateful for how they would explain different things for her benefit. When their meal arrived, Bryan removed all her silverware and set it on the other side of the table. Margo had her fork firmly in hand and glared at her husband when he chuckled.

“What are you doing?”

His gaze held hers, and she was glad she was sitting down, because the desire she saw in his eyes would have reduced her to a puddle on the floor. “I want the pleasure of feeding you from my hand. I want you to open for me, to take what I offer you into that beautiful mouth.”

She lowered her voice and leaned toward him. “I hardly think that’s appropriate, Sir.”

Margo and Greg laughed as Bryan leaned in until their foreheads almost touched. She could feel the heat of his breath against her lips. “Tanwen, we aren’t at a church potluck. Look around you. Dominants enjoy taking care of their subs, take pride in meeting all their needs even as they meet ours.”

She cast a quick glance at Margo, who was cutting into her steak with gusto. Greg caught her look and grinned. “Only a fool gets between a pregnant woman and her food.”

Bryan lightly placed his finger on her cheek and guided her face back to his. In his hand, he held a carrot slice from her plate and traced it over her lips. She parted her mouth, and he placed the slice on her tongue, lingering to run his thumb over her lower lip. Something inside of her at once relaxed and tightened as the oddest sensation of being cherished washed over her.

For the remainder of the meal, he fed her, and it had to be one of the most sensual experiences of her life. He took great care in making sure she only had the best bits of steak and noted what she did and didn’t like. By the end of the meal, her panties were soaked, her nipples throbbed, and she was sucking the food off his fingers, delighting in how he tensed with each motion of her mouth.

People would stop by to talk with Bryan, and he would continue to feed her. He seemed hyperaware of her needs even as he carried on conversations with others. Though he never introduced her, he received many compliments on how beautiful she was and how gracefully she took food from him. His pride at the compliments warmed her, and she felt an unexpected happiness. She’d spent most of her life trying to make the people around her comfortable and happy, something that was usually just taken for granted. Here her good behavior was acknowledged and even rewarded. One tall domme in a black velvet dress with red jewels scattered on it like drops of blood stroked her cheek with a gloved hand and asked Bryan if he would consider lending her out for the evening.

They both laughed at her heated blush, and Bryan turned the offer down. After the domme left, he leaned in and kept his voice low as he said, “Remember, little flame, I’m here to help you experience anything or anyone you want. Would you like to go play with Mistress Rebecca?”

Tanwen cast a glance at the tall domme’s back as she strolled through the crowd. “I don’t think I’m ready for that yet, at all. Besides, I feel…safe with you.” She obediently opened her mouth as he placed a tiny bit of mashed potatoes inside.

His smile at her words washed over her like sunshine, and she had to stop herself from sighing like a silly girl. “I won’t say I’m disappointed with that, but I want you to have the experiences you’ve been craving.” His kissable lips curved into a wicked grin. “Come to the zoo with me in the morning.”

She laughed and didn’t pull away when he curled his fingers into hers. He had strong, capable hands, and she relished how dainty he made her feel. “A visit to the zoo? Isn’t that rather…vanilla?”

“For a regular zoo, it is. I’m talking about the VR zoo Sodom has set up for our club tomorrow morning.” He gave her a teasing grin. “I used to think doing one of those simulations would be a waste of time, but after sharing this afternoon with you, I can’t wait to do it again.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I guess it all depends on who you’re playing with, just like anything else in life. The right partner makes everything more exciting.”

She looked at their fingers twined together, confused by her feelings. On one hand, she was very flattered that he wanted to spend more time with her, but on the other hand, she found herself just as eager to be with him. That thought disconcerted her. She was supposed to be sampling lots of different men, even if that idea didn’t have the appeal it had when she’d boarded her plane earlier today. “There wasn’t anything about it on my itinerary. I don’t think I’m invited.”

“I want you there with me. I want to watch your pretty cheeks turn pink as you see something that at once embarrasses and arouses you. I want you to trust me to push your limits, to take you beyond what your safe little world has insisted is right and proper.”

She was trapped by his gaze as surely as a mouse looking into the eyes of a snake. Her entire mind seemed to shut down until the only thing that mattered was him. “Okay.”

“Excellent. Let me make some arrangements.” He ran his knuckles down her cheek and over her neck, warming her skin and making her want to purr. “When you go to bed tonight, I want you to think about me, how it felt to have my hands on your ass, the way you bent to my will in such a graceful manner. However, you are forbidden to orgasm until we meet at the zoo. Understood?”

The wicked words he spoke in his deep voice indeed made her want to slip her hand beneath her skirt and soothe the ache he’d been building during dinner, but how dare he tell her she couldn’t orgasm in the privacy of her own room. She’d do whatever she dang well pleased. Some of her thoughts must have shown on her face, because the lines around his eyes crinkled as he gave her a tight smile.

“Promise me, little flame. You are a woman of your word, and I trust you to keep it.”

A waiter leaned down to set a plate of strawberry cheesecake in front of them, but Bryan didn’t break his hold on her. If anything, he forced the waiter to move around them, as if he were a rock and the rest of humanity a stream that had to flow past him or dash themselves to bits on his unbreakable surface. She didn’t know what that made her, because she wanted to please him, wanted to make him happy. His praise filled her with a joy that could easily become addictive. Wanting more of it, she quickly nodded. “Yes, Sir. You have my word.”

“Your word about what, Tanwen?”

She swallowed and lowered her voice, leaning into him as she glanced around to make sure no one was listening. “My word that I won’t…that I won’t have my orgasm until I see you again.”

“Thank you,” he said with a small smile and tapped her nose. “Off with you now. As much as I’d like to join you tonight, I think it’s best if I give you some time to process everything that’s happened to you today. You’ve had a long day, and I can see the weariness in your eyes. Your welfare is of the utmost importance to me. Never forget that.” The tender smile he gave her melted her bones like sugar candy left out in the rain. “I want to know when I see you tomorrow that you’re there because you want to be and not just because of a decision you made in the heat of the moment.”

“Yes, Sir.” She moved to stand, but he beat her to it, pulling out her chair and offering her a hand. She paused and looked up at him, studying his face before slipping his hand into hers and letting him help her stand. For as deliciously kinky as he was in his sexual tastes, he never failed to treat her like a lady. It made her feel cherished, feminine, and protected. She gave in to a sudden urge and lifted onto her tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. His rumble of pleasure vibrated through her body and seemed to settle in her clit, making it throb with the beat of her heart.

He pulled back and studied her with such an intense expression that she couldn’t hold his gaze and looked at her feet instead. “Why did you feel the need to kiss me?”

She flushed, finding it next to impossible to put her feelings into words without sounding silly. “I-I guess I just wanted to let you know I appreciate that you’re a gentleman.”

He laughed and hauled her to his chest, placing a sound kiss on her forehead and a pinch on her ass before releasing her. She squirmed away from him and looked at him through narrowed eyes. “I take that back. You’re a cad, Sir.”

Laughter still glimmered in his eyes, but he stepped close, invading her space and making her look up at him. “You’re lucky you remembered to add the ‘Sir’ onto that, or I’d be tempted to throw that pretty dress over your head, bend you against this table, and spank your ass until it was as red as the strawberries on the cheesecake.” His hips pressed into hers, and the sensation of his erection pushing into her belly made her body tighten with need. “Then I’d spread your legs and mash those strawberries into your undoubtedly creamy pussy and eat my dessert.”

A tremor passed through her as she battled between burning embarrassment at the mental image he painted and the urge to toss her own skirts over her head. Before she could decide what to do, he spun her around with a smack on her ass. “You are temptation itself. Off with you before I decide the only experience you need tonight is how many ways you can worship my cock.”

With his words burning in her ears and the imprint of his hand heating her bottom, she stumbled between the tables toward the exit. Every step pressed her thighs against her wet panties and aching pussy. The rasp of her dress over her nipples only added to her torment. Worst of all, she could feel his eyes on her as she made her way through the crowd. Sure enough, when she reached the door, she looked back and found him watching her. Their gazes met, and desire flooded her, more potent than anything she had felt since she was a teenager.

Unnerved, she darted out the door and leaned against the outer wall, staring up at the tastefully recessed lighting in the ceiling. Once the doors of the ballroom closed behind her, the relative quiet of the hallway far off the main foyer rang in her ears. Her thoughts spun through her head like the pages of a flip book, little snapshots of conversations and images blurring through her mind in a confusing jumble. Bryan feeding her; Bryan laughing at something Master Greg said; Bryan watching her as if she were the most fascinating thing he’d ever seen.

What stuck with her the most, though, was how aware he’d been of her needs. Something in the ballroom would catch her eye, and he would explain who or what it was before she even had a chance to ask. That care extended to her physical comfort as well. He’d noticed she didn’t like cauliflower, and had fed her only the vegetables she seemed to like, to the point where he’d taken food from his own plate and given it to her.

Across the hall, floor-to-ceiling windows looked out into a pleasant outdoor sitting area, protected from the outside world by tall adobe walls festooned with flowering vines. Spotlights illuminated carefully manicured trees and shrubs, and the wrought-iron tables had white pillar candles in tall glass jars. A small crowd gathered out there, some sitting at the tables and talking while others stood in small clusters. The groups were made up mostly of people she could only assume were part of the BDSM gathering by their risqué clothing.

At the back wall, an elaborate display of ice carvings set on long tables piled with artful arrangements of desserts caught her attention. Her father used to carve ice sculptures in the winter and would enter them into local holiday festivals. She could remember pressing her face against the kitchen window looking out over the backyard and watching her father carve, first with a chainsaw, then with a variety of tools as he coaxed an image out of the unforgiving ice. One wrong move and the sculpture would shatter, but her father had been very careful, and it never failed to make her shiver in delight once the carving was complete.

She wanted to go take a closer look at the carvings illuminated by a shifting series of rainbow lights, but she didn’t know anyone out there. Well, it wasn’t like she planned on talking to anyone while she looked at the sculptures; she’d just get a closer look at them and maybe grab some fruit or something chocolate and head back to her room. After all, it wasn’t like they were going to spare her any glances when they had half-naked submissives, who looked like they spent all their free time at the gym, vying for attention.

The warm night air caressed her skin as she pushed open the glass door and stepped onto the outdoor patio with a smart click of her heels against the concrete. When no one stared at her or made any snide remarks as she wound her way through the people and tables, she lost some of the stoop to her shoulders and walked straighter. Instead of smirks, the few people who did look at her as she passed either smiled or just examined her with an interest that was flattering.

She reached the first sculpture and tilted her head to the side as she examined the slowly melting statue. Two men embraced in a tight clasp, with one of the men on his knees and the other bent over him, making the man at his feet arch his back. At first it looked as if the man on the ground was being forced, but the more she looked at it, the more she could see how the artist had made the man on his knees strain toward the man towering over him, not away. Each shift of the lights brought out new expressions in the slowly melting faces, and she had to tear her gaze away to move on to the next sculpture.

A pretty Asian woman in a red and black latex kimono said, “Pardon me.” She reached past Tanwen to grab some type of decadent dessert from the mound of confections arranged around the sculpture.

Tanwen flushed and stepped back. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was blocking you.”

The woman laughed and continued to select desserts for her plate. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve been staring at that image all night and wondering if I’d get in trouble for licking it.”

Tanwen laughed and tapped her lips with her finger. “I wonder if my tongue would get stuck to it like licking a flagpole in the winter.”

“Wouldn’t that be a bitch.” The woman held out her free hand. “My name is Annie.”

“Tanwen, nice to meet you.”

“So you come here often, Tanwen?” Annie gave a leering wiggle of her eyebrows.

“No. I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb.”

Annie gave her a long up-and-down appraisal from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. There was no mistaking the heat in her eyes when her gaze returned to Tanwen’s face. “You don’t stick out like a sore thumb. More like a beautiful blush pink rose on a bed of black leather. I wonder if your whole body turns pink when you’re aroused.”

“Oh my. That is—Um, thank you. You look very nice too,” Tanwen babbled and winced at how awkward that sounded. “I mean, you’re lovely.”

Annie grinned, and some of the heat went out of her gaze. “Forgive me for being so forward. I’m afraid Sodom brings out my raging nymphomaniac side, and I forget not everyone is as…in the mood as I am. I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable; it truly wasn’t my intention.”

“No, not at all.” Annie arched her eyebrows, and Tanwen grimaced. “Well, maybe I was a bit surprised. This is the first time I’ve ever been anywhere like this. I’m afraid I don’t know how to act or what to do. It’s like being a teenager but worse.”

Annie glanced over Tanwen’s shoulder and grimaced. “I don’t know much about it either. I’m here to visit a friend, but I’ve been having a great time people watching tonight. If you want to see how you shouldn’t behave, watch that redheaded Amazon bitch over in the corner. She’s been messing around with other people’s subs all night, and I’m trying to guess which dom is going to go over there first to beat the crap out of her.”

Tanwen turned, and she recognized the tall redhead with her hair held back in some kind of elaborate black and green latex bow that matched her latex dress. Her breasts were pushed up practically to her chin, and a very young and muscular man knelt at her feet in what Tanwen could only think of as a leather gladiator outfit. The redhead had her foot playing beneath the hem of his leather skirt. By the look on his face, he was enjoying it. The latex gloves that encased her hands gleamed in the subdued lighting as she gripped the man’s hair in her fist.

Annie walked over so they were standing shoulder to shoulder and watching the redhead. “She came in with some sweet little geeky guy, but she’s been ignoring him all night while she plays with the more picture-perfect subs. Now I know it’s none of my business, and she could be doing some kind of BDSM thing with him, but that’s not the feeling I’m getting.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, look over there at that blond sub in the blue leather sailor outfit and his master. See how he’s bound to the table behind his master, out of the line of sight while his master plays with that hunky sub in the chaps with no underwear?”

Tanwen swallowed hard and couldn’t help but stare. The master was a big man with bulging biceps and graying hair. He ran his hands up and down the body of the submissive squirming on his lap, pausing to give his ass a firm squeeze before continuing to pet him. The sub on his lap writhed beneath his touch and made little pleading noises deep in his throat. Behind them, the sub in the sailor outfit sported a massive erection that strained against his leather pants as he watched his master with lust-glazed eyes. He too made noises of need, but his were much more vocal and sent a shiver down Tanwen’s spine that settled between her legs in a low pulse of arousal.

Annie took a bite of her dessert and continued. “Now at first it kinda looks like the master is just having his fun and forgot about his other sub. But if you watch, you’ll see how every move he does is based on how the sub behind him is reacting. He touches, waits for the sub’s response, and continues. Obviously this is something that arouses both of them, and even though it appears as if he’s ignoring his slave, the master is as focused on him as he is the sub on his lap.”

The scene before her shifted into a new perspective, and Tanwen blinked at the raw masculine carnality. “Wow, you’re totally right. How did you get so good at reading people?”

“I’m a police officer. Reading people is part of my job. Wanna see my handcuffs, little girl?”

Tanwen snickered and flushed, remembering what Bryan had done to her with his handcuffs earlier today. Annie licked some powdered sugar off her fingers before gesturing back toward the redhead with her plate. “Here comes that sweet geek sub she came in with. She’s been totally ignoring him all night no matter how much he tries to please her or get her attention. It’s not like that master ignoring his sub but still paying attention to him. It’s more like she just couldn’t give a shit about her sub. Like, I don’t know, like he was her date for the dance but she wants to ditch him at the first opportunity for someone else.”

The skinny man with the extremely large chain and padlock around his neck who had been with the redhead when she threw her fit at the registration desk approached his mistress. He held a wineglass and a bottle of wine, but the expression of sorrow on his face made Tanwen look closer at him. His gaze went from the redhead to the sub at her feet, and his shoulders slumped. He paused, then took a deep breath and approached them.

“I see what you mean.”

Tanwen had no idea who they were or what their arrangement was, but she felt bad for the young man as he knelt next to the man in the gladiator outfit. Hope filled his face as he looked up at his mistress and offered her the wineglass and the bottle of wine. Instead of taking the glass, the redhead said something and backhanded the young man with the padlock around his neck with all her might. He fell to the ground, and the redhead kicked him.

Tanwen was moving before she was even aware of it, ready to give the redhead a piece of her mind. By the time she reached that area of the garden, two very angry doms had the screeching redhead held between them. From the murderous looks on their faces, they planned on doing a lot more than yell at her. As Tanwen came closer, she could see why.

The wineglass the young man had been holding shattered on the pavement, either when he fell or when she kicked him. Blood coated his hand like a dark red glove, and some people hovered around him while Julia, the lady in the cream leather outfit Tanwen had met at dinner, tried to calm him. He shook as he stared at his hand, and blood began to rapidly pool as it poured from the deep cut on his palm.

She elbowed her way through the growing crowd, ignoring complaints as she shoved people out of the way to get the man. By the time she reached his side, she heard him say in a weak voice with a New York accent, “I’m clean. No diseases or anything like that.”

Kneeling next to Julia, she met his dark eyes and said, “My name is Tanwen. I’m a nurse.” She looked over at Julia. “Is help on the way?”

Julia gave her a brisk nod. “Tanwen, we just need to get him stabilized until the paramedics get here. He sliced himself up pretty good, multiple cuts to his palm, and he may have some tendon damage.” Someone handed Julia a wad of napkins, and she grunted her thanks before yelling, “All right, folks. Let’s back the fuck up and give this guy some space.” With efficient but gentle movements, Julia applied direct pressure to his hand and elevated it.

The man began to sway as his face turned a cheesy yellow color, and Tanwen quickly moved behind him, supporting his weight with her body. She tried to make him as comfortable as she could and grimaced in distaste at the chain around his neck. “Can someone get this thing off him?”

The redhead tried to shake off the men holding her. “Let go of me. He’s my slave. I didn’t give you permission to take his collar off!”

The crowd made an angry rumble, and the redhead’s struggles lessened as she took in the unfriendly faces. Even the young man dressed like a gladiator glared at her. Changing tactics, she gave a pitiful sniff. “My poor Saul, someone help him!” One of the doms whispered something in her ear, and she paled. “I-I don’t have the key. I lost it.”

“Here.” Annie knelt next to them. Pulling out the two thin metal rods that held her hair up, she inserted them into the lock and began to twist one of them around. The lock snapped, and Tanwen helped to remove the collar from his neck. The skin around his throat was bruised and abraded in some places. Both Julia and Annie swore under their breath.

Saul took a deep breath and hissed as Julia carefully wrapped his hand up in what looked to be one of the black cloth napkins from dinner. Saul managed a weak smile. “I’m so sorry to have caused you all this trouble. Please let me pay for your dry-cleaning bill. I’d be happy to buy you a new outfit as well.” He tried to look back at Tanwen and Annie. “I’m so sorry about this. It’s all my fault. I’m so clumsy. Please forgive me. You all were having such a great time, and I ruined it.”

Footsteps gritted on the concrete, and they looked up to see the redhead reaching for Saul before one of the doms jerked her back. The woman started to say something, but Julia growled at her. Even Tanwen shrank back from the contained violence in her voice. “Get that bitch out of here.”

The burly dom on her left nodded and picked her up, slamming his hand over her mouth as she squirmed and tried to yell. A group of hotel security guards pushed through the crowd with grim faces and gestured for the doms to follow them. The woman between them looked honestly scared for the first time since this whole fiasco began as she dug in her heels and tried to resist being moved when they dragged her through the doors and into the hotel.

A handsome and rather muscular Hispanic man in a dark suit with a shaved head pushed his way past the onlookers and crouched down next to them. “My name is Angel, and I’m the owner of Sodom. Paramedics are on their way and should be here soon.” His gaze flickered between Tanwen and Julia before returning to Saul. “Do you wish to press charges against that woman?”

The young man protested. “No, it’s not my mistress’s fault. I did it. I’m the clumsy one. Please.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Please, it will be so much worse if you make her mad. She won’t love me anymore.”

The women exchanged a glance, and Tanwen could see her own rage reflected in Julia’s eyes. To her surprise, Julia gave Saul a gentle smile and smoothed her hand down the side of his face. “Relax, little sub. I will speak to your mistress. What’s her name?”

He swallowed and leaned his head back on Tanwen’s chest. She placed her fingers against his neck, checking his pulse while trying to avoid the bruised and scarred skin from the chain. “Winter, Mistress Winter.”

Julia continued to hold his gaze. “Did you come here with her?”

He darted a glance at Angel, then nodded and sighed. “I met her on the Internet through her Web site. I—She… I paid for the privilege of being her boi. I’ve been her submissive for a year now, but this is the first time we’ve met in person. We spent our first night together last night and—” He closed his eyes and swallowed. “She was so different online. I thought she cared about me, valued me.” His dark gaze became disturbingly direct. “I know you think I’m stupid, but she made me feel good during our sessions. So wanted. So loved. I gave her everything she asked for, even a new car.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “No matter how much she hurt me last night, I never felt loved.”

Angel started to say something, but Annie whispered into his ear, and he nodded with a grim expression. “Saul, after you’re comfortably settled in the hospital, I would like to speak with you, if that’s all right.”

