Liam fought back a smile of triumph. “We didn’t actually have sex after the damn benefit that night in New York, did we?”

  “When I suggested you come to my hotel room, you didn’t say no. But you passed out just after you took off your trousers.” And she looked put out about that.

  Relief hit him square in the chest. Good to know he didn’t have to disinfect his dick again. “Kyle isn’t your son, either. Is he?”

  “No.” She took up her hand wringing again. “He’s Kitty and George’s.”

  “Your sister?” She’d just married as he and Gwyneth had divorced.

  The puzzle pieces of her deception began to slot into place. She’d developed this elaborate ruse and manipulated him. And she’d destroyed Raine’s piece of mind. For what? Liam couldn’t yet comprehend her purpose.

  How could he have ever believed he had feelings for this selfish, miserable bitch?

  The anger he’d tamped down earlier heated from a slow simmer up to a roiling boil.

  “You’re so void of a conscience that you’d deceive me about fathering a child? You’ve got some fucking nerve. After the way I found you cheating, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you lack a basic understanding of what’s right and wrong.” He stood abruptly, shoving his balled-up fists into his pants pockets.

  In another corner, the other person in the waiting room cleared his throat and hurriedly left.

  “Oh, Liam…” She sniffled. “Don’t be angry. Give me a chance to explain. Then you’ll understand.”

  Liam swung back to face her and fought for control. “No, I won’t. What the bloody hell is wrong with you, Gwyneth?”

  “With me?” Nose red, eyes swollen, she stabbed her finger at him. “What about you? You’ve let Hammer corrupt you and become a vile pervert.”

  Coming from her, that was almost a compliment.

  “I don’t give a flying fuck what you think of me. But you destroyed every shred of feeling I ever had for you by treating the woman I love with such contempt.”

  “That ill-kept guttersnipe? You’ve come down in the world. She’s a—”

  “Be very careful about the words you choose.” His voice went frosty with warning. “Another insult and I won’t be responsible for what happens.”

  Liam strode away from her to calm his thoughts and pulled out his phone to give Raine and Hammer the good news. Naturally, his battery was dead. Fuck.

  She approached him from behind. “I’m sorry. I’m distraught, not thinking clearly. You have no idea what I’ve been through.”

  “It’s of your own doing,” he reminded in a rough tone.

  He wanted to say more, but the man who’d left the waiting room returned, wiping water from his lips and sending them a sideways glance.

  “I didn’t mean any harm,” she insisted. “I just needed you to marry me again for a few weeks.”

  Liam barely managed not to choke. “Marry you? Again? You’ve gone fucking mental. I bloody well learned my lesson the first time.” He grabbed Gwyneth by the wrist and hauled her back to her chair. “Why would you think I’d agree?”

  “Well, I didn’t mean forever.” She gave him a petulant frown. “I thought if I dropped my knickers and enticed you again, you’d enjoy it. And I’d inherit a company worth a billion pounds.”

  His jaw gaped open. Now he knew she was mental. “What are you yapping about?”

  “My father is dying. He’s been trying to decide whether to leave his company to Kitty or me. Of course, we’d both inherit money, but he said he’s still choosing which one of us to leave his business.”

  Liam still couldn’t discern where he fit into this scenario, but one question smacked him in the face. “What do you know about running a company, especially one that size?”

  “Nothing.” She bit her lip and paused, as if just realizing that practicality. “But I’ve already lined up a cash-rich buyer. Kitty foolishly thinks she should run it herself. If she’s going to be that ridiculous, she doesn’t deserve anything.”

  Liam perched on the edge of his chair. “And what does all this have to do with me?”

  “Well…Daddy thought you kept a firm hand on me and was more than a teensy bit upset by our divorce. To inherit the company, I have to prove I’m ‘responsible and less impulsive.’” She dropped her voice, mocking the elderly man. “Because apparently droning out her vows to an insipid idiot and spitting out a kid makes Kitty dependable. Anyway, my father said that he’d leave control of the business to me if you and I remarried. Other than sex, I had no idea how I was going to convince you to take me back…”

  That was Gwyneth logic. Nothing she did should shock him anymore, but this blew his mind. “So you decided to kidnap your own nephew and use him to coerce me?”

