Damn it, why did Vaughn have to be such a nice guy?

I brought Katie to New York for this party specifically so I could get her away from her gloominess in Chicago. Now one of the main causes of her depression had shown up to undo all my hard work at giving her some Christmas cheer; she could hardly look at Dexter Scott without becoming upset.

Well, I wasn’t about to allow that. We were going to have a nice, long session and then she was going to finally let out all the bad feelings she had been bottling up for the last month. I had let it go for this long because I couldn’t bear to see her broken. But damn it, she wasn’t healing with time because she wasn’t dealing with it.

When I was halfway to the bar, she noticed my approach and she quickly plastered on a tight grin. I frowned at her, no longer willing to gloss over her efforts at hiding her true feelings. Her smile faltered.

I got right up into her personal space and crossed my arms over my bare chest, staring down at her.

“Did I…” She hesitated, uncertainty eating away at her pleasant mask. “Is something wrong?”

“You tell me. Is anything bothering you?”

Her eyes flitted to Dex, and she swallowed hard. “No.”

I fixed her with a forbidding look, allowing my disapproval to weigh on her. Her tension built as several beats of silence passed.

“Are you lying to your Master?” My words were soft, but there was a dangerous edge to them.

She shifted on her high heels and dropped her gaze to the floor, but not before I saw the tears shining in the corners of her eyes. She blinked and bit her lip to hold in her grief.

My fingers curled beneath her chin, lifting her face to mine.

“If you’re only going to tell me lies, then you don’t have permission to speak at all. I don’t want to hear one word from you until you’re ready to be honest with me.”

Her features tightened with indignation, and her red lips popped open to give me a piece of her mind. My hand closed around her mouth, muffling the beginnings of her angry tirade. My other clasped her nape, preventing her from pulling back from me.

“Not. One. Word.” I glared down at her, holding her in my black stare until she softened in my hold and her eyes slid away from mine. “Better.”

I considered her for a few long seconds, formulating a plan. I had wanted to pamper her this evening, but it seemed a little torment was in order. My sub needed to give herself permission to break down, and I was going to have to be a hard-ass to get her to that point.

“Wait here,” I ordered, my voice lacking the usual warmth I showed her. Her trepidation over what I would do to her would make my job easier. I didn’t relish the thought of upsetting her, but I had certain responsibilities as her Master. I was supposed to take care of her emotionally as well as sexually, and that meant pushing her in ways that might make her uncomfortable.

I released her and went to find my kit bag. I had placed it in the private room I planned to use later, but it seemed I would need a few items sooner than I had anticipated.

Katie was waiting exactly where I left her when I returned to the bar. She watched me nervously as I approached. The way her tongue darted out to wet her lips made my desire stir, and my cock began to harden in response to her obedience. Even if I didn’t find pleasure in her emotional turmoil, her sexual distress was always a turn-on. The darker part of me found satisfaction in the signs of my control over her. She would comply with my demands, even if they pushed her to her limits. I couldn’t deny that the prospect was thrilling.

“Put your hands flat on the bar.”

Her movements were reluctant, but she complied.

“Keep them there.”

I hooked my arm around her hips, pulling her back a few steps so that her ass was offered up to me. A little tremor ran through her, but she didn’t resist. I knew that would change in a moment, so I kept my arm braced around her as I flipped up her short green tartan schoolgirl skirt. In accordance with my rules, she wasn’t wearing panties at the club, so she was completely exposed to everyone in the bar.

“Reed!” She cried my name in protest and struggled against my hold on her. Still, her hands didn’t budge from the bar.

I spanked her thigh in a swift, merciless blow. “I didn’t give you permission to speak,” I reminded her. “Unless you’re ready to be honest with me?”

She gritted her teeth and gave an irritated shake of her head. She wasn’t ready to face what was bothering her. My sub thought she was showing strength by denying her emotions, but she was only weakening herself.

“Then I want you to remember that you chose this,” I told her dispassionately.

I reached between her legs to test her arousal. My primal satisfaction only increased at the feel of her silky wetness against my fingers. Even in her distress, she was hot and ready for me.

Slowly, I slid two fingers into her pussy. She gasped and arched into me, a conditioned response to the pleasure I offered. I couldn’t hold back my slightly twisted smirk. I eased my fingers apart, stretching her, preparing her. I fully intended to torment her, but not with pain.

