Autumn parked next to Shawn’s truck and got out of her vehicle. The first thing she noticed was that there weren’t that many electrical wires overhead. That meant they probably used generators for their power. This place was more than off the beaten path; it was off the grid.

The buildings were made of logs and glass, which gave the place a very rustic, yet sleek look. She glanced up at the top floor. The floor to ceiling windows showcased a dining room, or at least that’s what she thought it was. Scantily clad women were setting tables.

“What goes on downstairs?” she asked.

“Business,” Shawn answered. “My partners are there, waiting for us. I called while we were driving. Let’s go inside and speak with them. If you want to stay, we’ll find you a free cabin. If not, I’ll escort you back to town.”

All of a sudden, going into the house where she would be outnumbered didn’t seem like a great idea. If something went wrong here there was no one she could contact.

“You look like I’m pointing a gun at you,” Shawn said. “If you want me to guide you back to Hollis Creek I can do that.”

Autumn wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted. “I just didn’t expect to be here today.”

“You’re feeling nervous,” he said. “Lots of first-timers experience that.”

He was smiling at her, in a very cocky way that made her shake her head and smile.

“Tonight, is steak night,” he said. “Our chef is incredible. He makes the best food this side of the Rockies. For dessert he makes cheesecake, plain, old fashioned cheesecake that is delicious.”

Autumn’s mouth watered. “It does sound good.”

“Then let’s go inside and speak with Ethan and Randy. They are my partners, and I can’t dig for treasure without them.”

He indicated she should walk in front of him, but Autumn stayed in place.

“Something else bothering you?” he asked. “We’re not going to tie you to the dining room chair—unless the idea intrigues you. If it does, it can be arranged.”

Damn, he was too sexy for words. The grin on his face made her nipples hard. She needed to divert the talk away from being tied to a chair.

“Will there be mushrooms with the steak?”

No, no, no! The grin widened, as if he knew what she was doing, and her nipples grew tight.

“I’m sure that can be arranged.” He pointed toward the house.

“Garlic butter sauce?”

He took a step toward her. “That’s one of my favorites, too.” He licked his lips. “It would mix wonderfully with the salty taste of skin. Of course, we’d have to make sure it was not very hot.” His gaze dropped to her chest. “That would hurt those delicious marbles under your shirt.”

“Marbles?” she said with a laugh. “They’re not—oh, never mind.”

She sidestepped him and started toward the house, or was it a lodge? It looked like a lodge. And right now, a man that could make a stone statue wet stepped out of the front door.

“Hey, I’m Ethan, and you are?”

“She’s with me,” Shawn said.

“I didn’t know we were expecting a new guest today,” Ethan said. “Forgive me for not being ready. I don’t recall looking over your application.”

“That’s because she didn’t fill one out.” Shawn was on his way up the stairs. “She’s here to offer us money, and not by renting a cabin.”

“All right,” Ethan said. “I love money. But if you’re not renting a cabin, how are you offering us money?”

“We’ll explain it over dinner.” Shawn stopped at the top of the stairs. “I think Scarlet is empty, right?”

“Yeah, it is,” Ethan said.

“Have one of the maids dust and get it ready for Autumn—Autumn Pumpkin.”

The way he said it made it sound like Bond, James Bond, and Autumn rolled her eyes at Ethan.

Before she could respond, Shawn said. “Don’t ask her if her name is really Pumpkin. I’ve already carded her, and it really is.”

“Wow,” Ethan said. “Well, in that case let me show you to your cabin and I’ll tell Jake there will be one more for dinner. So, how do you like your steak cooked, Ms. Pumpkin? I’m looking forward to hearing about why you’re here.” Ethan wiggled his eyebrows and Autumn wondered if she would make it through dinner without having an orgasm. If the third partner, Randy was as, well randy, as Shawn and Ethan. If the three of them threw innuendos at her all night long she wouldn’t make it to dessert.

That could be a bad thing, because she wasn’t into the type of sex these men enjoyed. She needed to keep her cool. She climbed the steps quickly and went inside without being asked. She was right about the place being sleek. There was a large fireplace on one side, and the furniture in the cavernous room was leather and wood.

There was no sign of any sort of BDSM equipment, but Autumn wasn’t sure what she expected, chains hanging on the walls or a torture wheel near the desk?

“Scarlet is one of the closest cabins to the main building,” Ethan said. His phone rang, and he pulled it from his jeans pocket. His eyebrows crinkled as he examined the screen. “I’m afraid Shawn is going to have to show you to your cabin. Something has come up. Dinner is at seven. Please be punctual.”

That was the first thing they’d said that could be considered trying to dominate her, telling her she had to be on time. She considered making sure she showed up five minutes late, but that might not be the best way to start off a business deal.

“Where’s Randy?” Shawn asked.

