A slow song played as twilight fell, and I rocked in Garrett’s arms.

“Was it everything you wanted?” He pressed my palm to his chest.

“More.” I smiled and rose on my tip toes to kiss him. His hands roved to my ass, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. No matter how many times he kissed me, it always felt new, exotic, delicious. This time was no different.

A slight murmur rose nearby as more dancers joined us on the floor.

“You may give Mayor Mitchell a heart attack.” Bonnie danced by in Ty’s arms.

I pulled away from Garrett, though his grip remained on my ass, his fingers pressing into the lace of my wedding gown.

“When can we be done with this, Mrs. Blackwood?” He smirked then glanced around the tent at the party-goers.

“We already cut the cake and had our dance.” I shrugged. “So we can go whenev—”

He scooped me into his arms, a surprised squeak eking from my throat as I held on. “I’m ready now.”

Bonnie shot a disapproving glance as he carried me out of the tent and into the blustery fall air. Fairy lights twinkled along the walk to the back yard, and some were wrapped around the scaffolds along the side of the house where workmen had been scraping, replacing, and painting for over a month.

Garrett strode steadily toward the house, giving nods and “thank yous” to a few of the guests who lingered outside. A chill wind blew past, cooling the exposed skin along my sweetheart neckline and the plunging back of my gown.

“We should probably have stayed a little longer.”

All I got in response was a grunt.

He climbed the steps onto the porch and nudged the front door open with his foot. The house was quiet, only the music from the reception floating through the air. When he closed the door, he reached back and flipped the lock.

“What if people want to come in?”

“They can fuck right off.” He set me on my feet. His eyes glinted in the low light. “You look good enough to eat.”

A thrill coursed through my veins. “I don’t think this gown would hold up out in the woods.” I stepped back and traced the neckline with my fingertips as he followed the movement with a hungry gaze. “Not to mention the guests might get worried if they see me running through the trees with a monster at my heels.”

“A monster?” He grinned, feral despite his elegant tux. “Is that what I am?”

My pulse quickened as he reached for my throat, his warm palm igniting my primal need to escape.

Leaning closer, his lips only a whisper from mine, he said, “Run.”

My eyes widened.

“I’ll give you a ten second head start. You can run and hide, little bride. But I’ll find you. And when I do—” His grip tightened as his gaze flicked down my body. “Let’s just say that I hope you weren’t intending to save that dress.”

“You wouldn’t.” I grabbed his wrist.

He ran his palm down my chest to the swells of my breasts. “I will.”

I tilted my chin up in defiance. “If you think I’m going to let you—”

“One.”

“Garrett, you can’t—”

He smirked. “Two.”

Oh, shit. I backed away and glanced around. Rushing out the back door was a possibility, but ill-advised given the number of people on the back lawn. Though I would have liked to think Garrett wouldn’t chase me down in front of dozens of wedding guests, I knew better.

Turning toward the staircase, I grabbed my flowing skirts and darted away.

“Three.”

Up the staircase as fast as possible in my heels and dress, I hurried down the hallway as Garrett called out number seven. I noisily ran to the empty bedroom at the end of the hall, then pulled off my shoes and crept back to our bedroom, slipping behind the door right as he called ten.

His heavy steps on the staircase pushed my heart to beat faster, even though I was doing my best to hold my breath.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are.” His sly voice rolled over me as a board squeaked in the hall.

I pressed my palm to my chest and peeked through the hinges. He passed by, his shadow darkening my doorway for a moment before he continued along to the last bedroom. I waited a few more moments until I was sure he was searching the bedroom, then I snuck out from behind the door, intent on heading back down the stairs.

A gasp rose from my throat when I found him leaning against the wall next to the door, a smirk on his face.

“Gotcha.” He dashed forward and captured me in his arms before I could even take a step in the other direction.

“Asshole!”

“You’re just mad you got caught so easily.” He lifted me and carried me into his room, then slammed the door behind us.

“I’ve gotten pretty good at evading in the woods.” In fact, the last time we played our game, I let him catch me.

He laughed and nipped at my neck before dropping me on his bed. “I know you think you’ve been going easy on me.”

“I have.”

He shook his head and yanked his tie loose. “Not a chance.” Whipping off his jacket and then his shirt, he kept his eyes on me the whole time.

“I let you catch me last time.” My eyes widened as he roped the tie around his hand.

“Bullshit. I let you tire yourself out. Then, when I knew your pussy was wet and aching, I stopped playing and went in for the kill.” He leaned down, his lips at my ear. “Just like you’re wet and aching for my cock right now, Mrs. Blackwood.”

