He hoped that, somehow, it would be enough.

  Beside him, Laila pressed her lips together and said nothing.

  Trees swore under his breath. Why did she insist on keeping so many fucking secrets? Why was she trying so hard to hide from him?

  The drive passed. Tension vibrated between them. He could have cut it with small talk, but he wanted her to feel it. So he let her drown in the silence. Once he’d stripped away her defenses and had her emotionally naked, then he’d get her talking. At the very least, he would show her that he could both rebuild her and be worthy of her trust.

  What she did with that knowledge was up to her.

  As they ambled down the road to his place, darkness fell. He disabled his exterior security gate and rumbled down the dirt driveway, then reinstated the perimeter fencing behind him with the press of a button. Barney barked out his greeting, chasing his truck up the side of the fence.

  Laila smiled. “He is always so happy to see you.”

  “I’ve taught him to trust me.”

  Her smile fell. “He is lucky. Trust is not a luxury everyone can afford.”

  She didn’t think she could afford to trust him? What the fuck had he done to earn her doubt?

  Nothing. He was fighting her past.

  Finally, he parked in the garage out back, then repeated the command he’d given her before she’d visited her sister. “Sit there. I’ll come around for you.” He turned to pin her with a glare. “Do you understand?”

  For once, she looked chastened. “Yes.”

  “Good.” He climbed out, gave Barney a scratch between the ears and a few treats from the bin on the nearby shelf. Once the dog trotted away, munching happily, Trees rounded the vehicle.

  He opened the door and held out his hand to Laila. As if she finally understood there was hell to pay, she looked from his outstretched palm up to his face. Their gazes connected. She shivered. He felt the answering ping, just like the first time he’d laid eyes on her.

  Her fingers shook as she settled them across his own. Then she edged off the seat, sliding toward the ground.

  As her body skimmed his, he sucked back a sharp breath at the heady sensations. Fuck, he was supposed to undo her, not the other way around. “Let’s go. I’ll get your things out of the back seat later.”

  She nodded. Once he shut the passenger door and closed his detached garage, he led her across the backyard and toward the door, his hand hovering over her delicate spine.

  When they stopped, he reached around her to unlock the back door. She stayed him with a hand on his wrist. “Will you hurt me?”

  Trees swiveled a stare her way. If she was afraid, it didn’t show. “In my dungeon? That’s up to you.”

  “How?”

  Her expression softened him. She was worried, and the knowledge in her hazel eyes was far too old for her young face. Laila was so full of fire and resistance and irrepressible purpose, he often forgot that she was a dozen years younger.

  “I’ll explain everything soon.” He opened the door, guided her inside, then locked up behind her and enabled the alarm. Against his better judgment, he turned and cupped her face. “And I promise I’ll never intentionally leave you confused. Do you need anything before we head down? Food? Water? And don’t think of refusing either just because you don’t want to owe me.”

  Laila nibbled at her bottom lip, then shook her head. “I am fine.”

  “You’ve barely eaten all day, and we’ll fix that soon. I’ll insist you eat something.”

  “I will be all right until morning.”

  “You think that, but you’ll need to keep up your strength and stamina for what I have in mind.”

  She swallowed nervously. “Trees—”

  “No. I gave you chances. You flung them back in my face, so we’re moving on to punishment. How’s your headache?”

  “Gone.”

  “Good. Do you need the bathroom?”

  She shook her head.

  He lifted her chin in his grip. “When we’re in my dungeon, nonverbal answers aren’t allowed. Yes or no?”

  “No.” Her voice quivered.

  “Anything else you need?”

  She hesitated, and Trees suspected she was thinking through her options and deciding how best to combat him. “An explanation.”

  “You’ll get one as soon as we’re downstairs. What’s your safe word?”

  “It’s red. Trees—”

  “Come with me.” He wasn’t arguing with her anymore.

  He was getting the truth.