“He’s in Vegas,” Ethan replied. He held up his phone. “He didn’t say why, just that he wouldn’t be back for a few days.”

“Interesting,” Shawn said. “Could it be something to do with the rabbit hole?”

Autumn wasn’t sure what that meant, but she was sure she shouldn’t ask. It sounded incredibly personal. Neither of them responded, and Autumn coughed into her hand.

“Come on, Autumn, I’ll show you to your cabin,” Shawn said. “Give Ethan your keys and he’ll have a sub bring in your luggage.”

“A sub?” She knew she didn’t like the sound of that. “It’s not really luggage, just one duffle bag. I can bring it in.”

“It’s the way we do things,” Ethan said. “We’d rather not rock the boat.”

Autumn took her keys from her jeans pocket and tossed them to Ethan, who caught them easily.

Ethan headed for the stairs, and Shawn pointed her to the back door. “This way.”

They exited onto a deck with lots of outdoor furniture. All of the tables had umbrellas, and Autumn thought about sitting in this wonderful place, drinking iced tea and reading a book.

“This is very green for being a desert area,” she said.

“Were semi-arid. Fake grass is great for this area,” Shawn said. He stared down the stairs. There were several golf carts parked near the deck. “It’s not far to Scarlet, we can walk.”

“Do all the cabins have names?” she asked as she fell into step beside him.

“Yes, they do,” he said. “Scarlet, Daisy, Pearl, Brett, Abigail, you get the picture.”

“Um, not really,” she said. But then she snapped her fingers. “Wait, they are fictional characters that were not so nice.”

“Characters that needed a good spanking,” he said.

“Your cabin is Scarlett, the world’s most famous Southern Belle.”

She waited for him to finish the sentence. But when he didn’t she did it for him. “She could have used a good spanking, to correct her attitude.”

“Yes, that cabin is used for ladies who like to be taken over someone’s knee,” Shawn said.

“Their desire to be spanked would come out on the form they have to fill out,” she said.

“Exactly,” he said. “People discover themselves here. Some enjoy it, some don’t and find out it’s not exactly what they thought it would be and want to leave before their booked time is over. If that happens we offer them a full refund.”

That was a good idea, Autumn thought. She hadn’t noticed that part during her surfing.

“I noticed on your website that you’re busy here,” she said.

“We stay booked,” he said. They’d only walked about ten minutes when he turned down a path. The cabin was larger than what she’d expected, but then she remembered that each cabin had multiple bedrooms and baths, a private hot tub and, what most people probably found most intriguing, a fully-stocked dungeon.

The door was open, and when they went inside, Autumn saw a woman dressed in a French maid’s uniform that barely covered her breasts and tush. She was running a vacuum cleaner.

When they came inside she turned it off and curtsied. “I’m sorry, Master Shawn, I didn’t expect you so quickly.”

“It’s all right, Rosa,” he said. “This is a rush job, and you’re doing well.”

Up close, Autumn could see the woman was in her thirties, and when they looked at each other, Rosa smiled and said hello.

“Hi,” Autumn said.

“X is on her way with the bags,” Rosa said. “Shall I change the sheets in the master bedroom? I can clean the dungeon, too.”

Autumn coughed.

“That won’t be necessary,” Autumn said. She didn’t find it necessary to explain herself further.

“Okay,” Rosa said. “I’ll unpack your bag when it arrives and—”

“That won’t be necessary either,” Autumn said. “I can take care of it myself.”

“As you wish,” Rosa said. “Then I’ll finish dusting, and I’ll be out of your way in two shakes.”

She dropped another curtsey and went back to work, and Shawn stepped closer to Autumn. “Want a tour?”

“Sure.” Actually, she wasn’t so sure, but it was best to just keep things on an even keel. If she let him know she was a little disturbed at the idea of seeing a dungeon she was afraid he would use it against her. Or maybe not, she wasn’t sure. Shawn and Ethan both seemed to be on the up and up, and she didn’t think they would tie her up and do things to her against her will.

But just in case she hoped there was a dead bolt on the front door that couldn’t be opened from the outside.

“There is a fully stocked kitchen, if you don’t want to eat in the lodge, three bedrooms and two baths.” He was pointing at rooms as he talked. “The dungeon is the second room on the right. There is a hot tub in the master bathroom, along with a soaker tub if that’s what you want.”

A woman clad in the same French maid’s uniform as Rosa came in carrying Autumn’s bag. She nodded at Shawn and then took the bag into the main bedroom.

“Can we do anything else for you, or do you want to be alone for a while?”

“I’m going to take a bath,” she said. Autumn would like to lay her papers out and look them over. The letter she’d shown Shawn was in her purse, but the rest of the things were in her car, hidden in the spare tire well. It had all the newspaper clippings, the police report, the print outs about the coordinates.