I wanted to tell him to get fucked, but the damp satin between my thighs would tell him the truth. His rough talk turned me on, just like his rough hands on me. I needed more. The quickest way to get it was to put up a fight. I turned my head to the side and bit down on his arm.

He groaned and grabbed the front of my dress, his fingers digging into skin.

I bit down harder. He yanked, my beautiful dress straining along the seams at my sides.

“Don’t you dare!” I reached up to try and shove him away, but his grip on my hair kept me in place.

With another hard yank, the seams popped, the fabric falling away as he ripped the bodice apart. My strapless bra went next, his hand destroying it with vicious pull.

“Garrett!” I dug my nails into his abs.

He laughed and shoved me down, covering me with his body. Wrangling my hands together, he pinned them over my head and used his other hand to search beneath what was left of my skirt.

“I’m going to beat you with a shovel!” I arched up and tried to yank my hands free.

He fastened his teeth to my shoulder, biting down as his fingers found my wet panties. He made an mmm sound against my skin and slid the fabric to the side, pressing two fingers inside me with a harsh shove.

My slick walls welcomed him, anger and desire warring inside me as I struggled beneath his grip. The pain in my shoulder subsided as he eased up and licked his teeth marks.

“Fuck, I love it when you fight.” He twisted his fingers and found my spot.

My hips bucked as he stroked me from the inside. Kissing down my chest, he captured a nipple between his teeth, then sucked it into his mouth. Fireworks of heat prickled along my skin as he sucked and taunted me, his tongue lashing the tip and his teeth grazing it. When he switched to the other nipple, I melted beneath him, the fight leaving me as I spread my legs, needing more of his particular brand of pleasure.

“You want me inside you?”

“Yes.” I arched, pressing breasts against his face, his beard tickling my skin.

He released me and stood, then shucked off his black pants. His cock sprang free, the thick length of him hard and smooth. I scooted up the bed, what was left of my dress falling into a heap on the floor.

“Off.” He pointed at my panties.

I slid them down my legs and tossed them aside.

“Spread for me. Show me your sweet pink pussy and that perfect asshole.” He strode to the wall and ran his fingers along a row of floggers.

A shudder went through me as the music outside picked up, the dancing moving into full swing at the reception. If he chose the one on the end, it didn’t matter how loud the music was, they’d hear my cries and probably wonder if the woods were haunted like all the rumors claimed. Surely he wouldn’t choose that one on our wedding night. Surely.

His fingers dallied on the black leather flogger, the thin bits of leather deceivingly soft while at rest. I mentally willed him to move down the line to the light brown one, but he didn’t seem inclined to get the message.

“No.” The word bled from my lips, and I knew I’d made a mistake.

He gripped the black flogger at the end of the row and pulled it from the wall. “Tell me no again.”

“Garrett—”

“Tell me no.” He ran the flogger through his fingertips as he stared at my pussy.

Had I just intentionally sabotaged myself because I subconsciously wanted the—OW! I yanked my knees closed after he’d flicked the flogger across my sensitive flesh.

“Don’t do that.” His eyes darkened. “Open your legs.”

I shook my head, taunting the beast. He would punish me. The fire raging between my thighs ratcheted up a notch at the thought.

He stayed deceptively calm, the flogger in his right hand, as he climbed onto the bed.

Resting one hand on my knee, he dropped the flogger to the bed and opened my legs. Bending over, he gave me a long lick, then rubbed the tip of his tongue back and forth across my clit.

I gulped down air and gripped the sheets as he worked me, each stroke like one from a master painter.

He slowed, then stopped, his eyes dark and hungry. “Now, you either get on all fours and take your punishment like a good girl, or I flog your pussy. Up to you.”

The haze of lust began to clear at his words, and I bit my lip at the Hobson’s choice he’d presented me with. After a tense moment, I turned over and got on all fours as instructed.

“Good girl.” He rubbed my ass with one hand as I glared at him over my shoulder.

“Keep looking at me like that.” His hand whipped back and flashed forward.

I howled as white-hot pain raked across my skin.

Another strike, another cry. Then several more in rapid succession until my legs were trembling and tears welled in my eyes.

He dropped the flogger next to me and pressed his knees between mine. With a hard thrust, he entered me, his deep grunt striking a chord inside me. Resting a palm on each stinging ass cheek, he began a hard rhythm, each surge forward punishing me with the kind of pleasure only Garrett could provide.