Looking even more miserable, Saul nodded. “I’m sorry about…all of this.”

Angel patted his shoulder in the universal guy version of a hug. “Shit happens, mi amigo. It’s how we learn from our mistakes that make us who we are.” He then stood and moved a few steps away to talk with the hotel security.

The paramedics made their way through the crowd, and Tanwen let them take over. The three women moved over to the side as a stretcher was brought in. Tanwen took a deep breath and let it out to try and dispel the adrenaline still surging through her system. She was angry—no, she was more than angry; she was furious.

Julia ran a hand over her face and sighed. “I’m a corpsman, so I’ve seen injuries a lot worse than this, but I’ll be damned if this one isn’t going to haunt me. He wasn’t hurt in battle. He was hurt by the one person who was supposed to honor his trust more than anyone else. Instead she abused and hurt him for her own selfish needs.”

Saul gave a small shout as they unwrapped his hand to examine it, and Julia flinched.

Annie made a sound of agreement. “She needs to be in jail right now.”

Tanwen sighed and watched the stretcher roll past. The young man had his eyes closed, and tears wet his cheeks. “Do you think he’d press charges? ”

Julia rubbed her face. “I don’t know. She obviously doesn’t give a shit about him, but who knows what kind of mind games she’s played with him.”

Annie worked the sticks back into her hair. “I’ll be damned if she thinks she’s going to stay here.” She folded her arms over her chest, and Tanwen noticed the slight tremor that shook her body. “I know the owners pretty well, and I’ll make sure that bitch is out of here.”

Tanwen gave Annie a one-armed hug. “Thanks for getting that collar off him.”

Julia gave the hunk of metal and chain that had been kicked off to the side a venomous glare. “What kind of idiot makes a newbie wear a chain that heavy? He’ll be lucky if he doesn’t end up with permanent scars.” Her gaze softened, and she sighed. “Poor guy. You could see the need to please radiating off him like heat off the pavement in summertime.”

Tanwen exchanged a glance with Annie. “He should be back here in a couple of hours. Maybe someone who is experienced with…all of this should talk with him.”

Julia nodded, a distant look in her eyes. “Maybe.”

Chapter Six

The next morning Tanwen nervously drummed her fingers on the edge of the VR bed as the very good-looking blond man who stood behind Michelle at the computer terminal crossed his arms and stared at her. So far he hadn’t said anything, but Michelle had greeted her as if nothing was amiss.

Finally the blond man spoke. “Hello, Tanwen. My name is Luke.”

“Nice to meet you, Luke.” She clasped her hands together after he glanced at her tapping fingers. Why did she feel like a kid sitting in the principal’s office? Though goodness knows none of her principals had looked like the Greek god examining her with his bright blue eyes.

“I’m sorry for the delay, but because of the last-minute nature of your request, there are some adjustments to the simulation I need to make so you can become part of the VR zoo. I need to put your information into the simulation and adjust the variables in the program to recognize your requests as an authorized user and not a hacker.”

Guilt twisted her stomach. Bryan must have pulled some strings to get her here and had thrown everyone off schedule. She was probably creating all kinds of chaos with their workday. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know this would be a problem. If it’s okay with you, I can leave right now, and we can just forget it.”

The chair creaked as Michelle shook her head. “No, you stay right there.” She shot Tanwen a smile. “While I know enough to not crash the system, I’m afraid the advanced stuff has to be done by a Jedi Master. It’s really no trouble.”

Luke snickered, but he continued to look at Tanwen with an almost puzzled expression. “Tanwen, you’re here of your own free will, right?” Now Michelle turned in her chair to stare at Luke, but he ignored her. “No one is forcing their unwanted attention on you, are they?”

Tanwen scrunched her brows. “No, not at all.”

“I know Bryan can be a bit…demanding. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t feeling pressured into doing anything.”

Understanding dawned on her, and she adamantly shook her head. “No, he has been a perfect gentleman with me.” She flushed as she recalled some of the rather uncivilized things they had done together in VR, but it was the truth. “How do you know Bryan?”

“We were in the service together. He was my sergeant in the Army, and we’ve kept in touch since we both left the military. He is fond of you.”

The heat that flooded her face must have made her bright red, because Luke’s lips twitched in amusement. Michelle cleared her throat and turned back to the keyboard. “Now that we’ve established Tanwen isn’t under some evil dom spell, let’s get her in the simulation before she misses out.” Michelle gently elbowed Luke’s hip. “And aren’t your husband and wife waiting for you inside?”

Tanwen started and noticed Luke wore a wedding band on each ring finger. She tried not to stare, but she’d never met anyone who’d been married to more than one person at the same time. As she examined Luke, she couldn’t help but wonder what lucky woman got him and another man at the same time.

“Yeah. I don’t want to miss the sight of Maeve and Angel in their lion avatars.” A sensual smile curled his lips, and Tanwen’s blood heated when he gave her a rather naughty wink. “I get to be the lion tamer.”

Michelle gave Luke her seat and sat down next to Tanwen on the bed. “You are going to love the zoo.”

“Great, though I have no idea why a bunch of BDSM fans would want to go to a virtual zoo.”

Luke gave a chuckle that could only be described as evil. “Bryan didn’t tell you anything about it?”

“No, not at all.” She glanced at Michelle. “Should I be scared?”

Michelle shook her head and gave Tanwen’s shoulder a squeeze. “Nope. It really is beyond amazing. I envy you. I’ll be joining in during the evening run of the simulation. So far the network can only handle two hundred guests at a time without crashing. You’ll have three hours to play before the next group comes through.”

“Michelle, can you come here for a sec? I think I have the perfect avatar for her. Maeve couldn’t decide what she wanted to be. This is one of the costumes we made for her that she ended up not picking, but it’s still really hot.”

With a sway to her hips, Michelle strode over to the computer and leaned down, blocking Tanwen’s view. “That is fantastic and perfect for her.”

The bed creaked beneath her as Tanwen leaned so far forward she almost slid off in her efforts to see the screen. “What’s an avatar?”

Luke’s fingers flew over the keyboard. “The image you wear in the VR world, like a costume but better. I don’t want to ruin the surprise, so lie back, and we’ll get you into the simulation.”

Tanwen was tempted to stick her tongue out at him, but she did what she was told and lay back on the soft silk of the bed. As the top hissed shut, anticipation hummed through her body, and her nipples drew to hard points. She had no idea what waited for her on the other side, but as long as Bryan was with her, she knew it would be an experience to remember.

As she drifted to the sound of soft woodwinds being played from the speakers in the pod, she considered that thought. One of the things she missed about her marriage was sharing things with someone else. Exploring the world on her own was certainly freeing and fun, but she also liked having another person to share those memories with. Everyone told her she would get over the feeling of being lonely by herself, that she would come to value her solitary independence, but she missed having a steady man in her life.

Her first VR experience had certainly been enhanced by Bryan’s presence. At dinner she’d found herself remembering something about their time together and her whole body would grow warm. Even though they hadn’t spoken of it much, their VR excursion had flavored their interaction with a delicious spice of eroticism and allowed her to somewhat relax around him. Mind-blowing sex had a way of breaking down barriers and forming a bond, no matter how casual the encounter was supposed to be. At least with her it did.

Though with Bryan it was probably just another notch in his dom belt. She should be flattered he even wanted to spend time with her. Considering the envious looks she got at dinner last night from the other subs, she had a feeling Bryan would never be lacking in female company. Since he had such a sense of honor, maybe he was just with her because he’d promised he would be, but he really wanted to be with someone else.

She certainly didn’t have much to offer in the kinky sex department. Anxiety made her fidget on the bed. After this simulation, she should let him know it was okay if he wanted to be with someone else for the remainder of his vacation. After all, he didn’t come here to babysit a middle-aged woman who was obviously having some type of sexual midlife crisis.

Bryan had to resist the urge to pace as he waited for Tanwen to appear in her cage. All around him, Belle Isle spread out in stunning VR perfection on an amazingly beautiful early summer day. The island had been turned into a kinkster’s delight by the dedicated staff of Sodom’s VR department. Fluffy white clouds drifted across a sky so blue it almost glowed, and the scent of the river carried on the soft breeze. The sunlight warmed his bare back, and he was glad he’d decided to go shirtless. True, he’d mainly gone shirtless in an effort to show Tanwen what he had to offer, but he’d be sweating like a whore in church if he’d worn the leather shirt he’d originally planned. Or would he? The other doms dressed in full latex and leather didn’t seem to be suffering from the heat, so he wondered if the VR technology allowed the body to be comfortable at all times.

He and a group of masters and mistresses stood together at the edge of the river around a group of wrought-iron benches. He nodded at some friends, then took a seat. Overhead a giant trellis was festooned with honeysuckle flowers that shimmered and sparkled like jewels. In the real world, the restoration of the park was one of the owners of the Sodom resort’s personal projects. If the real Belle Isle Zoo looked anything like this, Bryan could see why Luke, along with his husband and wife, had fought so hard to save it from the urban decay that had threatened to consume it in the 1980s and ’90s.

As he scanned the part of Belle Isle visible from his bench, he tried to superimpose the images of the run-down zoo he’d seen from the brochure he’d read while waiting for his VR therapist to load up his simulation. Instead of crumbling buildings and rusty signs, the zoo sparkled as if it had just been built. All the proceeds from today’s VR event would go toward the rehabilitation of Belle Isle and creating jobs to maintain and upkeep the new zoo, aquarium, and conservatory.

His thoughts turned to Tanwen, and he couldn’t wait to share this with her, to explore all the hidden wonders of this BDSM playground. He’d fallen asleep last night thinking about her, after he’d jacked off to the fantasy of pulling that pink dress over her head, pressing her chest down into that strawberry dessert at dinner, and fucking the hell out of her. Something he couldn’t wait to do again, to claim her in the most primal way possible as his woman.

He could have been with any number of willing partners after dinner, but none of them captured his interest as much as Tanwen. Oh, he’d appreciated their beauty and their willingness to serve, but the only cheeks he wanted to see flushing pink with desire were Tanwen’s. He’d also noticed how the other doms had watched her leave the table, and he put the word out that she was his sub and hands off, even if she wasn’t wearing his collar. Some of his long-time friends had been rather surprised by him staking a claim on her. They were used to his casual relationships where, if his partner wanted someone else, he’d just cut her loose. With Tanwen he’d found someone worth fighting for, and he wasn’t quite sure about how to deal with his unexpected possessive side.

Part of him worried about the strength of his feelings for the beautiful little sub. He hadn’t reacted to a woman like this since his wife passed, and he couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit guilty. He knew Katie had wanted him to find love again—she’d told him as much from her hospital bed—but it seemed almost unfair to her memory that he found another woman who stirred the same feelings in him he thought had died with his wife.

As he gazed out over the river, he considered that for the first time in years, he found himself liking a woman on all levels, not just the physical or emotional. Though he’d only known her for a brief time, he could see Tanwen was the kind of woman he would enjoy being around, the kind of woman he could have deep conversations with, followed by steamy hot sex. His imagination showed him Tanwen curled up in his bed, snuggled against him as they slept together. A sharp ache went through his heart, and he realized that despite all his girlfriends, he never actually saw them as more than a distraction from his loneliness rather than a cure.

A small white marble pier jutted out into the river, with a landing platform at the end. The air shimmered for a moment, and a new domme entered the simulation. Bryan recognized his friend Julia and waved a hand in greeting as she blinked in wonder. She raised her hand and returned his wave, the cream leather catsuit she wore complementing her lean figure. A golden whip hung from her side, and a pair of golden cuffs gleamed on her wrists. Bryan couldn’t help but grin at the reference to Wonder Woman, one of Julia’s personal heroes.

The smile that lit her face chased away some of his anxiety. There was such joy in it that he found himself smiling back. When Julia reached his side, she fairly vibrated with excitement. “Bryan! I didn’t think you did the whole VR thing. I thought you said it was too hokey for you.”

He grimaced, but humor sparkled in his eyes. “I still say it’s not as good as real life, but it certainly has its perks.”

She chuckled and took a seat on the bench, stretching her long legs out with a sigh. “This is just…wow. I’m glad I got here before my sub so he didn’t see me staring and gawking like some farm girl fresh off the watermelon truck.”

Bryan couldn’t help but glance toward Tanwen’s cage again, and his gut tightened to see it was still empty. Maybe she had changed her mind. Maybe she had found another dom she wanted to play with instead. He didn’t like that thought, and if he saw her on someone else’s leash, he’d be liable to get himself thrown out of Sodom for pounding the other dom’s face in.

With a start, he realized he was obsessing about beating up an imaginary dom for being with a sub that wasn’t even technically his. Good Lord, that little slip of a woman had him acting like a teenage boy with his first love. He had to get ahold of himself and his emotions before he saw her.

If she showed up.

He forced himself to think about Tanwen and what he already knew about her. With her sense of honor and keeping her word, she would show up, and he needed to step up his game. He’d be charming and show her that she could have all the experiences she’d been yearning for and still be his sub.

Before entering the simulation, he’d been given a brief rundown of all the different things they could do together. He wondered if she would like to be in a pet show, competing against other subs in agility challenges. Of course the challenges were of a very carnal nature so they would both enjoy it, but he wasn’t sure if she was the type who took pleasure from being displayed. No, he would take her through the zoo and see what piqued her interest. As amazing as this simulation was, he wanted her to remember it not because of the VR but because of him.

There were only a few days of this trip left to woo her, in however nontraditional a manner, and he had to show her they had the potential to be so much more than a vacation fling. He wanted her to see him as a partner, a man she could picture herself with ten years from now. It was going to be a tricky balancing act, helping her explore long-repressed desires while making sure he kept his idiotic jealousy under control. If he knew how she felt about him, it would certainly help. He and his late wife had greatly enjoyed swinging and partner swapping, but the introduction of other people into their bedroom had only come after an intense level of trust had been built between them.

In an effort to distract himself, he tried to focus on Julia. “Which lucky sub gets the pleasure of your company?” The smile fell from Julia’s face, and Bryan cocked his head. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, not you.” She took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders. “You remember that kid who got hurt yesterday? The one with the rent-a-domme?”

“I heard a little bit about it this morning at the founders meeting. That bitch had better be glad management escorted her out of the resort.” The abuse of a sub tended to be dealt with swiftly and severely among the BDSM community.

“Yeah, well, I wanted Saul, that’s his name, to know we’re not all like that.” She fingered the whip at her side. “Poor kid. He wants so badly to serve, but he was brought up in a very strict household in New York City and went to work for his parents right after he graduated from an überconservative college. Very sweet, very eager to please, and very naive.”

“So you managed to talk him into letting you top him today?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t easy. I met with him in the hospital, and we had a long, long discussion about the lifestyle.”

“Shows a lot of trust to meet you here.” Bryan watched a pretty flush creep up Julia’s cheeks, and had to suppress his grin.

“I know. I had him pick an avatar that would make him feel powerful, that would show the world the beast inside. And he can use his safe word at any time to get out of here…unlike when he was trapped with that bitch.” Her hands clenched into fists, and he feared for her fingers snapping before she blew out a tense breath. She sat forward and braced her elbows on her knees, peering up at him with her dark and intelligent eyes. “Enough about my fucked-up situation. What about you? What pretty little thing are you going to play with? Let me guess—young, ditzy, and blonde, will probably be wearing a bunny avatar.”

Bryan glared at her, but she calmly raised one eyebrow. Julia had met a few of the subs he’d played around with after his wife’s death, and had been less than impressed with his selections. Come to think of it, he’d been less than impressed with his selections. They had all been pretty much what Julia said: young, ditzy, and blonde. God, he was like the Hugh Hefner of the BDSM world. He’d made sure none of the women had the substance that would make him consider a long-term relationship just as much as he’d selected them for their disinterest in settling down.

Julia cleared her throat in an annoying manner, and he sighed. “She may be blonde, but she isn’t young or dumb. In fact, Tanwen has to—”

“Did you say her name is Tanwen? Big hazel eyes, late thirties with really nice curves?”

“Yeah, you know her?”

“Kind of. I met her when I talked to Margo last night. She was also one of the people who helped me with Saul. She’s a nurse and kept him from freaking out while we took care of him. Really smart lady and quick on her feet.” She sat back and laid her arms over the back of the bench. “Funny, I wouldn’t have pegged her as a sub. She seemed very in control when we were getting Saul stabilized.”

Bryan felt his heart swell with pride that his little flame had leaped right in to help a stranger. No one at the founders meeting had mentioned the names of the women who’d helped Saul, just that they’d done a great job. “Julia, you know better than most that being a sub doesn’t mean the person is weak. Think of how many officers you know who like to bend a knee to their enlisted staff sergeant mistress once the uniforms come off.”

A wicked grin teased Julia’s lips. “Well, that is true. I do love a good major tied to a spanking bench.” Her expression turned serious. “You be careful with her. She’s a nice lady and deserves a dom who will treat her right. She’s not like the plastic dolls you usually play with.”

Anger threaded through Bryan, and his voice came out in a soft growl. “Watch yourself, Julia. I like you and I consider you a friend, but I won’t stand for you insulting me like that. I would never betray a sub’s trust or get involved with one who wanted more than I had to give.”

Julia gave him a curt nod and stood. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” She glanced over his shoulder, and her dark eyes sparkled with warmth. “Saul just arrived. If I see Tanwen, I’ll put in a good word for you.”

He stood and gave her a one-armed hug and swatted her butt lightly, earning a scowl.

“On second thought, I’ll tell her to invest in a good vibrator because there isn’t enough Viagra in the real world to keep you hard.”

Before he could stop laughing, she had sauntered over to a cage where Saul, wearing an avatar of a rather vicious-looking hybrid of a black bear and a man, had appeared. Easily seven feet tall, his body rippled with muscle where it wasn’t covered in a pelt of black fur. Long claws curved out of his hands, and his canines looked sharp enough to rend flesh from bone. His human face had been subtly altered to give a somewhat animalistic appearance. A silver chain mail kilt covered his groin and gleamed in the sunlight as he turned and stared at himself in the mirror at the back of the cage.

Julia approached the door to his enclosure and snapped her whip, causing Saul to jump. At the sight of Julia, he smiled and practically ran to the door. He towered over her as she stood on the other side of the bars. Something she said made him laugh in a low growl. When their fingers met through the bars of the cage, Saul moved very carefully so that she could curve her hand around his without harming herself on his claws.

The trust they showed with the simple touch compounded the hollow feeling in Bryan’s heart. He wanted Tanwen to trust him like that, to let him guide her and take care of her. As strong of a woman as she was, he needed her to know she could let go of the reins, that as her dominant he would take care of all her needs. The only thing she was responsible for was embracing the experience and pleasure he offered her. He stared at the cage where she would appear, trying to will her into existence. When the air began to shimmer, he let out a small whoop of joy and tried to ignore the chuckles of the other doms that still waited for their subs. He would be her perfect master and give her every experience she wanted.

As the wavering light began to take shape into a deliciously rounded figure covered in white fur, all thoughts except taking Tanwen in his arms as quickly as possible vanished.

Chapter Seven

A brief moment of darkness signaled Tanwen’s transition from the real world to the VR world, and the first breath she sucked in of the simulated air felt as genuine as real air. She opened her eyes and found herself in an elaborate cage complete with a bed of silk pillows and a mirror over a small basin of water. When she saw herself in the mirror, she squeaked in shock and watched her reflection do the same.

She was a fox!

Actually she was a hybrid of a human and a snow-white fox. She raised her hand—no, her paw—to her face and ran her long black claws over her cheek. White fur covered most of her body but faded to a superfine down over her face and the front of her torso. To her delight, she had a gorgeous fluffy white tail that curled around her feet. With a little bit of concentration, she learned how to use that tail. It was akin to moving an arm or a leg but more like a twitch of the hips. A sparkly petal pink bikini top covered her breasts and a pink miniskirt of the same material rode low on her hips under her tail. A gold chain secured the skirt around her waist and gleamed against her snowy fur.

Instead of her usual hazel eyes, dark brown eyes rimmed with black fur stared back at her. It looked as if she wore eyeliner. Her hair was now a mass of white curls that fell to her shoulders, and two delicate fox ears sat on top of her head. Her canines were considerably sharper behind her pale pink lips. As she twirled and examined herself, she couldn’t resist stroking her hands over her body. When she smoothed her hand down the soft fur covering her arm, she marveled at how different it felt than the sensation of skin on skin.

Metal clanged behind her, and she whirled to see Bryan opening the door to her cage. Desire drew her nipples to hard points as she examined his costume. He was still human, but he wore black leather pants tucked into black motorcycle boots. The magnificent expanse of his chest was bare, and his blue eyes practically glowed as he returned her stare.

The warmth in his gaze made her knees tremble as he beckoned her forward. “You look amazing.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Her voice came out deeper than usual, with the edge of an almost purring growl.

Her cage was surrounded by wooden walls on three sides, so when she stepped out and into Bryan’s arms, she caught her first glimpse of the zoo. She froze, overwhelmed by the beauty around them. The warm air, which she could only describe as springlike, caressed her body as Bryan slowly turned her in his arms so she could get a full view.