Her teeth sank into her lower lip with a soft whimper, and her cheeks flushed. She was torn between embarrassment and arousal. It was exactly what I wanted. I let out a low chuckle, and she convulsed around my fingers. A small, traitorous part of her enjoyed being embarrassed. It drove home her powerlessness under my hands.

I withdrew my hand from her, grinning at the way her greedy sex clutched at me in an effort to keep me in. I could hardly wait to fill her with my cock, but that would happen in due time.

I prepped the first instrument of torture. The smaller balls nestled within the two Ben Wa balls made a purring sound as they rumbled inside the larger spheres. They would roll and bounce every time she shifted her weight, causing vibrations to shoot through her pussy. I pressed one bright red ball against her slick entrance, and it slid in easily. She sucked in a sharp breath, but I didn’t give her time to adjust to the sensation. I guided the second ball all the way in, pressing against it until my finger breached her opening. I gave a little tug on the string that connected the balls. The movement caused them to bump together inside her, making them vibrate. A small, shocked cry escaped her. We had never played with these before, and it was a completely new experience for her. She might think the pleasure she was receiving was a reward, but she would understand her predicament soon enough.

She looked over her shoulder at me, wide-eyed and panting.

“Eyes forward.” As much as I enjoyed watching her reactions, I didn’t want her to see what was coming next.

Her gaze broke from mine, and she bowed her head so that she was staring at the bar top. Her blush had spread to all the way down to her chest, coloring her porcelain skin with a gorgeous shade of pink.

I shook myself slightly before I became so entranced by her that I forgot my purpose. Control. I had to maintain control.

Even when the urge to lube up my cock and fuck her ass right there was almost overwhelming.

Instead, I prepped the plug I had brought for her. It was small enough that it would fit comfortably with the Ben Wa balls inside her, but the remote control vibrator function would drive her crazy.

And I fully intended to take her to the brink of carnal madness. She would beg me to allow her to spill her secrets by the time I was finished with her.

She stiffened briefly when I touched the cool tip of the plug against her asshole, but a low noise of displeasure from me made her instantly relax. I fucked it in and out of her tight hole, awakening one of her darker pleasures. The movement caused the plug to bump against the balls inside her, and they rumbled against her g-spot. She shuddered and moaned, mindlessly pushing back into me, inviting me to penetrate her with the toy.

When it was fully seated inside her, I pulled her skirt back down to cover her. I then gently grasped her shoulders and eased her upright.

My amused laugh mingled with her shocked shout when both the plug and the Ben Wa balls moved, lighting up her most erotic nerve endings.

I pulled her into my arms, pressing my chest to her back so I could trail my fingertips across the top of her pinkened breasts. Her burgundy satin corset thrust them up enticingly, and I couldn’t resist touching them. I was becoming just as absorbed in her as she was in me.

“Are you ready to talk?” I whispered in her ear and then nipped at her lobe.

She shivered, hesitating. Then her shoulders straightened, and she managed a weak shake of her head.

“I don’t want to,” she said softly. “Please, Master.”

I placed a trail of gentle kisses down the column of her neck. “I’m sorry, sub,” I murmured against her skin. “You don’t get off that easily.”

I could feel the second her anger gripped her. Her body tensed, and she let out a little growl. She stamped her foot, but immediately regretted it when the Ben Wa balls rattled. Her soft whine and the way she went stock-still let me know that she had been sufficiently warned. She would be deeply embarrassed if she came in front of everyone at the bar.

“See what happens when you throw a tantrum?” I chastised. My teeth sank into the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder. “When you decide to be a good girl, I’ll take you somewhere private and you get to come. Until then, keep quiet and accept the consequences for defying your Master.”

The downward slant of her lips let me know she was livid. I didn’t often get so high-handed with her; it was rare that I topped her for something that wasn’t sexual. But she needed this, and it was my responsibility to see it through. We would both feel better for it in the end.

But for now, she wouldn’t be rewarded with my touch. In a show of nonchalance, I waved down the bartender and ordered a diet tonic. Katie’s eyes widened when I didn’t get anything for her. I ignored her resentment and gently grasped her upper arm, guiding her toward the couches, where I would have a good view of the public play space. I knew Derek would need my assistance soon, and I didn’t want to miss his signal.

