How could she fault that considerate reasoning? She wasn’t sure if she’d succumbed so easily to his control because she wanted him any way she could have him, or she craved what he could do to her that worked so well in helping her deal with her never-ending grief. He could label her need submissive or anything else he wanted as long as he was willing to continue in this vein with her.

  An hour later, as Sophie stepped foot inside Spurs’ enormous playroom with its twenty-foot-high ceilings and odd looking contraptions along both sides of the room, she suffered a moment of second guessing her decision. The wood floor was smooth under her bare feet as Adrian led her toward the bar, the patrons seated at the tables they passed appearing relaxed in the sex-charged atmosphere. She almost bumped into Adrian when she recognized Amie cuddled against a large man’s chest with her leather bra hanging open. A look of pure contentment was etched on her face as his hands roamed over her breasts while he conversed with another man seated at the same table. When she identified the pang gripping her abdomen as envy, she realized she wanted to experience that same tranquility tonight.

  Adrian cocked his head, placing two fingers under her chin and turning her face up to his. “Tell me what you’re thinking,” he insisted.

  In for a penny, in for a pound, right? “Okay, if you really want to know.” At his nod, she said, “I want what she’s feeling.” She swept her hand toward Amie, who had opened her eyes upon hearing them, a slow smile lifting her lips.

  Ben winked at Sophie, idly circling one nipple with his finger. “Best give her what she wants, Master Adrian. We wouldn’t want a sub to leave here unhappy, especially if she’s new.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” Adrian drawled. Tugging on her hand, he moved to the bar where he lifted her onto a stool. “You continue to surprise me, Sophie.”

  Since she couldn’t tell by his face, she asked, “Is that good or bad?”

  He remained standing and signaled the bartender. “I’m not sure yet. You’re limited to two drinks – a safety rule. What would you like?”

  You. She was pretty sure he knew that, so she replied, “How about a Long Island Iced Tea?”

  The bartender, yet another drool-worthy cowboy hunk, joined them from behind the mahogany bar top. “Strong and sweet. Where did you find this one, Adrian, right? I’m Master Nick.”

  “That would be correct. You’re the farrier.” He shook the other man’s hand then switched his gaze to Sophie with a wry look. “A storm drove her inside my house a few weeks ago. I let her stay.”

  “Ha, ha.” She loved it when he lowered his guard and revealed his lighter side. Reaching over, she clasped the other man’s outstretched hand when he held it out to her. “Sophie Turner, and Master Adrian forgot to mention I was expected as his new employee.”

  “Too bad. I liked his version better. Welcome to Spurs. I’ll get that drink for you. Adrian?”

  “Whatever’s on tap. I didn’t get a chance to corner you last time I was here about your farrier services. Do you mind talking business when you get a minute, or would you rather I call?”

  “Let’s talk. Be right back.”

  Adrian turned to Sophie, dropping one hand to her leg where he proceeded to pull her skirt up around her thighs. The cool air wafted over her exposed skin, all the way up to her crotch. She shivered, tightening her knees out of instinct, not because she really wanted to prevent him from going any further. His calloused palm resting on her thigh was enough to turn up her furnace, regardless of where they were. Nice to know going forward. If she could reach that foggy plateau where nothing else mattered except achieving mind-numbing euphoria, followed by a pulsing, lingering ache sure to change her focus for a short time, she wouldn’t care they were in a public venue.

  “Relax. I don’t intend to go further yet. Take your time with your drink, look around while I talk with Nick, then we’ll explore.”

  Sophie thought that sounded like an excellent plan.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Thirty minutes later, Sophie was rethinking what she thought a good idea from Adrian. Master Adrian, she corrected, giving him a sideways glare as he conversed with yet another member while idly stroking her backside. Without the extra-thin panty barrier, his teasing glides brushed the soft material against her sensitive skin and left him easy access to push between her buttocks and rub nerves still pulsing from the anal vibrator. He’d proven how talented he was at multitasking as they strolled around. His ability to tweak a nipple without pausing in a conversation or pull her in front of him and press his hand between her legs while explaining an apparatus’ function in one smooth move was frustratingly arousing.