The pain subsided and melted into the rush of sensations that overwhelmed me. Every touch of his fingers was amplified. The feel of his cock stretching me, the slap of his balls against my clit as he pressed my chest toward the bed and hiked my ass even farther into the air.

“That’s it.” He gripped around my hips and yanked me against him.

I moaned into the sheets, taking every bit of what he offered and knowing, deep down, that I always would. This man—just as wild as the day I’d met him—had given me so much. He’d thought he was twisted and broken beyond repair. But he’d been wrong. He’d brought me to life.

“I love you, Red.” He pulled out and rolled me onto my back, sheathing himself between my thighs with a sure stroke as he stared down at me.

“I love you, too.” The truth was always easy with him.

He claimed my mouth in a scorching kiss, his tongue working at the same pace as his cock. Palming my throat, he slid his other hand between us and teased my clit with his thumb.

I jerked at his touch and raked my nails down his biceps. He answered with a squeeze at the sides of my neck, his large hand capable of cutting off every bit of air flow.

“Trust me.” It wasn’t a question, and he already knew the answer.

“With my life.”

He thrust deep and hard, his eyes burning into mine as his grip grew ever-tighter on my throat. I gasped in a last breath. My hips rocked against his, his thumb strumming my clit as he slammed into me. Air leaked from my lungs, but I couldn’t take another breath. I chased my orgasm, rubbing against him and keeping my legs wide.

My vision began to dim at the edges, dark spots invading.

“Not yet.” His voice was harsh, strained through gritted teeth as his movements became wilder.

I couldn’t respond, only claw at his back as he mastered every last bit of me. The darkness spread until the only remaining spark was the one between my thighs, the tightness there, the need.

He grunted, low and deep, then let go of my throat. As my vision bounced back in perfect color, his deep blue eyes searing a path to my soul, I came on a strangled cry.

My body burst into a million flashes of light, the orgasm reaching to my deepest places and shaking every last bit of stardust from my bones. Garrett’s eyebrows drew together, his face frozen in that exquisite mix of agony and bliss. He surged inside me as he groaned, his cock kicking with each spurt as I writhed beneath him. I sank my nails into his back, pulling him close as he wrung every last bit of pleasure from my body.

When we were both spent, he collapsed on top of me and littered my shoulder with errant kisses. His heart beat strong against my breast, both of us covered in sweat. I let my arms fall out to my sides as he wrapped his around my rib cage.

Nuzzling against my ear, he whispered, “I’m sure they didn’t hear a thing.”

I snort laughed. “They probably heard that across the county.”

“That’s a bad thing?” He met my eyes and raised a brow.

I kissed his nose. “Not to me.”

“It’s your fault, really.”

I gaped at him. “What?”

“If you’d been a good girl and just let me have my way with you—”

“You would have hated it.”

He smirked and ran his teeth along my collar bone. “Okay, you got me there. I like it when you’re bad. More spankings, more floggings, more rough fucks.”

“Oh my.” I batted my lashes and adopted my best old-south accent. “I do declare, Mr. Blackwood. All of this is rather inappropriate for a husband and wife such as ourselves.”

“You didn’t say that when I was eating your pussy.” He pulsed inside me, his cock half hard.

“Well, obviously, we’ll make an exception for that.” I ran my hands through his lanky hair and pulled his mouth to mine. “We may need to make an exception for something else, too.”

“Yeah?” He nibbled my bottom lip. “I’ll play along and pretend you get a say in the fucked up shit I’m going to do to you for the rest of our lives.”

“Thank you, Mr. Blackwood.” I licked across his lips.

“You’re welcome, Mrs. Blackwood.” He smiled, the warmth he kept hidden spilling out like honey. “Now what’s the other exception? Better be rigging. Tying you up is at the top of my fun list.”

“No, actually, it’s not.” My heart swelled and tried to cut off my voice, but I pushed through it. “The other exception is that we can still do Daddy play.”

He arched an eyebrow. “We don’t do Daddy play at all. You said you weren’t that into it when we…” His voice died in his throat as he stared at me, his eyes going wide.

I nodded. “Daddy play.”

“Holy shit.” He pulled out and rolled to my side even as I tried to keep him on me. “You mean?” He ran his hand along my stomach.

I nodded. “I’m pregnant. About two months. Though I’ve only known for a week or so.”

Tears glistened in his eyes as he pulled me into his arms. “I’m going to be a father?”

“No.”

He pulled back and gawked at me. “What?”

I laughed and tugged on his beard. “You’re going to be a great father.”