Katie wobbled on her high heels as we crossed the short distance, the toys inside her teasing her with every step she took. She was glaring at me by the time I set a cushion down on the floor beside one of the armchairs.

Shifting my grip to her waist, I eased her down onto her knees. A ragged cry clawed its way up her throat as her torment increased.

“Spread your legs,” I ordered with a frown. She knew the position I wanted her in, but she pressed her thighs together and squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to block out the sensations that were teasing her pussy and ass.

I reached into the breast pocket of my leather vest and pulled out the remote control. With her eyes closed, she had no warning of what was about to happen.

Her shocked squeak when the plug started vibrating was rather adorable. I was distantly surprised at how much fun I was having toying with her. The civilized part of me might not like her distress, but my kinky side enjoyed the signs of her helplessness.

“I gave you an order,” I prompted, my voice rougher this time. I was getting drunk on my power over her. When she bit her lip and spread her legs for me, a fierce sound of pure masculine satisfaction rumbled from my chest. She glanced up, and the sight of her wide green eyes staring up at me only made me fall deeper into her. She took in a shaky breath and placed her hands palms-up on her knees, taking her submissive position.

I hadn’t planned to touch her, but my hand was suddenly caressing the line of her jaw, my thumb grazing over her slightly parted lips. The urge to take her mouth was almost overwhelming.

Control.

I breathed deeply and took a determined step back.

“Let me know when you’re ready to talk. Until then, I don’t want to hear one word out of you.” I hardened my heart against her shining eyes and waited. When silence stretched between us, I knew she was settling in for a battle of wills.

My fingers played through her coppery hair, and I sighed. “You know I’ll win in the end. I wish you wouldn’t be so stubborn.”

Her pleading look shifted to a glare, and I had her answer. I pursed my lips and withdrew my hand from her hair. There would be no gentle caresses or reassuring touches for her until she gave in.

I sat down in the chair behind her, leaving her to watch the erotic scenes unfolding before us in the public play space. I fiddled with the buttons on the remote control, setting the vibrations of the plug to a random pattern that would heat her up before dropping her cold again.

Although I kept tabs on what was going on between Derek and Sharon so I could help when I was needed, most of my attention remained fixed on my sub. Each time the vibrator started up, she would jump slightly. That would cause the Ben Wa balls to move against her g-spot, pushing her to the edge of orgasm. After a while, she began trembling, and she rocked her hips back and forth to earn more stimulation.

My fingers hooked through the back of her black leather collar, pulling it tight against the front of her throat.

“Be still.”

The sound she let out was close to a sob, but she stopped moving. I wanted so badly to take her in my arms and play with her clit until she came. She was truly suffering now, and I was no longer finding any joy in our game.

Just then, Derek waved me over. He needed my help with a suspension. I nodded to him and quickly turned to search for one of my friends. I couldn’t leave Katie alone like this, but I wasn’t willing to give in now. Not when I was so close.

My eyes found Smith’s where he was at the bar talking with Lydia, Kennedy, and a young blonde sub I didn’t know. The man recognized my need and excused himself from his conversation to approach me.

I gave my sub’s collar one final tug to reinforce my control.

“You stay here with Smith. I’ll be right back. Behave while I’m gone.”

She nodded meekly, and I released her regretfully. I hoped she wouldn’t safe word in my absence. In an act of mercy, I turned off the anal vibrator.

“Thanks, man,” I said in an undertone to Smith as he settled down in a nearby seat, tugging his own sub onto his lap. “I’ll be back soon.”

I plastered on a smile and went to help Derek. I wasn’t going to let my own drama ruin his happy Christmas. The mixture of pleasure and raw hunger on the man’s face let me know he was having the time of his life, and I didn’t want to dampen that with my problems.

It didn’t take too long to finish the suspension, and I dismissed myself with a final thumbs-up at Derek, my eyes already searching for Katie.

She knelt where I had left her, and Smith watched her with a frown. Her eyes were closed, her features drawn with sorrow.

I crossed the space between us and swept her up into my arms without another thought, holding her tightly to my chest.