A zoo in truth stretched down as far as she could see, but instead of traditional animals in the habitats, men and women in exotic hybrids of human and beast graced each enclosure. Some merely preened, displaying themselves for the pleasure of their owners, while others performed tricks for the crowd. Not all were sexual in nature. The water habitat closest to them held what appeared to be a half man/half seal who jumped through a series of rings while his mistress snapped her whip and directed him in an intricate display of grace and beauty.

The cage next to hers had been empty, but before her astonished eyes, a woman who had emerald scales like a snake materialized. As the reptilian woman blinked to orient herself, she held out her hands and laughed in delight. From Tanwen’s left, she watched one of the doms approach the snake woman with a brilliant smile on his dark face. A smile much like the one Bryan wore.

“Little flame, do you realize your tail is getting frisky with me?”

She startled in his arms and glanced down to find her tail had wound around him. He smiled as she brought her tail back under control. “In a world full of amazing creatures, you are the most spectacular.” She flushed, and he grinned, stroking his hands over her body. “I’ve never been a big fan of hairy women, but you’ve made me change my mind.” He leaned closer and nuzzled the side of her neck. “Wonder how far that fur extends below that tiny skirt?”

Her breath came out in a heated burst as his clever fingers delved beneath her skirt, giving her pussy a brief stroke, gathering some of the moisture that coated her labia. “Sir, people can see us!”

“Smooth enough to eat without getting fur in my mouth,” he responded and ignored her attempts to push him away. “Though I may have to put mittens on you before those lovely claws of yours tear my back up. Or maybe I’ll just restrain you to have my pleasure.”

Not waiting for her answer, he held her hand and pulled her back over to the entrance of her cage. There was a small table next to the door that she’d missed in her initial examination. Bryan opened it and pulled out a glittering length of gold chain that matched the chains holding up her skirt. Next he pulled out what looked like a pink leather dog collar.

“Little flame, come here.”

She took a hesitant step forward, closing the brief distance between them.

“Kneel.”

His ice blue eyes held no hint of humor or compassion as she considered his request—no, his demand. The idea of wearing his collar, being led about like a pampered pet, excited and scared her. She’d been on another man’s leash for twenty years and had no desire to return to that state anytime soon. But this situation, this man, was so very different, and a little flame of happiness burned in her heart at the thought of everyone looking at them together and knowing she was his.

“Tanwen, do not make me tell you again.”

To her surprise, she found herself kneeling before him even as her mind fought with the idea. She lifted the mass of white curls so he could secure the collar. When he tightened the leather strap around her neck, her breath came out in a hiss. The leash snapped on, and with that snick came a wave of heat rushing through her body. Her nipples bunched into hard points against the thin cloth of her top.

On her knees, she was at the height of his cock and couldn’t help but notice he was aroused as well. That knowledge made her feel a tiny bit better and gave her a sense of her own power. He may hold the leash, but she willingly let him do so. The leather around her throat became less constricting, and she found she could breathe easily.

“I am so proud to have you as my pet for the day, little flame. Look at the masters waiting by the river for their subs to appear. They want you, badly, but you are mine.”

She stole a glance out of the corner of her eye as her tail wrapped around her paws like a fur blanket. True to his word, the doms had all turned to watch them. Each had focused on her with a burning intensity that sped her pulse. She quickly looked away, but in her imagination, those gazes continued to burn along her skin.

Bryan shifted, and her attention was drawn back to him. She found herself staring at the deep brown hair around his belly button that led a trail down into his pants. In the sunlight, it gleamed with hints of gold highlights, and she wanted to rub her lips against his sectioned abs, nibble the ridges until he grabbed her and used her to relive the ache she started in his body.

His voice startled her out of her daydreaming when he said, “I heard about what you did at the hotel last night with that sub who was hurt. You jumped right in to help a complete stranger. That was a very brave thing to do, and I’m proud of you.”

Unable to stop herself, she actually wriggled with pleasure from his praise. “Thank you, Sir. I didn’t help alone. Other people were there.”

“I know. Julia is a friend of mine.” He snorted, and she stole a glance at him, catching his bemused smile. “She told me if I didn’t treat you right, she’d find a dom who would.”

She frowned and placed a hand on his boot. “I don’t want another dom, Sir.”

He cocked his head and glanced at her hand, then back at her face. “Why?”

Looking down at the gleam of leather beneath her claws, she tried to think of a way to explain her complex feelings. “I feel…safe with you. I mean, I realize this is just a vacation-fling-type thing, but I couldn’t imagine facing all of this”—she gestured to the scene around them—“without someone strong to lead the way. To help me be brave.”

Silence met this statement, and her heart hurt when she met his gaze and saw displeasure reflected in the cool blue surface of his eyes. She’d said something to upset him, but she couldn’t figure out what. Trying to make up for her unknown blunder, she licked her lips and struggled to be as honest as she could. “I want you to be my master, and I want to be your submissive. I know I don’t know much about how to be a good sub, but if you teach me, I’ll do my best to please you. I-I like it when you’re proud of me. It makes me feel good to know I’m making you happy.”

He was silent for a moment, and she had to resist the urge to fidget beneath his intense gaze. “Do you truly want to know what it would be like to be my submissive?” He invaded her space farther, making her feel very small and feminine. “I’m not an easy master. I demand perfection from my subs, and I expect them to execute all my commands with grace.”

To her surprise, he drew her to her feet so that their bodies almost touched, separated only by air. “I think so.” She caught his raised eyebrow and lifted her chin while lowering her gaze to his chest. His muscular, lickable chest. “Yes, Master.”

“Do you have any questions for me, little flame? Think hard, because once we begin, I may choose to gag you and you won’t be able to do anything but moan.”

She looked up at him in shock and saw the amusement in his warm, blue eyes. “How will I know what you want me to do? As amazing as you are, you must be used to experienced subs.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she stiffened in embarrassment. Goodness, why didn’t she just drool on him while she was at it. And way to go reminding him just how unskilled she was.

He stroked his hand along her arm, curling his fingers into hers. That normal, affectionate gesture helped her to center herself, to think beyond her panic a bit. “While it’s true that I have been with many well-trained submissives, I find your honest, innocent responses to be very arousing. Anyone can be trained to do and say the right things, but that doesn’t make them a good submissive. That comes from in here”—his fingertips traced over her chest, dipping between the swell of her breasts—“in your heart and your soul.” He tilted his head to the side, and a hint of powerful emotion raced through his gaze. “You are an amazing woman, Tanwen, and I am honored by your trust in me. Never doubt that for a moment.”

His praise zinged through her body and heated her desire for him. “Thank you, Master.”

“You won’t have to guess what pleases me. I will tell you what I want you to do.” He gently extracted his hand from hers and grabbed both of her wrists, his hands becoming restraints. Her body heated further until she swore she could smell her own arousal in the air. “Now, are you ready to give the control to me? To trust me to take you where you need to go, to follow my directions implicitly?”

She was tempted to just blurt yes, but he’d been very open with her, and he deserved the same kind of honesty in return. A little ball of happiness joined the desire churning through her body as she realized how freeing it was to be able to be honest with him, to not have to worry about…well, everything. She didn’t have to worry, because she wasn’t in control. The only thing she had to do was enjoy and please. Something in her mind, in her heart relaxed, and the joy grew until she couldn’t help but smile at him.

“Yes, Master.” On impulse she leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

That warm emotion surged in his gaze again, and he stroked her cheek. “You may find some of the things I ask you hard to do, but remember, I will never ask anything of you that I think would harm you. I will punish you if you break my rules, but I won’t abuse you. You are mine to protect and cherish.” His grin turned wicked, and he cupped her breasts, squeezing hard. “And mine to fuck and punish. What is your safe word?”

“Pineapple.” Her pussy contracted, and she was suddenly ravenous for him. She leaned toward him, eager for a kiss, but he jerked her hands behind her back, effectively shackling them together with his grip on her wrists. He closed the space between their lips slowly before kissing her until her toes curled. When he pulled back, his eyes had darkened, and his lips firmed as he stared at her. There was a subtle shift in his overall body language, and she recognized that he was assuming his role as her master. She looked away, unable to hold his gaze as authority and control seemed to roll off him in almost visible waves that made her weak in the knees with desire.

“Don’t speak unless I ask you a direct question, and no petting any cute bunny boys or kitty girls without my permission. You will follow my every direction with the grace I know you’re capable of. Understood?”

“Yes, Master.”

He stepped back and slowly examined her from head to toe, the heat in his gaze growing until her skin fairly tingled as if he were touching her. He reached toward her breasts, and she tensed in anticipation of his touch on her nipples, but he merely grabbed the leash dangling between them. Some of her disappointment must have shown, because the lines around his mouth deepened as a grin twitched on his lips.

He tugged on the leash and pulled her toward him. Bryan ran his knuckles over her breasts, circling the hard points until she trembled. Her traitorous tail wrapped around him again, and he made a pleased sound deep in his throat before pinching her nipple hard enough to send a fiery path of pleasure and pain through her body. His gaze thawed a bit, and her shoulders lost their stiffness. “There is something I’m going to try with you.”

He didn’t say anything more, didn’t ask her opinion or if she wanted to try it. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that as they left the area containing the holding cages and made their way into the zoo itself. Laughter rang through the air as a curvy brunette who looked like a mixture between a human and a chocolate lab raced past them. She had a big red bow tied around her neck like she’d been someone’s present. Bryan placed his arm around Tanwen and pulled her to him while taking a step back. A few seconds later, a big man barreled toward them with the words DOGCATCHER printed on his white uniform.

The man paused next to them, and he grinned. “Hey, Bryan! Have you seen a cute little stray puppy around here anywhere?”

Laughing, Bryan pointed in the direction the woman had run, and the dogcatcher took off in hot pursuit, letting out a triumphant roar as he spied the woman trying to hide behind a tree. Tanwen couldn’t help but giggle at the picture they made as the dogcatcher snagged the runaway puppy and threw her over his shoulder while she screeched with laughter. He gave her a few loud whacks on her bottom, and she yelped as he carried her out of sight behind the curve of a building.

A little shiver of pleasure went through Tanwen as she imagined what it would be like to run from Bryan, to have him hunt and capture her. She used to run track in high school and had taken up jogging after her divorce. While she was sure Bryan would eventually catch her, she was pretty sure she would give him a good chase. She could only imagine all the wicked things he would do to her once caught.

Bryan slowly stroked her shoulders, trailing his fingers over her fur and giving her a most pleasurable chill. “Do you like the idea of a game of capture and chase, Tanwen?”

She nuzzled her cheek against his chest. “It does seem exciting, Master.” He made a noncommittal sound, and she worried she had said something wrong. “But I only want to do what you want. I want to make you happy.”

He shook his head and held her close against him, his hands running down her back in a soothing motion. “Your honesty makes me happy, little flame. When I ask you a question, I want you to tell me the truth, not what you think I want to hear.” He released her and stepped back, his face closing down into what she had already started to recognize as his “master” expression. She found it rather hot and eagerly followed after him as they made their way down a long pathway lined with different animal exhibits.

They passed a display where the half man/half seal had been joined now by his mistress, who rode his back as he raced through the water. The tank itself was elevated on the side facing the crowd with clear glass walls, giving the viewer a glimpse into the water. She slowed down to watch them dart past, and Bryan jerked on her collar in a manner that reminded her of how she’d jerk her dog’s collar when he wanted to stop and sniff at something instead of walk like she wanted to do.

“I just want to look,” she muttered, but because of the animalistic tone of her voice, it came out more like a growl.

Before she could blink, Bryan had his hand fisted in her hair and had arched her head back to an uncomfortable angle. His lips moved over the cord of her neck as he said, “Did you just speak without permission?”

She struggled against the unnatural curve he forced her to hold, but his strength allowed him to keep her there, her breasts pressed against her chest. His leg came between hers, throwing her further off balance and forcing her to clasp her legs around his thigh to remain standing. To her embarrassment, her body heated against his leg, and she was sure he could feel the slick slide of her wet pussy. “I’m sorry, Master. I forgot.”

“Then we should give you something to remind you of your manners.”

He grabbed her roughly by the wrist and dragged her toward an exhibit that held two male swans kissing as their master looked on. She examined them and realized it was the same master with his two male subs she’d seen in the garden last night. The sight of all that masculine beauty touching each other sent an additional surge of arousal through her, and she was shocked to realize that she actually found the idea of two men together to be hot …really hot.

“Eyes on me,” Bryan said in a cold voice, and she tore her gaze away from the spectacle of the swans.

He stepped back, and she mourned the loss of his heat even as anger tightened her stomach at his harsh treatment. Then again, they had discussed that he expected her to follow his rules and that she would be punished if she broke them. The anger cooled into guilt as he continued to stare at her in that chilly manner. He didn’t have to tell her how disappointed he was; she could feel it coming off him in waves.

She dropped her gaze, unable to look at him, and instead studied her tail as it wrapped around her feet. Oddly enough she wanted to hug her tail to herself, hide behind it until Bryan was no longer angry. She absolutely hated it when someone was angry with her, and had spent most of her marriage doing anything she could to make her husband happy. Now Bryan was disappointed with her, and she didn’t know how to fix it.

Bryan had moved closer while she was mentally chastising herself, and fisted a hand in her hair so she was forced to meet his gaze. He stroked his thumb against her cheek, and the tears slid free, flowing down her chin. He sighed and pulled her into his arms. “Little flame, I forget what a tender heart you have. Promise me you will try to do better, and I will forgive you for your slipup.”

She nodded and sniffed, trying to keep her lower lip from trembling.

“But if you disobey me and speak out of turn again, I will know it is a willful challenge of my control, and I will punish you. I know I may come off as a bit scary, but I promise you I would not be doing you any favors by letting you run roughshod over me.”

A small part of her wanted to push him to see if he would follow through, but to her core, she was a people pleaser and always would be. Still, she wondered what one of his punishments would be like, if it would be some type of delicious sexual torture. “I promise I’ll be better, Master. I’m so sorry I disappointed you.”

He brushed his lips over hers, a brief caress that made the weight on her heart lift, to be replaced by joy. “I know you will. If you need to speak, ask me for permission, and I may or may not grant it.”

She almost spoke, then caught herself and settled for an empathetic nod instead. He laughed and scratched her ears, a surprisingly pleasant sensation that had her arching into his hand. She clasped her paws together to keep from indulging in the strange urge to rub her cheeks all over his body, to cover herself in his scent. A primal part wanted anyone who walked past them to know she belonged to him—from the collar around her neck to his pheromones on her skin—or in this case, fur.

“Come along now, my spoiled little fox, before I’m tempted to take you right here and fuck that sweet cunt until you beg me to finish.” He adjusted his cock and gave himself an extra squeeze. “If you’re a good girl, I may even let you orgasm.”

Let her orgasm? She had to work her butt off, literally, to orgasm. Even then it was a hit-or-miss thing. On the other hand, she surely hadn’t had any problem reaching her peak with Bryan. His gaze turned hot, as if he could hear her thoughts, and a rather arrogant smile curved his lips. She wanted to snap at him but wisely held her tongue when he lifted his eyebrows and gave her a cool glance. His lips twitched in amusement as she struggled to control her temper.

Without another word, he took the end of the leash from where it dangled between her legs. Moving her skirt over to the side with one hand, he growled deep in his throat as he stared at her damp cleft. With the leather handle of the leash, he stroked up and down her slit until she widened her stance, giving him better access with a needy tilt of her hips.

Instead of running the leather over her clit, he slapped that tender bud of nerves with the edge of the leash, and she whimpered. It hurt, but it also felt so damned good. He spanked her again and again until she thrust forward to meet each slap of leather on her sensitive skin. He held her labia open and fully exposed her clit, pulling back slightly on the hood so it stood out like a bright pink button.

The air on her overheated skin had her squirming, and Bryan made a shushing noise. “Easy now. If I took that swollen clit into my mouth, I’d nibble on it, sucking until your juice soaked my face.”

A plea almost escaped her, but she bit it back at the last moment and just moaned her need. With a featherlight touch, he wiggled the end of the leash back and forth over her nub, quickly driving her to the peak. Her orgasm hovered just out of reach, another breath, a mere touch away. Rather than giving her the release she craved, he backed away and tugged at the leash, forcing her to follow him as the flesh between her legs pounded with each beat of her heart.

“You may beg me, little flame.”

The words poured out of her mouth in a torrent of need. “Please, Sir. Please, please, please, make me come.”

He stepped back and smiled. “No.” With that, he turned and gave an expectant tug on her leash, seemingly secure in his knowledge that she would follow him.

She stared at his back, torn between wanting to kick him and wanting to drop to her knees and beg him to continue. They’d attracted a bit of an audience while Bryan punished her, but in her aroused state, she didn’t care as much as she usually would. The only thing in the world she wanted to do right now was orgasm, and the man holding her chain and walking with that damn sexy swagger was the only one who could give it to her the way she wanted.

The way she needed.

They passed several more exhibits, each featuring an erotic display that left her gaping. She could have easily spent her allotted three hours wandering from exhibit to exhibit if left on her own. Her previous irritation at Bryan’s assumption that she would do whatever he wished faded into gratitude. With Bryan in control of their experience, all she had to do was obey him and enjoy the ride.

A big man who looked like a cross between a Doberman and a human strained against his leash as they passed, growling at Bryan but giving Tanwen a very interested look. His mistress said something in a sharp tone, and he stopped, panting and whining as she dragged him away by his collar. Bryan completely ignored the display, but Tanwen couldn’t help a shiver of fear and a small tingle of arousal at the thought of that beast breaking free of his chain. Thank goodness Bryan had a destination in mind, and she soon found herself walking behind him, trying to anticipate where he was taking her.

Chapter Eight

They rounded the corner of a monkey habitat, and Tanwen ran into Bryan’s back before she realized he had stopped. There had been at least a dozen human/monkey people in the habitat having all kinds of wild sex while making use of the swinging ropes and the jungle gym. She’d been astonished by the sight of one monkey woman sitting in a tire swing and being spun around a circle of masters, giving each cock she passed a suck before they pushed her around the circle to the next master.

Bryan held her face between his hands and studied her with a small smile creasing his cheeks. “A bit overwhelming, isn’t it?”

She let her gaze travel over his lips and up to his eyes and found herself falling into them. The ground beneath her feet became soft, and it seemed as if his hands were the only things anchoring her to the world. “Yes, Sir.”

He nodded and cupped the back of her neck, bringing her lips to his in a powerful and demanding kiss. She molded her body to his, delighting in the sensation of her fur rubbing against his skin. With a low growl, he deepened the kiss, his tongue stroking into her mouth and giving her a taste of his essence. She answered with a purring moan of her own and sighed when he buried his hands in her curls and tugged hard enough to make her wince with delicious pain.

“You’re so damn tempting.” He thumbed her erect nipples through the thin top and released his hold on her hair.

He moved so she could see their destination, and she tried to figure out what it was. A ticket booth stood next to a large wrought-iron gate. Above the gate, a neon sign said THE WILD HUNT. A fence extended out as far as she could see in each direction, enclosing the forest beyond as well as part of the water lapping at the shores of Belle Isle.

Before she could question him, Bryan tugged her leash, and she followed him to the ticket booth. Across the back of the booth, an array of what she could only identify as elaborate squirt guns lined the walls. A handsome black man dressed like an old carnival barker in a white shirt and red-and-black-striped vest nodded his greetings. Around his thick arms he wore black garters, and he even had an impressive handlebar mustache. “Welcome to the Wild Hunt. My name is Montel. How may I help you today?”

Bryan smiled and stroked his hand down Tanwen’s back in a soothing gesture. “We would like to join the hunt. How exactly does it work?”

Making a noise deep in his throat, Montel examined her before turning to the rows of squirt guns behind him. He hefted one off the wall and brought out a bag of hot pink balls from beneath the counter. As soon as she saw the balls, she realized what any mother with teenage boys would understand. Those weren’t squirt guns; they were paintball guns.

Montel poured the balls into the gun before handing it to Bryan. “It’s quite simple. You release your pet into the forest, and she runs. You have thirty minutes to capture her. Once you tag her with that paint, she’ll be out of play, and you can have her any way you want.” He turned to Tanwen and winked. “However, if you fail to tag her, she can claim any of the wild beasts she wants as her prize.”

Bryan grunted. “Wild beasts?”

“Yep. Leopards, bears, wolves, that sort of thing. Some are real people, and some are VR creations. They roam the forest looking for loose pets. If they manage to drag your pet off to their den before you tag her, they get to keep her. You can tag them with your paintball gun as well to either take them out of the game or keep them for later use when you find your lost pet.”

Tanwen shivered and inched closer to Bryan. “Permission to speak, Sir?”

Bryan nodded and cuddled her close to his side.

“You said the wild beasts get to keep me if they catch me; what does that mean?”

“That depends on your agreement with whoever captures you. It can range from spanking to sexual intercourse. Of course, you can always use your safe word to end the simulation if things get out of hand or if you feel truly threatened.” Montel’s dark eyes softened, and he gave her a gentle smile. “There are game wardens watching you at all times to make sure that no one cheats and everyone is all right.”

