It was cold in the car, and not from the air conditioning, although that was running fine. Autumn felt no need to talk to Shawn, who obviously felt the same way since neither of them had spoken a word to each other. They hadn’t even talked as they’d loaded the vehicle back at Silver Creek.

They were close to the Utah border now, and things weren’t getting any better. Autumn tried to figure out a way to bring up a conversation, but nothing she came up with sounded intriguing.

Finally, when they crossed into Utah and headed north on I-15, Shawn said, “Truth, or dare?”

The sound of his voice shocked her, and she gasped, then laughed nervously.

“Are you serious?”

“Very,” he said. “If we continue driving and not talking I’m going to fall asleep and then we’ll both be in a world of hurt. So, truth or dare?”

Autumn couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m afraid of the dare you’d come up with in the car. But then again I’m not too excited to talk about the subject you’re going to bring up.”

“Which is?” he asked.

“Sex,” she said. “Don’t act like I’m stupid.”

“All right, truth or dare,” he repeated.

“Dare,” she said.

“Flash me,” he said.

“Excuse me?”

“Flash me, your choice, top or bottom.” He looked at her for a few seconds before he trained his attention back on the road.

“We’re in the open,” she said. “There are trucks out here that can see down into the car.”

Why did she think this was funny? She shouldn’t, but she did, and she laughed. “I’m not flashing you my boobs in an open car. Sorry. Try something else.”

“How about truth, then?”

She quit laughing. “Fine, ask away.”

“How old were you when you lost your virginity?”

The laughter returned. That was an easy one. “I was a late bloomer. I was twenty-two.”

“How many lovers?” he asked.

“Wait a minute, one question at a time,” she said. “My turn. Tell me how you became a Dom.”

He put on his blinker to change lanes, so he could pass a truck. “That’s not a question, that’s a story. There’s a big difference.”

“Okay, I’ll rephrase,” she said. “How did you know you were a Dom?”

“I didn’t really,” he said. “It just sort of came to me.”

“That’s not much of an answer,” she said.

“Would you like me to flash you?” He took one hand off the wheel and put it on his belt buckle.”

“No!” She stilled his hand as carefully as she could, not wanting to touch him so personally. “I think we’ve established this is not the time, or the place.”

“Does that mean if it was a better time, or place, you wouldn’t mind me flashing you?”

“You’re not what I expected from a Dom,” she said. “You’re not forceful.”

“I am when I need to be,” he said. “I think you have it in your mind that Doms force themselves on subs, that they force the submissive to do what they want. The truth is just the opposite.”

“She decides what happens?”

“She, or he,” he said. “A good Dom reads their sub and knows what they want, what they desire. They push them beyond their boundaries; where they might say no, they take it a little farther.”

“You just proved what I said.” She felt smug. “They force their subs to do things they don’t want to do.”

“Once again, you’re reading things into something you know nothing about,” he said. “Doms are guides. They help their subs discover themselves.”

“That’s a good story, but who guides the Doms? Are they born knowing exactly how to bring a woman to orgasm?”

“I’ve learned a lot from the subs I’ve mentored,” he said. “Plus, as any good journalist should know, you read. You read a lot. And then you read some more. If you’re lucky you find the right person to be with, a partner that is perfect for you.”

“Like Carol and Kurt? It sounds like she’s the one who started their, as you would call it, journey into BDSM.”

“They have done the journey together,” he said. “They are perfect together.”

“You sound a little jealous,” she said.

“If by jealous you mean would I wish I had a woman in my life, then yes,” he said. “I’ve yet to find my perfect match.”

“I don’t think you’re going to do it by beating her ass,” Autumn said.

“You’re stubborn,” he said with a deep, sarcastic laugh. “I bet you’re the type of person who says the sky is green when it’s really blue.”