“Okay, Katie. You’re okay. It’s over.” It took effort to keep my voice from shaking as the first tears spilled from her closed eyes.

Fuck. I had pushed her too far. It seemed I reached my breaking point before she did. She hadn’t bent to my will, but I couldn’t put her through any more.

She kept her eyes closed as I hastily carried her to the private room I had prepared for her at the beginning of the night. We wouldn’t be using it for the purposes I had planned.

I closed the door behind me and then sat down on the edge of the bed, keeping her clutched against me. Tension built in my chest as I watched her continue to cry silently.

“Katie,” I said her name hoarsely. “I’m sorry. Please look at me.”

Her eyes fluttered open, but I found no relief in her obedience. The turmoil I found in their emerald depths made my heart squeeze.

“I’m sorry,” I repeated. “I shouldn’t have pushed you like that. I just wanted to help you, but I went too far. Please tell me you’re okay.”

It was selfish, but I needed to hear it. I needed her forgiveness.

“I’m not okay,” she heaved out a sob. Once the first one was released, they wouldn’t seem to stop.

Every one of her cries was a knife to the gut. I had pushed her into a submissive headspace – I had made her vulnerable – and now she was dropping hard.

I recognized that she might not want me to touch her in that moment, but I couldn’t help holding her to me tightly. If I just held her close enough, she couldn’t keep this distance between us.

Hope flickered in my chest when she turned her face into me, and her slender fingers fisted in my vest. The way she clung to me reassured me that I hadn’t done irreparable damage.

“I’m sorry.” I couldn’t seem to stop saying the words.

“D-don’t be,” she forced out. “Y-you were right. I’m not okay. I didn’t want to- to talk about it, but-”

Her sobbing intensified again, but I pulled in my first deep breath since she had started crying. She wasn’t upset with me. She was giving in to her feelings. I had successfully pushed her to her breaking point. I had won.

Winning had never felt shittier.

My arms tightened around her in an effort to bring her impossibly closer to my heart. “I’ve got you,” I assured her. “You’re safe with me.”

“I know,” she admitted tremulously. “I just… I feel so lost sometimes. And seeing Dex here…”

I did my best to ignore the tug of jealousy in my gut at the sound of his name on her lips. I was well aware that her feelings for him were purely platonic. Maybe if I knew Dex’s feelings were purely platonic, I wouldn’t get that irrational territorial twinge every time she mentioned her friend. As it was, her former partner spent most of his time brooding over her when he thought neither of us was looking.

Again, I cursed Vaughn for being so damn polite. Why did he have to invite Dex to the party and screw everything up?

Pushing my own feelings aside, I focused on Katie. Her needs were what mattered now. Her melancholy had been following her for a long while; this was about more than Dex showing up at Decadence tonight.

“You’re upset about losing him as a friend,” I surmised. “I truly am sorry I came between the two of you, Katie. I know how important that relationship was to you.”

She blinked, looking almost startled. “But I love you,” she said urgently, cupping my cheek to pull me closer.

I kissed her lightly. “I know. And I love you too. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be sad over what’s happening with Dex. He’s your best friend.”

Her lower lip quivered. “He used to be.”

I had nothing to say to that. I didn’t want to offer false promises that the man would come around. So long as I was in the picture, things would never be the same between them. And I had no intention of bowing out gracefully. I didn’t have anything against Dex, but I would fight him if he ever made a play for Katie. She was mine, and I wasn’t giving her up.

“I’m here for you. You can talk to me about anything. I don’t like you keeping these things bottled up. It’s why I pushed you tonight. I need you to be honest with me, but more importantly, I need you to be honest with yourself.”

She gave me a shaky little nod of understanding. “It’s… It’s not just Dex. It’s Christmas.”

My brows drew together. “What’s wrong with Christmas?”

“I don’t have a family to spend it with!” She half-shouted on a burst of anguish. “I lost Dad, and now Dex. And Frank…”

All my muscles tightened with the rage that flashed through me at the mention of Franklin Dawes. The man who had been her surrogate father had turned out to be her worst nightmare. The memory of how I had found her with him, half-naked and tied to a bed in that basement…

“Reed?” She said my name tentatively, and her thumb stroked across my cheek. Her touch called me back to her, and I sucked in a deep breath. It took effort to release the angry tension from my body. My own fury wouldn’t help her deal with her issues. That was over now, and we needed to move forward.