  Taking ahold of her elbow, he led her forward. She seemed to gather her courage, like a prisoner facing a firing squad, and headed for his closet. As he swept his clothes aside on their hangers, he motioned her to turn around. “Face the wall.”

  Trees made sure she couldn’t see his security code. He’d learned from his past mistakes.

  As soon as she obeyed, he tapped in the digits and the door to the dungeon popped open. It wasn’t lost on him that Laila would be the first person he played with in the kink paradise he’d built for himself and his eventual missus.

  Trees gathered her by the elbow, led her to the opening, then leaned in to flip on the light. “Inside. Watch your step.”

  She descended with quiet grace. Trees shut the door behind them. It clicked closed with a satisfying thud.

  Let the games begin…

  “Strip.”

  Laila choked. “Excuse me?”

  “Anytime you’re in my dungeon, you’re naked. I want you completely bare to me, body and soul.”

  She blinked up at him, trembling. Trees knew she wasn’t as afraid of a beating or torture as she was of him getting under her skin and seeing the real her.

  “Tick tock, Laila. You’re only making things harder on yourself by procrastinating.”

  “Why do you demean me?”

  The loaded question would only lead to a mind game he wouldn’t play. “I’ll make everything clear once you comply. But I’m seeing a pattern here. You argue. You refuse to answer. You twist my words. You try my patience and do your best to wear me down in the hopes that I’ll get frustrated or tired of dealing with you and give in. That won’t happen. I’m single-mindedly focused on you, Laila. I will get the answers I want. Last time I’m going to tell you. Strip.”

  She bit that lush lower lip that drove him insane in obvious indecision, then she swallowed, lifted her chin, and kicked off her shoes. “If you wish to beat me into some sort of submission, you will not be the first. You will not be the last.”

  Nice try. “You can’t guilt me into backing down. I’m not going to beat you.”

  But I’m going to use your body against you.

  She slid the little white sweater that clung to her breasts off her narrow shoulders and set it on a nearby table. Her stretchy dress followed as she whipped it overhead and tossed it haphazardly beside her cardigan. Her indifferent stare was meant to goad him, but no matter what her face said, he didn’t believe that getting naked for him meant nothing to her. He also didn’t buy that it did nothing for her. Her pebbled nipples poked her bra like twin nubs begging for his attention. She couldn’t blame the cold for that. As he’d waited for Laila to wrap up her conversation with Valeria, he’d used the controls on his phone to pump up the heater in the dungeon to a comfortable seventy-four degrees.

  “Shall I keep going?” she asked as if she didn’t care how he answered.

  He raised a brow at her. “Are you naked yet?”

  Laila gritted her teeth, then quickly smoothed her expression, as if she refused to show even the tiniest vulnerability. Instead, she slid her bra straps down her shoulders and reached behind her to unclasp the garment before tossing it away. Then she shot him a challenging glare, as if to say, I hope you’re enjoying gawking at my tits, asshole.

  Trees merely smiled—and felt the blood rush to his cock. “Beautiful. Now the panties.”

  A part of him hated to lose the transparent lace perched on her lushly curved hips. The silky fabric clung temptingly to what sure looked like her swollen pussy, delineating the engorged curves of her labia and the crease in between. But for what he had in mind, the lacy scrap needed to go.

  With a huff, she worked the undergarment down her hips, then bent and stepped out of them, rising in all her naked glory to stand before him, seemingly detached and unafraid.

  He knew better.

  Her pussy was definitely puffy and rosy from his earlier spankings. Even at a distance, he could see that. He’d bet she was aroused, too. But he’d get to that.

  With a nod, Trees acknowledged her. “Next time, I’ll reward you if you comply faster and give me less attitude, but some effort is better than none. I’ve got something for you. Come here.”

  Laila stiffened, unmoving, as if it had finally occurred to her that he couldn’t hurt her simply by looking. But now he intended to touch her. She was afraid of what he might do. That fact was all over her face.