“I call a spade a spade,” she said. “Carol may have convinced herself—” Her words trailed off. Carol, she knew, hadn’t convinced herself of anything. The woman really enjoyed what she and her husband did in their sex lives. There was no mistaking that from the look on her face last night. “I’m hungry. We need to stop somewhere.”

“Okay, change the subject,” he said. “But you know she’s not being forced to do anything.” He handed her a paper map, something she hadn’t used in a long time. “Check and see how far it is to the next town. There’s lots of small ones along this road. We can stop, stretch our legs and get something to eat.”

Autumn knew neither of them were really hungry. It was just a way to break off from a conversation that was going nowhere, one they would never agree on. At least she didn’t think they would.

“Did you bring any non-fiction books for me to read?” she asked.

“You’re confusing me to no end,” he said. “First you say you call a spade a spade, and you think Carol is kidding herself about what she feels. Then you tell me you want to read about it. Which is it?”

He was exiting the highway in some small town. “It looks like we’ve got one café, and one fast food joint that is in every small town in America,” he said. “Which do you prefer?”

“The café,” she said. “It’s always fun to try the local cuisine.”

This time his laughter was real. He was at a stoplight, the only one in town as far as Autumn could see.

“Sounds like a plan,” he said. The light turned green, and he eased into the intersection, only to get hit by a truck that ran the light coming the other way.

“You’re lucky you weren’t going very fast,” said the lawman, who said they could call him Ralph. “You’re unlucky that the one service station in town doesn’t do body work. This is the only auto accident we’ve had in months, probably a year.”

“Yeah, lucky for us,” Autumn said. “They can tow the car into St. George, right?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ralph said. “There’s some beautiful places to hike there. Y’all can enjoy the afternoon, see how long it’s going to take them to make your car drivable.”

Autumn looked at the car, where the front fender was crumbled like an accordion in a box. She looked over to Shawn. He had a look of resignation on his face.

“Is there a car rental place there?” Shawn asked.

“Yes, sir,” Ralph said. “I bet they can get an insurance adjuster to assess the damage, too.”

“I’ve already talked to my agent,” Shawn said. “I’ll tell him to have someone meet us there.”

The service station attendant had already hooked the car up for the thirty-mile trip to St. George. He introduced himself as Walter, and then helped Autumn into the cab of the tow truck.

“Not supposed to take passengers anywhere,” Walter said after they had all three squeezed into the cab. “But I figure what the hell, I can’t leave you stranded. Lucky nobody was hurt.”

“True,” Shawn said. “But I’m pretty sure the frame is cracked.”

“Well, that would suck,” Walter said. He started up the car and they drove the thirty-miles in relative silence, except for references to the weather and the history of the area. “There’s a beautiful resort outside town, with cabins, a golf course, saunas, the works. My wife would like to go there but it’s a little out of my price range.”

They all laughed.

“I can drop you at the dealership that’s going to be looking at your car,” Walter said as they made the city limits.

“That would be fine,” Shawn said. “Although, that resort sounds good. If you would wait to see how long it will take them to look at the car, I’d pay you to take us out there. You’ve gone beyond the call of duty by bringing us here. You’ve saved me the trouble of calling a car service.”

“Nonsense,” Walter said. “This is the most excitement we’ve had in No-Name in a long time.”

“Who named the town?” Autumn asked.

“Someone years and years ago,” Walter said. “I think they thought they were being funny.”

They pulled up at a dealership where Shawn got out and talked with two different men. Autumn wasn’t sure who they were, but the discussion seemed very serious. When Shawn started back in her direction she knew things were not good.

“How bad is it?” she asked. One of the men was walking over to the car, clipboard in hand.

“I’ve wanted a new car for a while,” Shawn said. “This is a good excuse. It may not look that bad, but he was going fast enough to damage the frame, I think. I’m going to take a check and sell it to a junkyard, and then buy a new car while we’re in the Springs. I’ll rent a car to get us up there.”

“It’s your car,” she said.