“He’s g-gone.” She said the words to reassure me, but she tripped over them. Reconciling the man she had loved with the man who tormented her was still tearing her up.

My thumb hooked below her jaw, keeping her gaze fixed in mine. “Yes. He is. And I’m right here. I’ve got you.”

Suddenly, the tears on her cheeks wet my face as she brought her lips to mine in a desperate kiss. Her hand closed around the back of my neck, pulling me closer. Her desire was more than physical; she needed to feel my strength. It was my job to reassure her that I could carry her through anything.

Her cravings awoke an answering need in me. I wanted to comfort and protect, but my baser desires urged me to fuck her, to mark her as mine.

But I owed her more than a quickie.

Control, I reminded myself.

“I told you that you could come when you were honest with me,” I whispered across her lips. “I believe I owe you several orgasms.”

“Reed, you don’t have to-”

I pressed two fingers to her lips, silencing her. “Yes, I do. And it’s Master.”

She kissed my fingers reverently. “Master,” she whispered.

My cock hardened instantly in response to her open show of devotion. It reassured me that I hadn’t been inexcusably harsh with her. And damn, the signs of her submission made it that much harder to stop myself from pinning her down and fucking her brains out.

She deserved so much better than that. Besides, that was definitely going to happen later. And it would be all the better for waiting. The anticipation only made it that much hotter when I did finally take what was mine. I wanted her quivering and begging before I fucked her.

I laid her out on the bed before me, kissing her languorously as I guided her onto her back. My hands tugged at the front of her corset, drawing it tight around her torso until the clasps at the front popped open. It fell to either side of her body, exposing her beautiful breasts to me. I brushed my lips over each of her hardened nipples before turning my attention to her barely-there skirt.

She whined and arched toward me, begging me to further stimulate her breasts. My dark chuckle was muffled against her creamy skin as I kissed my way down her abdomen.

My fingers fisted in the tartan material at her hips, and I slowly slid the skirt down her legs, tossing it aside when it was clear of her heels. I left those on, enjoying the sight of her wearing nothing but those strappy black stilettos.

When I was satisfied with her state of undress, I pulled back just long enough to strip off my own clothes. I didn’t want anything separating my flesh from hers. Since she had left the Bureau for vet school, her body had softened slightly, and I loved the feel of her curves. Spread out before me in nothing but her fuck-me heels, she was any man’s wet dream.

But she was all mine. That pleased the possessive bastard inside me.

A shiver ran over her skin, and I realized I was smiling down at her almost cruelly. I didn’t bother to soften my savage expression as I retrieved the plug’s remote from my fallen clothes. I held it up so she could see what I was about to do. Her eyes widened and her breath quickened just before I turned on the vibe.

She cried out, and her hips bucked as soon as it came to life. I wasn’t using the low, teasing setting this time. It would buzz steadily, providing constant stimulation. Her eyes rolled back in her head as her movements made the Ben Wa balls bump against her inner walls.

“Look at me,” I ordered.

Her gorgeous eyes flew open. The vibrant green was nearly swallowed by the black of her enlarged pupils, and her long lashes fluttered with the effort of keeping her gaze fixed on me.

“Touch your clit. I want to watch.”

She let out a throaty groan and reached for her sex. She circled her sensitive bud before rubbing against it in earnest. Within a minute, her cheeks flushed, and her thighs began to tremble.

“Come for me,” I urged. My hands twitched at my sides, burning to touch her, to feel her coming beneath me.

I forced myself to hold back, savoring the sight of her orgasm. Before she had the chance to fully come down, I grasped at the string that connected the Ben Wa balls and pulled them free. Her body twisted and shuddered as the action made her hit a secondary peak. The vibe still buzzed insistently in her ass.

“Please, Master…” She trailed off on a groan.

I tapped the base of the plug, and she let out a shocked yelp.

“Please, what? Do you want me to take it out?”

She squirmed beneath me, her beautiful features drawn tight with indecision. The prolonged, intense pleasure was both torment and reward.

“Oh, oh… Please!” She screamed out as another orgasm began to build.