  His expression became a warning even as he lowered his voice into a coaxing rumble. “Laila, if I have to ask you twice, your reward is off the table. You won’t like what happens then.”

  Her jaw tightened. Yeah, she hated being coerced. Trees understood.

  He softened his tone. “But it’s your choice. Everything that happens between us is.”

  Cajoling seemed to do the trick, because she finally shuffled forward, stopping in front of him. To his shock, she laid her palm over his chest. “What is happening? I do not understand this game.”

  “I think you do.” He covered her hand with his own. “But I promised to explain, so I will.”

  He led her to a nearby chair and sat, then drew her onto his thighs. She settled stiffly against him…but curled her legs onto his lap, unconsciously giving him more of herself.

  She blindsided him by tracing a fingertip across his chest and skimming her pouty lips up his neck as she wriggled on his hard dick. “Can you not simply ask me what you wish to know, then take me to bed?”

  Her touch induced tingles that threatened to scramble his brain, despite the fact he knew she’d switched tactics purely to usurp him. That wasn’t happening. He grabbed her wrist and stilled her hip to stop the distraction. “Not when you’ve proven you can’t be trusted to tell the truth. Besides, this isn’t about sex.”

  “I am naked.”

  Too many people confused nudity with sex, so he wasn’t surprised. “This is about control. It’s about power. You cede it to me, along with your trust, and we grow together.”

  Trees didn’t tell her that he would give things she needed back to her. Attention, affection, praise, reassurance, caring, boundaries. A safety net she’d never had. Those were bonuses she had to figure out for herself, because if he explained, she’d either dismiss him or laugh in his face. Or both.

  She scowled. “Why would I cede anything?”

  “I’ll reward you when you do.”

  “And you will punish me when I refuse?”

  “Yes. But your punishment won’t be a beating, Laila. Hurting you against your will is something I’ll never do.” She still looked as if she didn’t quite believe him. No shock there. Too often, words were just BS in syllable form. But he’d get through to her…eventually. “There are rules while you’re in this room with me. One is that you’re honest to the best of your ability. If you don’t know something, tell me you don’t know. But if you lie…I’ll take that as a sign that you’re seeking punishment and act accordingly. Two, you have to try to trust me. I’m not expecting miracles, but this will go a lot easier if you just believe that, when I tell you something, I mean it. And three, you have to let me know if I’m hurting you beyond what you can bear. My goal isn’t agony or humiliation. If you need your safe word, use it—with the understanding it isn’t for minor pain or mental unease.”

  “If you have no intention of hurting me, why do I need a safe word?”

  “I said nothing about discomfort. There will be lots of that if you choose not to cooperate.”

  “So I must give in to you or suffer the consequences?”

  She was trying to make him feel bad; it wasn’t going to work. “Do you have any other questions?”

  “No.”

  “Stand,” he commanded.

  She got to her feet, then he rose behind her.

  “That’s a good start,” he praised. “I promised you a reward earlier. As a show of good faith, I’ll give you two.” He reached into the drawer of the desk behind him, withdrew a little foil square, and unwrapped it. “Open your mouth and stick out your tongue.”

  She didn’t right away. They would work on that. But when she glanced at the chocolate square between his fingers, she sent him an unconscious smile of delight and obeyed.

  He settled the square on her tongue. She drew it into her mouth with a moan, eyes closed in pleasure.

  As she sucked and swallowed it, he skimmed his thumb across her plump lips. “Did you like that?”

  She nodded, opening her eyes and looking somewhat puzzled. “I love chocolate. How did you know?”

  He gave her a wry smile. “I’ve met very few women who don’t.”

  “Valeria does not.”

  Trees was surprised she’d volunteered anything remotely personal. He took it as a good sign. “She’s missing out.”

  “I think so, too. But chocolate has always been a rare treat for me.”

  If she stopped trying to throw herself into danger at every turn, he would give her plenty more. “Want your next reward?”

  She nodded. When he raised a rebuking brow, she corrected herself. “Yes.”