“Yes, it is,” he said. “Whatever I get for the damage will help cover a down payment.”

Autumn wished she could buy a new car on a whim, which was basically what this was.

“I’m going to talk to Walter for a minute,” Shawn said. “We’ll get our bags out of the car and he’ll take us to the resort he talked about.”

“It sounds expensive,” she said.

“My treat,” he said. “I think we could both use massages to ease the pains that might come after this.”

That was a good idea. Normally she wouldn’t take that sort of thing from someone she hardly knew, but he was right, they could use the massages after the accident. But she didn’t normally talk about sex and BDSM with men she’d just met, either, so she figured she might as well continue the “let’s be a rebel” road she was already taking.

Shawn and Walter loaded the bags, and Walter piloted the truck to the outskirts of town. When he pulled through the gates of the resort, Autumn’s mouth opened in shock. Walter wasn’t kidding when he said this was a high-end establishment.

Walter pulled in front of the main building, and Shawn reached for the door handle. “Let’s go ahead and unload.” He took out his wallet and handed Walter a hundred-dollar bill.

“No, no,” Walter said.

“Yes, yes,” Shawn said with a laugh. “They’re going to deliver a rental here later. You take this as a tip for going above and beyond.”

“I can’t do that,” Walter said. “But thanks, anyway. Y’all have a good time.”

Shawn put the money back in his wallet, and they got out. When they’d unloaded the bags, they went inside, and Walter drove off.

“Stay here,” Shawn said. “I’ll get us set up.”

There was no sign outside the gate that advertised a vacancy, but Autumn figured a place like this wasn’t one that would. Things seemed to be talking longer to check in, and when Shawn came back, he was smiling. A young man trailed after him and quickly picked up the bags.

“This way, sir, ma’am,” he said as he headed out the front door.

“We have appointments for massages at four,” Shawn said.

The bellhop had stopped beside a golf cart, and Autumn tried to hide a smile. She’d never stayed at a place large enough to offer motorized transportation before, and here she was doing it twice in the last few days. They got in the back while the bellhop got in the front.

“You got two rooms, right?” she whispered to him as the cart started forward.

“Just like Siler Creek, they have cabins, not rooms,” he said. Before she could object he continued, “Ours has two rooms, and two bathrooms.”

“That’s good to hear,” she said.

The buildings were all made of white stone, and had beautiful landscaping of trees and dark green grass. Off in the distance, Autumn could see a golf course. It was the only thing she hadn’t really seen at Silver Creek. She said as much to Shawn.

“The people that visit Silver Creek are not there to golf,” he said. “We have equipment for workouts, and a swimming pool and the like, but no one has ever mentioned a need for a golf course.”

“It seems to me like an enterprising Dom could figure out a way to use a golf course in their play time,” she whispered in his ear.

“Is that a challenge?” he asked. His deep voice made her shiver.

“No, it’s just an observation,” she said.

“We’ll see about that,” he said.

The car pulled up in front of a unit that made Autumn gasp. This was definitely something she couldn’t afford on her own, even with the five grand she’d earned by bringing Shawn the information about the buried robbery loot.

The bellhop showed them inside. Everything was done in chrome and glass, and Autumn noticed there were indeed two sides to the unit. After Shawn had tipped the bellhop and they were alone, Autumn said, “I’ll take the left.”

“Sounds good to me,” he said. “We have a few hours before our massages. Do you want to eat, or rest?”

“Both,” she said. “Eat first, then rest, then massage. Call for room service. If they have a great, greasy cheeseburger that’s what I want, with a big order of fries. And a hot fudge sundae for dessert. If they only offer health food get me a salad.”

He laughed. “Something tells me the salad won’t satisfy you like the big, greasy burger.

“You got that right,” she said. “Let me know when it’s here.”

“What do you mean it’s a couple’s massage?” The tasty cheeseburger she’d eaten for lunch felt like a rock in the middle of Autumn’s stomach. She clutched the robe she wore tight around her chest.

