Master of the Mountain

Sir.”

“Good choice.”

When she started to face the wall, he turned her around. “I want to see your face, and you need to be able to see mine.” His lips quirked. “It's a different feeling too, seeing who's out there.”

He had commanded her attention so thoroughly, she hadn't realized people were watching. Her face heated, and she took a step away.

His face turned cold, and his voice chilled. “Rebecca.”

She froze.

“If something becomes too much or you cannot tolerate this, use your safe word. Otherwise, you're getting restrained. Right now.”

Oh God, oh God, oh God. But she held still and let him buckle the cuffs around her wrists. Her breathing sped up, but at least she could move her arms a bit. Even scratch her nose.

He studied her, then walked over to the wall and tightened the chains hanging from the beam. Now the leeway disappeared as the manacles pulled her arms tightly over her head.

The feeling of being restrained and vulnerable sent funny sinking sensations through her with each breath, like the floor she stood on wasn't quite solid. Her thudding heart seemed to have moved up into her throat.

“Look at me, Rebecca.” Simon's body blocked her view of the people watching. His dark eyes were intense as she lifted her gaze to his. “That's a good girl.” He cupped her cheek, his hand warm and comforting.

As she tugged on the chains, trying to get used to the quivery feeling inside, he asked, “Do you like being restrained?”

She wanted to glare at him. Just like Logan, asking impossible questions, trying to plumb emotional depths.

“Rebecca, when I ask a question, I expect an answer, not a glare.”

His reprimand shuddered down through her bones, making the quiver in her stomach worse. “It's scary. I don't know. I…”

“Giving control up can be a need that's not necessarily comfortable, especially at first.” He tilted his head. “And being restrained in public? Do you enjoy being watched?”

She tried to shrug but couldn't move even her shoulders, and that sent another of those weird feelings through her. “It doesn't seem to matter that much.”

He put his fingers into her cleavage, right over the hooks of her bustier. “If I stripped this off, would you feel the same way?”

Naked? Instinctively she yanked on the restraints and got nowhere.

He laughed. “Obviously not. Modest little sub, aren't you?” Rebecca looked past him, out at the crowd. To have them see her without clothing, her big hips on display… Her gaze crossed another's, and her breath strangled in her throat.

Unwavering blue eyes in a tanned, cold face. Legs apart. A leather vest showing off the muscular arms crossed over his chest. Logan. Her heart started to pound so hard, the entire crowd must have heard it. Simon surely did, for he turned around to follow her gaze.

Without a word, he walked away, walked right up to Logan, leaving her hanging from the chains. She yanked on the cuffs, and the pit of her stomach twisted. He was here. The surge of pleasure dimmed under the onslaught of questions. What would he think, seeing her like this? Seeing her with Simon?

And then she remembered that Dark Haven was a popular BDSM club. He hadn't come here to see her. As her hope died, she sagged in the chains. She tried to look away from him, and even knowing the truth, she still couldn't.

Chapter Eighteen

“Look at her,” Simon said. “She wants to yell for you so bad, she's almost choking with it.”

Logan smothered the red fury that his little rebel had allowed someone else to touch her. “I hadn't expected to find her out trolling for company,” he growled.

Simon slapped his back lightly. “Actually, she's trying to discover if her head-over-heels reaction to you is because she just likes the lifestyle. She wanted to see if she can be turned on by any Dom.”

“You have got to be joking.”

“True, old friend. And damned canny of her, I thought.”

Logan's eyes narrowed. “You realize that if you managed to arouse her, I'm going to rip your guts out.”

“Lucky for me that she wasn't interested, then,” Simon said lightly.

Lucky for them both. He'd seen Simon take on a drunk twice his size, and within less than a minute, the guy landed on the ground with a fractured jaw and several busted ribs.

“Logan,” Simon said seriously. “She's delightful, and I would have enjoyed taking her further into the scene. I'm not the only one either, but she wasn't interested in anyone who approached. She's with me only because I'm a strong Dom, and she wanted to make sure.”

Logan nodded to the chain station and raised his eyebrows.

“I asked her if she wanted to try some of the equipment while she's here.” Simon grinned. “You'll forgive me if I thoroughly enjoyed her reaction to being restrained in public for the first time.”

The last of the rage ebbed out of Logan's veins. He drew in a controlling breath, then turned so he could see his sub and Simon at the same time. “For her sake, I'm glad she found you.” He frowned at Simon, who looked like a fucking GQ model, dammit. “For my sake, I'd rather she'd chosen some pimple-ridden wimp rather than the most popular Dom in Dark Haven.”

Simon grinned. “I still struck out. I'll bow out at this point before you break your hand on my face.”

“I appreciate it.” Logan began to relax and enjoy the sight of his little rebel. Her red hair frothed over pale, freckled shoulders. Her breasts almost spilled out of the tight corset, just begging to be touched. A short, full latex skirt bared her legs. Damn, she was gorgeous, and he'd turned harder than a rock seeing her in chains.

When his gaze returned to her face, he frowned. Her eyes were still focused on him, but the stunned joy had changed into uncertainty, even sadness. And grief? What the hell was going through her head?

Logan glanced around. Simon had taken a chair nearby, obviously planning to watch for a while. “Simon, what did you say to her just before she saw me? It elicited a nicely terrified reaction.”

Simon let out a laugh. “She said being in front of a crowd didn't bother her that much. I asked her if she'd feel the same if I stripped her.”

“Well, then, strip her I will.” After he figured out why she was looking at him with those unhappy eyes.

“I'd better go talk with her watchdog and keep you from being ripped apart.” He nodded toward a tall Domme, one of the club regulars, who watched them intently. “Your sub is a careful woman.”

Logan tilted his head, received the same back from the Domme. “Thanks, Simon.” He stood for a minute or two, just watching Rebecca. He wanted to hold her so badly that he had to force himself to walk slowly as he approached.

Her eyes fixed on him. “Logan?” she whispered, straining at the buckles around her wrist. “What are you doing here?”

“Seeing you, little rebel. And what are you doing here?”

To his surprise, her gaze turned down, her lips drooping. “I'm sorry. I didn't know you liked to come here. I'll leave.”

Leave? She would leave because of him? Anger stirred inside him. This didn't sound like someone head over heels about him. But he'd seen the pleasure in her eyes upon seeing him, before her head had kicked in. So her brain told her…what? “Why would you leave now, Becca? I came here to find you.”

Her head jerked up, again that joy, and then it faded again. “Sure you did. Just let me down, Logan.”

“You don't think I might have changed my mind and come after you?”

“Right. Every guy wants a plump body in his bed.” Her lips tightened. “Stop messing with my mind and unbuckle me.”

Someone had done some messing with her mind, but it hadn't been him. Guilt washed through him then, as he