The images he was painting were almost too much for her to process. She’d had no idea that what they’d done with Colby had been an exercise in Kade dominating her. But even though that night had been beyond hot, she couldn’t ignore the bitter taste that crossed her tongue at the thought of Kade doing that with someone’s wife. It was way too reminiscent of what she’d walked in on in Atlanta. “So it’s okay to cheat?”
“No. That’s never okay. Anything that happens is with consent and knowledge of
all parties. People may set up a cheating role play. Some get off on that humiliation of being cheated on—cuckoldry is the name for it.”
“Well, those people are freaking crazy,” she said, shaking her head. “There was nothing hot about walking in and seeing Doug screwing someone I thought was a friend.”
Sympathy crossed his face. “I’m sure. But like I said, the people that do it as a kink have all agreed to it. And if I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s to not judge what flips someone’s switch. If it’s not hurting anyone and it’s consensual, that’s their business. There are people who’d label me as crazy or sick.”
Like his ex. Like the courts.
She frowned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply—”
He smiled and touched her nose. “Shut up, slave. I know you’re not judging me. Because right now that would definitely be the pot calling the kettle black.”
He gave her collar, corset, and bound hands a sweeping look, and she laughed. “Point taken.”
“Now,” he said, his tone changing from light to serious in a blink. “I have one more adornment for you. But I can’t put it on until we’re at The Ranch where I’ll need to prepare my slave properly.”
She wet her lips. “Okay.”
“Until then”—he gripped her shoulders and guided her down to lay her head in his lap—“relax and enjoy the drive. I have a few work calls that can’t wait. You think you can stay quiet?”
“Yes, sir.” She settled against his lap, not really having any choice but to let him move her how he wanted since her hands were bound. She nestled her cheek against his thigh and he idly ran his fingers through her hair as he put in an earpiece with his other hand. She sighed and let herself relax into his touch. It’d been a long day, and there was something wildly soothing about the position and his slow stroking fingers against her scalp.
She startled when he began talking to whoever was on the other end of his call, but he dragged fingertips along her arm, settling her again. Soon, her eyes were closing and her muscles were going lax. She liked listening to Kade conduct his business. Unlike Doug who’d barked orders at everyone, Kade’s voice had an ease to it despite the authoritative edge—like he was talking to a friend even when he was giving a directive. She could imagine that most people wanted to do what Kade Vandergriff told them to, even if they couldn’t quite pinpoint why. He was easy to say yes to.
He ended one call and started another, but meanwhile, his hand drifted lower, tracking down her side and eventually ending up under the slit of her skirt. He coasted a palm over her bare hip and the curve of her ass—an easy touch but one that jacked up her internal temperature. Memories of him bending her over his lap and reddening her skin with that very hand were still vivid in her mind. She pressed her thighs together at the answering twinge of awareness between her legs.
As if sensing the growing tension in her body, Kade eased the thigh that was on top toward her chest, opening her to him. She tried to pull the other knee along the seat in some modified fetal position, but he was having none of that. He stopped her other leg in its tracks and gave her hip a quick pinch.
She clamped her lips together, fighting not to make a sound.
He responded to some question the caller had asked and ran a fingertip along her exposed flesh. It was a barely there touch, but even so, she had to swallow down a moan. How this man could barely breathe on her and make her so desperate was a wonder. She had no hope of quelling her body’s response to him.
The road continued to rumble beneath them, his phone call went on, and he kept up the stroking and teasing, creating a slow, rolling boil in her system. Her scent filtered into the air as she grew slick from his touch. Kade grew hard beneath her, but if he was in any hurry to alleviate that, he didn’t give any signs. Instead, he seemed to be enjoying the languid teasing. He dipped a finger inside her and slowly drew it in and out, then went back to touching everything but her throbbing clit.
Evil, evil man.
When she thought she was going to go out of her mind from need, the car took a turn and slowed. Kade moved his hand away from her as he ended his call, and he flipped her skirt down, making her mourn the loss of his hands on her.
“Come on, baby. We’re here.”
“No, sir, I don’t think I’m quite there.”
He smirked and helped her to a sitting position. “Patience is a virtue I expect in my slave.”
She sighed in frustration and peered out the window to see a large gate swinging open. The sun was almost gone, so she couldn’t make out everything, but when they pulled past the gate, a massive cedar and stone building loomed before them, beautiful gardens lining the front and land rolling out behind it. Trees dotted the property. In the distance, she could see what looked to be smaller buildings, which she assumed were the guest cabins for The Ranch.
The car pulled past the main house and followed a winding road to the back of the impressive compound. Rows and rows of grapevine stretched out to their left. Kade had mentioned the owner also ran a vineyard on the adjoining property. Eventually, they pulled around a bend and stopped in front of a two-story cabin—though to call it a cabin would be an insult. It could easily fit in amongst the high-end homes she’d seen nestled in the mountains on some of her ski vacations.
Before she could really process that they were here, that when she stepped outside, she’d be Kade’s in whatever way he wanted, the driver came around to open the door. She had a moment of self-consciousness, realizing he was going to see her dressed like this, but then she almost laughed. Everyone was going to see her dressed like this. She needed to get used to it quickly.
She took the driver’s hand and stepped out of the car, giving him a brief, albeit flushed-cheeked, smile. He simply nodded and to his credit, his gaze didn’t drift downward. He was probably used to Kade riding around with half-naked women. The thought rankled.
But before she could let her mind run too far down that road, Kade was by her side again, catching her elbow. “Leave your heels in the car. Slaves go barefoot.”
It took her a moment to understand what he was saying since her mind was whirling with so many thoughts, but she quickly slipped off her shoes and set them on the seat.