Bryan gave her bottom a cruel pinch, and she yelped. “So you have no one to fear, except me.”

She glowered at him, but her lips twitched into a grin as she rubbed her bottom.

Montel chuckled and glanced over at the entrance. “If you’ll take off your pet’s leash and hand it to me, she can go in.” He gave her an appraising look while he twirled the ends of his handlebar mustache. “Foxy lady, go inside of the gate and take the first archway on the left. It will take you into a simulation of Yellowstone Park in December.”

She glanced down at her barely there clothes and almost spoke before looking to Bryan. “Permission to speak, Sir.” He nodded, and she continued. “Do I get a coat or some boots to wear?”

“No, and you won’t need them. The climate is a warm sixty-eight degrees in our VR version of Yellowstone. No need to worry about virtual snow melting.”

Bryan unhooked her leash and looped the chain around her waist, tugging her close so he could whisper into her ear. “You better run fast because when I find you, I’m going to claim your tender asshole as my reward.” He moved his face away, and his gaze heated while the hard bulge of his erection pressed into her stomach. “You may cry, but I guarantee your cunt will be coating my balls in your cum by the time I’m done with you.”

She gaped at him, her mind spinning through the rough and erotic picture he painted. His gaze turned cold, and he dropped the chain from her waist, pausing to squeeze both of her butt cheeks in his hands. “If you let someone capture you first, I’ll be very disappointed in you.”

Her chin trembled, and she nodded, ashamed of her emotional reaction to his words. His disappointment shouldn’t mean that much to her, but just the thought of letting him down made her heart hurt. Never, in all her years of marriage, had she ever been in a situation as intense as every moment of her time with Bryan was. Even if she knew this man a hundred years, she had a feeling he would constantly surprise her, always push her beyond her limits. Right now her pussy pulsed with need, and she would have gladly taken a rough round of anal sex if that meant finally having him inside of her.

Who knows how long she would have been standing there staring into Bryan’s eyes if the man behind the counter hadn’t briskly rang a bell. “Off you go, foxy lady. The hunt has begun.”

Giving in to a mischievous impulse, she gave Bryan’s butt a pinch as she streaked past and laughed as his delicious threats rang in her ears while she sprinted for the entrance. She paused for a brief moment in the paved square that branched off into several different areas, examining each before finding the archway that led into a snow-packed wonderland. In other circumstances, she would have taken the time to admire the beauty of the ice glinting on the trees and the breathtaking winter mountains that surrounded her. Instead she took just long enough to get her bearings before she sprinted off to the left, following a meandering trail that led into a pine forest.

The world flew by her in a flurry of scents and brief bursts of color among the white of the thick snow that blanketed everything. The powdery snow felt like feathers beneath her feet, and her body carried her forward with a speed she hadn’t possessed since she ran track in high school. It felt so good to open up, to really run without the aches and pains that came with getting older. Her tail streamed out behind her, and she found her animal ears picked up sounds she never would have heard.

Far ahead, heavy breathing alerted her to the presence of another animal, so she changed direction and scampered up the side of a granite boulder, nimbly hopping from one outcropping to the next. A quick glance over her shoulder showed her the tops of the pine trees, but not far enough back to see if Bryan had made it in yet.

The chain holding up her skirt jingled as she rounded the top of the boulder. After a look around to ensure she was alone, she removed the bikini top and skirt before hiding them in a snow drift. The sparkly pink fabric stood out against the white snow, but her fur blended in perfectly. Her pink nipples and sex stood out from the pure white of her pelt. She felt undeniably sexy, which further heightened her arousal. A gust of air brought the faint musk of a male to her, and she scrambled into action.

While the thought of being captured by Bryan both scared and aroused her, being caught by someone else just scared her. She slowed her pace, sure she had enough of a head start on Bryan to lead him in circles before her thirty minutes were up. She had no intention of picking another animal to play with; what she wanted was Bryan. The idea of being his domme did nothing for her, so she hoped even if she did win that he would still ravage her like he’d promised.

The thought of his erection piercing her bottom had her panting as her nipples drew into hard points in the cool air. She could actually smell her own arousal and wondered if the breeze carried it to the other wild beasts. Fear danced an icy shiver up her spine as she cautiously made her way across an open, snow-covered field. Leafless aspen trees formed a wall on the north side of the field, and she crouched down low, trying to make her way across the open land without being detected.

The feeling of being watched increased, but she couldn’t see or hear anything out of the ordinary. Far to the west, a wolf howled, and the fur on her back stood up as she unconsciously bared her teeth in return. Some long-buried primal instinct screamed at her to run, and she did, bolting for the stand of trees.

As she reached the shelter of the closely placed trunks, she spied a cluster of overgrown holly bushes that would provide an excellent place to hide until she got her nerves under control. The beat of her heart filled her head as she darted for the holly bushes, and the scent of something musky and male filled her head a second before a black-and-white form launched from the underbrush straight at her.

Her piercing scream echoed through the forest, blending in with the growl of the beast that slammed her onto her back. Momentarily blinded by the snow covering her face, she slashed out with her claws and connected with something solid.

“Feisty little thing, aren’t you?” a male voice asked in amusement as she was flipped onto her stomach.

Growling and hissing, she tried to buck the weight of the male off her back, but it was no use. Whoever, whatever he was, he easily kept her pinned to the ground. Sharp nails ran over her flanks in a teasing caress, and a rather large erection pressed into her back.

Panic shot through her, and she frantically tried to get away. “Let me go!”

“I don’t think so.” His warm breath tickled against the shell of her ear, and she damned herself for the tiny surge of arousal that moved through her. “I could smell your pussy across the field. Your master or mistress did a good job of working you up before they set you free.” With a shift of his hips, he rubbed his cock between the curves of her ass. “I’m going to take you back to my cave and enjoy every inch of this beautiful body.”

She let out a whimper, and his hold lightened. “Don’t be scared, little sub. I won’t do anything you don’t agree to.”

“Please, please let me go. I don’t want to do this. I-I want my master,” she whispered as tears spilled down her cheeks into the snow.

Two sharp pops filled the air, followed quickly by a stinging burn on her shoulder. Bryan’s voice rang out over them. “And your master wants you.”

“Ah fuck,” the man on her back muttered as he rolled off her.

She scrambled to her feet, hugging herself as she stared at the beast that had been on top of her. A half man, half snow tiger grinned back at her as he lay on his back with his hands laced behind his head. A magnificent creature, his thick cock curved toward his belly button as he obviously preened beneath her gaze. On his left hip, a bright pink splat of paint marred the perfection of his stripes.

Bryan moved up behind her and pulled her into his arms, crushing his mouth down on hers in a brutal, possessive kiss. She moaned in relief and joy, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging to him. The taste of him filled her mouth, and his warmth seemed to sink into her soul. When he pulled back, the worry on his face made her want to reassure him, but he held her close and turned her in his arms so they both looked at the snow tiger, who watched them with interest.

“Bryan, fancy seeing you here.” The snow tiger grinned and gave Tanwen an obviously approving examination. “Your pet is a delicious little thing.”

Bryan snorted and smoothed Tanwen’s hair over her shoulder in a soothing motion. “Danny, you’re such an asshole. You scared her.”

Danny frowned and sat up. “You mean she wasn’t acting?”

“No.”

Danny ran a hand over his head, an odd expression of guilt on his feline features. “Well hell. I’m sorry, foxy lady. I thought you were just acting out the role of the reluctant damsel in distress. I didn’t realize you really were in distress.” He stood and brushed the snow off his fur before stalking over to them and going down on one knee before her. “Please forgive me.”

Before she could answer, Bryan said, “Don’t forget, Danny, by the rules of the game, you’re my wild beast now.”

Danny raised his eyebrows and looked past her to Bryan. Up close, she couldn’t help but notice how soft his fur looked, and now that she had Bryan near, her fear melted away, leaving growing desire in its wake. “You think you can top me?”

Bryan’s laugh held a wicked edge that made her shiver. “Oh, I know I can. But that’s not what I want. You owe my sub for scaring her so badly, and you’re going to make it up to her.”

A look of understanding flashed over Danny’s face; his voice deepened. “How may I be of service?”

Bryan tossed the paintball gun to the side and gripped her arms behind her back, thrusting her chest toward Danny. He murmured into her ear, “Youhave your safe words. Use them only if you have to. I promise you, we will take care of you, and I will be right here with you every step of the way, keeping you safe. Danny may come off a bit rough, but he really is a nice guy. I wouldn’t let anyone near you that I didn’t trust.”

Unable to speak past the lump in her throat, she nodded and tried to keep from staring at the erection growing between Danny’s legs again. He remained on his knees but widened his stance and winked at her. She swallowed hard and looked away, feeling like a pervert.

“Shy little thing, isn’t she?”

“My Tanwen is very, very new to the scene.” Bryan ran a possessive hand over her belly, dipping down to stroke between her legs. “But she is eager to learn more.”

Danny’s gaze fastened on Bryan’s hands and her pussy as he stroked her, opening her labia with his fingers and wetting them with her juice. She leaned back into his arms, a deep sense of trust allowing her to relax into his touch as he continued to build her arousal. The idea of someone watching her make love had never seemed arousing before, but now with Danny obviously getting turned on from watching Bryan play with her, it added an extra spice to an already overwhelmingly erotic situation. Bryan continued to restrain her with one hand while he traced slow circles around her clit with the other. Danny shifted on the ground before them and growled hungrily, licking his lips and showing a flash of sharp canines. Her tail curled around Bryan, pulling his body as close to hers as she could get with her arms still restrained behind her back.

The sun began to dip behind the mountains, and Bryan sighed into her hair. “I wish we had more time, but once the sun sets, this VR session ends.” He pressed down directly on her clit, and her legs trembled, almost spilling her to the ground before Danny leaned forward and braced her knees against his chest, his mouth inches away from Bryan’s hand caressing her.

“Danny, on your back if you please.”

Danny gave Bryan a curious look but complied. Releasing her arms, Bryan turned her around and pressed his lips gently against hers. “Tanwen, I want you to sixty-nine with Danny. I want you to suck his cock while he eats that delicious cunt. I want to watch you scream around his shaft while I fuck you in your ass.”

She stumbled as he released her and jumped when Danny reached out and grabbed her leg. Not giving her time to regain her senses, Danny hauled her closer until she stood over him, then, using his hands on her legs, turned her around until she faced his cock. Without another word, he leaned up and jerked her pussy down onto his face, a deep growl rumbling from his throat and through her flesh as his rough tongue lapped at her.

Her breath came out in a hiss as she realized his tongue wasn’t totally smooth like a human’s, but had the edge of sandpaper roughness like a cat’s. Each lick at her core had just the tiniest edge of discomfort that drove her desire even higher. She moaned and rocked her hips on his face, all the pent-up arousal spiraling out of control as he shoved his tongue as far as it would go into her pussy. He had a very long tongue.

“Tanwen, put his cock in your mouth, now.”

A quick glance to the side showed Bryan had taken his pants off, and she wriggled her hips against Danny’s mouth in delight. She grasped Danny’s cock and slowly sank her mouth down on it, keeping her eyes locked on Bryan’s. He jerked his prick in time with her movements, his gaze hot as he watched her pleasure Danny. She loved this, loved knowing Bryan found the sight of her sucking another man’s dick arousing, loved being able to do this for him, to obey his commands and please him. And to be honest, Danny ate pussy like a fiend.

Her breath began to puff out in soft gasps as Danny’s claws pricked on her bottom hard enough to draw blood, pulling her closer. The wonderful burn had her eyes closing as she took Danny as far into her throat as she could. The ripe plum of his head stretched her mouth, and she struggled to keep from gagging, to relax her throat and let him in.

Warm hands closed over her bottom above Danny’s claws and spread her cheeks, exposing the pink rosebud of her anus. She tensed, waiting for the burning pain of his cock. Danny chose that moment to circle her clit over and over, catching the edge of her hood with each swipe and making her twitch. Something cool drizzled over her anus, and she flinched. A moment later, Bryan’s thick finger began to spread the moisture over her back entrance, massaging the slick oil into the tight ring of muscle.

“Tanwen, you should see how fucking hot you look. Your cream is dripping down Danny’s fur, and your little asshole looks so tight and inviting. I’m not going to ease into you. I’m going to shove my cock in, and you will take every fucking bit of it. Do you understand?”

She nodded and desperately sucked on Danny’s cock, trying to distract herself from the pain she knew was coming. Wanting to spur Bryan on, to have him take this experience to the next level, she gave her bottom a tempting wiggle and smiled around Danny’s cock as Bryan made a low sound of desire. Her sensible, conservative mind tried to protest this situation, but a newer, more primal part of her nature began to surface, and it wanted everything the men had to offer. The more they touched her, the more she became a creature of feelings and sensations, intent only on her own carnal needs and those of her mates.

Danny’s claws pricked her flesh again, and delicious, hot pain shot through her body and mixed with her arousal. A small part of her mind recoiled at the thought that she wanted to be treated in such a rough manner, but her animalistic side purred in delight.

True to his word, Bryan placed the head of his cock against her bottom and began to shove his way in with a harsh grunt. She gasped in pain around Danny’s cock, the rough entry as Bryan pushed past her resisting ring of muscles burning. Against her will, she tried to wriggle away, but Danny and Bryan both held her in place, forcing her to accept the agonizing slide of Bryan’s cock into her ass. She gripped Danny’s thighs, anchoring herself as she arched and cried.

“Suck his dick like a lollipop, little flame,” Bryan panted as he continued to breech her.

A tear trickled down her cheek, but she did as she was told, immersing herself in the feel of Danny’s cock, breathing in the scent of his musk when her lips met the base of his shaft and her nose brushed his balls. Danny began to suck directly on her clit, and she found herself pushing back onto Bryan’s cock, relaxing and opening herself for him.

The pain and pleasure began to merge, making her entire body buzz with a rush of adrenaline and hormones that rivaled the strongest of drugs. Her awareness shrank down to the mouth on her pussy, the cock pushing into her bottom, and the dick pulsing in her mouth.

Danny captured the tip of her clit between his teeth and bit down, sending her shooting into her orgasm. She arched and shivered between them, the blasting waves of her orgasm seeming to start in her abused anus, rebound to her aching clit, and then spinning back again. Bryan kept pace with her contractions, fully buried all the way in her ass.

Like a cat eating cream, Danny continued to torment her pussy as Bryan shuttled his cock in and out of her bottom with increasing speed. Gagging slightly, she tried to keep pace with Danny as he began to shove his cock into her mouth, fucking her face like it was a pussy. The knowledge that she was being so roughly used turned her on immensely. These men fucked her with complete confidence, and she loved it. There were no timid questions of if she was okay or if she liked it. No, they took their pleasure from her willing flesh and gave her more in return than she’d ever imagined was possible.

Danny froze beneath her, the hard muscles of his stomach trembling against her breasts as he tensed. She jerked him with her hand, licking the tip of his cock like it was an ice cream cone. In return he sucked on her clit and used her pussy to muffle his groans. The first hot shot of his seed splashed onto her tongue, and she moaned.

Bryan’s cock throbbed in her ass as his movements became jerky and erratic. “That’s it. Eat every fucking drop of his cum.”

She did as he ordered, trying not to let one bit of the hot liquid escape her lips as her impending orgasm built and built with each thrust. Danny twitched and danced beneath her, tilting her hips up and helping Bryan to fuck her. She collapsed onto Danny’s thighs, gently suckling his relaxing dick as Bryan continued to use her. Danny shifted, and Bryan made a choking sound of pleasure. “Oh fuck. Tanwen, he’s licking my balls clean of your cum while I fuck you.”

That image, that utterly rough and forbidden knowledge had her slamming her ass back into him as she came, the burning pain in her bottom so intense she knew that if they were in the real world she would be bleeding. She took all of Bryan’s pain, all his pleasure, everything he had to give and screamed her release into the sky. Bryan joined her a moment later, the pumping jerks of his cock soothing her abused anal passage.

They froze like that, each making little sounds of raw pleasure as Bryan’s cock softened in her ass. He gently pulled out, and she winced, but the endorphin high kept her floating. Danny literally purred beneath her, turning her so she lay in his arms. Bryan collapsed onto the snow next to them and cuddled her tight, raining kisses over her shoulders and neck.

Danny spoke first, his voice cracking as he said, “Bryan, you have got to be the luckiest son of a bitch on earth to find a woman like this.”

Bryan chuckled but held Tanwen closer, his heart thundering against her back. “I know. Isn’t she perfect?”

A powerful rush of emotion blazed through her, feeling all too much like love.

Her throat constricted, and his arms suddenly felt like chains around her. No, this wasn’t right. She couldn’t fall for him. This was just a fling, a vacation romance. That warm, wonderful feeling couldn’t be real. She couldn’t let it, wouldn’t let it take root. Falling in love with Bryan was completely unacceptable and would only lead to a broken heart when they parted ways in three days.

For a moment, her mind entertained the idea of seeing how far things could go between them, but then she remembered how far away he lived and how popular he was with the BDSM crowd. She couldn’t honestly expect someone like him to commit to a long-distance relationship where they might see each other once or twice a month. With two boys in college, she didn’t have the play money to constantly fly back and forth, so that would mean long drives for both of them.

Worse yet, she couldn’t imagine someone as sexual as Bryan remaining monogamous when they only got together once in a while. The thought of him being with another woman made her sick to her stomach, and she wished she could be one of those urbane, sophisticated women who could separate sex and love, but she just couldn’t. Maybe that was the most painful and real thing she’d learned this whole trip.

She tried to pull away from his arms, but he growled and hugged her closer. “We’re not done yet, little flame. You will not deny me the joy of holding you close and giving you the love and care that you need.”

At the word “love,” panic suffused her, and she pushed at his arms, struggling to get free. “Let me go, please. I need to go. I shouldn’t be here.” Her words came out in a helpless keen, and she shuddered at that wounded noise.

“Shhh, Tanwen, relax. I’ve got you; you’re okay. Nothing will hurt you while you’re in my arms.”

Her voice came out in a ragged whisper as she said the VR safe word that would automatically boot her out of the simulation. “Pizzarific.”

The sensation of Bryan’s arms holding her faded, and she realized it wasn’t that he was releasing her, but rather their VR session was ending. As her mind raced in the darkness, she tried to tell herself she wasn’t falling in love with Bryan, but her foolish heart wouldn’t listen.

Chapter Nine

Tanwen sat up so quickly she slammed her head against the clear plastic covering the pod as she came out of VR. Silver bracelets gleamed above her as she focused on Michelle’s hands unlatching the pod. A dull ache resonated through her head as she gently rubbed the spot she had hit on the covering.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Michelle said as she stood over the pod and opened it manually. She helped Tanwen sit up and grabbed her in a hug, patting Tanwen’s back in a soothing motion. “Are you okay?”

Not wanting to upset Michelle, Tanwen tried to brush away the tears. “I’m fine. Thank you for your help. I have to go.”

Michelle didn’t release Tanwen from her hug; if anything she held her tighter. “Oh hells to the bells no, you are not fine. What happened? Did you get hurt?”

Tanwen tried to laugh and winced at how much it sounded like a sob. It wasn’t the ache of her VR body that had her upset but the heartbreak she was sure lay in her future. As much as she liked Michelle, she wasn’t ready to share that, so she focused on the physical aspects of what had happened instead. “No, well yes, but it wasn’t really my body.”

Michelle leaned back enough to hold her gaze and said in a low and soft voice, “Tanwen, did anyone force you to do something you didn’t want?”

“No, everything they did I wanted. I…enjoyed it.” She closed her eyes, unable to look at Michelle while she admitted the truth. “Every depraved, horrible thing we did made me more aroused than I’ve ever been in my entire life. I’m a pervert.”

Michelle made a strangled noise that sounded strangely like laugh, and Tanwen stiffened and looked at her through narrowed eyes. Unperturbed, Michelle took a seat next to her on the bed and kept one arm around Tanwen’s shoulder. “So you had a satisfying, consensual sexual experience with another adult, and that makes you a pervert?”

“You don’t understand. I did…things with…with two men.” She held her up her hand to stop Michelle from speaking. “That may be normal around here, but in my world, that makes me a slut. What kind of woman would let a man do those things to her, and what kind of man would want a woman like that?”

Once she spoke those words, she realized that by Bryan inviting another person into their play, virtual or not, it reinforced that he didn’t have any feelings for her outside of sex. She didn’t think she would ever be able to share him with another woman, but he’d shared her with another man like it was no big deal. When they’d been talking about him being her master, she thought he’d been talking about more than just sex, and she had really, really liked the idea of being his.

“Pish posh,” Michelle said and made a shooing gesture. “This dom you’re seeing, Bryan, did he act jealous at all?”

“Well, no. He said he wants me to explore all my fantasies. In fact, he kind of insisted that the other guy…umm…” She had a flashback of the sensation of Danny’s cock sliding down her throat as Bryan took her from behind, and her body clenched with need. On the heels of that thought came the absolutely mind-blowing moment when she felt the brush of Danny’s furry face against her mound as he suckled Bryan’s balls. That thought turned her on even more. “He didn’t seem to have a problem with it,” she finished in an embarrassed squeak.