  He ignored her low groans and frustrated glares, and she wondered why she continued to crave him, and only him. Between his protective closeness and constant touches, sometime during their slow walk around the room, she’d lost the last of her insecurities about this place. Now her only thought was to become a participant instead of a viewer. Yet, he showed no signs of being in any hurry to take things up a notch. He was good at arousing and frustrating her at the same time, too good.

  Sophie quit paying attention to the two of them after Adrian had introduced her to Master Randy and tried distracting herself from the desperate ache for his undivided attention to her needs by searching for those she might know. Skye waved right before her husband bound her to the large wooden cross across the room, and she got a glimpse of Poppy’s Dakota as the two went upstairs to the second floor of private rooms. He appeared dark, big, and formidable even from this distance, but holy crap, was the man hot. If her brain wasn’t already solely focused on Adrian and what he could do for and to her, all it would take was one look at any of these guys or observing a scene to get her juices flowing.

  “Something tells me you better see to your sub, Adrian.”

  Master Randy’s amused tone caught Sophie off guard, and she fidgeted, saying the first thing to pop up when she found herself the center of their attention after being ignored. “Yes, Master Adrian, you should see to your guest.” She didn’t bother stifling her peevish attitude, but all that did was earn her a frown from both men that caused her butt muscles to quiver.

  Adrian lifted one dark brow. “I think you’re right, Randy. I like the poles, and we’re here, if you’re not planning on using them right now.”

  “No, go ahead. I have to track down Mickie first anyway. Quit being a stranger,” he said, slapping Adrian on the back before strolling off.

  “Next time,” Adrian said, turning to her and crossing his arms, “ask me nicely if you want something.” He gestured to the two poles spaced about two feet apart behind him, each with cuffs attached at the top and the bottom. “I want you naked. Here, on the poles is my preference, but tonight, I’ll give you a choice if you’re more comfortable in private.”

  Even though he wasn’t happy with her snippy remark, he still protected her sensibilities. Sophie realized just how much he’d changed her when her first thought was wanting to please him; her second centered on the spike of her temperature imagining herself bound nude for everyone to see.

  “I came tonight to explore my boundaries, so the poles it is.” Keeping her eyes on his face so she wouldn’t lose her nerve, she dropped her hands to slip her thumbs inside the elastic waistband of her skirt and push it down.

  Adrian’s eyes darkened, but otherwise his expression didn’t change as the skirt fell to her feet. “I have to get a few things from that cabinet.” He pointed to the wall a few feet away.

  She paused in undressing, standing there in uncomfortable nervousness without him by her side, wearing nothing but her loose blouse that skimmed the top of her thighs. With his back to her, she couldn’t see what he took from the cabinet until he pivoted and returned carrying a black silk blindfold and what looked like a massager. Both of the objects interested her, but a bead of perspiration rolled down her spine when she noticed the riding crop attached to his waist. She’d never given the prop much thought when seeing the cowhands use them, figuring a horse’s tough hide would deflect the worst of the sting. Tingles raced across her skin as she imagined the wide leather slapper striking her delicate flesh.

  Adrian held up the blindfold. “This will keep you from worrying about who is or isn’t watching. And this”— he twirled the handheld massager— “is a Hitachi wand.”

  He didn’t offer further explanation, just pulled her top off then took her clothes to lay them on a chair against the wall. Sophie watched the crop swing against his thigh, the painful possibilities running through her head sending a ripple of unease slithering under her skin, but she refused to cave to cowardice before they even started. She wanted him, and that meant trusting him as much now as she had these past weeks.

  That proved much easier to do when Master Adrian faced her again and she went hot under his intense, molten stare. Excitement overruled nerves, hitching her pulse as his eyes lingered on her bare labia before he beckoned her to stand between the poles. Her breasts swayed with each step, her nipples pebbling into taut peaks, her buttocks clenching as she tried not to think about the eyes of others shifting their way.