“I’ll take that as a no.” I couldn’t hold back my cocky laugh. I loved making her come undone like this. She was such a strong woman, and knowing that she would surrender her body and will to me – to reach this total abandon – was far more intoxicating than any drug.

She whined and rotated her hips, reaching for her clit again. I caught her wrist easily, pulling her hand firmly away. I gathered up the other, trapping her hands in my grip and securing them over her head as I settled my body over hers.

“Do you want to come again?” My voice held its own rough need. I was on the edge, too.

“Yes, Master. Please!” Her eyes remained locked in mine, but they had slid slightly out of focus. She was completely lost to the pleasure surging through her and the carnal desire I had awoken within her.

“You’re so beautiful when you beg,” I informed her in a husky whisper just before I drove my cock into her in one merciless thrust. She was so tight with the plug filling her ass, and the vibrations instantly shot through my dick. I couldn’t hold back a rough shout of pleasure.

I rocked back once and ground my hips against hers, stimulating her g-spot and clit. She shattered with a scream, her inner muscles contracting around me. I gritted my teeth against the nearly overwhelming pleasure and dragged almost all the way back out of her, relishing the way she rippled around me.

Her breath came in sharp pants, and she shook in the aftermath of her orgasm. Her body instinctively clung to me, her legs coming up to wrap around my waist, inviting me deeper despite her erotic exhaustion. A harsh, inhuman sound growled through my bared teeth, and I began to fuck her in earnest. My fingers tightened around her wrists as my muscles drew taut, straining to hold off my release.

“I want one more,” I forced out. I rotated my hips again, mercilessly grinding against her clit.

“Master!” She cried out, helpless to resist the onslaught of her pleasure.

My own orgasm finally swelled within me, a searing wave that would no longer be held back. I threw back my head with a roar, ecstasy flooding my system as I emptied myself into her.

As I began to soften within her, the vibrations of the plug against my cock became almost unbearable. I quickly switched it off to provide both of us relief from its erotic torture.

I simply held her like that for a long time, lavishing her with attention as I planted soft kisses all over her body and murmured how beautiful she was and how happy she made me. I was just as drunk on her as she was on me.

When I finally pried myself off her so I could remove the plug, I pulled back from my completed task to find that she was watching me with a broad, almost silly grin. Her love for me knifed through my heart with almost painful intensity.

Suddenly, I couldn’t wait any longer. I had planned to make a grand romantic gesture, but damn it if I was going to let one more minute pass without tying this woman to me forever. I shifted her body away from mine and gently set her down on the edge of the bed.

“Where are you going?” She asked, her face falling as she watched me walk over to my kit bag.

I found the little black box in the inner pocket where I had tucked it earlier that evening. I turned back to her with a wide grin, and she shifted uneasily.

“What’s that?” She thought I was going to torture her some more. But this wasn’t a kinky toy.

I got down on one knee before her, and her mouth popped open in surprise.

“You said you don’t have a family. That’s not true. I want to be your family, Katie,” I told her, my voice coming out strangely husky. I opened the box to reveal the diamond ring. “Will you do me the honor of marrying me?”

She simply stared at the ring, her lips parted. She didn’t appear to be breathing.

“Katie,” I prompted in the deeper tone I used while topping her.

She jolted and redirected her gaze to mine. She blinked, and then a slow smile spread across her face, lighting up her delicate features. Fresh tears formed in her eyes, but they weren’t tears of sorrow this time.

“Yes!” She cried out, flinging her arms around my neck. “Oh my god, yes!”

She kissed me almost frantically, her lips hungry on mine.

“You really want to start a family with me?” She asked breathlessly when she finally pulled back for air.

“Yes, more than anything. I love you, Katie,” I declared with the solemnity of a vow. “And you won’t be alone for Christmas. We’ll go to Atlanta and spend the holiday with my grandparents. They’ll love you too.” I kissed her wet cheeks. “That’s enough crying. I want to see you wearing my ring.”

She let out a watery laugh and offered her hand. I slid the white gold band onto her finger and simply marveled at the sight of it for long moments. I brushed my thumb over the glittering circular stone.

“It’s beautiful, Reed,” she said softly.

My eyes found hers again, and a fierce possessiveness rose up in me. “You’re beautiful,” I rasped. “And you’re all mine.”