“And how is he outside of VR? Do you do the same things in bed?”

Tanwen swung her legs, the tips of her sandals brushing the tiles of the floor. “We haven’t really done that outside of VR.”

“Do you want to do ‘that’? The dirty, the nasty, the horizontal mambo, hide the sausage, tame the snake, bump uglies—”

Tanwen giggled and gently put her hand over Michelle’s mouth. “Okay, okay. No, we haven’t had sex outside of VR.”

Michelle pulled her hand down and gave her a gentle smile. “Keep in mind I don’t know anything about this man or his perspective on things, but my suggestion to you would be relax and enjoy the ride. You have a fun VR playmate who might or might not be something more. Do you want something more?”

Tanwen fiddled with the edge of her shirt. Yes, she wanted more, but the question was, did he? “I don’t know. I mean, I came here for some wild and crazy experiences—oh heck, let’s call a spade a spade. I came here for some wild and crazy sex, and Bryan totally delivers on that level. As for real life, I worked very hard to become as independent as I am. After my divorce, I had a hard time going anywhere by myself. The first time I went to the movies alone, I sat in the back of the theater and cried because I felt so unloved.” The memory still stung her heart. “My ex-husband used to come home between five thirty and six every workday. I’d find myself alone in my apartment scrambling to get dinner done by six, only to realize no one was coming home to eat it with me.” Her voice grew thick, and she took a deep breath. “I don’t want to be that woman again.”

“You’ll never be that woman again, Tanwen, no matter what happens.”

“How am I supposed to face Bryan after what we did today? He probably thinks I’m queen of the crazy nymphomaniac übersluts.”

Michelle smiled and patted Tanwen on top of her head. “Sorry, honey, but you have some stiff competition for that title this week. You’ll never know what he thinks if you don’t talk to him. Instead you’ll torture yourself with imaginary conversations in which he calls you every name in the book.”

Tanwen winced. “Am I that transparent?”

“No, I’m just that good of a therapist.” Michelle hopped down and helped Tanwen off the bed. “Go take a nice bath and a nap. Give this experience a chance to gel, and when you go to dinner tonight, I want you to talk to Bryan. No hiding in your room and ordering room service so you can have a one-woman pity party. Those days are over, aren’t they?”

Michelle made it sound more like an order than a request, and Tanwen straightened her shoulders and saluted her. “Yes, ma’am.”

“You have your marching orders, solider. Dismissed.”

Tanwen managed to keep back the tears until she made it to her room, but as soon as the door snicked behind her, a harsh sob broke free from her chest. She stumbled to her bed and threw herself on the mattress, a beam of sunlight warming her back from the windows. The pain and sorrow of the last two years seemed to burst free from where she’d trapped it in her soul, swamping her all at once.

Her tears tapered off into hitching breaths, and she stripped out of her clothes, climbing naked between the clean sheets, and looked out the window across the room while hugging a pillow to her chest. Her soul felt wrung out, exhausted from both her experience with Bryan and the unexpected memories of her divorce.

She hated it, hated how she’d think she was over the worst part and something would sneak up and bite her in the ass. It was happening a lot less

She hated it, hated how she’d think she was over the worst part and something would sneak up and bite her in the ass. It was happening a lot less than it used to, but every once in a while, she couldn’t help but wish everything had miraculously worked out with her and her ex-husband. She wiped her cheeks and sighed softly. It really would have taken an act of God for their marriage to last any longer than it had.

Right now her body should be in pain, but thanks to the miracle of VR, nothing physically hurt. Too bad she couldn’t leave her wounded spirit there as well. More than anything, she wanted Bryan behind her right now, to be held in his arms and feel him surrounding her, keeping her safe. That mental image made her heart ache. She didn’t need a man to make her feel good. She could feel good all on her own.

Besides, Bryan had acted like it was no big deal. To him it probably wasn’t. Heck, he probably shared his women all the time, not that she was his woman. Nope, she was simply his vacation fling, just like he was her vacation fling. She couldn’t let the fact that she wanted more keep her from enjoying the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that she had to be with a man who gave her utterly fantastic orgasms.

The sunlight glinted off the windows of the buildings across the Detroit River in Windsor. A low hum filled the room as the air conditioner kicked in, and exhaustion pulled at her eyelids until she just gave up and closed them altogether. She didn’t like feeling like this at all. Jeez, she was acting worse than a teenager, crying in her room over a guy. What was she, sixteen? Did she need to write Bryan a note and have a friend pass it to him in class?

That thought made her giggle, and she snuggled deeper into her pillows. She’d talk to Bryan before dinner, stake out the elevators or something until he arrived. Then they’d have an adult conversation, and she’d find some way to explain why she’d bolted that didn’t make her sound crazy. He’d given her exactly what she told him she wanted—a chance to explore all her fantasies—and she’d freaked out. She would calmly thank him for the experience. If he wanted her to join him for dinner, she would accept and prove to him that she wasn’t a coward and that she could handle whatever he wanted to do with her.

If he didn’t want to have dinner with her, she’d find a table to sit at and force herself to talk to the people there. Maybe she could find Julia or Annie and sit with them. Yeah, she’d sit with them and stare across the room at Bryan and whatever lucky sub ended up the center of his attention. Then she would calmly get up and walk across the room to haul the hussy off his lap by her hair.

With a groan, she pulled the pillow over her face and screamed into it. As illogical, stupid, and utterly self-destructive as it was, she had to admit to herself that she saw Bryan as so much more than a fling. The smart thing to do would be to leave him alone and find someone else, or just do the VR fantasies with the computer. But she didn’t want that; she wanted Bryan. A man who could reduce her to a puddle of bubbling hormones with a glance.

She ran her fingers over her back, tracing the phoenix tattoo inked into her skin. When she’d first had the idea for the tattoo, she’d been terrified of the pain and afraid of all the negative things people would think of her for having a tattoo. But she’d gotten it anyways and hadn’t once regretted the decision. The pain she’d endured while getting the tattoo had helped cleanse her somehow, and she’d left the shop feeling proud of herself for facing her fears. Now she had to do the same thing with this situation, be brave enough to face her fear and rise above it.

Okay, so she would stalk Bryan at the elevators and throw herself at his feet, begging for mercy. She should probably wear pants so that she didn’t get burns on her knees. While begging at his feet, she would calmly thank him for the amazing time in VR today and let him know she wanted to do more of the same with him. Hopefully she wouldn’t sound too desperate as she soaked the hem of his pants with tears while she kissed his boots. Though if he was wearing sandals, she didn’t know if she could kiss his feet unless he took good care of them.

If he had weird, hairy hobbit-type feet, he’d just have to settle for her kissing his ankles.

Bryan rolled his neck as he stepped out of the packed elevator into the main lobby of the resort. He had to give a presentation tonight, and his usual jitters about speaking before a large crowd combined with his apprehension over what had happened with Tanwen. If he was honest with himself, he would admit that the knot in his stomach had nothing to do with a fear of public speaking and everything to do with the way she had lost it with him today. That horrible keening noise she had made still gave him the shivers, and he wanted nothing more in the world than to make sure she never made that sound again.

He thought about her “Phoenix List” that he had found and turned back to the front desk. So far, he’d done his best to grant the first two wishes on her list—relearning the pleasure of kissing and finding out if different types of orgasms existed—but he wanted to be the one to fulfill all her desires. Part of him wished he’d gone against his blasted sense of honor and read more, found out all the things she wanted. Instead he had to figure out the jumbled and fascinating puzzle of the female mind without a cheat sheet.

A throng of people milled around the elevators, some standing in groups and talking while others tried to move through and out into other parts of the resort. This part of the lobby boasted magnificent brass fountains surrounded by different kinds of plants. As he passed a large potted palm tree surrounded by birds of paradise flowers, someone grabbed the sleeve of his suit jacket. Before he even finished turning all the way around, the load on his heart lightened as he saw Tanwen.

She wore a pair of cream pants that hugged her full hips and an emerald green silk halter top that brought out her eyes. As she met his gaze, she flushed and dropped the sleeve of his jacket like it was on fire. Silk straps tied around her throat held the top in place, leaving her arms bare, and he had a glimpse of the phoenix tattoo on her back. She glanced up at him and cleared her throat, then clasped her hands together and stared at her fingers. A light pink gloss frosted her lips, and he wondered if they would taste like cotton candy. He wanted to take her into his arms, to apologize if he’d taken things too far with her earlier, but he needed to wait her out, hear what she had to say first.

Finally she lifted her gaze to his chin before saying in a husky whisper, “Hi.”

“Hello, Tanwen.” He crossed his arms over his chest in an effort to keep from gathering her up and kissing her until that sad look left her eyes. Instead he said what had been bothering him all afternoon. “Tell me something. Did I do anything you didn’t like this morning? Did I hurt you in a way you didn’t want?”

“No, you didn’t hurt me. I mean, you did, but I really liked it.” The blush filled her face and climbed all the way to her forehead. He worried for a moment that she would pass out before she squared her shoulders. “I’m sorry about that, I really am. It was rude of me to leave. I just felt very…overwhelmed. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m sorry I disappointed you.”

He gave in to temptation and pulled her close, breathing deep her light floral perfume as she instantly cuddled into him. “Little flame, feeling overwhelmed is a perfectly normal thing for a sub after such an intense scene. I’m pretty sure that was your first for, well, a lot of things. When you left, I didn’t get a chance to hold you, to let you know you were safe and lov—cared for.” She tensed against him, and he remembered how adamant she had been about this being a vacation fling. He quickly tried to put her at ease, even if his words were total bullshit. There was no way he was going to let this end after just a few days, but right now, he had to reassure her he wasn’t after anything more. “I know you’re my sub only for this vacation, but that doesn’t mean I won’t do everything I can to make sure you’re happy. That’s what doms do. We strive to make our subs happy.”

Her slim shoulders rose and fell beneath his hands as she took a deep breath, then looked up at him. “I really do appreciate all the wonderful things you’ve done and shown me. I’ve learned more about myself and what arouses me in two days with you than I did in my entire marriage.”

The sincerity of her words touched him almost as much as the vulnerability in her gaze. He really, really didn’t want to let her go. Thankfully he didn’t have to—yet. “Would you still like to play with me?”

To his astonishment, she slid down his body to her knees. Her golden hair fell forward as she bowed her head and kissed his shoe. “Sir, I would love to play with you.”

The rest of the world faded to a hum as he drank in the site of her submissive pose, the way her rounded butt pressed against her pants and the outline of her thong as she leaned forward. She remained there, her lips pressed to his foot until he swore he could feel the heat of her kiss through the leather of his shoe. “You please me very much, little flame.”

A shudder rippled through her body, and she leaned up, tossing her hair over her shoulder in a perfectly feminine gesture that he adored. “Thank you, Sir.”

He held out a hand to help her to her feet, noting how her nipples stuck through the thin silk of her shirt like pencil erasers. Her mouth softened, making it impossible to resist capturing her lips in a devastatingly gentle kiss that left her panting and his cock straining against the confinement of his pants. She traced the lapel of his suit and straightened his tie with a bemused smile. “Not that I’m complaining, but it’s different seeing you in a suit. I almost didn’t recognize you at first. Has anyone ever told you that you look a lot like Anderson Cooper?”

He rolled his eyes and indulged himself in kissing his way along the soft skin of her jaw to her ear. “I’m giving a presentation after dinner tonight.” He nuzzled her ear, giving the tender flesh of her lobe a sharp bite that had her pressing her hips into his. “I know our arrangement is only for VR, but I want you to come back to my room with me when I’m done.”

Her fingers stilled, and he could see the pulse in her throat pound. “Just the two of us, Sir?”

Jealousy reared its ugly head, and he had to fight to keep his tone even. “Is that a problem?”

She empathetically shook her head but kept her eyes on his chest. “No, not at all, Sir.”

The lobby around them was rapidly emptying as the crowd made its way toward the dining room. He couldn’t tell if her tension came from being alone with him, not having a third party there, or any of a number of things. “Would it make you feel safer to have someone else there?”

Again she shook her head. “No, I trust you.” Now she did look up at him, and he found himself falling into those big eyes as they sparkled with mischief. “Besides, I know the Vulcan nerve pinch.”

He laughed and slid his hand into hers, marveling at how well they fit together as they strolled to dinner. “I’ll have to make sure your hands are occupied with something more fun than knocking me out.”

Chapter Ten

In the golden light of the mass of white and red pillar candles on the table, Margo leaned back in her chair and sighed, her hands rubbing her swollen belly. “It was really nice to have the illusion of not being pregnant while in VR, but I missed my little peanut.” She winced and pressed down on her stomach. “Even if he does like to head butt my lungs.”

“He’s probably mad at you for all that spicy shrimp you just inhaled,” Greg said and dodged the napkin she threw at him.

“I’m hungry! All those delicious orgasms you gave me at the zoo made me work up an appetite.”

Greg leaned back in his chair with a rather smug look. “What can I say, you made a beautiful chinchilla.” He shook his head and laughed. “Just when I think my life can’t get any stranger, I’m complimenting my wife on being a sexy rodent.”

Margo snickered as she stole a shrimp off his plate and ate it. “If you think I’m wearing a mouse costume at home, you’re crazy.”

Tanwen watched them banter and couldn’t help the twinge of envy she felt. They were so in love and had their whole lives ahead of them, filled with the joys and trials of raising young children. It made her miss her own boys intensely. She was glad she’d talked to both of them before she came down to dinner. Each had urged her to have a great time, and her youngest had even given her dating tips on how to look out for a loser.

She examined Bryan as he teased Margo and mentally went over her son’s list. During dinner, she and Bryan had talked about his construction business, so she knew he was employed. He wasn’t married, and he didn’t set off her “creeper radar,” whatever the heck that was. On the surface, he was exactly the kind of man her children would want to see her with. Too bad that would never happen.

What in the world was she doing allowing herself to spend time with him outside of VR?

Every moment she spent around him, the more her heart hurt at the thought of never seeing him again after vacation. That tender organ was inclined to trust blindly, while it was her mind’s job to keep her heart safe from itself, and her mind told her she was a fool. He’d been clear—well, actually, it was more like she’d been abundantly clear that this was just a vacation fling, and he hadn’t disagreed. They’d probably just go upstairs and have some kinky sex, after which she would thank him for what would undoubtedly be an amazing time and return to her room, alone. To her big, empty bed in a quiet hotel room all by herself, instead of nestled against his warmth as they slept.

Margo said something pert to her master, and the other couples at the table laughed, pulling Tanwen out of her morose thoughts. Beneath the table, Bryan softly stroked her thigh, and she looked over at him, catching his questioning glance as his thumb traced circles over her leg.

“What was that sad thought?”

She forced a smile and took a sip of her wine. “Just missing my boys. What about you? I never asked if you had any children.” Pain flashed through his eyes, and she quickly said, “I’m sorry. Forget I asked.”

He lowered his voice and gathered her hands into his, holding them tight. “My late wife had fertility issues. We were going to start looking into adoption, but she got sick before we had a chance.”

“Oh, Bryan, I’m so sorry.” Impulsively she gave him a hug, and he held her tightly, rubbing his face against her hair. After a long moment, he let her go, and she became aware of how their table had gotten quiet. A quick glance showed everyone looking discreetly at everything but them, trying to give them an illusion of privacy.

Bryan rolled his shoulders and sighed. “Thanks, little flame. I needed that.”

Tanwen laughed as Greg pretended to grab Margo’s last shrimp off her plate as she guarded it with her fork held like a spear. “You come near my food, and you’ll be pulling back nubs.”

Bryan grinned and leaned back in his chair, running his hands over Tanwen’s exposed shoulder in a most distracting manner. “I’d be careful if I were you. I think she means it.”

Margo blew Bryan a kiss. “You got that right, Sir.”

A mature woman dressed in a blue latex ball gown stopped by their table and whispered something into Bryan’s ear. He nodded and stood, giving Tanwen’s shoulder a brief squeeze. “If you’ll excuse us for a moment, Greg and I need to go deal with a guy who’s doing a fire play presentation for us. Seems the fire marshal won’t let him bring a flamethrower into the hotel, and he’s throwing a fit because they’re stifling his art.”

The men left, and Margo took a long drink of her water before motioning Tanwen closer. “How are things going with you and Master Bryan?”

Tanwen looked away from the other woman and fiddled with her wineglass. “Good. We had fun today in the VR zoo.”

“So you haven’t hung out with him outside of VR yet? Other than dinner?”

She looked up and caught Margo’s sympathetic expression. “No, but we’re going to spend some time together after dinner tonight. We’re just keeping this casual. You know, a vacation fling.” God, she was beginning to hate that phrase.

Margo looked relieved. “Good. I really like you, and I was afraid you were falling for him. Don’t get me wrong, Bryan is a fantastic guy and a great friend, but he’s not boyfriend material.”

“Well, I’m not looking for a boyfriend, but what do you mean by that?”

Margo took a quick peek around to make sure no one was listening and she leaned in. “I’m only telling you this because you’re so different from the other women he usually dates—or should I say girls. Master Bryan isn’t looking for a long-term relationship. In fact, he tends to avoid women that are relationship material like the plague.”

Tanwen’s heart ached, but she tried to keep her tone smooth and even. “How so?”

“He only dates women he has no future with. Usually younger, ditzy women who just want some fun. Nothing serious. As soon as they push for a committed relationship, he breaks up with them.” Margo sighed and shook her head. “Don’t get me wrong. He doesn’t lead them on or anything, but I’ve never seen him with anyone like you before.”

Tanwen’s lips felt numb as she said, “What do you mean by ‘someone like me’?”

“Oh, no, honey, I didn’t mean that in a bad way. I mean, you’re the first woman that I’ve ever seen him with that isn’t a flake. You are totally the type of girl a man brings home to his mama. You know, the marrying kind.” Margo patted her hand. “I’m all for women getting in touch with their sexuality and sowing their wild oats, so if you want a casual, no-strings-attached vacation romance, Master Bryan is the perfect man. I wish I had met someone like him when I first came onto the scene. He’s the perfect guy to teach you all about BDSM without wanting to collar you.”

“That’s a relief.” Margo gave her an odd look, so she forced a smile. “I mean, I’m recently divorced, so the last thing I need is a clingy man. I just managed to scrape the last one off.”

Margo’s laugh turned into purr of delight as the waiters appeared and began removing plates and setting small silver bowls of vanilla bean ice cream over a decadent chocolate brownie covered with raspberry sauce in front of them. Too bad Tanwen’s stomach had clenched into a hard knot. Well, at least she now knew for certain what Bryan was about. She took another gulp of her wine, wanting the burn of alcohol to loosen the lump in her belly.

Digging in to her dessert, Margo made a sound of bliss that was close to orgasmic. “I really admire you, Tanwen. You have your head on straight, and you’re getting everything you can out of this experience. I wish more women were like you.” She caught Tanwen’s questioning look and gestured toward her with her fork. “You know, not afraid to go after their own pleasure. I have so many friends in the straight world that bitch and moan about their boring sex lives but never do anything about it. But look at you. Not only did you come to a BDSM convention by yourself, but you also found a great master while you’re here to play with. I know some women that would kill to be in your position.”

The more Tanwen thought about it, the more she liked the image that Margo painted of her. It was easy to see herself through the other woman’s eyes as a smart, sensual woman taking charge of her sex life. In fact, maybe she was that woman. Why waste this opportunity on feeling disappointed because Bryan had a history as a playboy? It wasn’t like she’d embarrassed herself by telling him her true feelings. She could still pretend she didn’t want anything more from him than mind-blowing sex.

Maybe she could even use the things she learned from him to explore the local BDSM scene back home. She certainly felt more comfortable with the whole idea now, and to be honest, she really enjoyed the D/s dynamic. It added a whole new level to bedroom play that flat out did it for her. While she might never find a man that made her feel like Bryan did, she at least owed it to herself to try.

The lights above dimmed until each table was only illuminated by the white and red candles that formed the centerpiece of the individual settings. The large sliding wall that divided the ballroom slid back, revealing a stage with a variety of BDSM equipment on it. Benches, cages, and contraptions of bars and straps covered the stage. At each end of the stage, a male and female sub knelt in tiny gold bikinis. They were painted with shimmering gold dust that gave them the illusion of looking like living statues. In their arms, they held enormous sprays of red roses and white lilies.

Arched over the stage was a huge trellis that reminded her of a set of oversize monkey bars. Red roses and white wisteria vines had been woven into the trellis, and as the air from the stage area flooded into the dining room, the fragrance of the flowers blanketed the air. She took a deep breath, delighted by the dichotomy of the fragile and beautiful blossoms and the hard and unforgiving BDSM equipment.

She’d totally forgotten that Bryan had mentioned he was going to do a presentation tonight. As she examined the display, she couldn’t help but wonder what in the world he was going to do. The equipment looked sexual in nature, but she really had no idea how it would actually be used. A flicker of heat raced through her blood as she imagined the things he could do to her with all that equipment. Things that would no doubt end with her being utterly satisfied.

