She shuddered at the thought. “But why do you care?”
The muscles in his neck tightened. “Because despite what you may think, I’m not heartless, Brynn. You’ve been through a lot. I don’t want to see you or your sister go through any more tragedy.”
At least that much was true.
She glanced up at him, and for a moment, the mask dropped, revealing the stark fear beneath it. The worry in her big green eyes stirred up a fierce protectiveness deep within him. He had the urge to reach out and pull her in for an embrace.
He peeked over his shoulder and dipped his head next to her ear just in case anyone was listening. “It’s going to be okay, sugar. I was going to wait to tell you until we got to our room, but I’ve already confirmed that Kelsey is here.”r: Roni Loren
Reid leaned forward and whispered against her ear, “That’s Grant. The owner.”
Oh.
Grant glanced in her direction and gave her an encouraging smile. “Ladies and gentleman, our next initiation will be given by a new member. Please welcome Master Reid to our ranks.”
Reid rose and clasped Brynn’s elbow. “Up.”
A quiet smattering of applause followed them as she and Reid made their way to the front. Brynn’s arms ached and her legs had trouble remembering how to work. She stumbled slightly before reaching their destination, and Reid drew her closer to his side. Grant shook Reid’s free hand.
“Welcome to The Ranch, we’re glad to have ya,” he said, the now familiar deep West Texas drawl coloring his words.
Reid nodded. “Pleased to join.”
“You have a lovely sub there. What do you think she needs for an initiation?”
Brynn kept her eyes on the polished wood floors and began counting. If she looked up or thought about what was about to happen, she’d tip over the edge. Already, her heart was pounding hard enough to splinter a rib. Please let Reid pick something simple. A blow job. A quick, unrestrained spanking. She could maybe handle something basic. But blindfolds and handcuffs or helplessness would guarantee flashbacks and panic. She inhaled deeply through her nose and blew the breath out her mouth. In. Out. In. Out.
She didn’t want to have to use the safe word, knew from Grant’s concerned words earlier that if she broke down, he’d probably send her home—for her own mental health.
Reid ran a knuckle along her cheek. “Well, I think my sub is feeling feisty. She’s talked back to me multiple times since I chose her, so a punishment is in order.”
Brynn dared a glance up. Talked back? When?
Grant eyed her, evaluating her reaction. “I see.”
Reid continued, “I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with this sub in the past, and I know she’s big on the exhibitionism. So I refuse to grant her the pleasure of displaying herself in front of the group. She hasn’t earned such a privilege yet.”
Brynn bit her lip. What was he doing? Was he actually going to save her from having to deal with this? Oh, please, maybe she had misjudged his earlier behavior.
“But I still want her to demonstrate her submission. So, I’m going to get the one thing that will make sure she knows she’s giving herself to me personally and not just any random master.” Reid pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger and forced her to meet his gaze. “A kiss.”
Her eyes widened. What?
Reid’s mouth curved upward. “Release her bindings.”
One of the attendants standing near the back of the room stepped up and started unfastening the leather straps as the reality of Reid’s request sliced through her. She should’ve been happy. A kiss was as simple an act as you could get… but also the most intimate. If he’d have forced her to her knees and made her get him off, she would’ve had the outside chance of blocking out what was happening—thought of numbers or England or her grocery list. But how could she zone out with his lips against hers?
Her tingling arms fell to her sides and she balled her fists. Reid was doing this to punish her. What had he said? To make sure she knows she’s submitting to me personally. God, hadn’t ten years been long enough for him to get over her supposed infidelity? She narrowed her eyes at him. Nope, not with an ego the size of his.
Once all the leather had been removed, the attendant and Grant moved away, leaving her alone with Reid. He hooked an arm around her waist and dragged her against him, wickedness glinting in his eyes. “Let’s see if this is better than a stranger.”
She shot him her best I-hate-you look before he brought his lips down on hers.
Despite his firm grip, his kiss was teasing. His lips moved against hers—nibbling, tasting, drawing her in like a moth to light. The tension in her muscles softened in his grasp, and something white hot and long dormant unfurled inside her. As if on their own volition, her lips parted and granted his tongue access. The taste of mint and Reid danced in her mouth, and her arms looped around his neck. When she pressed her breasts against his solid chest, she couldn’t tell if the groan that reached her ears was his or her own.
Reid groaned as Brynn’s half-naked body molded against his. Shit. He’d thought a kiss would be the safest route to go since he wasn’t sure he’d be able to control himself if he’d chosen something more sexual. He sure as hell didn’t want to fuck her when she had no option to say no. But he’d forgotten that a kiss with Brynn had never been just a kiss. The moment his lips had touched hers, he’d wanted to strip her down and take her in front of all these goddamned people.
Her superior acting skills weren’t helping matters either. She was kissing him back with the fervor of a sub set on pleasing her master. His cock swelled against his dress pants. Fuck, how was he going to make it through the weekend? Regretfully, he slipped a hand into her hair and tugged gently to separate her from their kiss. He sucked in a haggard breath, trying to reclaim his cool control. She stared at him with question marks in her eyes.