“It’s not like I’ve never seen you naked,” he said. “As a matter of fact, it was the first day we met, I believe.”

“We are not doing a couple’s massage,” she said through her teeth, the words coming out as a hiss.

“This was the only spot they had open,” he said. “Now if you want to back out you can go to our rooms and I’ll see you there. Me, I’m going to get a massage.”

He took a step away from her and pushed the robe he wore off his shoulders. It dropped to his feet and Autumn, despite her best intentions, let her gaze travel down his naked body. He was not erect, but he was still larger than the other two men she’d seen in her lifetime.

“Now you’ve seen me, and you don’t have to worry about how you’ll react when I’m on the table.”

He put his robe back on, then sat down on one of the chairs in the dressing room.

“You’re incorrigible,” she said.

“I’m not ashamed of my body,” he said. “You shouldn’t be, either.”

“They give these massages in an effort to arouse people,” she said.

“Wrong, they’re given in an effort to deepen a bond between a couple,” he said.

“I hate to bring this up, but we’re not a couple,” she said.

He stared at her, and for a moment she thought he was going to back out and let her take the massage alone.

“I know I should do the gentlemanly thing and give up my spot, but my shoulders are killing me,” he said. “I’m sure you feel the same way. I’m not going to hit on you. I promise. Let’s just let these ladies take care of our shoulders and back and then go back to our rooms and sleep. We have a long trip ahead of us tomorrow. We’ve got to be in the Springs by four, which means we need to leave here by dawn.”

Autumn knew he was right, but that didn’t mean she was willing to get naked in front of him, again.

Before she could continue to object the door to the other room opened and a woman stepped inside. She was pretty, but not too pretty.

“You ready?” she asked brightly.

“We are,” Shawn said. He put his arm around Autumn’s shoulder. “Come on, lover, let’s get the kinks worked out. We were in a car accident earlier in the day. Not a bad one, but we need to relax.”

“Then you’ve come to the right place,” she said. “I’m Belinda and my partner’s name is Erica. We’re going to make you forget all about what happened today. Now, don’t be shy. Just come on in, take off your robes and lie down on the tables. We’ll have you relaxed in no time.”

The smell of jasmine drifted out from behind Belinda, and Autumn inhaled and smiled. She loved that smell. There was no reason why she shouldn’t enjoy this. The ladies were not going to have sex with them, or leave them to have sex together. This wasn’t the Silver Creek. She made a mental note to ask Shawn if they offered this type of thing at their resort.

Shawn went in first, and he dropped his robe and climbed onto the table. Erica put a sheet over his ass as he settled onto the table.

Autumn must have hesitated a moment too long because Belinda put her hand on her shoulder. “If you’d prefer to be totally wrapped in a towel we can do that.”

“No, I’m fine,” Autumn said. She followed Shawn’s lead and soon she was lying under her own sheet. She glanced around the room. The light was low, and there were candles on various surfaces. Light classical music floated through the air. The minute Belinda put her hands on Autumn’s shoulders and started to knead them, the tension left her body. She moaned softly as the incredible feeling soaked into her.

No one talked as the two women worked. Several times, Autumn looked over at Shawn. His eyes were closed, and it was obvious from his expression that he was enjoying the attention as much as Autumn. As she watched him, she thought he might be asleep.

She moved her hand toward him just as Belinda ran something very warm down her back.

“Oh, that feels good,” Autumn said.

“Have you ever had a stone massage?” Belinda asked.

“No,” Autumn said.

“Your man has been neglecting you,” Belinda said with a soft laugh.

“I have,” Shawn said. “Give her the works. Don’t leave anything out.”

Her hand was still between their tables and he took it and squeezed. His touch was warm and comforting and she thought back to the accident.

It had been jarring for them both, but he had been more concerned about her than about himself. He hadn’t rushed out to assess the damage on his car. Instead he’d grabbed her hand and said, “What hurts? I’ll call an ambulance.”