She took a quick bite of her brownie, but her attention was riveted to the stage where the human statues adjusted their position every few minutes, taking new poses that displayed their bodies in a rather erotic manner. The male sub was either stuffing his bathing suit, or he had a dick big enough to satisfy an entire cheerleading squad.

Bryan’s deep voice startled her as he whispered in her ear. “I have to do a presentation in twenty minutes. I want you to do it with me.”

She’d been so caught up in what was happening on the stage, she hadn’t even noticed his return. Her mouth dried out, and she took a drink of her iced water, trying to clear the tang of fear off her pallet. “What kind of presentation, Sir?”

He cocked his head, examining her in a way that made her skin hypersensitive to his gaze. “A public one, up there on the stage.”

While the fantasy of doing just that aroused her, the reality of it made her break out in a cold sweat. She always hated giving speeches and presentations at nursing conferences, and this was so far beyond her comfort level. “Sir, I don’t think I’m ready for doing…stuff in front of people.”

His lips twitched, but his expression remained closed. “Would you rather see me up there with another woman? Watching her submit to me?”

Jealousy tightened her stomach into a hard knot. She knew it was irrational, stupid even, but she would never be the kind of woman that could see her man with someone else and be okay with it. Her rational mind might know he wasn’t “her man,” but for the duration of this vacation, he was, and she’d be darned if she had to sit and watch another woman come alive beneath his touch. Still, there were just so many people here. As she gazed around the crowd, the room seemed to triple in size until it looked to her like a mass of people the size of a football stadium were watching the stage.

“Little flame, you better decide soon, because there are some subs heading this way to beg to be of use to me for my demonstration.”

She followed his gaze and saw a tall and svelte redhead in what looked like a black leather gladiator outfit with the nipples cut out. Next to her, a buxom brunette in a silvery, sheer sarong approached Bryan with an equal look of hunger on her face. The redhead and brunette knelt in the small space by Bryan’s chair.

“Greetings, Master Bryan,” the brunette purred and looked at Bryan through her lashes. “Could I be of service to you this evening?”

Before Bryan could speak, the redhead parted her thighs, revealing that she wore nothing beneath the strips of leather that made up her skirt. Tanwen wanted to throw her napkin at her and tell her to cover up.

“Please allow me to serve you in any way that you wish, Master Bryan.”

He looked at Tanwen, and she blurted out, “I’ll do it.” It was either that or get into a very undignified slapping match with the other women.

His lips twitched in a suppressed smile, and he nodded at the kneeling subs. “Thank you, but I have what I need for the evening. Extend my thanks to your master and mistress for the offer.”

The subs both rose in a smooth and elegant motion. The redhead smiled and made her way back to her table, but the brunette gave Tanwen a dirty look. Before she could move, Bryan grabbed the brunette by the back of her neck and forced her to her knees. “Jasmine, did you just disrespect my sub?”

Jasmine’s lower lip trembled, and she whispered, “Yes, Master Bryan. I’m sorry.”

The woman’s obvious sorrow tugged at Tanwen’s heart, and she placed her hand on his wrist. “Really, Sir, you don’t—”

“Quiet,” Bryan ordered, and Tanwen snatched her hand back and stared at him. The anger in his gaze scared her, but it also made a rush of heat flash through her body.

“Jasmine, go to your master and tell him you are to be beaten for disrespecting my sub, but you aren’t allowed to orgasm.”

Jasmine gaped at him, then stood and hurried off. Bryan turned his attention fully on Tanwen. She tried to lift her chin and meet his gaze, but she couldn’t look him in the eye for more than five seconds before glancing away. The thought of the other woman being beaten because she gave Tanwen a dirty look gave her the courage to say, “Please, I don’t want her to be hurt, Sir.”

He sighed and gathered her hands in his. “Tanwen, Jasmine likes to be beaten. She enjoys the punishment her master gives her. She gave you that snotty look because she knew I would call her on it, and she knew I would order her punished. But I wasn’t going to let her use me to get what she wanted, so I forbade her any release from the beating.”

What he said made sense, in a very demented way. “So she acts out to get attention?”

He smiled, and some of the warmth came back to his eyes. “Yes. She and her master have been together for ten years. I’m sure he’s used to her antics by now and will give her exactly what she needs, even if it’s not what she wants. Jasmine is what is known as a brat, a sub who will act up, push her master to see how much he’ll let her get away with before bringing her back in line.”

Tanwen rolled this information around in her mind as he fed her a spoonful of rich ice cream. Anyone who had ever been a parent was familiar with negative attention, but the BDSM world gave it a whole new twist.

Bryan rubbed her knuckles in a soothing gesture and continued, “I don’t think I have to worry about that with you. You don’t strike me as the class troublemaker.”

She shook her head and laughed. “No, I was always the teacher’s pet.”

His eyes gleamed, and his smile took on a predatory tone. “Really? Interesting.” He glanced at his watch again and helped her to her feet. On the stage, a woman in a daring red leather gown and amazing sparkling red boots began to greet the crowd. Bryan drew her flush against him and she felt the hard planes of his body. “Are you ready to play with me, little flame?”

She cast a worried look around the room, at how many people there were, then at the stage behind Bryan’s back. A tremble shook her, and Bryan held her closer, enveloping her in the scent of his cologne. She couldn’t back out now, not after she’d made him send the other subs away. She rested her forehead against his shoulder and whispered against his chest, “I don’t know. What will we be doing?”

“Honest answer. Let me help you with your fear of the unknown a bit. Nothing will happen that you don’t want to happen. If it becomes too much, I will have no problem getting another sub to assist me. I will respect your hard limits from our time earlier together. At any point you can use your safe word and it will all stop. “ He traced his hand down her back, leaving behind a trail of tingles. “I will treat you with respect, like the lady you are. You will come away from this with a greater knowledge of your body and yourself.”

Since that was exactly what she came here for, she tilted her head up to meet his gaze. “I’ll give it my best.”

He brushed his lips over hers, a soft caress that filled her with longing for a deeper touch. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

Tanwen braced herself as Bryan—that is, Master Bryan—was introduced to the crowd. Instead of putting a dog collar on her or pulling her up by her hair, he merely took her shoes off and led her up on the stage by her hand. Thank goodness he was holding on tight or she might have made a run for the exit. Bryan’s presentation—she still had no idea what they were going to be doing—followed a tutorial on rope bondage and the danger signs to look for when the ropes were on too tight or for too long.

She’d only been able to halfway pay attention to the intricate knots and bindings that secured a pair of young male and female submissives on the stage. All she could think about was how humiliated she would be to have her body displayed like that, and how much older she was than the perfect gold-painted submissives still standing and posing beneath the bright lights of the stage with their flowers.

Bryan must have noticed because he kept stroking along her arm with a light touch. She found herself concentrating more on the feeling of his fingertips sending sparks through her body than the woman now tied up and suspended like a piñata on the stage. That demonstration had ended with the sub having a screaming orgasm that shook the very frame of the stage as she thrashed and contorted in her rope harness. Bryan caressed his hand up and down, finding erogenous zones on her skin. It was as if her arm had grown extra nerve endings that led directly to her pussy.

As she followed him up the steps, her panic rose until she was scarcely aware of what she was doing. All she could focus on was how many people watched them, how immense the crowd suddenly seemed. She wasn’t a hard-bodied eighteen-year-old. The crowd must be disappointed at how ordinary she looked. Then again, the female sub who had been used for the rope exhibition hadn’t been much younger than Tanwen, and she bore the telltale stretch marks on her stomach and breasts of having given birth.

She was glad Bryan had made her take her shoes off, because as much as she was shaking, she would have stumbled and fallen on her butt.

A giant gleaming black X-shaped contraption was wheeled out to the center of the stage. Shining silver cuffs lined with leather on the inside adorned the adjustable arms and legs, and she backed away from it. Surely he couldn’t mean to attach her to that. To do sexual things to her in front of the audience. That terrifying thought should have killed her arousal, but her pussy throbbed between her legs and her nipples felt hard enough to cut glass.

“Breathe, Tanwen,” Bryan said in a low voice and gave her hand a good squeeze.

Bryan pulled her against his chest as the arms of the X were lowered enough so that she wouldn’t be dangling from them. He whispered into her ear, “It is okay to be afraid, but you need to overcome your fear in order to earn the rewards that come from doing what scares you. You know I will do only what you’ve given me permission to do.”

“I’m not scared,” she lied and swallowed as the leather-clad assistants left the stage.

Bryan stood in front of her so she had no choice but to look at him. His gaze had gone chilly, and her stomach clenched. “Be honest with me, little flame, or I will make you regret lying.”

Uncomfortably aware of the hush that had fallen over the audience as they watched him, she said in an angry whisper, “Look, I’m up here. Let’s just get this over with.”

Without another word, Bryan picked her up in his arms and carried her to the X. The world whirled around her, and she yelped as he cuffed first one hand, then the other with ruthless efficiency. The leather bit into her wrists, and when she yanked against the restraints, it actually hurt.

She started to protest, but Bryan clasped his hand over her mouth. “Unless you want to use your safe word, you will be silent. I will not take disrespect from a sub, however new you may be. After this is over, we will discuss your punishment, so I would suggest you act like the lady you are and behave. Now, do you want to use your safe word?”

His words at once inflamed and enraged her, but she found her eyes flooding with tears as she slowly shook her head back and forth. The ice in his eyes thawed a tiny bit, and he brushed her hair back over her shoulders before removing his hand. “Not one word unless I give you permission to speak. You may, however, scream and moan as you wish to express your pleasure.”

She clenched her jaw so hard her teeth ached and glared at the floor in front of her. The sound of his shoes seemed loud as he walked behind her. A moment later, something soft and dark slid across her face, blinding her to the room. Her mouth opened to ask him what he was doing, but she shut it before more than a syllable came out. As her eyes adjusted, she realized the blindfold didn’t completely rob her of her sight. It was sheer enough that she could make out the shadow of his form as he moved in front of the bright lights.

He laughed softly and ran his hands down her sides, pausing to reach around and cup her breasts. “The blindfold is to make this easier for you. To make you concentrate on my touch, on my voice. You are my world at this moment, and I am yours.”

The warmth of his hands moved away, and she strained to find him in the darkness behind the blindfold. She tugged against the posts, starting when his hands gripped her right foot and pulled it until she had to widen her stance or fall. The cool leather of the cuff wrapped around her ankle and bound it to the cold wood. The action was repeated on the other side, and she found herself immobile, blind, and totally at the mercy of a man she barely knew in front of hundreds of people.

Their murmurs washed over her in waves of sound as she strained to control her panic. Bryan said not to talk unless she was spoken to, but her fear was a tiny rodent gnawing away at her self-control. Her body felt numb, tingly, and her breath came out in harsh pants that further robbed her of any feeling of safety. He leaned in, his lips brushing her ear and sending sparks racing through her blood as he whispered, “You’re doing great. I’m very proud of you. Now, deep breath in, hold it, and let it out. Again. You’re doing so well, and I’m right here with you. I will never be more than a step or two away. You are not alone, my beautiful flame.”

Damned if she couldn’t help smiling at his compliment, warmed from the inside out. She’d always been eager to please, doing whatever she could to win the approval of her teachers when she was younger and her bosses as she grew older. Bryan had taken on that authoritarian role now as her master, and she couldn’t help the ball of warmth that expanded in her chest as he stroked her cheek, turning her face into his palm and placing a kiss there. Her heart still raced, but her breathing had returned to a normal pace and her body no longer felt numb.

He moved away but stood close enough that she could still smell his cologne. His deep voice rang out over the quiet of the room, and she realized at some point he’d been given a microphone. “I’d first like to thank you all for making this convention such a success. Your enthusiasm, imagination, and acceptance of each other is an amazing thing, and I’m honored to have the chance to share one of my passions with you today.”

He traced a hand over her throat, playing with the straps holding her halter top up as he continued. “The foundation of any Master/slave relationship is trust. Trust that as a master or mistress, we will take care of our sub. Trust that we will see to their every need, that they can let go of everything and fly, and trust that we are there to catch them when they fall.”

His words seemed to weave a spell, capturing her mind and silencing all rational arguments against trusting him. Yes, she didn’t know him. Yes, he was a playboy, but none of that mattered because right now she trusted him to make her fly. If nothing else, he had proven he could make her feel things no other man could, and she knew deep in her gut that he wouldn’t disappoint her.

A few of the straps holding her top up loosened, and the silk began to slowly slide down her breasts. She tensed and squirmed, but Bryan placed his hand over the center of her chest and pressed gently. “Part of the responsibility, the sacred duty of a dom is to look after their subs emotional and physical welfare. Any master will tell you that while they may enjoy inflicting all kinds of delicious pain on a willing submissive, seeing their slave sick or truly injured kills them.” A murmur of agreement came from the crowd, and Tanwen shivered as her top pooled around her waist, exposing her strapless bra. “When my late wife developed breast cancer, I would have done anything, anything to make her better.”

Tanwen wished with all her heart that she wasn’t bound to the cross, not because of her discomfort, but because she wanted to hold Bryan and comfort him. Though his voice still held steady, she couldn’t miss the deep sorrow it held. “A thousand thoughts went through my mind during the dark days before she succumbed to the illness. What could I have done to prevent it? If we had caught it sooner, would she have been saved? Why her, why me?” He pulled in a deep breath, and her heart ached for him. “I was the one that found the lump during one of our play sessions. Katie, my wife, assured me it was nothing, just a hormonal reaction to her upcoming period.”

He paused for a moment, stroking her shoulders, her chest, and finally cradling her breasts in his hands. “By the time she finally went to the doctor, the cancer had spread. Nineteen months later, she lost her battle to breast cancer.”

With gentle fingers, he unhooked the front clasp of her bra and removed it. To her surprise she felt the warmth of his breath as he bent and kissed the top of each breast. “I think it’s fair to say that we handle our sub’s bodies almost more than they do. We are finely attuned to notice any changes.”

He weighed her breasts in his hands, and a delicious warmth roused through her, battling the flush of embarrassment at being topless before so many people. “Today I’m going to show you how to give a breast exam to your sub, mistress, or master. First you want to apply a light layer of oil or lotion to the breasts. Not so much that your fingertips become too slick to feel any lumps but enough so that you can move easily over their body. Take a moment to appreciate the delicacy of their skin, the subtle weight of their breasts. Become aware of their heart beating beneath your hand. Open yourself to them until they become the center of your world, until you can feel the pound of their heart moving the blood through your veins.”

She rested her head against her upraised arm, melting into his touch, and swore she could feel an amazing energy moving between them, as strong and steady as the ocean tides. A hush had fallen over the crowd, but that didn’t matter; the only thing that mattered was Bryan, her master, exerting his control over her body. She relaxed further as desire uncoiled in her lower belly and brought a flood of warmth to the soft flesh between her legs.

His tone deepened until it held the edge of a growl, and goose bumps ran across her body. “I chose a vanilla oil that is also edible for the exam. Feel free to use whatever type of lubrication you want. For those that enjoy grooming their sub or being pampered by them, this can also be done in a shower or bath while using soap or bath oils.”

He cupped her breasts and ran his thumbs in slow, sensual circles around her nipples until she was fairly begging him with her body to touch the nipple itself, leaning into his touch as much as the restraints allowed. He gave her breasts a gentle squeeze, and her pussy clenched, her whole body hot with arousal. The knowledge that there was a roomful of people watching them faded as his thumbs brushed over the tips of her nipples, and she couldn’t help the groan that worked itself from her throat.

“I would suggest that every time you bathe, you pay attention to your body as you wash your breasts. Just become familiar with how they feel, the texture of the tissue within.” He gave her breast a squeeze that elicited another groan. “The better you know your body, the sooner you’ll notice when something is amiss.” Something moved through the energy between them, and she heard the slightest hint of tension in his voice. She had a moment of clarity as his touch hesitated, then continued. This had to be extremely hard for him to do, and she wished she could see him, could let him know with her gaze that she was here for him. His lips stroked against her cheek. She turned her head so she could try to reach his mouth, to kiss him and offer him comfort. To let him know he wasn’t alone.

His mouth brushed against hers, and he whispered, “Are you okay?”

She took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes, I trust you.”

He made a pleased sound deep in his throat. “Most doctors recommend that you do the exam six days after the last day of your period. Using the pads of three fingers, begin to gently feel the breast for lumps.”

The sensation of his fingertips tenderly rubbing along her skin made her want to purr like a well-loved cat. His touch was so soft and yet firm, small circular patterns that left no inch of her breast untouched. He started with the sensitive skin of her armpit and worked his way around her collarbone in concentric circles, then up and down strokes. She found herself leaning into his touch as her breasts became full and heavy with arousal.

“You can use either a circular pattern like I’m doing or a straight up and down like rows of corn. Make sure you examine the whole breast area from the underarms all the way to those beautiful, responsive nipples.”

His fingertip traced a circle around the hard peak of her breast, and she shivered, her panties wet. The people watching them ceased to matter as she became more and more focused on his touch, sinking deeper into herself until Bryan seemed to be the only thing anchoring her to the real world.

“When examining the nipple, make sure you gently squeeze it to check for any discharge.” He tugged on a hard tip, and her hips thrust forward with each pull. “Some discharge is normal, especially for women that have breastfed recently. If it has a foul odor, make sure you get your sub to the doctor ASAP as it could be a sign of an infection.”

The warmth of his fingers left her skin, and she whimpered for a moment before his mouth descended on her breast, licking in swirling circles around her areola until she had to bite her tongue to keep from begging him to take her right now, in front of all these people. His teeth fastened on her nipple and tugged, pulling an answering cry from her that seemed to echo in the room. After a gentle suck, he released her.

“Delicious.” The crowd laughed. Tanwen giggled when Bryan gently tickled her ribs before sliding his hand up to cup her other breast. “Most women’s breasts are different sizes and shapes, so don’t be alarmed if you notice that. It’s perfectly normal. While you’re doing the exam, check for redness of the skin, puckering, or swelling and any noticeable change in size and shape. Don’t forget these same exam techniques can and should be used on men as well.”

Tanwen alternated between wanting to giggle and moan as Bryan gave her the best breast exam she’d ever had. Of all the things she thought he would do with her here, this had to be last on the list. Though she had to admit, it did make sense, and she hoped the audience was taking his demonstration to heart. In fact, she felt very proud of him. Not everyone could take such a horrible event in their life and use it to try to help others. Beyond that, not many men she knew would be brave enough to not only talk about breast cancer but discuss how to do breast exams for both men and women.

He was perfectly polite and almost clinical in his approach, but every once in a while he’d linger a little more than necessary and his voice had taken on a rough edge by the end. “Thank you for your time. Please remember that a malignant breast lump may have an irregular shape and feel bumpy, somewhat like a golf ball, and sometimes be very hard, like a slice of raw carrot. Or it may just feel like something out of the ordinary. Basically if you feel anything different, get it checked out.”

His voice took on a sensual tone that sent a renewed rush of moisture between her legs. “After you’re done with your exam, reward your sub so both of you will look forward to doing it once a month. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take my delectable sub and give her the reward she so richly deserves.”

Laughter and cheers from the crowd followed this statement, and Tanwen blinked as Bryan removed the blindfold. As she focused on his eyes, her body tightened with need at the raw hunger in his gaze. Someone undid her wrist and ankle cuffs, but she was unable to look away from Bryan. Another set of hands tugged her shirt back into place, but it kept slipping. Bryan removed his jacket and draped it around her shoulders, enveloping her in the heat of his body and the scent of his cologne. Without a word, he swung her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. More laughter and catcalls followed them off the stage and out of the dining room.

“Sir, you can put me down now.” She felt strangely giddy as she watched the carpet of the hallway became the polished marble of the foyer. His butt looked divine as he walked, and she eagerly gave it a squeeze.

He paused long enough to give her bottom a spank before continuing on to the elevators. “I’m not giving you a chance to run away.”

They reached the elevators, and he set her on her feet, keeping his hand clamped around her wrist. Her laughter died in her throat as he hustled her into the empty elevator and jabbed the button for his floor. Before she had a chance to draw a breath, he was on her, pressing her against the wall with his body and kissing her hard and fierce.

Fire lit her blood, and she moaned her appreciation into his mouth. He growled back and slid a hand between them, pinching her nipples hard enough so that she yelped and tried to squirm away from him. He held her face in one hand while he tormented her nipple with his other. “You will stay still and let me do whatever I want to these beautiful breasts. You will take every ounce of pain and pleasure I have to give you, and you will beg me for more.”

She arched her back into his touch, barely cognizant of the bing signaling they’d arrived at their destination. With a muffled oath, he tore himself from her and pulled her out of the elevator after him, hustling her down the hall to his room. The moment the lock on his door clicked, he pushed it open and hauled her in after him.

She had a brief impression of a big bed covered in a hunter green quilt and heavy mahogany furniture before he slammed her against the wall with a growl. Despite the violence of his movements, she didn’t fear that he would hurt her; he’d made sure to cushion her head against his hand as she hit the wall, absorbing the brunt of the impact on her bottom. Her giggles tapered off to moans as he pulled his jacket from her shoulders and ripped her shirt from her body in a loud snarl of tearing silk.