  “Good.” He drew her closer and cupped her face, staring straight into her eyes.

  Laila’s breath caught. She blinked up at him. The pulse pounded at her neck.

  She might be afraid of his intentions, but he aroused her. Trees would bet money on that.

  Before he talked himself out of it, he lowered his head and slanted his lips over hers in a soft, lingering press, sinking into the moment. God, he’d been wanting to kiss Laila since he’d set eyes on her again.

  After a stiff moment, Laila rose on her tiptoes with a little whimper and clutched his shoulders. Her eyes fluttered shut. Then she kissed him in return.

  Clearly, she wasn’t immune to him. He could work with that. And with any luck, they would come out on the other end of this punishment with a new understanding, maybe even a new closeness.

  Before he lost himself in her sweetness, he straightened and took her hand. “Follow me.”

  She didn’t look convinced that whatever he had in mind was a good idea, but she offered no resistance.

  Until he laid her on a padded table with a dangling cuff at each corner.

  Her eyes went saucer wide. “What are you doing?”

  “Starting your punishment.” By the time he’d answered her, he’d secured one of her wrists in the attached cuff above her head. She tried to retract the other, but it was too late. Trees held firm, extending her arm until it stretched to the restraint above. He secured it with a quiet click.

  “Why are you tying me down? What are you doing to me?” A note of panic wound through her voice.

  “You’ve spent time in this room. I’ve told you I’m a Dominant. Nothing that’s happening now should be a huge surprise.”

  Her face told him she screwed up her courage. “You cannot break me. Many times, I have endured the worst at others’ hands.”

  Wouldn’t she be surprised to realize she’d never endured anything like this and she had no way to fight him?

  He caressed his way down her body slowly—shoulder, breast, abdomen, thigh—letting her feel every touch of his rough fingertips and broad palm. “Then you have nothing to fear, little one.”

  As she met his stare with defiance, he grabbed her ankle and fastened the cuff around it. Fresh shock spread across her face.

  When she bucked and kicked, he merely stepped back, crossed his arms over his chest, and waited until she gave him her full attention. “This isn’t how you earn more rewards.”

  “I will give up chocolate.”

  “That’s not the reward you’re going to want, Laila,” he promised in a dark, silky voice. “Give me your foot.”

  “No.”

  “Give. Me. Your. Foot. Now. Or there won’t be rewards of any kind, no matter how much you beg me. If you comply, you’ll find I can be very generous. If not…” He let her infer that the result would be deeply unpleasant. “But like I said, what happens is up to you.”

  She looked so heartbreakingly unsure. Not for the first time, he questioned this tactic, but he’d tried every other fucking way to get her to understand that he was on her side. If he had to be underhanded to make her stop risking herself, he would. It was better than her ending up dead.

  “Laila, when have I ever hurt you?” He gave her a moment to work that out in her head.

  “Never, but—”

  “No buts. Never.”

  “Then why restrain me?”

  “Because you have a nasty habit of running away. This way, I can be sure you’re here and focused on the conversation we need to have. I’m going to ask questions and you’re going to give me honest answers. Right after you give me your foot.” He held out his hand, palm up, inches from her toes. “If you don’t, we’ll move straight into punishment.”

  Slowly, Laila slid her last free limb in his direction, looking nervous as hell. He took hold of her ankle and secured her with the padded cuff.

  “Good,” he praised, brushing a gentle hand up her leg. “Anything feel too tight? Too uncomfortable?”

  “No.”

  He reached under the table to tilt it, angling her feet toward the ground. Then he grabbed the rolling stool behind him and plopped down, parking himself in front of her. Then he adjusted the height until he sat eye level with her pussy. With a smile, he swiped a soft thumb over her cleft.

  Her breath caught.

  “Your pussy is swollen.” He petted her again, trailing kisses up her thigh. “This is the very last time I’m going to ask you. Is your pussy sore from my spankings?”