“Sounds good,” Shawn said. “While you’re soaking, you might want to get things straight on your research. We’ll expect the whole truth tonight, not just a letter.”

Autumn just stared at him. “If you want fifty thousand dollars from me, you need to be totally honest,” he said.

“If you don’t trust me, why did you invite me here?”

“You’re pretty,” he said with a shrug. “And I’m a Dom. If I have you here, there’s more chance of the two of us playing, if you know what I mean.”

“At least you’re honest,” she said.

“I hope I can say the same about you when it’s all over,” he said. “I’ll see you at seven. Or, if you prefer, there is a cocktail party at six. It’s in the lodge.”

He left before she could ask him more questions, like where his cabin was, and what she was supposed to wear for dinner. She hadn’t brought anything with her except a pair of jeans and a few shirts, just in case she found something she needed to hunt in this area that she could take back to the antique store.

When all three of them were gone she took out her cell phone and called Trey. She considered it lucky that it went to voice mail. She told him she’d seen an ad for storage units in the Vegas area similar to the one she was going to, and she planned on staying a few days and checking those out, too. There was a little part of her that hated lying to him about where she was, but it wasn’t the first lie she’d told him. A lie of omission was the same thing as a lie, wasn’t it? She hadn’t told him about the letter, or the research she’d been doing.

Why was she feeling guilty about not sharing this information with Trey? More to the point, why was she considering taking it from Shawn and Ethan, and their partner Randy, who was not here at the moment?

She should have done a little more research about what happened if they actually found the money. Did they have a responsibility to tell the authorities if they found it? Probably, but she wanted the money, even if she had to share it.

She would love to be able to pay off debts, and have a little bit of cushion. But there would be the little matter of explaining where that amount came from, and the attention wouldn’t be good.

“Stop thinking,” she said. She went into the bathroom, searched the shelves and found a bottle of lavender bath salts. She filled the tub and added the salts, and after she was naked she lowered herself into the soothing, fragrant waters.

A little cubby in the marble had all sorts of items, including a few vibrators that were sealed in packages, various lotions, a set of anal balls and, already blown up and ready, the only vanilla item besides the bath products—a bath pillow. Autumn attached it to the marble and settled into it, closing her eyes and relaxing. If she wasn’t careful, she might fall asleep and that wasn’t a good idea.

“You should have turned on the jets.”

Autumn gasped in shock. She threw her arms across her breasts, and at the last moment, she thrust one hand between her legs.

“What do you think you’re doing here?” All of a sudden, she felt as if she were in a pot of boiling water. Now she knew how a lobster might feel being stuck in a vat of hot water.

“The chef asked me to come and see if you were allergic to anything.”

“Bull hockey,” she said. “You could have called the room.”

“And missed seeing you in the bath?” He left, and she sighed in relief. But moments later he was back. He put a chair in the middle of the large room and sat down.

“Get out,” she said.

“You didn’t answer my question,” he said. He stretched his legs out and crossed his arms over his chest. Autumn turned her back, using the high walls of the tub as a shield so he wouldn’t see her naked.

“Do you do this to all your customers?”

“Depends on to whom the customer has been assigned, I mean as a Dom.” He crossed his feet at the ankles. “If she was my sub for her stay, I might come in while she was in the tub, to catch her off guard.”

“You did that,” she said. “Would you please leave?” She wished she’d chosen bath bubbles instead of salts. She wouldn’t feel so naked.

“You didn’t answer my question,” he repeated. “Are you allergic?”

“No,” she said. “I can eat anything. Now, please leave.”

“Tell me about your love life,” he said.

“What is this, an interview?”

There was that look again, the one that made her nipples hard. “I got to thinking that it really wasn’t fair of me to throw you to the wolves if you decide to come to the cocktail party.”

“Then I won’t go,” she said. “That solves the problem. See you at dinner. I’ll be on time.”

“We are full this week, and the people attending are big into the lifestyle,” he said.

She wondered what she had to say to get him to leave. But she had to admit she was curious about what would happen at the party that he had to come here and warn her about. She decided to ignore her nakedness and ask a few questions.

“What is happening that might upset me?” She put her hand on the edge of the tub and placed her chin on it.

“Tell me, Autumn, have you ever done anything kinky?”

“That’s none of your business,” she said. “I’m not here to play with whips and chains. I’m here to discuss a treasure hunt. Although I have to admit you’ve roused my curiosity.”

“Whips and chains? Well, that’s a pretty good clue.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Did you like it?”

“I’m not saying I played with whips and chains,” she said. She cringed when she realized how loudly she’d spoken.

“Me thinks she dost protest too much,” Shawn said. “This is a judgment free zone. If you enjoy being tied up and spanked, you’re in the right place.”

“I don’t believe this,” Autumn said.