  “It actually started when I agreed to do my sister a favor. We’d planned one last trip to New York for my father. He so enjoys the city. But at the last moment, his doctors said he wasn’t well enough to travel. I convinced Kitty and George to press ahead with the trip. When we arrived, Kitty spent the first two days crying. She’s been having some postpartum thing.” Gwyneth waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Anyway, George decided a romantic cruise might cheer her up. He asked me to watch Kyle.”

  Liam frowned. He’d thought her critique of George had been rather harsh—until now. What sort of daft prick would leave his child with Gwyneth? “And? You thought—just in case seducing me didn’t work—that while they were vacationing, you’d use their own son to try to screw them out of a billion pounds?”

  “Really, Liam…that’s unfair.”

  He growled a curse. “Sounds pretty accurate to me.”

  “Being responsible for Kyle every day and night has been so difficult. Do you know how impossible it is to get any sleep with a baby? And now that he’s so terribly ill…” She started sobbing again. “Oh, it’s awful. I look a fright. I can’t remember the last shower I had in peace. My nerves are shattered. I don’t know why anyone would want to breed.” She shuddered.

  Liam had never been more ecstatic that he hadn’t gotten Gwyneth pregnant.

  “What should I do? He’s seriously ill. What if the worst happens?” she sobbed.

  “You’ll have to live with the consequences of your actions.” Something she’d had almost no experience with. “Why are you confessing all this to me now?”

  “I’ve been out of my mind with worry. I can’t deal with the stress. You can usually fix any situation, so I hoped if I told you everything, you’d help me. I don’t know where else to turn…” She dissolved into tears once more.

  Liam shook his head. “The doctors will give Kyle all the help he needs. But you’re beyond help. I can’t believe what you’ve done.”

  “It started out innocently,” she protested. “Once Kitty and George set sail, I found myself in New York. I just wanted to see you again. I tried the apartment. When I couldn’t reach you there, I lowered myself to visit that terrible club Seth belongs to. Of course, you weren’t there, either.”

  “And someone there told you where to find me?” So much for member confidentiality. A head needed to roll for that.

  “It wasn’t her fault. When I appeared with Kyle at that…place, everyone assumed Kyle was yours.” She winced, staring at him with green eyes, begging for forgiveness. “I just carried the assumption along. Then everything snowballed, and I found myself having to come up with even bigger explanations—”

  “Lies.” He corrected.

  She frowned. “Not…completely factual statements, I’ll admit.”

  “Fucked-up fabrications meant to disrupt my life.”

  She sighed. “Don’t be a martyr…”

  He glowered at her furiously, not trusting himself to speak—or not to throttle her. “Anything else, Gwyneth?”

  “That’s it.” She dabbed at the tears rolling prettily down her cheeks. “Can’t you see how I’m suffering? Help me.”

  Gwyneth never had been good at focusing on anyone but herself.

  “What about your sister? Does Kitty even know her son is sick?”

  She stood and resumed pacing, wringing her hands again. “I rang Kitty before you arrived. Their ship docks in Galveston early in the morning. They’ve already scheduled a flight from nearby Houston that lands at LAX shortly after noon. Thank God. I’m too exhausted to keep up this pretense. And you’ve become so surly.”

  Liam felt a ridiculous amount of relief at her statement. But one thing still bothered him. “Why the hell didn’t you just ask me for help? That’s what a normal person would have done.”

  She gaped at him. “You were so angry about my little fling with the trainer. He was pretty, and he didn’t mean anything to me. But for some reason, you were quite put out. Why would I believe you’d help me, especially since I needed you to marry me again?”

  At least Gwyneth had figured out that he wanted nothing more to do with her. Since she usually couldn’t fathom a man not being madly in love with her, that was progress for his ex-wife.

  “We’ll never know now, will we?”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Silence filled her head. Raine felt the press of lips to her forehead, a caress of her shoulder. She drifted on a cloud of warmth, surrounded by an odd peace. Nothing cluttered her mind. It was a nice change. She breathed, feeling too lethargic to do more.