He immediately pulled one breast tip into his mouth and bit down, sending electric currents of pain through her body that somehow rebounded into pleasure. As he sucked and nibbled on each breast, she ran her fingertips over his face, his shoulders, his lips where they met her skin. She desperately wanted him naked against her, to feel his skin in the real world pressed to her own.

Bryan tried to battle the frenzy that consumed him, but he’d have better luck commanding the sun not to rise. Having Tanwen up on stage with him for his demonstration had been a big mistake. Every time he’d done the demonstration before, it had been with women he didn’t know or who were just friends.

With Tanwen, it had been different. He evidently cared for her more than he was ready to admit, even to himself. The connection he’d experienced with her while they were doing the demonstration was deeper than anything he’d felt in years. When he looked at Tanwen, he didn’t see someone he could have some fun with, then part ways when things got too serious. No, she was the kind of woman he and his friends used to call a “keeper” when they were teenagers. The kind of woman a man could see himself being happy with for the rest of his life.

As he’d talked about his late wife, he couldn’t help but want to gather Tanwen into his arms and hold her warmth to him. The thought of losing her like he’d lost Katie had started an irrational fear he’d had to battle every moment of their exam. He’d found himself fighting the idea of losing Tanwen to illness or an accident or any of the thousands of bad things that happened every day to good people.

He was pretty sure he held it together enough so the audience didn’t notice, but with every touch of Tanwen’s soft skin, he’d had horrible flashbacks of feeling the lump in his wife’s breast. Though he’d managed to get through the exam without breaking down, it had been close. When his search had revealed nothing but normal, healthy tissue in Tanwen’s breasts, a relief so profound had washed through him until he’d been in danger of falling to his knees. Though they’d only known each other for a brief time, that didn’t stop his territorial instincts from demanding that she was his. That every gasp of pleasure and sigh belonged to him alone.

Grief was a funny thing. A person would think they were over it, that life had moved on and they were going to be okay; then it would sneak up on them and rip the rug from beneath their feet. The trust with which Tanwen submitted to him made it at once better and worse. In a normal demonstration, he would have taken the sub to orgasm afterward as part of her reward. Instead he’d hustled Tanwen out of there, determined to be the only person with the right to see her pleasure. He was almost frantic to be inside of her, to prove in the most primitive way possible that they were both healthy and alive.

Now he tried to make up for his haste, pulling back on his runaway emotions and forcing himself to pay complete attention to her body. He wouldn’t be doing either of them any good if he didn’t get his head in the right space. A hint of the vanilla-flavored oil from the exam still clung to her skin, and he licked her breasts, long rasps of his tongue that had her shuddering against him. When her fingers curled into the back of his hair and tugged him closer, he took a deep breath of her scent, rubbing his cheek against the warmth of her skin.

“Bryan,” she said in a husky voice as he clamped his teeth down on her nipple, biting it until it went from a soft, flushed pink to a bright red.

He knew right now he should be concentrating on blowing her mind with an intense scene, but his emotions were too raw for that. He needed to wrap her surrender around himself, to soothe his wounded spirit with her gentleness, to use her pleasure as his balm.

Scooping her into his arms, he carried her over to the bed and switched off the bedside light so the only illumination came from the dim light on the desk across the room.

Her eyes grew wide as she looked up at him, and something vulnerable moved through their depths. She reached up for him, and he stepped back, shaking his head. While he may not bring out all the toys he planned to use on her tonight, he was a dom, and that carried through to every aspect of his lovemaking. With a start he realized that was what he wanted, what he was trying to do. He didn’t want to have sex or fuck; he wanted to make love to this beautiful woman.

“Hands above your head, little flame. You can grasp them together or hold on to the sheets, but I want them up.”

She complied quickly, and he enjoyed how her pupils dilated as her slender fingers clasped together. A fine tremor ran through her body as he removed his shirt and tossed it onto the dresser. Male pride surged through him as she inspected his body. He knew he looked good for his age and was glad the hard work he did with his construction company kept him in decent shape.

Speaking of looking good, the deep green of the comforter brought out the flush that traveled over her cheeks as her gaze dipped to the noticeable erection tenting the front of his dress pants. She licked her lips, and his cock twitched in response as her surrender to his demands helped him put a leash on the urge to just bury himself within her heat.

The bed sagged beneath his weight as he helped her shimmy out of her pants, leaving her clad only in a silky lilac thong that rose high on her full hips. She stiffened beneath his gaze, and he watched her struggle to keep her hands above her head.

“What is the hardest part about holding your hands up, little flame?” He thought he knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it.

“I’m fine,” she automatically said and bit her lip when he gave her a narrow-eyed look. “Okay, well maybe I’d feel a bit more comfortable if you’d turn that light off please, Sir.”

The smoothness of her skin delighted his senses as he ran his hands up her legs, pausing to massage her tense thigh muscles before moving up to her hips and gripping them. “Tanwen, you are gorgeous. This softness, it gives a man something to hold on to.” Her lips tightened, and she subtly tried to pull away from his hands. “I’m a big, hard man. I don’t want to lie against someone who feels like another big, hard man—or worse yet, a woman that feels like a sack of bones beneath me.” He nuzzled her belly, laying his cheek against the softness. “I want a woman with curves in my bed. A deliciously soft female whose body cushions mine.”

Her breath came out in a soft shudder as he licked along the edge of her panties. “I want a woman that will share a hot fudge sundae with me on a warm summer day without whining about her thighs. I want a woman who doesn’t get bitchy because she’s constantly starving.”

He cupped her mound, sealing his hand over her heat and pressing his palm down on her silk-covered clit. “Don’t you agree?”

“Yes, Sir.” Her buttocks tensed as he reached down and stroked over her slit, the cloth wet with her juices.

With a gentle tug, he eased her panties down her legs before holding them to his face and inhaling her scent. The musk of her desire traveled right to his cock with a ball-clenching pound. She flushed again, but her lips lost their tightness. Tossing the scrap of damp silk over to the side, he sat back on his haunches and admired the way her breasts moved with her breath.

“Spread your legs for me.” She hesitated, and he added some strength to his words, making it a command. “Now.”

With evident reluctance, she did as he said, moving her legs apart until her glistening labia appeared.

“More.” A little farther still but not nearly enough. His little sub was still too far into her own head. He needed to do something to further take control from her, to reassure her that he was in charge. “Don’t move.”

After a quick rummage through the black bag next to the bed, he brought out a pair of restraints. They were specially designed for beds without posts and boasted thick Velcro pads that would attach to the comforter and hold her in place because of their weight on the bed. He scooted her over to the center of the mattress and jerked her legs as far apart as he could without causing her real discomfort.

A low sound of distress came from her, but when he glanced up, her gaze was heavy-lidded with desire. He wrapped the restraints around one delicate ankle and then the next, sitting back to let her give an experimental tug on the restraints. As she realized she couldn’t move, her expression grew tense, but he watched a drop of honey drip from her pussy and travel down the crack of her ass. His breath came out in a satisfied grunt as he lay between her legs and blew a warm breath on her cunt.

Her answering moan made him smile, and he gently nosed the damp curls at the top of her mound, inhaling the scent of her desire. He licked the exposed crease of her leg where her inner thigh met her pussy, and slowly ran his tongue up one side and down the other. Repeating the motion on her other leg, he continued his lick down to the crease of her ass, dipping briefly over her perineum before pulling back and breathing on her again.

With her legs spread this wide open, the wet folds of her body lay exposed to his gaze. He made his tongue as broad as he could and gave her a long, firm stroke from the base of her cunt all the way to the top, avoiding her clit at the last moment. The little choked noise of disappointment she gave made precum leak from the tip of his cock as he fastened his hands beneath her bottom and held her body up to his mouth.

His mouth hovered over her clit, but he licked around that little nub in slow circles, sometimes catching just the edge of her hood, other times pressing down on the root of her clit where it descended into her body. Soon her pelvis tried to shift into his mouth, to make him put his lips on her where she wanted it. Instead he gripped her hips and held her to the bed, feeling her legs jerk against him as she pulled against the bonds.

Up one side and down the other, judging by her reactions what brought her the most pleasure. When he bit down on one of her swollen pussy lips, she shrieked and shuddered beneath him as her cunt rewarded him with a fresh flow of juice. Lapping up her offering, he stiffened his tongue and thrust it into her so that his nose rubbed against the tip of her clit.

Animalistic sounds escaped her throat as her cunt tried to pull his tongue deeper into her body. The thought of those tender tissues gripping his cock brought an answering groan from him, and he pulled back, giving himself a moment to regain control of his libido. She looked down her body at him, the pleading in her expression sending a surge of delight through his dom side. While he cooled down, he wanted her to keep heating up.

“Keep your gaze on me,” he said in a low growl, and her eyes widened as he thrust first one, then two fingers into her pussy. He loved the vulnerable expression a woman got on her face when she was deep in the throes of passion, that silent begging to give her relief, to let her come. Her body grew more and more tense, and his hand was coated in her cream up to his knuckles.

He began to lick around her clit again, pausing to place gentle bites on the hood. Each nip tore a cry from her, and she thrust herself on his fingers, snapping her hips as much as she could with her legs restrained. A closer swirl of his tongue and she tensed, trembling so hard it felt as if she was going to shake apart.

“Please, please, please,” she whispered over and over in a desperate mantra.

He gave the tip of her clit a tiny flick with his tongue. “Please what?”

“Please, Sir, please make me come.”

“How?”

She groaned low in her throat as he removed his hands and ran his knuckle over her slick entrance. “Please put my clit in your mouth. Please suck it, Sir. Please, I’ll do anything you want, just make me come.”

Those words of surrender set fire to his body, and he stood up, smiling as she wailed in distress. Her whimpers tapered off as he removed his shoes and pants, standing before her with his cock bobbing in her direction. Fisting himself, he stroked from the base of his cock to the head until a pearl of precum shone on the tip. He sat on the edge of the bed and held his cock just close enough to her mouth that she had to strain to lick the tip of it, her tongue frantic as she tried to reach more. The soft lash of her mouth on him made him want to bury himself in her throat, to feed her his cum, but he wanted to be between her legs even more.

After sheathing himself in a condom from the drawer next to the table, he knelt between her legs. “Tanwen, look at me.”

Her eyelids fluttered almost all the way shut as he slowly began to push into her. So tight, her pussy gripped his cock like a silken fist as he worked his way in. The intimacy of her gaze, the way she struggled to fulfill his command to look at him made him proud. With his body pressed flush against hers, he finally sheathed himself in her wet heat all the way to his balls.

“This is what I love, Tanwen. To feel your soft body accepting mine, your curves padding me as I take you.” He pulled out and pushed back in, enjoying how her hips ground against his. “You’re mine, Tanwen. This is my body to fuck, mine to take. All you can do is lie back and feel.”

Her lips parted in a gasp, and her eyes almost rolled back in her head as he reached between them and stroked her clit with the pad of his thumb. A deep groan came from her as he circled that stiff nub of flesh, working it as he plunged his cock in and out of her. She arched beneath him, her scream piercing the air as her clit twitched beneath his fingers and her pussy convulsed around his cock.

“That’s it, baby, come for me. Soak my cock in your juices. Ah, fuck yeah.” He continued to pinch and pull at her clit, not giving her a chance to rest even as he pounded into her. With her hands gripping the sheets above her head, she arched and bucked beneath him, trying to hold his gaze as he drove her higher and higher.

Around his aching dick, her pussy tightened again and he strained to hold back as she hovered on the brink.

“Little flame, come for me.”

With a scream that echoed in the room, she exploded beneath him, and her bucking hips drove him over the edge. Each convulsion of her cunt around his cock seemed to pull the orgasm from him until he bellowed as his toes curled, and he jammed himself in her as far as he could go, gripping her hips hard enough that he was sure he’d find bruises on her tomorrow.

He barely had enough energy to stumble off the bed and dispose of the condom. When he came back, Tanwen still panted, little tremors running through her body. Best of all, her hands were still above her head where he had ordered them. Such a little thing but such a pleasure to a dom.

After unhooking her ankles, he said, “You can lower your arms now.”

She complied, and the smile she gave him seemed to warm him down to his very soul. Peaceful, happy, and utterly content, her smile filled him with joy. “Thank you, Sir. I’ve never felt anything like that, ever. You are amazing.”

Wrapping her arms around him, he pulled them both beneath the blankets and snuggled her close. The way she instantly molded to his body and the happy noises she made as she wiggled her bottom against his still semihard cock made everything seem right with the world. Such a delicious little bundle of woman.

“Stay the night with me, Tanwen.”

She stiffened against him, and he pretended not to notice as he nibbled on the back of her neck. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. We’re keeping things not serious, right?”

He couldn’t help the hurt that came along with those words, and his voice came out a little sharper than he intended. “Yeah, nothing serious. I just thought you might be tired and wanted to crash here.”

Her muscles locked up until he felt as if he were holding a board instead of the curvy little sub who’d been purring against him moments before. “No thanks. I need to get back to my room.”

She started to pull away from him, and he hauled her back. Damn it, he was blowing this. He obviously needed more time with her, was pushing her too fast, but he couldn’t help the possessive instinct that roared through him and demanded she was his. “Care to shower with me first?” To add a bit of incentive to that request, he stroked his hands along her breasts, teasing her sensitive nipples with the back of his knuckles. “I have a waterproof toy I’d like to show you.”

She gently pushed away his arm and sat up. Her voice was cold as she said, “You don’t have to do this.”

“Do what?”

“Pretend it’s something more than it is. We both know this isn’t going to last any longer than our vacation. I’m good with that. I don’t…I don’t want anything more.”

Her voice broke on the last word, and he stared at her back as he tried to figure out what she meant. Did she really want to keep it casual, or did she want something more? The way she looked at him, the way she responded to him seemed like she cared for him. Was he reading too much into this?

He ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath of the air that still smelled like their lovemaking. Women could be so damn confusing sometimes. He knew from past experience that they often said the opposite of what they meant, and it was up to the poor guy to try and read their thoughts. Well he wasn’t a damn mind reader. “Tanwen, what do you really want?”

Her shoulders bowed, and she scooted off the bed. “It is what it is.”

The trilling ring of his cell phone echoed through the room as Tanwen searched for her clothes and began to pull on her pants with trembling hands. She kept her gaze on the ground, refusing to look at him. “I never thought you were this weak.”

That brought her up short as she fastened her pants. Color blazed in her cheeks, and her shoulders snapped back. “I am not weak.”

His phone rang again, and he ignored it as he held her gaze. “Really? Then why are you running away from me?”

Sorrow flashed through her eyes, but her laughter held a brittle edge that cut at his heart. “God, we had some fun together, Bryan, no big deal. It’s not like I expected anything more from our time together than that. I mean, we don’t even live in the same state.”

“That’s a bullshit excuse, and you know it.” He sat up, and she averted her eyes from his body as his phone continued to ring. “You don’t want to give anything that might hurt you a chance. You want to keep your feelings all sealed off from the rest of the world and never let anyone else in. Yeah, you got hurt from your divorce, shit happens. Everyone gets hurt. But you have to decide if you’re going to lick your wounds by yourself for the rest of your life or give someone else a chance, someone who deserves a woman like you, someone who would treat her right.”

Tears filled her eyes, and her breath hitched in her chest. “You have no right to say that to me.” Her mouth firmed, and she threw her shoulders back. “You should be one to talk about licking wounds. I’ve heard about all the women you’ve gone through since your wife’s passing. I may not be a psychologist, but it sounds to me like you haven’t been the poster boy for moving on. And as far as treating me right, I have no interest in being another woman who is foolish enough to believe you’re ready for anything other than a fling. How many hearts have you broken over the past few years, Bryan?”

Her words hit him like a slap in the face, and he flinched. The annoying trill of the cell phone rang again through the air, and he grabbed his pants off the floor. Snapping open the phone, he yelled into it, “What!”

Greg spoke in a rush. “Is Tanwen with you?”

He glanced at Tanwen as she tried to make her ruined top stay in place, and said in a bitter voice, “Yeah, but not for long.”

“She’s a nurse, right?”

“Yeah, Tanwen’s a nurse.”

Tanwen stopped fiddling with her shirt and looked up, tear tracks glistening on her cheeks. “What’s up?”

A woman’s low, pain-filled moan came from over the phone, and Bryan froze. Greg made a soothing sound, then said, “I need Tanwen to come to our room right away. Margo’s gone into hard labor, and we’re not sure if the paramedics are going to make it in time.”

Chapter Eleven

Bryan knocked on the door, and a very worried-looking Greg opened it and ushered them in. A deep groan came from the bedroom off the sitting area of the suite. Greg, dressed only in pajama pants, practically sprinted back to the bedroom with Tanwen and Bryan in tow. With her shirt ruined, Tanwen wore one of Bryan’s and couldn’t help but notice how the soft T-shirt smelled like him. That only made her heart ache more, but she shoved her personal issues to the side as they reached the bedroom. Tanwen and Bryan exchanged a weighted look, and he said in a low voice, “Let Greg know I’ll be in my hotel room if he needs me.”

Tanwen tried to swallow past the lump in her throat and nodded. He left without another word or glance in her direction. Her heart ached even as she mentally yelled at herself that this was for the best. Voices came from the bedroom off the sitting area, and Tanwen locked down her mind, focusing on Margo with the iron will that served her well as a nurse. Margo needed her. Tanwen and her worries went away. Her mind focused on making sure both the mother and the baby had everything they needed.

A brass lamp illuminated the bedroom, and she stepped over a pair of shoes by the doorway. A quick glance at her watch showed dawn was still hours away. Detroit glittered like a million Christmas lights beyond the window. Maybe Margo could use that as a focal point to help her get through the contractions. Dressed in a long pink nightgown, Margo lay on her side and fisted her hands into the sapphire blue comforter. Her jaw clenched as she struggled to take in a smooth breath, and as she blew it out, she moaned.

Greg squatted next to Margo and began to rub her lower back. “Honey, Tanwen’s here.”

“Harder,” Margo said with her eyes tightly shut.

Tanwen took Greg’s place as he clambered onto the bed and did as Margo asked. Once he was out of sight of his wife, worry filled his face as he began to massage her again.

“Harder,” Margo said in a tense voice.

“I don’t want to hurt you—”

“I don’t care if you put your motherfucking hand through my spine, do it harder!”

Tanwen noticed a man’s wristwatch on the table next to the bed. “Greg, does this have a timer?”

He nodded. “Yeah, hit the button on the side.”

She set it and put it on the nightstand near Margo’s head so she could time the contractions. “Back labor?”

Margo grunted as Greg pressed on her spine. “Yeah.”

“This is your third child, correct?” Both Greg and Margo nodded. “How long were your other labors?”

“First baby I was in labor for four hours and pushed for two. Second baby three hours and pushed for one.” Her full lips ghosted into a smile. “Don’t suppose you happen to have an epidural with you?”

“Nope. How far apart are your contractions?”

“About every four to five minutes,” Greg said, his shoulders flexing as he continued to rub Margo’s back.

“Okay. I’m going to wash up and then we’ll check your cervix.” Margo’s face scrunched up in pain, and Tanwen knew she wasn’t going to be able to pay attention to her while she was having a contraction. With Margo’s history of quick labors, Tanwen worried about the baby coming before they had a chance to get her to the hospital. “Greg, how long ago did you call the paramedics?”

“Right before I called you.” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “I’m not hurting the baby by rubbing on her back, am I?”

Tanwen hit the light switch in the bathroom with her elbow and turned on the faucet, getting the water as hot as she could stand. “No. I think the baby is sunny-side up, meaning the baby’s spine is pushing into Margo’s spine, so with every contraction, the hard bones of the baby’s back are pressing against the inner nerves of her spine.”

“Fuck,” Greg said in an unsteady voice.

The soap foamed up to her elbows as she scrubbed up. “After I check her, we’ll try some different positions to get some of the pressure off her back.” Tanwen patted her hands dry and grabbed a couple of towels before heading back into the bedroom.

Greg helped Margo scoot her nightgown up around her hips while Tanwen laid a towel beneath Margo’s bottom. “Ready?”

Margo nodded and slowed her breathing as Tanwen checked her as gently as she could. “You’re about six centimeters with a bulging bag. I think the paramedics will make it here in time. Everything is going to be all right, and you are doing a wonderful job. I’m so proud of you.”

Margo blinked back tears, and Greg let out a relieved breath as Tanwen went into the bathroom again to wash up. As she dried her hands, she watched the way Margo looked up at her husband, complete trust and love suffusing her face as he stroked her hair and whispered something to her. Once, her ex-husband had looked at her like that, but those days seemed like another lifetime.

The tension she’d been carrying since she left Bryan’s room churned in her stomach. During the silent ride up the elevator to Margo’s room, she’d wanted to reach out and grab Bryan’s hand and tell him she wanted to stay the night with him, but judging by the coldness in his eyes and the way he held himself away from her, she was pretty sure that chance was gone.

