“That’s it, babe. Better grab hold now.” The warning came none too soon. Even as he slid out of her, he pulled on the thing in her ass. One glass ball bumped out, and he thrust it back in—and his cock as well. Out. She felt the coldness as he added more lube, and the anal bead toy slid in through the ring of muscles, stimulating everything in the area. Out. In.

Her whole lower half had turned to an overloaded, rawly sensitive nerve, and each breath she took was a moan. The pressure coiled and coiled within her center. “I can’t,” she moaned, her fingers clasping the metal frame, searching for something to anchor her.

“Let go, Lindsey.” He squeezed her bottom gently as if to let her know he had her. “Now.” His cock slid out first and a second later, he yanked the anal beads out—all of them.

“Aaaaah!” Her back arched; her nails dug into her palms as her insides contracted, expanded, clenched harder. When his cock forced its way back inside her slick pussy, every nerve in her body lit up like a galaxy of sparklers, expanding outward until her skin tingled, her hair tingled, her toes tingled.

Oh my God, oh my God.

“Mmmhmm, baby. Beautiful.”

Before she’d managed to stop gasping, before her heart rate had slackened, he gripped her hips and pistoned into her, fast and forceful, until he released in a series of hard jerks.

God, he was going to be the death of her. The heavy satisfaction had dissolved her bones. Under her, the cage rocked slightly. Maybe she’d simply lie right here for a millennium or so.

Still deep inside her, he caressed her hips and bottom as she gathered her senses and reacquired the art of breathing rather than gasping. When his fingers brushed over several tender, stinging areas, she flinched. Whoa, baby. He’d definitely tanned her hide—and more besides. Her asshole and other intimate places burned.

A second later, he slid out of her, leaving her insides doing tiny spasms of loss. “Don’t move for a second, Tex,” he said. A second later, he cut through the ropes binding her breasts.

She felt as if her whole body stilled in relief…until the blood started surging in and out, painfully equalizing. “Ow, ow, ow! You’re such a sadist,” she said, half under her breath—not softly enough.

“Got a good eye, babe.” He chuckled and, as if to confirm her belief, swatted her sore butt.

“Ouch!” She glared at him, making his lips curl up.

At length, the sadist released her restraints and helped her out of the cage as gently as if she were a baby. When Logan tossed over a blanket, he wrapped it around her and guided her to a place on the floor.

Her head was too heavy for her neck, all her muscles felt like overstretched rubber bands, and, without the wall at her back, she’d probably have fallen over.

Crouching in front of her, Zander gave her a thoughtful study and nodded. “You look better.”

Better. She snorted. Her hair and skin were damp with sweat, her face probably purple, and she still quivered with little aftershocks. “I’m sure.”

He caressed her cheek. “Relaxed, not worrying about things you can’t prevent, well pleasured. Yeah, better.”

Oh. She sighed. “Well, if your plan was to drive me out of my mind, it worked.”

His smile made her glow inside. Damn, she loved him.

“Now, tell me how you felt watching me with Dixon.”

Dixon. She turned her head, looking for her friend—Zander was right between her and the room.

The amusement in his gaze said it was deliberate. “Asked you a question, babe.”

How did I feel about watching? When she hesitated, he curled his hand around her nape, sending shivers down her spine at the heat of his hand—at the power of his grip. “I’ll ask again in a few days after you’ve had time to process everything. Give me your gut feelings now.”

“I—it was weird because he’s a friend. And he likes you—likes you.” His gaze never left her face as she searched for the right words. “But after a bit, friendship and attraction didn’t seem to matter. You weren’t interested in him sexually. All your focus was on taking him where you wanted him to go. And watching you…kind of…sucked me in.” She bit her lip.

His dimple appeared a second before he pulled her forward and kissed her. Sweet and powerful and possessive. “I love you, Tex,” he whispered.

Oh jeez. She rubbed her cheek on his and inhaled through her nose. “D-don’t be nice now. I’ll cry.”

He snorted. “Babe, when this shit is over, we’re going to talk about the future.” Before she could respond, he set a bottle of water in her hand. “Drink up. All of it.”

“Yes, Sir.” She took a sip, felt the upheaval in her emotions settle, leaving her feeling as if she’d sucked down a couple of shots of rum mixed with liquor of hope. She smiled at him. “And I love you too.”

“Good deal.” He rose, watched her take another drink, and went to clean up the equipment.