She’s assured him she didn’t need it, but he’d ignored her and dialed 9-1-1. He’d hurried out of the car and came around to her side, stopping her when she tried to stand. He’d gently examined her arms and shoulders. Only after he’d assured himself that she wasn’t injured did he talk to the other driver.

As Belinda worked on Autumn’s shoulders, she thought about the difference in his touch, and the one of the woman currently working on Autumn’s shoulders.

How could a man who taught another man how to beat a woman’s ass be so tender? How was it that he seemed to care about her when they barely knew each other?

“You’re still very tense,” Belinda said softly as she moved her hands down to Autumn’s back. “You need to close your eyes and stop thinking so much.”

“That won’t happen,” Shawn said. “Autumn’s mind runs 24-7, at three hundred miles an hour. She’s always thinking.”

“Is there something wrong with that?” she asked.

“There’s more to life than thinking, darling,” Shawn said. “You need to learn to relax, to enjoy yourself.”

She wanted to tell him she didn’t have much time to enjoy herself lately, that she had to worry about things like making a living, paying rent and thinking about what she was going to do with her life.

But she didn’t think bringing up those subjects in front of the technicians, or nurses, or whatever they were was appropriate. Autumn kept her eyes closed and pushed everything from her mind but the hands working the knots out of her back. As she relaxed she felt as if she might drift off to sleep. That seemed like a waste of good money that Shawn was spending on the massages.

But she couldn’t help it. The more she relaxed, the more she slipped…

“Autumn.” Shawn’s voice broke into her relaxation.

“You look so beautiful. I wanted to say I’m sorry for what happened today. It was my fault.”

She looked over to where he lay next to her. “You didn’t get the ticket.”

His smile made her nipples harden. Once again, she wished her body didn’t respond to him.

“True, but I should have been paying more attention to the road,” he said. He held out his hand and, against her instincts, she put her hand in his. He squeezed gently. Belinda continued to knead Autumn’s muscles. Shawn continued to gaze into her eyes.

Her arousal grew with each moment, and when she finally realized Belinda’s hands were gone, and that she and Shawn were alone in the room, she swallowed hard and said, “They’re done. We should go.”

He didn’t stand. Instead he turned on his side and put her hand in both of his. Then he gently traced his finger over her palm.

“Don’t,” she said, although she didn’t move her hand away from hers.

“When was the last time you opened up to a man?” he asked.

Now, she tried to pull her hand away from his. “That’s none of your business.”

“I’m making it my business,” he said. “You’re wound up tight. You need to relax. You need good sex.”

“I won’t disagree with that.” This time she did pull her hand away and she stood, forgetting that she was naked under the sheet, which dropped to the floor. Shawn was on his feet before she could grab it. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, his tongue probing her mouth so deeply, and seductively, that she melted against him.

He had one hand at the back of her neck, and with the other one he cupped her breast. He thumbed her hard nipple and Autumn moaned into his mouth. It felt so good that she never wanted the kiss to end, but it did when he moved his mouth down to her breast, taking her nipple deep into his mouth. He sucked and licked, and Autumn grasped him tightly.

Until he bit her nipple, not hard enough to draw blood, but hard enough to make her gasp. She tried to push away. He bit her again, and again, and when he moved his mouth to her other nipple he dropped his hand to her pussy.

His fingers delved into her wetness and he found her clit immediately. He rubbed it, then pinched it at the same time he bit her nipple.

Autumn exploded, the world spinning around her as he continued his assault, pinching and biting until the orgasm faded. He let go of her and she dropped back onto the table, her back on it, her feet planted on the floor.

She hummed with pleasure, and too late she realized he’d dropped to his knees, his face planted between her thighs.

When he licked her pussy, and then nibbled on her clit before he sucked it into his mouth and bit it like he’d done to her nipples, Autumn thought she’d died and gone to heaven.