her.
She was of stronger stuff. “I’m okay.” Her voice didn’t sound convinced.
He straightened and said loudly, “I’d best keep you close so you don’t rile me up anymore.” After settling himself forward on the chair, he pulled her back until his legs enclosed her, and he gripped her nape in a mock hard grip. “Let me know if you get uncomfortable, darlin’,” he murmured for her ears only.
As she relaxed against him, he traced a finger over the black chain-link tattoo around her neck. She had matching ones on her ankles. One unpredictable, fascinating woman.
What did she plan to do after today? Would she return to Miami right away?
That wouldn’t work. They needed time to explore what they had together. She was attracted to him. A little sub couldn’t disguise that or her response to him in bed.
And now that he could distinguish what portion of her brattiness was acting versus pure ornery Gabi, he found her behavior more amusing than annoying. In the future-if they had one-when she sassed him, his taking her to task would reward them both.
“This is your last night here,” he said, testing to see if she’d give a hint as to her plans.
“Yeah.” She didn’t sound happy.
Leaning forward, he massaged her shoulders. Her tense little body should still be relaxed, considering how far she’d gone under in the scene. He kissed the top of her head and said softly, “Something is bothering you.”
She brushed her cheek against his with that unconscious affection he’d grown to love. “What if he isn’t caught? What about my friend? The other women?”
Her loyalty squeezed his heart, and he offered the only reassurance he could. “Our…friends…won’t give up.”
Her shoulders relaxed slightly. “No, they won’t.” Her lips curved. “They’re almost as stubborn as you are.”
He nipped her earlobe in retaliation and smiled at her husky giggle. As she rested her cheek against his leg, he realized in surprise that he felt…content. Relaxed and happy in a way he hadn’t for, perhaps, years.
Kneeling between Marcus’s legs, Gabi felt enclosed in safety as he played with her hair and traced his fingers across the back of her neck.
The other two couples were watching the scene where the harsh dom, Master Nolan, caned… What had Andrea said his sub was named?
Gabi shivered, remembering the flogging from Marcus, how the burning had somehow changed to pleasure until she couldn’t tell the difference. The redhead’s moans sure didn’t sound unhappy. Her dom worked her higher and higher, then switched to the little pussy flogger Marcus had used. Had Z given them to all the Masters?
Nolan slapped the flogger across Beth’s breasts, then landed one right between her legs. The sub’s back arched as she screamed and shuddered in a long, awe-inspiring climax.
Master Nolan’s face changed entirely as he smiled, and Gabi saw why his sub found him appealing. The rumble of his voice reached the people watching as he fisted a hand in Beth’s hair, leaning his body against hers. Her tremors eased. And then Nolan stepped back and swatted the flogger three more times right on her pussy, hard and fast. With an incredible look of shock, Beth climaxed again so violently that the chains rang.
The watching doms grinned, murmuring approval of his skill.
The rest of the Masters had arrived while Gabi had stared at the scene. Sam, a whip dangling from his belt, stood with arms folded across his chest. Mistress Anne sat in a leather chair, and a sub in a chain chest harness knelt at her feet. Raoul leaned against the back of the couch where Dan and Kari sat.
Dan pulled Kari onto his lap, freeing up more space. His big hand splayed over her pregnant stomach, and he smiled at her like a man who had all his dreams right there in his arms.
Gabi sighed. Would anyone ever look at her like that?
Mistress Olivia sat down beside Dan and Kari.
Master Z had stood off to one side and now chose one of the two empty chairs. He had his short, curvy sub with him tonight, although Gabi didn’t remember seeing her recently. Z pointed to the floor. Jessica sank to a kneeling position, her face expressionless.
As Nolan wrapped his arms around his restrained sub, Gabi glanced at Marcus and the other Masters. “Why’s everyone so happy?” she whispered to Marcus.
He leaned down, crossing his arms under her breasts, and murmured in her ear: “Beth was married to a sadist who scarred her up simply to hear her scream. She ran away.”
When Gabi squinted her eyes, she saw Beth’s white scar lines and puckered circles, marks like she’d seen on some of the victims she’d worked with. “The bastard. I hope he’s rotting behind bars.”
“Underground actually, I believe. At any rate, when Beth came to the Shadowlands, she was too terrified to give up control. Z made her take Nolan as her dom.”
Gabi suppressed a laugh. The meanest-looking dom in the place? If she’d been Beth, she’d have run like hell.
“He’s worked with her for months to get her over her fear of restraints. She trusts him now. Totally. So much that when he brings out floggers and canes, she doesn’t have a panic attack. He considers tonight her graduation in a way, and he wanted to show her that she could do it all.”
Gabi watched as Nolan released his sub from the restraints, one big arm around her to hold her up. Beth’s eyes were fixed on the dom as if he held the sum total of her world. “I think she passed the test.”
Chapter Nineteen
Jessica sighed as Nolan swept Beth up, carrying her over to join the group.
Z turned, motioned for one of the trainees, and nodded to the scene area. The members knew to wipe up after playing, but sometimes a sub needed the attention more, so Z kept a cleaning person available. The trainee nodded and trotted off.
Although a bit glassy-eyed, Beth appeared incredibly happy, snuggled into Nolan’s lap with her head against his shoulder. He murmured to her, his face as gentle as Jessica had ever seen. God, they looked good together, and she felt pleased for them…if a little envious.
Nolan’s voice lifted slightly. “Beth, do you love me?”
She tilted her head back to smile up at him. “You know I do.”
“Do you like living with me?” He framed her face, his hands almost as scarred as his sub’s body.
“Of course.”
“You trust me.”
“With everything in me,” she whispered.
“Am I your dom, little rabbit?”
“Yes.” Her red-brown brows drew together. “What’s wrong?”
“Not a thing.” He gave her a faint smile, and his gravelly voice deepened. “I thought I’d tell you we’re getting married next month. We need to get a plane ticket for your mama.”
Jessica could almost see Beth’s mind try to process Nolan’s declaration. The redhead sat straight up. “What?”
“You heard me, honey.”
“That’s…that’s not any kind of a proposal. You can’t…”
Nolan’s mouth tightened, and he gave her a look any sub in the world would recognize, the one that said someone was getting far too close to pissing off a nasty dom.
Beth stopped. She frowned at her hands.
“Beth, do you love me?”
“Yes,” she snapped, lifting her head.
“Do you like living with me?”