  “Are you with me, precious?”

  Hammer. She recognized his voice, his term of endearment. He trailed kisses down her neck. Raine was aware of him, but sensation didn’t quite penetrate her haze. She should probably answer him, but when she tried, she only managed the softest moan.

  “Come back to me now,” he coaxed. “Open your eyes. Look at me.”

  Raine didn’t want to. She enjoyed the peaceful void. Almost nothing penetrated her quiet except his affection. But under that cajoling note, insistence laced his voice. Something inside Raine didn’t want to disappoint him.

  Slowly, she became more aware of her surroundings: soft sheets on her tender backside, a warm quilt tucked all around her, Hammer’s bare torso pressed against hers as he leaned over her.

  “Raine… You looked beautiful submitting to me. Everyone in the club now knows you belong to Liam and me, and you did us so proud. Let me know you can hear me.”

  It took a lot of effort, but she managed to nod.

  “Good girl. Open your mouth.” Hammer brushed her lower lip with his thumb, and she slowly complied.

  Gently, he pushed something thin past her lips and placed it on her tongue. Instinctively, Raine closed her mouth around the little square. She smelled the chocolate mint candy before she tasted it. Rich, sweet, with a hint of bite… She moaned.

  “You were amazing. Everyone saw you in a beautifully submissive light, especially me. I couldn’t have asked you to surrender more perfectly. I’m humbled by your trust.”

  You made me feel like I was flying. I loved giving you my control. Let’s do that again. “Macen…” was all she managed.

  The chocolate melted and the flavor coated her tongue. Her head began to rise to the surface after what felt like a long submersion under her blanket of peace. The heater blew warm air over her face. The whiskers on Hammer’s cheeks abraded her jawline as he nipped gently at her neck, her lobe. His hot breath feathered across her skin.

  “I’ve imagined you giving yourself so openly to me a million times. You were better than all my fantasies,” he praised, leaving little love bites on her neck.

  “So good for me, too,” she whispered.

  By will alone, she lifted her heavy lids to see Hammer hovering above her, his hazel eyes looking so green, the beginnings of a dark beard fanning over his face.

  A knock sounded at the door. Raine frowned.

  “Come in,” Hammer called as if he knew exactly who was intruding.

  Seth opened the door and hustled in, holding a cold can of soda and their scattered clothes from the dungeon. He set the garments on the nightstand and handed the can to Hammer.

  “Thanks, man.”

  Seth nodded. “You’re welcome. Have fun.”

  With a wink, Seth was gone. She liked the guy. He seemed kind, straightforward, easygoing. Liam had good friends.

  “Drink some of this.” Hammer helped her sit up and popped the top of the can.

  Raine’s head was still swimming a bit as she braced herself upright and surveyed her surroundings. Hammer’s room. Before today, the only other time she’d been in this bed, he’d been fucking her into oblivion, like a primal animal in heat over and over… She’d spent most of her time lately in Liam’s room. In Liam’s bed. In Liam’s arms.

  Now everything had changed.

  Hammer helped her sip the drink. The bite of the cold and the effervescence hit her tongue, tickled her nose. Caffeine jolted her within moments. Or was that just her brain kicking in again?

  She stared at the can. Seth had brought it, not Liam, who hadn’t been there for the scene because he’d gone to the hospital with Gwyneth and the sick baby. So Hammer had done his best to shut off her head and tune out her worry.

  “Has he called you?” Raine blurted.

  Regret tightened his face. “No. But Liam is fine. He’s coming back. Don’t worry.”

  She really wanted to believe him. Their relationship was worth nothing if she didn’t have faith. Hammer had never been one to mince words or pull punches. If he thought Liam could be lured away, he wouldn’t say otherwise. And her gorgeous Irishman would have never bought them a house in which to build their future if he planned to leave.

  “I know you’re right. I just don’t like it,” she murmured.

  “Liam would be touched by your concern, but he wouldn’t want you to worry.”

  Raine pondered that. “I know that, too.”

  Hammer brushed the hair from her cheek. “How do you feel?”