  “Lift your right arm, please.” Master Adrian took her wrist, his dominant persona more pronounced from the minute they’d entered the club without slipping once.

  Sophie kept quiet while he secured her arms into a taut stretch above her head, the lined cuffs comfortable and somehow lending her a sense of security when he cut off her vision of the activities and people around the room with the black silk swath. His clothed body brushed against her skin as he knelt at her feet, the brief contact prickling and warming her exposed flesh. He tapped the inside of her right calf, issuing a silent command to spread her legs she didn’t hesitate to obey. Like every other time, the moment he touched her, bone-deep need took over, demanding she turn herself over to him.

  The soft cuffs tightening around her ankles was a new sensation, as always before he’d just restrained her hands and arms or held her hips. With her legs spread, she became even more aware of her nudity, the cool air wafting over her folds and buttocks drawing goose bumps.

  Adrian pressed close as he rose, his body heat seeping into her skin. “You’re doing fine, baby,” he whispered in her ear, his voice a deep rumble as he ran his hands down the insides of her arms until he cupped her heaving breasts. “You have the prettiest breasts, soft and so fucking squeezable.” His thumbs rasped her nipples, the calloused touch drawing the nubs tighter, his warm breath blowing in her ear as he leaned against her with a warning or a promise, she wasn’t sure which. “Time to try something new. Are you game?”

  “Yes,” she breathed, now eager for him to continue without the constant pauses to check on her. “Like you said, I’m doing fine. You don’t have to coddle me.”

  “Is that what you think I’m doing?” He twisted her nipples to the point of pain, released them then soothed the throb with his tongue. “But if you say keep things going, I will. What’s the safeword?”

  “Red.” Easy enough now. With luck, she wouldn’t have to test him by using it.

  Sophie didn’t know what she expected him to do next, but it wasn’t to trail the supple leather spanker over her quivering breasts and nipples while sifting his fingers through her hair with small tugs against her scalp. The crop was cool against her hot skin, the caresses along her body lulling her into leaning toward him with a relaxed sigh. The sultry music coming from hidden speakers added to the decadence of hearing low voices, proof there were others mingling nearby even though she couldn’t see them.

  “There you go,” Adrian murmured, brushing the leather up between her legs, that simple graze against such sensitive flesh enough to drag a low moan from her constricted throat.

  A sharp nip on her neck spread a wave of heat throughout her body that intensified as he shifted behind her and snapped the crop across her buttocks. Tiny pinpricks of pain came and went, leaving behind stripes of warmth. Sophie embraced the searing discomfort with a deep breath, thinking after the next swat that the instrument wasn’t so bad, and then quickly changed her mind with the third stroke.

  “Thought that might get your attention,” he stated in a smug tone from behind her.

  Even though she couldn’t see him, Sophie turned her head and muttered, “You could have warned me,” referring to the heated stings that strike elicited.

  “And here I thought you knew me better than that,” he replied with humor.

  She sucked in a deep breath seconds before he delivered another blistering swat, this one leaving her cheeks throbbing along with the heat encompassing her buttocks. Her entire body quaked as he treated her thighs to the same agonizing cuts, her breasts jiggling each time she jerked against the restraints and the blows that were slowly working to suffuse her with pleasure. He knew exactly what she craved, how harsh she could handle, how much she could take. Even better, with him, she didn’t cringe in mortification from her growing attachment to physical pain as a crutch to deal with her emotional grief.

  He continued to work her butt and thighs, his other hand reaching around to plump her breast and flick her nipples. The combination of pleasure and pain drove her insane with edgy, pulsing lust, left her trembling in the bonds, the darkness enhancing her other senses. Heat enveloped her backside and thighs, a deep ache seeping into her muscles, consuming her attention.

