sharp smack of leather on skin yanked her attention back to the front. The man held a riding crop in one hand and a telltale red mark darkened the woman’s left thigh. “No squirming. You take what I give you without complaint.”
“Yes, sir.”
He dragged the crop along her back, slowly tracing each notch of her spine, the small of her back, the crack of her ass. The woman’s back rose and fell with her quickening breaths, and Brynn felt her own breathing pick up tempo. The whole room had gone quiet, the man’s practiced patience drawing them all in. He moved the crop between the woman’s spread legs, caressing her with the flat of the leather. Gentle. Sensual. Brynn could almost feel the smooth material gliding along her own clit, imagining Reid as the one wielding the crop.
But before she could get carried away with her own images, the man gave a quick flick of the wrist and snapped the leather against the woman’s sex, startling Brynn. The woman gave a sharp cry and her fists flexed in her bindings, but her body stayed stock-still.
“Very good, pet,” the man said, running his hand along the sensitized skin and earning another, softer whimper from her. He moved to a table lined with what looked like half of Jace’s stock from Wicked and selected an impressively sized dildo. “I think you’ve earned a reward.”
He stalked back toward his sub and, not bothering to give her any additional warning, he placed the blunt head of the dildo against her and pushed. Brynn winced, but the ease with which it slid in told her the woman was more than turned on by his treatment. With a slow smile, the gangly dom pulled a small remote out of his pocket and hit a button that sent a buzzing sound through the rapt room.
The woman reared up and let out a desperate moan. Vibrator.
“I said no moving. And don’t you dare come.” The man lifted his riding crop again and rained blows across her ass, thighs, and back—the smack of the leather filling the room and making Brynn’s head spin. The woman’s muscles tensed beneath the rapid assault, her pale skin quickly turning pink then red, and her cries becoming mewls of pleasure.
Brynn squeezed her eyes shut, her mind rocketing back to her and Reid’s night at Jace’s house—how Reid’s hands had reddened her bottom, the mind-numbing pleasure he’d coaxed out of her. What would it be like to have him handle her like that again? Despite the fear that still shrouded her, a kernel of heat spread between her tightly closed legs.
She bit the inside of her cheek. No. She was not that girl anymore. She wanted to get past the fear, but this was not a lifestyle she wanted for herself. This was only the tool to get her where she needed to be—to get her to the place where she could have a normal life again.
“Who is your master, pet?” the gangly man demanded.
Brynn forced her eyes open, determined to tamp down the dangerous memories.
The girl’s back glistened with sweat and blotches of red. Her voice, as tiny as her frame, quivered when she spoke. “You are, Master K.”
The man twirled the crop between his fingers. “Are you sure? You don’t sound too confident about that answer, pet. Do I need to remind you a little more?”
Her words came out in breathy pants, clearly fighting the orgasm the vibrator was coaxing out of her. “No, sir. Please. I’m yours.”
The man smoothed a hand over her ass, his erection straining against his leather pants, and then slid his fingers to her clit. A visible shudder ratcheted through the woman’s body and her groan turned guttural. But just as quickly as he’d touched her, the man withdrew his hand and grabbed his remote. The humming stopped. “Not yet, pet. You haven’t quite earned that. But I will accept your offer of submission.”
“Thank you, Master K. Thank you,” the woman said, her whole body sagging against her restraints.
Reid’s hand touched Brynn’s shoulder and she jumped. “You’re all flushed, sugar. Saw something you liked?”
She shook her head vehemently. “No, sir.”
His tone dipped. “So if I slipped my hand between those gorgeous legs of yours, you wouldn’t be all creamy for me?”
She pressed her lips into a line. He wouldn’t call her bluff like that, would he?
“Ah, silence is very telling, Brynn. Guess the girl I used to know is still in there somewhere, huh?” The smile had returned to his voice.
If she were a cartoon character, smoke would have shot out of her ears, but she held her tongue. She refused to give him any additional fodder to make her punishment in front of the crowd worse. Reid had always enjoyed the power position a little too much and apparently he hadn’t lost that proclivity.
The gangly dom released his woman from her bindings and slipped a silky robe around her shoulders. She leaned into him, and a trembling smile crossed her makeup-streaked face as he led her past the crowd and out a door at the back of the room. The second they disappeared from view, the crush of anxiety squeezed Brynn’s chest. She was next.
A man in a crisp white shirt, dark jeans, and cowboy boots rose from one of the tables and headed to the front of the room. All eyes followed him, and Reid shifted restlessly behind her. The man’s casual dress and mussed dark hair did nothing to diminish the air of importance and power that rolled off him. Brynn had the urge to sit up straighter. He graced the audience with a smile that probably melted the panties off most of the women in room.
Reid leaned forward and whispered against her ear, “That’s Grant. The owner.”
Oh.
Grant glanced in her direction and gave her an encouraging smile. “Ladies and gentleman, our next initiation will be given by a new member. Please welcome Master Reid to our ranks.”
Reid rose and clasped Brynn’s elbow. “Up.”
A quiet smattering of applause followed them as she and Reid made their way to the front. Brynn’s arms ached and her legs had trouble remembering how to work. She stumbled slightly before reaching their destination, and Reid drew her closer to his side. Grant shook Reid’s free hand.
“Welcome to The Ranch, we’re glad to have ya,” he said, the now familiar deep West Texas drawl coloring his words.
Reid nodded. “Pleased to join.”
“You have a lovely sub there. What do you think she needs for an initiation?”
Brynn kept her eyes on the polished wood floors and began counting. If she looked up or thought about what was about to happen, she’d tip over the edge. Already, her heart was pounding hard enough to splinter a rib. Please let Reid pick something simple. A blow job. A quick, unrestrained spanking. She could maybe handle something basic. But blindfolds and handcuffs or helplessness would guarantee flashbacks and panic. She inhaled deeply through her nose and blew the breath out her mouth. In. Out. In. Out.
She didn’t want to have to use the safe word, knew from Grant’s concerned words earlier that if she broke down, he’d probably send her home—for her own mental health.
Reid ran a knuckle along her cheek. “Well, I think my sub is feeling feisty. She’s talked back to me multiple times since I chose her, so a punishment is in order.”
Brynn dared a glance