Margo and Greg’s voices came from the bedroom in a low murmur, and she stayed in the bathroom, wanting to give them a moment alone. She wet a washcloth with cold water and scrubbed her face, washing off the remains of her makeup and dabbing at the dark circles left beneath her eyes by her mascara. A slight flush remained around her lips, and she realized her skin had beard burn from Bryan’s face. As she traced her fingertips over the reddened skin, her lower lip trembled. Not forming an attachment to a relationship doomed from the start was the only smart, sane thing to do.

She avoided looking at her reflection as she rinsed out the washcloth. For pity’s sake, she didn’t really know anything about the man other than he owned a construction company in South Dakota and he gave her amazing orgasms. Well, she knew more than that, but the only thing that really mattered was he lived in South Dakota and she lived in Wisconsin. He didn’t want a relationship, and neither did she.

She wasn’t a coward—she was practical—and her practical mind told her foolish heart that it couldn’t stand to be broken again. Yeah, she’d dated guys since her divorce, but none of them had the effect on her that Bryan did. None of them had given her the butterflies that filled her stomach every time she thought of him, and none of them had made her feel so alive…so young…so vulnerable. Besides, there was no way Bryan would ever lack for female companionship. He was amazing.

A quick glance into the bedroom showed Margo breathing through a contraction as Greg talked to her in a low and soothing tone. Tanwen’s breath came out in a shuddering sigh. Maybe she’d been a little harsh, but he had no right to pretend they were anything more than a temporary thing. In some ways, sleeping next to someone was far more intimate than sex. She could just imagine waking up next to him, wrapped in his arms…or better yet, waking up to his kisses.

“Tanwen?” Greg said from the bedroom with a hint of fear in his voice.

After briskly rubbing her face with the towel, she tossed it onto the counter before grabbing a clean one and focusing on her patient. “Okay, let’s try to get some of that pressure off your back. Greg, help her get onto her hands and knees. Margo, if this doesn’t feel better for you, let me know and we’ll keep trying different positions.” She rolled the towel up. “You can also try biting on this to see if that helps you get through the contractions.”

Together they helped Margo turn over, pausing to let her breathe through a contraction before she got onto her hands and knees and instinctively arched her back. “Better,” she said in a low voice and looked over her shoulder at Tanwen. “I’ve never done natural childbirth, always had an epidural. You know what? I wasn’t missing a motherfucking thing.”

Tanwen laughed and checked her watch. “It may help to rock or to grab a pillow. Whatever you need, we’re here for you. You’re not alone, and you and your baby are going to be perfectly fine.”

“Thank you,” Greg said in a low voice as he rubbed slow circles over Margo’s shoulders. The strain on his face made him look years older.

A loud knock sounded on the front door, and Tanwen left them to answer it. To her profound relief, it was the paramedics with their stretcher and equipment. “Come on in, guys. She’s in the bedroom. Margo, the mother-to-be, was six centimeters with a bulging water bag when I checked about twenty minutes ago. I believe she’s somewhere between thirty-seven and thirty-eight weeks with a normal pregnancy. Contractions are around two to three minutes apart now, and she has back labor. She has a history of quick labors, and this is her third child.”

The older female paramedic with her hair back in a tight ponytail nodded. “Are you a doctor?”

“No, an OB nurse.”

The woman smiled as the blond man with her knelt next to Margo and began talking to her in a low voice. “Even better. If you want to give her moral support, we’ll get her as comfortable as we can and get her to the hospital.”

Tanwen moved to the other side of the room and stood next to Greg. He gave her a one-armed hug and dialed his cell phone. “Hey, Bryan? Yeah, we’re on the way to the hospital. Grandma Ebony is with the kids right now.”

As soon as she realized who Greg was talking to, Tanwen ducked under his arm with a smile.

“Hey, man, hold on one second.” Greg put his hand over the phone. “Tanwen, thanks again for all your help. We owe you, big-time.”

She kissed his cheek and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “You two are doing such a good job. I wish all my patients were like you.”

He gave her a distracted smile, and she crept toward the door as Greg went to Margo’s side while still talking to Bryan. She gave Margo a kiss on the cheek after they loaded her onto the gurney, and followed the procession out the door. A small crowd had gathered in the hall, and when Margo was wheeled out, she raised her hand and gave a thumbs-up to the crowd. They broke into applause as Margo and the paramedics headed off to the elevators. Tanwen went in the opposite direction to the stairs. They wouldn’t all be able to fit into the elevator, and she didn’t want to be stuck with a curious crowd in a man’s T-shirt while not wearing a bra.

As soon as the door to the stairwell closed behind her, she leaned her head back and took a deep breath, her ears ringing with the sudden silence. As her heartbeat slowed, the day replayed in her mind at hyperspeed, most of it dominated with images of Bryan. She groaned and gently thunked her back against the metal door. How had things gotten so out of control so fast?

One minute she was wrapped in this blissful cocoon of amazing feelings, relaxed and comfortable in Bryan’s arms. Then the next thing she knew, he’s asking her to spend the night and the only thing she could think of was how much it would hurt the next morning to wake up and look at him sleeping next to her, knowing they were just going to be friends.

Oh, he’d sounded like he wanted something more, but how could she trust him after the things Margo had told her? For all she knew, he had just meant sleeping over as a comfortable thing to do, not the intimate act it was in her mind. Maybe she was being silly and overreacting. After the real-life drama that Margo and Greg were going through, her problems with Bryan seemed rather foolish.

She crossed her arms and slowly climbed the four flights to her floor, glad her key card was still in her pants. The carpet of the hallway muffled her steps as she ducked her head and hoped no one she knew came out of their room. Not that she really knew anyone, but still with every step she took down the hall, she became more conscious of her disheveled appearance. She must look a sight with her face still puffy from crying and without makeup.

Opening the door to her room with a sigh of relief, she closed it behind her and just stood there for a moment. Her brain seemed to be having trouble thinking beyond the next few minutes, and a dull ache was beginning behind her eyes. She considered turning on the lights but instead made her way across the dark room, flopping onto the small sofa that faced the shadowy river.

Little lights moved slowly up and down the ribbon of dark water as she sat there and let the world drift by, much like those boats. She was tired, mentally and physically, but still too keyed up to sleep. The situation with Bryan spun around and around in her thoughts until she rubbed her eyes, willing her brain to give it a rest. But as soon as she stopped thinking about it, she became more aware of the hollow ache in her chest that seemed to radiate outward.

Despite the best efforts of her rational mind, her foolish heart had fallen for Bryan and gotten hurt. She rubbed her sternum and sat forward with her elbows on her knees, contemplating the distant blinking dots of planes flying away from the city. That’s where she wanted to be right now: flying away from all this mess as quickly as she could.

She was too old for this shit.

A part of her mind argued she was just running away from a situation that could possibly be resolved. What if she was giving up on something wonderful? What if her hatred of arguing and confrontation was dooming her to a life of being alone? After all, everyone fought in their relationships; it was just part of human nature.

Still, she wasn’t sure if they even had a relationship to be fighting over. She’d been so full of emotion during their argument that she honestly couldn’t be clear on everything Bryan had said. Now that she was cooling down a bit, she didn’t know if she’d imagined that he’d hinted he wanted something more or if it was just her wishful thinking.

Then again, that came right back around to her original problem with their geographical differences, in addition to the fact that she really didn’t know much about him at all. So they had fantastic sex and he made her feel like the most beautiful, cherished, and desired woman in the world. That didn’t mean she was going to introduce him to her sons.

She stood and searched for her purse, her eyes now adjusted enough to the darkness that she easily found it on top of the dresser. After a few moments of digging through the pockets, she found her cell phone. Holding the cool plastic in her hands, she stared at the screen with the images of flowers eternally blooming. She had the number to the airline programmed into the phone, and knew there were flights going to and from Wisconsin at all times of the day and night. It would be easy to just change her flight plans. Yeah, it might cost her a couple hundred dollars, but that money was well worth it if it meant she didn’t have to feel like this anymore.

As the blooming flowers morphed from roses to orchids on the small screen, she found that she couldn’t make herself press the button to connect her to the airline. Part of it was because she couldn’t help feeling like a coward for running away, but another part of it was the fact that she didn’t want to lose Bryan…if he was even hers to lose.

Taking a deep breath, she closed the phone and slid it into her pocket. She switched on the small lamp next to the bed and walked over to the dresser, avoiding looking into the mirror as she looked through one of the drawers. After turning her back on her reflection, she quickly changed out of Bryan’s shirt and into one of her own, folding his into a neat square.

Before she could chicken out, she left her room and shoved her cell phone into her pocket. Nervous energy filled her as she rode the elevator to Bryan’s floor. Maybe she should have called Bryan first to let him know she was coming to drop the shirt off. Then again she wasn’t very good at talking on the phone when she was upset; she tended to freeze up and stumble over her words. No, she needed to see him face-to-face. At least then she could talk to him and hopefully find out one way or another how he felt about her.

The bing of the elevator doors opening snapped her out of her musings, and as she stepped into the hallway, her heart dropped into her stomach. There at the end of the hall stood Bryan, exchanging a hug with a beautiful, young brunette with deeply tanned skin in jean shorts and a pale blue top. He smiled at her and led her into his room without seeing Tanwen gaping at him. As his door shut, Tanwen wanted to run down there and beat on it, demand he tell her who the hell that woman was and what the hell she was doing in his room.

The elevator doors closed behind her, and she stood there, stunned that he could be so callous. They’d just made love—no, they’d had sex—in that bed mere hours ago, and he was already looking for someone else to take her place. Someone young and pretty who wouldn’t push him for more than he wanted to give. She couldn’t bear to have him open the door and face the humiliation of seeing another woman in his bed, endure his words as he told her to go away.

With a numb finger, she pushed the button for the elevator and closed her eyes against the tears that threatened. She took a deep breath and bit the inside of her cheek, hard enough that the pain cleared her mind and chased back the sorrow a bit. By the time the elevator arrived, she had her phone out and was talking with the airline. Before the doors closed, she balled up Bryan’s T-shirt and threw it against the hallway wall, wishing she could do the same with her foolish broken heart.

Chapter Twelve

Two months later, Tanwen smiled up at the handsome radiologist as they walked out of the hospital elevator together. Their shift had just ended, and Vince was once again trying to convince her to grab dinner with him.

“Come on, Tanwen, just a bite to eat at the diner. Nothing fancy, just a couple of buddies from work hanging out together.”

Rolling her eyes, Tanwen plucked at her scrubs. “I’m hardly dressed for dining out.”

Vince shrugged and gave her a heated look. “You make those scrubs look good.”

She looked away, discomforted by his flirting rather than attracted. Every nurse on her floor drooled over Vince, so why didn’t her stomach fill with butterflies at the thought of having dinner with him? No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t find herself seeing him as anything other than a friend.

“Really, Vince, you should ask Beth if she wants to go.” They paused to let an elderly woman in a wheelchair pass. “I know she’s been dying for you to ask her out.”

He cocked his head and examined her closely. “I don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell with you, do I?”

A flush heated her cheeks, and she scrubbed at the floor with the tip of her shoe. “I-I’m… I think you’re a great guy, but I’m just not interested in you like that.”

She peeked up and caught the look of sadness in his expression, but he nodded. “I understand.” He took a deep breath and plastered a strained smile on his face. “So, Beth wants my hot body, huh?”

She grinned, thankful he hadn’t caused a scene. “You’ll need to ask her that.”

The nurse in question, a pretty blonde with generous hips and breasts, came out of one of the elevators behind them. Her blue eyes sparkled as she spied Vince. His voice turned thoughtful as he said, “Gotta run, Tanwen.”

She laughed softly and hitched her bag over her shoulder. By the time she reached the main doors, her laughter had fled, leaving behind the familiar empty ache. For the hundredth time, she both chastised and congratulated herself for leaving her vacation two days early.

As soon as she’d returned to her room after the humiliating scene at the elevator on Bryan’s floor, she packed her bags and checked out, spending five hours at the airport waiting for her flight to leave. She’d left a note at the front desk for Margo and Greg with her cell phone number, asking them to contact her about how Margo and the baby were doing. She’d received a call from Margo four days later, and the women had chatted about how close Margo had come to having the baby in the ambulance and how their newest bundle of joy was doing.

Margo had asked why Tanwen had left early. She’d made an excuse of one of her son’s being ill and needing her home. She felt like a bug turd for lying, but she didn’t want to tell Margo the real reason she’d left. Margo had warned her about Bryan, and it was her own fault that she’d ignored that warning. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder if things would have gone differently if she’d just agreed to stay the night with him. Would she have returned to his room after dealing with Margo? Would she be the one he’d welcomed with a hug instead of that woman?

The late-afternoon sun warmed her face as she exited the lobby, and she took a moment to close her eyes and try to let the tension of the day go. She’d been getting better at that, better at relaxing and enjoying the simple things in life. In her heart, she knew she had Bryan to partially thank for that, but she refused to admit it. Most of all, she refused to admit how much she wished she could go back in time and do things over.

Lost in her own thoughts, she jumped when a horn beeped at her as she crossed the circle in front of the hospital where patients were picked up and dropped off. Shielding her hand against the sun, she started to say she was sorry, but the words died in her throat. At that instant, a semi could have run her over and she would have scarcely noticed.

Leaning against the side of a mint condition 1956 blue Corvette convertible, clad in a pair of worn jeans that fit his body like a second skin, was Bryan. For a moment, her time with him in VR and that same car superimposed until she could almost see him in his cop uniform with the handcuffs gleaming on his hip. He wore a dark T-shirt that clung to his powerful shoulders, and his blue eyes, as warm as the Caribbean waters, held her gaze until a tremble swept through her from head to toe.

Another beep sounded, but this time it was from a minivan trying to drive past where she was frozen in the walkway. She raised her hand in apology, and her body seemed to float toward Bryan’s like a magnet pulled across the floor. The closer she got, the harder her heart beat, until the thrum filled her ears.

“Bryan?”

“Hello, Tanwen.” He reached toward her, then crossed his arms over his chest.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” She leaned against the bumper and clutched her bag.

He pointed over to the section of the hospital under construction for the new pediatric wing. “I’m working over there for the next eighteen months.”

Her voice came out in a breathy whisper. “You are?”

“Yep.”

When he didn’t elaborate any further, only continued to stare at her as if he wanted to eat her alive, she cleared her throat and stroked her hand over the warm hood of the car. “Where did you get this?” What she wanted to ask was why he’d bought the car, but she was afraid of the answer. Her practical mind said she shouldn’t look too deeply into it. After all, it was an awesome car; he could have easily bought it just because it was art on wheels.

He lovingly stroked his hand along the hood. “Took me weeks to find just what I wanted and a lot of hard work to get it, but I think it was worth every bit of blood, sweat, and tears.” He pulled her unresisting body into his arms. “Anything worth having is worth working for.”

She wanted so badly just to press her head against his chest, to listen to his heart, to convince herself that he really was here, but she held back. “Why are you here, Bryan?”

“Because I’m a dumb-ass and a shitty dom.”

She blinked up at him. “You are not a shitty dom.”

“But I am a dumb-ass,” he said in a dry voice, but his grip on her tightened when she giggled. “Tanwen, I’m sorry. I had no right to hurt you like that. One of the most important things in a D/s relationship—hell, in any relationship—is communication. I feel like we both weren’t being honest with each other or ourselves. It’s no wonder things got so screwed up.”

She swallowed hard and tried to keep the tremble out of her voice as she said, “Who was that woman with you?”

He titled his head and seemed honestly puzzled. “What woman?”

“Bryan, I saw you with her.” He continued to stare at her as if he had no idea what she was talking about, and her temper surfaced. “The pretty brunette you hugged in the hallway. I came to return your shirt after I left Margo’s room, and I saw you with her.”

The lines around his eyes deepened for a moment, then relaxed as he laughed. “A very young woman with long dark hair and a tan?”

She nodded and stiffened as he ran his knuckles down her cheek, jerking away from his touch. “Yes, her.”

“That is Juanita, Greg’s sister. She drove up from their house to get some of Margo’s things to take to the hospital. Greg had asked me to go to their room to pack some of their stuff. She came to my room to give me a hand carrying down all those bags. You have no idea the amount of stuff Margo wanted with her at the hospital.” He grinned at the memory. “I tried stopping by your room on the way back, but there was no answer when I knocked. I went with her to see the new baby, and when I returned to the hotel, I found out you’d left.” He shook his head and closed his eyes, blowing out a deep breath. “Tanwen, if you had just knocked on the door, you could have seen for yourself.”

She covered her face with her hands, feeling like an idiot. “I didn’t want to have to see you…doing things with another woman.”

He pulled her hands down and made her look at him. Anger had chilled the blue in his eyes to ice. “Do you really think that’s the kind of man that I am? That I would make love to you and then turn around and sleep with someone else right away?”

Unable to answer him, she said in a soft voice, “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too, Tanwen. Sorry we both weren’t truthful with each other. Sorry I didn’t tell you how I felt about you.” He stepped closer and nudged her foot with the tip of his boot. “I think you’re an amazing woman and I’d be a fool to let you get away.”

She let her bag slide off her arm and cupped his face in her hands, still marveling that he was really here. “If we’re being honest, then there are some things I need to say. While our time together was one of the most amazing experiences in my life, I feel like we skipped a lot of important things.” Her stomach clenched, but she continued. “If we’re going to try this, I need to slow it way down.”

He nipped her palm. “Damn, and I had a spreader bar and some clamps packed in my trunk for you.”

Her body heated at that image, and she felt the answering hardness of his groin as she pressed her hips into his. “Would you like to go out to dinner? ”

He tugged her hand and brought her around to the back of the car, popping the trunk. Inside lay a blanket and a huge picnic basket. “I was kinda hoping you’d mention something like that.”

As he slammed the trunk shut, she cocked her hip and gave him a teasing grin. “Awfully sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m just sure that what we have is too good to let it pass by.” He held up his hand to forestall anything she might say. “I know we rushed things, but Tanwen, I can’t keep you out of my mind. I want you to know from the start that I plan on doing everything I can to win your heart so in eighteen months, when my contract here is up, either I stay or you come home with me.”

She laid her cheek against his chest, joy radiating through her soul strong enough to drown out the practical voice in her head. “I like the sound of that. ”

He buried his hand in the hair on the back of her head, tilting her face up to his. She could spend the rest of her life looking at Bryan and never grow tired of seeing him. He lowered his mouth to hers and captured her lips in a kiss that was surprisingly fierce and oh so deliciously demanding. Her lips parted for him, and at the first taste of him, a little moan choked out of her throat. This, this was what she wanted, what she needed. Archaic or not, she had never felt so complete, so alive as when she found herself in this remarkable man’s arms.

When they finally broke their kiss, the sun had dipped lower toward the horizon and bathed the world in a soft golden light. He grabbed her bag off the ground and tossed it into the car. “Let’s get going. I found a nice, secluded park about thirty minutes from here. You can scream as loud as you want, and no one will call the police.”

She meant for her voice to come out sharp, but instead it came out in a husky purr. “What makes you think I’ll be screaming?”

His devilish smile was filled with such heat that her nipples immediately hardened to aching points. If he didn’t touch her soon, she was going to die. “You don’t think that big picnic basket holds only food, do you?”

With a laugh, he helped her into the car, then settled in the driver’s seat. Their eyes met, and he leaned toward him, giving her a soft and sweet kiss that utterly melted her heart. When he pulled back, he smiled at her and laid a possessive hand on her leg. The warmth of his hand on her thigh seared her flesh through her scrubs as she imagined all the wonderful and wicked things he had planned for them. The engine rumbled as he eased the Corvette out of the parking spot, and as the wind whipped through her hair, she laughed, long and loud, unable to contain her joy. Some things were so precious, so dear that they were worth risking everything for. Her practical mind knew without a doubt that Bryan was one of those gifts that only came by once or twice in a lifetime. She was going to treasure every moment of their time together for the rest of her life.

Ann Mayburn

Ann is Queen of the Castle to her wonderful husband and three sons in the mountains of West Virginia. In her past lives she’s been an import broker, a communications specialist, a US Navy civilian contractor, a bartender/waitress, and an actor at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. She also spent a summer touring with the Grateful Dead-though she will deny to her children that it ever happened.

From a young age she’s been fascinated by myths and fairytales, and the romance that often was the center of the story. As Ann grew older and her hormones kicked in, she discovered trashy romance novels. Great at first, but she soon grew tired of the endless stories with a big, wonderful, emotional buildup to really short and crappy sex. Never a big fan of purple prose (throbbing spears of fleshy pleasure and wet honey pots make her giggle), she sought out books that gave the sex scenes in the story just as much detail and plot as everything else without using cringe worthy euphemisms. This led her to the wonderful world of erotic romance, and she’s never looked back.

Now Ann spends her days trying to tune out cartoons playing in the background to get into her ‘sexy space’ and has learned to type one handed while soothing a cranky baby.

Links to Ann Mayburn:

Main Web site: http://www.annmayburn.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Ann-Mayburn/100001759870653

Follow her on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AnnMayburn

Content

Ann Mayburn
Sodom and the Phoenix
A Virtual Seduction Story

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Ann Mayburn