  Sophie flushed and mewled with the onslaught of arousal, each sting intensifying her yearning for more of the fiery lashes, even though through it all, her pussy remained empty, untouched…needy. She whimpered for more without realizing it, thrusting her hips forward, pleading without words for what she desired most. He caught one nipple with his teeth, leaving both nubs to throb in swollen discomfort that fed her need and tempered his swats to lighter smacks that stirred instead of stung.

  “Adrian, Sir, please,” she pled, not caring if she sounded pathetic.

  “I’m proud of you, Sophie. Now I’ll show you what you get when you ask so nicely.”

  She was thinking how much she loved the deep echo of his voice when a whirring reached her ears right before the buzz vibrated between her legs. Throwing her head back, she rode the round end of the wand as his mouth covered one tortured nipple. The soft pulses against her clit sent a firestorm of sensation straight up her pussy. Sophie’s breath caught in her throat and she fell headlong toward a mind-shattering orgasm that encompassed her whole body with mind-fogging ecstasy. Writhing in the bonds, she gasped for air like a drowning person breaking the water’s surface with pleasure unlike anything she’d experienced before washing over her.

  ****

  Jen, the proprietor of the Miner’s Junction B&B stopped by Adrian and Sophie’s table in the dining room as they were finishing with the Sunday brunch. “I’m so glad you took the time to enjoy the buffet before leaving this morning. “How was your night?”

  “It was a beautiful room, and I love the clawfoot bathtub. I slept like a baby.”

  Sophie smiled at Jen, her eyes clear this morning, her face and body relaxed. Adrian loved seeing her like this: sated, content after a night of sexual excess.

  “Thank you. It’s my favorite room. Now that I’m expecting, I plan to go part-time. Adrian mentioned you ran a B&B in New Orleans. If he can spare you a few days a week, and you’re interested in filling in for me, give me a call, and we’ll talk.” She handed Sophie a card, her face suffused with happiness that was hard to miss.

  Watching Sophie carefully, he said, “Congratulations, Jen. I take it that good news came as a surprise.” She and her husband, Drew, were only a few years younger than Adrian.

  “A big one. We’d given up trying ages ago. After we got over the shock, we were both pleased. Drew walks around smiling.” From her wide grin, Adrian guessed she did her fair share of copying her proud husband.

  “You must be so excited,” Sophie said. “Congratulations, and I’ll talk to Adrian about your offer. The food was delicious, especially the crepes. I might be here every Sunday morning.”

  He heard the sincerity in her voice, and, despite the slight tremble of her lips, her eyes remained clear of grief, and he was glad they’d decided to stay over last night after leaving the club. The evening had gone well, with Sophie surprising him by embracing what the club offered. Whether it was due to her emotional need, or realizing she enjoyed sexual submission, or just her response to him, he couldn’t decide but wouldn’t mind if he were the deciding factor.

  “I’ll include the buffet if you take me up on the job offer.” Jen turned to Adrian. “If we can work it out with what you need, of course. I don’t want to step on any toes.”

  “Hasn’t stopped you before. Adrian, damn good to see you again.”

  Adrian rose and shook Drew’s hand. “You, too, and I hear congratulations are in order. What’s been going on around here since I visited last? The Daniels are expecting, and Shawn made their announcement last night.” He felt every one of his thirty-eight years with everyone whom he’d known for so long in the same age bracket settling down with families.

  “We couldn’t make it to the club last night, but word reached us this morning about the McDuffs’ good news.” Drew turned to Sophie. “You must be Sophie. Welcome to Mountain Bend.”

  Sophie stood and shook his hand, her smile warm. “Thank you. You have a beautiful place here.” She cast a look around the small dining room where every table was occupied. “The buffet is a great idea. If I ever end up back at the B&B in New Orleans, I’ll have to consider doing the same.”

  When Adrian’s gut tightened at her remark, he decided to make sure she wanted to stick around for more than the job. Given how fast they’d hooked up, and the stress that had pushed the relationship, it would take time and effort to see where this might go. He couldn’t look forward to that discovery until he finished his quest to learn who had a hand in Nicole’s death, but it was another reason for him to speed up his efforts to find her journal.