Alasdair

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My gaze keeps sliding back to the timid little mouse slouching at a table in the corner. The one Georgia rescued from her abusive husband.

Katie.

I shake my head. She’s not for me.

Oh, there’s a piece of me that wants to wrap her in my arms and keep her safe. The problem is, the protector part of me has zero control over my sexual appetite.

That part of me is feral. A beast who wants to tangle my fist in her hair, forcing her to her knees so I can shove my cock deep in her throat until she gags, then push farther. A beast who wants to bind her naked to a spanking bench and stripe her with a cane, over and over, until her ass and thighs are completely covered in my marks. A beast whose imagination is limitless. A beast who wants to make her sob and scream and beg for mercy. A beast who wants to break her.

No, she’s definitely not for me.

I shift in my seat, willing away the erection that’s taking up way too much space in my pants. Why the fuck did I even come to this thing?

Right, because it’s Heath’s fucking wedding and I’m fucking obligated to be here.

And it just fucking figures my cock is ignoring the few potential hook-up options in favor of an already broken toy.

Someone flops onto the seat next to me, shifting my attention away from the little mouse. “Heath. You should be with your lovely bride.”

“Soon. First, I have a huge ask.”

“Anything, you know that.”

“I’m so glad you said that.”

Oh hell, I’m going to hate this.

“It’s kind of a two part thing. I need you to take Katie back to Virginia with you. And I need you to be her Dom.”

“Come again?”

“When you leave tonight—”

“Oh, I heard you. I just didn’t think you could possibly be serious.”

“Deadly.”

“When I said I’d do anything, I meant anything but the Dom bit.” I can’t believe he’d ask such a thing of me.

“Why not?”

“She’s already broken. I could really damage her.”

“She needs this. And she’s going to get to a point where she’s desperate, and she’ll seek out someone to give her relief. She’s done that before, and look how it turned out. The fact that you recognize that she’s broken and are concerned about making it worse already tells me you’re the right choice. Besides, I didn’t miss the way you were eyeing her up at the wedding. You wanted her. Now you can have her.”

“No. It’s not right. She needs to heal. If she really wants to be involved in BDSM, then she needs a gentle Dom. Someone who will give her a nudge as she’s ready. Not a hardcore sadist like me who will push her right to the very edge of sanity.”

“She’s a masochist, Dair. She needs more than a Dom who’ll give her a barehanded over-the-knee spanking as a Saturday night special treat. She needs someone who’ll give her real relief. She needs you.”

“I—”

“What does Georgia do?”

“She rescues abused women.”

“Do you think she’d recommend a dangerous situation for someone she’d rescued?”

“Of course not.”

“Yet, she recommended you as the right person to give Katie what she needs.”

“Fuck off. There is no way Georgia would risk Katie’s emotional safety like this.”

“You’re right on the part about Georgia not risking Katie’s emotional safety. Georgia is seriously concerned about Katie doing something reckless. And quite frankly, so am I.”

“Why, what’s she done?”

“Nothing…yet. Not that we can tell, anyway. But it won’t be long. She’s going to need some relief, and the more the pressure builds up, the more likely it is she’ll do something reckless. Plus, she’s safer if she’s out of town. We weren’t planning to ask you so soon, but Georgia got a call from the prosecutor this morning. That abusive fucker managed to make evidence disappear and witnesses recant their statements. He’s been released, so we need to come up with a long-term plan now her ex is no longer going to trial.”

“Why not just get me a big ol’ neon sign that says Dair’s Safe-house of Pain.”

“Hey, that has a great ring to it.”

“Fuck off, Heath. I’m not a babysitter, and I sure as fuck am not a service sadist.”

“In all seriousness, Dair, she needs help on a bunch of levels, and you’re the one person who can provide it.”

I rake my fingers through my hair in frustration. I want to do the right thing. I just don’t know what it is.

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