Letting out a long sigh, she sagged against the wall. Darned if every nerve in her body wasn’t still glowing with satiation. Mmmhmm, that was a nice time. And now, with Zander out of the way, she spotted Dixon off to one side, bending over.

Sometime while she and Zander had been busy, Stan had unchained Dixon and instead, hooked his wrist cuffs to a wide leather belt. He’d also put a play collar around Dixon’s neck. Clasping the collar, the Dom had bent him over and was inserting a well-lubed anal plug—not cruelly, not particularly gently either.

Lindsey’s newly tender asshole puckered in sympathy.

When Stan directed Dixon back upright, she saw her poor friend’s balls were wrapped in a leather harness with a testicle stretcher and divider and a cock ring as well. Looked painful as all get-out.

After inserting the anal plug, the Dom snapped a leash onto Dixon’s collar. He didn’t even look back at Dixon as he tugged him through the room.

Zander squatted down beside her, his gaze on the two men as well. “You’re frowning.”

“The agent doesn’t seem to be very nice.”

“Nice isn’t what Dixon needs.” Zander tugged her hair lightly. “The boy won’t submit without some work. Erotic control is a straightforward path there.”

“Stan isn’t even paying attention to him.”

Zander snorted. “You notice the mirrors?”

“Huh?” Lindsey blinked and looked around. Son of a gun, small mirrors were embedded in the rocks here and there…and she saw Stan was checking them without Dixon even realizing.

“The boy’s got a bad habit of using his pretty face to get his way. A Dom who wants more than a quick fuck won’t tolerate that kind of behavior.”

“Oh.” She pursed her lips. “And how many sneaky Dom-manipulative tricks have you used on me? What are my lessons?”

To her surprise, he didn’t shrug off the question. “We’re starting with the basics. Trust. Honesty. Transparency.” He ran his finger over her lower lip and added, “Remember, little Tex, a Dom’s got lessons too. You’re not the only one learning to trust.”

Oh. The sweep of sweetness took her by surprise. “God, I love you. I really, really do.”

“Well.” He tapped her nose. “For that, you get chocolate.”

Chapter Nineteen

The next day, Lindsey stepped out of the cabin into a quiet realm filled with glittering falling snow. The untouched white powder carpeted the ground, making the world seem fresh and clean. The air was so cold, her lungs seemed to clench.

After a long stretch, she started down the path to the main cabin. Heck of a night, last night. First the dungeon party, afterward the hot tub.

She still had tender spots—especially her bottom. However, poor Dixon might be even worse off.

Before they’d left the dungeon, Stan had removed all the various devices from Dixon’s body and blindfolded him, stood him in the middle of the room while he went to the fridge. He’d brought back an icy ridged dildo, bent Dixon over, and shoved it up his ass. Dixon had come, screaming as if he was being murdered.

It was a wonder he hadn’t had a heart attack.

After slapping his ass, Stan had hugged him lightly and said the scene was over. “You can join me in the hot tub if you want, boy.” Dixon had spent the entire time staring at the Dom, undoubtedly trying to understand why the man hadn’t even tried to get off. Stan had retired soon afterward, leaving Dixon looking confused—and forlorn.

Poor Dix.

While Lindsey walked, snowflakes tickled her cheeks and hung on her eyelashes. From the looks of it, snow had been falling all morning. And she’d sure slept late, which was Zander’s fault. He’d worn her out.

Around dawn, he’d noticed her new virginal-slut nightgown and woken her up to show his energetic appreciation. God. Three orgasms later… When he finished, he’d gotten dressed, leaving her facedown and boneless in the bed.

As she crossed the clearing to the lodge, the door opened. Jake, one bare foot raised, supported by Simon and Zander, hopped out. “Morning, Lindsey.”

“What happened? Are you okay?”

“I slipped on a fuc—ah, a rock when I was checking the hot tub.”

She frowned at his very swollen, purpling ankle. “Is it broken?”

“Probably not,” Simon said. “We’ll get it X-rayed to be sure.”

“We’re hauling his ass to the clinic in town,” Zander said before his jaw hardened. “I’m keeping Simon’s car and stopping at the police station after. Seems Stanfeld took off to talk with Masterson.”

“Hokay.” Sounded like Stan was going to get a teamwork lecture. Lindsey smiled, amazed at how the mere sight of Zander lifted her heart. Well, aside from the fact a bulky jacket made him look as if he could wrestle grizzly bears. Be still my heart. “Y’all drive safe, okay?”