When Hammer’s hand slid to his nape, Dex’s brain short-circuited, rendering it unfit to think of anything to say.
“Oohh…” Cora smirked. “A lot can change in a few years, I see. Is that why you really left the scene? You discovered you liked the boys more? Most of us don’t judge, and my parties are gay-inclusive.”
Dex’s skin sizzled. Hammer wasintothis? He was some master-Dominant-sadist? It would makesomesense in context of his argument with Stefani.
Hammer squeezed the back of Dex’s neck, making his knees go all soft. “Still mostly into the girls, but this one’s special.”
Cora crooked her neck, scanning Dex’s body as if it were up for auction. “And what, you came here to share? Gotta admit, heiscute.”
Dex’s brain fried when he imagined her long-nailed hand moving down his body. It would be new, maybe an interesting sensation, and maybe it could arouse Hammer and make him horny enough to let Dex suck him off under the pretense of having to act as if they were a couple.
But pussy? He didn’t like the idea of having to deal with one. Nor was he a fan of boobs, even though they were… fine. Just not his thing.
Protests choked his throat by the time Hammer spoke.
“No, it’s just our… anniversary. Right, Dex?” he asked and offered Dex a smile so bright no person could withstand its wooing powers, whether they preferred guys or not. The dimples on this man… Those fuckingdimples.
Dex had first gotten interested in Hammer on a night that came back to him in the earlier dream. It had been so dark Dex could barely see all the bikers gathered in the junkyard for a bloody ritual meant to mete out justice in some traitor drama. But then Hammer had emerged from the shadows like the angel of justice and swung his massive tool, creating a sound that chilled everyone’s bones. Dex could still feel the thrill jolting up his chest when the sledgehammer fell on the traitor’s head to create a flat dent in the skull. He could recall the scent of blood and the heat eating through his body as he stood still and watched Hammer unleash mayhem.
His toes curled, his heart felt mushy, and his lips throbbed with need.
Hammer was right. Hewaseasy.
“Y-yeah. And Hammer told me he had something special planned.”
Cora winced, shifting from side to side. “You’re putting me in a difficult spot here. I don’t like you showing up out of the blue, without asking. Besides, I’ve closed the dungeon for some renovations, and it’s just not a good time. Unless you can pay extra.”
Dungeon?Dungeon?!
“It was a spontaneous decision. You know me, Cora,” Hammer said with a smirk and pulled out his wallet. “How much would I owe you for staying at yours for a couple of days?”
“Ten thousand a night,” she said, making Hammer’s fingers freeze inside the wallet.
“What?”
Dex gave a nervous laugh. What the fuck did she have here to warrant a fee so big? Golden cages? Diamond-studded collars? Dildos made of unicorn bone? “That’s a bit steep. It’s a shame. Hammer told me a lot about how amazing this place is.”
She pouted and pushed back her mane of blood-red hair. “What did you tell your boy?”
Even though it was all pretend, a shiver still went down Dex’s spine at being spoken of like he were a pet rather than Hammer’s equal. It gave him a weird jolt of satisfaction similar to the one that had gone through him when Hammer had called him special. He would have loved to know someone saw him this way. Especially a man as worthy of admiration as Hammer.
“That you and I share some history, and that you are the best Domme I’ve seen at work,” Hammer said and leaned closer to her. “Come on, Cora. What’s really going on? You know I can even help you out at the ranch as long as you let me stay here for a fair price.”
She shook her head and rubbed her unusually smooth forehead. “Fine. God knows I might need the help. I’ve got a sick animal, and I’ve been paying through the nose for his vet visits and meds. Money I didn’t have. Unless you’ve got seventy grand laying around, I could use a man with a gun. I’m sure you’ve got one on you. If you’re not afraid to use it, you can stay as long as you want to.”
Hammer squeezed her shoulder, going tense. “Is someone threatening you?”
This was a side of Hammer Dex hadn’t known about. He’d always seemed like an impenetrable rock ready to crush anything in its way, yet his concern for Cora felt genuine. Then again, what didheknow? He’d believed Hammer wanted a gay experiment with his jailor.
Cora nodded with a sigh. “I borrowed money from the wrong people, but it was for Bandit. I couldn’t let my baby suffer.”
Hammer exhaled and squeezed both her shoulders. “You can count on me. And maybe once I get some rest, I could have a word with those people in your name.”
She freed herself from his comforting grip, leading them into a midsized room with wood covering it from floor to ceiling and framed photographs of tigers mounted on the walls for decoration. There was a shoe rack, and a wooden wardrobe too, but Dex was only interested in the other door, which would lead them into the house. Cora closed all the locks behind them.
“I can’t express how infuriating it is to deal with those maggots, but there’s only one of me, and they’d been attempting to intimidate me for two weeks now. Maybe if they see people staying with me, they’ll be more willing to negotiate. If they don’t... there are no laws forbidding self-defense in one’s own home, are there?” she said with a flash of malice in her eye.
Hammer shook his head and stepped toward the wardrobe, which he opened as if he’d done so many times before. “We’ll see how things go.”