  “Relaxed. Good.” In heaven.

  He cupped her nape, and his lips climbed up her neck. “Not too tender anywhere?”

  Experimentally, she flexed and wriggled. Heat flared over her ass, upper thighs, and the small of her back. But a comforting warmth spread all through her body.

  She snuggled down in the bed a bit more, barely resisting the urge to close her eyes again and find that alluring peace. “Sensitive. But it’s…” She sighed, sent him a little smile. “Nice.”

  A wicked grin curved his lips before he dragged the blankets down, baring her to the waist. He cupped her breast and latched on to her nipple, giving it a deep, hard suckle. An unexpected electricity zinged through her body, zipping through her veins, zapping her clit. Her eyes flew open wide. She sucked in a breath. Hammer’s touch always felt insanely good, but Raine had never experienced this hypersensitivity. Ten seconds ago, she hadn’t been thinking of sex at all. Now?

  As he pulled his lips away, she arched up and wrapped her arms around his neck with an imploring groan. “Macen…”

  “How about now?” he taunted, pinching her nipple and filling her with another burst of sensation. “I can make you feel a whole lot better than nice, precious.”

  * * *

  “Please…”

  Raine’s whispered plea went straight to his cock.

  Oh, hell… Hammer hadn’t expected to give her anything except aftercare, but the instant she’d melted into him and he’d tasted her skin, he had fixated on one thing—and one thing only. In fact, he’d make it far more than nice. He’d fuck her until she clawed his back, screamed her throat raw, and fell to the mattress in exhaustion.

  He kicked the covers aside altogether and tore into his zipper, shoving it down with a hiss of breath. “You enjoying that endorphin high?”

  She blinked, wide-eyed as she watched him undress with a lick of her lips. “Is that what I’m feeling?”

  So fucking innocent in some ways, and he shouldn’t enjoy corrupting her this much. “You bet it is. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you don’t come down anytime soon.”

  Hammer rolled out of bed long enough to shove his pants to the floor. The sight of Raine in his bed, on his sheets, wearing the marks of his teeth on her breast, her thigh, her pussy… Fuck if that didn’t drive him out of his mind. He craved putting more of his brands on her pretty skin.

  “Is that what you want, too? Yes or no?” he asked.

  Every cell in his body wanted to merge with her, make it clear in no uncertain terms that he owned her.

  She blinked up at him, blue eyes clinging, berry nipples hard, breathing shallow.

  “You know what I’m asking, Raine. How much I’m asking. Yes or no?” He enunciated each word clearly.

  Because he didn’t know how much longer he could hold back. If she was too tired, sore, or scared, he’d have to take himself in hand and hope like hell that would sate him enough to leave her alone. But no way could he unchain this side of him without her consent.

  Somewhere in the back of his head, reason screamed at him. This wasn’t a fabulous idea. Liam wasn’t here to pull him back if he got out of hand, and he’d sworn to keep himself in check. Hammer cursed, raking a hand through his hair.

  He was strong, damn it. In control. He didn’t need a fucking babysitter. Raine was precious to him, and he’d never break her. He could enjoy himself a little, then pull back. No harm, no foul. No problem. Right?

  Raine bit her lower lip, watching him shyly, almost the way she had before he’d ever touched her…just like she had when she’d harbored a mad case of hero worship that had driven him to the brink of sanity because he’d been unable to sate his desire for her.

  He could sure as fuck do something about it now.

  “Raine? Answer me.”

  A coy little smile creased her face as she lifted her hands from the bed. They fluttered around her, brushing aside her hair, spreading the dark mass over his white pillow, before she set her palms on the upper swells of her breasts.

  And began to feel her way down.

  Hammer nearly grabbed her wrists to stop her. No one was going to put out the fire he’d kindled except him. But Raine merely cupped her breasts, barely thumbed her nipples before gliding her hands down her stomach. Goose bumps broke out all over her skin. Her nipples drew up tighter and harder. She gave a little gasp and looked at him helplessly. Then she bent her legs and grazed her fingertips inside her thighs until she cupped her knees. Slowly, she nudged her thighs apart, easing them wide just for him.