Shawn chuckled. “You didn’t spend much time on the website, did you? You would realize you can believe it when I’m talking about being in the right place.”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” Autumn said. “I’m here about the money, and that is all. I didn’t book a room here. You brought me here.”

“You’re right, I did, and I think you should come to the cocktail party,” he said. “What size are you?”

“Why, do you only accept size two blonds?”

He sat up straighter and put his elbows on his knees. “We’re equal opportunity Doms. I would say you’re probably a size fourteen, thirty-eight D?”

“If you think I’m going to confirm your guesses think again,” she said.

“I’m going to have X bring you a dress for the party,” he said. “Size fourteen?”

“Depends on the dress,” she said. “Tell me, why do you call this woman X? Does she not have a real name? Or is it Xena, and you just want to shorten it?”

The water was growing colder. Autumn wanted to get out and wrap herself in a towel. But she supposed they did need to talk about a dress. She didn’t exactly have any good clothing to wear to a cocktail party.

“A size fourteen should work,” she said. “Now, will you please leave so I can get out?”

“We have a few unattached visitors tonight.”

That caught her attention. “What do you mean by that?”

Shawn stretched back out, but this time he locked his fingers behind his head. “I told you that we cater to couples, and to Doms and subs that are looking for a little unattached fun.”

“Okay,” she said.

“It was actually Ethan that mentioned the two Doms we have visiting might see you as open.”

She jerked upright, her breasts bobbing above the water.

“Open to what?”

“Open to play,” Shawn said, in a voice that said, duh, you should have figured that out on your own.

And she should have. She was at a place where they had sex and practiced domination and submission. This was something she’d never even thought about. Of course, she’d read the books, but those were fiction. This was reality. This was a cocktail party with real Doms and real subs.

“Maybe I should just go to dinner,” she said. “Or maybe I should stay here, eat in my room, and we can discuss the hunt later.”

“You afraid of what you might see? Or that you might be intrigued by what you see?”

Yeah, she was.

“I’m afraid the unattached Doms might not be as nice as you are,” she said.

“Everyone has been vetted,” Shawn said. He took his phone out of his pocket and his fingers moved across the surface.

“Who are you texting?” she asked.

“X,” he replied. “I’m telling her to bring several selections of size fourteens to your cabin.”

Oh, that was interesting. “Are you telling me you have a selection of clothing, in different sizes, waiting for people to use?”

“You’re surprised by that?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Why?”

He winked at her, and it suddenly occurred to Autumn that she was sitting in the tub, naked, and her breasts were above the water for him to see. She sunk back down.

“Have you ever heard of role playing?” he asked.

“Of course,” she said.

“We have a closet full of costumes, which includes regular every day clothes if that is what people want.”

She’d never thought about that. She was nervous about being at the party, and she once again thought about saying no. But she was also intrigued.

“Okay, I’ll pick out a dress and be at the lodge at six.” She thought about the women she’d seen setting the tables when they’d arrived.

“There is one other thing we need to discuss,” he said.

“And what’s that?” she asked.

“A collar.”

At first, she hadn’t thought she’d heard right. She shook her head. “Excuse me?”

“A collar,” he said. “For you to wear.”

This time she didn’t just sit up, she stood up, the water dripping down her naked body. “Not no, but hell no. I’ve changed my mind. I’ll stay here.”

He cleared his throat. Then he retrieved a towel from the cabinet and brought it to her. She wrapped it around herself and got out of the tub.

“I’m afraid this part is not negotiable,” he said. “If one of our Doms sees you without a collar, he’ll think you’re fair game.”

“Then tell him no,” she said.

“Tell him what, you’re here to hunt up a treasure that could be worth a lot of money? If someone were to figure that out, what’s to keep them from trying to find the treasure and take the money? You’d be out in the cold, so to speak.”

She hadn’t thought of that. “Can you have a tray delivered to my room?”

“I can, but if you are wandering around and someone sees you, they might be attracted to you. You are a very pretty woman.”

“Thank you,” she said after a moment’s pause.

“Listen, the subs I play with wear a choker collar made of rhinestones.” He winked at her again. “If you wear it, you’ll feel like you’re wearing jewelry to match your dress, and they will leave you alone.”

“I feel like you’re trying to control me,” she whispered.

“I’m trying to keep you from having to answer awkward questions,” he said. “If they think you’re with me, you’re gold. That’s all you need to know.”

Autumn wasn’t sure that was all, but she kept her doubts to herself. There was a knock at the door.

“That will be X,” he said. “If there’s a green dress, pick that. It will look good -with your green eyes and make your brown hair stand out. Once you’ve picked a dress I’ll have her bring the bling, so to speak.”

“Thank you,” Autumn said. She once again wondered what she was getting herself into. Maybe she should just offer him the papers at a reduced price and leave. But then she thought about the money, and how much more she could make, and she decided wearing a collar was worth it… just this once.