This was far from the candlelight and rose petal fantasies many women picture as their first time having sex, but Adira couldn’t have asked for a better introduction of what sex could be like. Or better yet, what sex with Maddox could be like. It was raw, primal, and yet a connection was present that made her feel that she and this beast of a man were joined as one, and not just because his cock filled her with every thrust he made. Maddox had taken her, claimed her as his, and when he declared that she was his, she all but melted.

Mine.

That one word had the power to shred her heart. It collapsed any wall that stood to protect her feelings.

Mine.

What would that mean? What did it mean when she agreed?

Mine.

Regardless of all the questions and thoughts that ran through her mind, she liked the sound of that word. Yes, she would gladly belong to Maddox Steele.

In and out, harder and harder, his cock building a pleasure inside that forced a moan to escape her lips with each move. She closed her eyes, attempting to assess what the feelings swirling inside her were, what they meant. She had orgasmed before on her own—even by Maddox’s hand—but this was so very different. The pleasure started at her toes and grew in intensity as it made its way through her entire body until it exploded from her sex. She cried out as pulse after pulse of euphoric electricity pulsated from her pussy, clenching tightly around Maddox’s hardness.

As if he were waiting for her to completely unleash, he suddenly drove into her even deeper, his primal moan causing her to shiver as he spread her wider with his sexual hunger. His hands dug into her hips, his breathing hitched, and he growled as he gave one final thrust in Adira’s quivering sex. A room that had shortly before been filled with her cries, her pleas, her moans of pleasure, was now only filled with their deep breaths as they both recovered. When Maddox pulled out of her slowly, she collapsed onto the bed, eyes closed, wondering if she would just sleep right then and there. She no longer cared where she was, her satiated self demanded she not give one more ounce of effort. Her body only wanted to relish in her pleasure.

She did release another moan of contentment when Maddox came up and positioned her body into his as he held her close. Her face pressed against his bare chest, and she took in his delightful scent as he wrapped his arms tightly around her exhausted frame.

Kissing the top of her head, he said in not much more than a husky whisper, “Are you all right?”

She answered with another tiny moan, not wanting to talk quite yet. She still hadn’t opened her eyes, and her body almost hummed with satisfaction.

He chuckled. “I will take that as a yes.” He kissed the top of her head again, and then reached for a blanket at their feet and covered both of their nude bodies with the soft fabric. “It’s been a long night, my Adira. Sleep.”

She faintly heard his last word as blackness took over.

It wasn’t sunlight that woke her up, or the chirping of birds. It was something far more wonderful. Maddox was running his work-worn hands along her upper arm tenderly and placing gentle kisses on her forehead.

“Adira… time to wake up. We have a lot of things we need to get done today.”

She groaned and peeked through slitted eyes. “What time is it?” The dungeon had no windows, and the dim light of the room was the exact same way it had been during her punishment. She moved slightly and realized that Maddox still held her firmly against him, a position she didn’t want to break any time soon. “How long have I been asleep?”

“It’s morning. Later than most of us sleep around here, but after the activity last night, I have a feeling everyone will be getting a late start today.”

Adira’s face heated, and she nuzzled it into his chest. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I can’t believe I woke the whole house. I wasn’t thinking.” The memory of her behavior shamed her, and she owed a lot of people apologies. Especially the poor man at the stables. “I was so awful! They must all think I’m some spoiled rich girl. I never talk to people like that. Never. I was just so… hurt.”

“Shh,” Maddox said with another kiss to her forehead. “I took care of the situation last night, in the way I prefer to take care of things, and we move on from here. Every single person last night understands you are going through a lot. It doesn’t excuse the way you acted, but they won’t hold it against you. I told them all that I would handle it, and I did.”

The way he took care of things. Oh yes, her pussy throbbed with the memory of what he had done to her such a short time ago.

“Come on,” he said as he sat up, forcing her to a sitting position. She grimaced and quickly tried to reposition when the dull ache of a punished ass came into full effect. A new memory of last night washed over her, but this one had her inner core heating to match the heat still present on the flesh of her bottom.

Maddox chuckled again as he flung his lean legs off the bed and walked over to where he had shed his clothes. His tight, bare ass had Adira’s mouth watering, and her desire that she thought he’d fully quenched last night—or early this morning—returning.

“A little sore today?” he asked as he looked over his shoulder with a devilish grin.

Pulling up the blanket to cover her breasts, she avoided his eyes and feigned a pout. “Maybe.” Her crossed arms and pushed out lip only turned his chuckle into a laugh.

“You are awfully cute when you pout.” He pulled up his jeans and turned to face her before he buttoned them. The little patch of hair leading down to— “Come on, we need to get our day started.”

Adira had other things in mind. “Can’t we stay here for a little longer?” She batted her eyelashes playfully and attempted to turn her pout into a look of seduction. “I could tell you a story. You know, from The Arabian Nights?” Her eyes flickered about the room, equipment standing that just begged to be initiated. Turning her eyes to his, she grinned. “Of course, mine would be, shall we say, an adult version?”

Maddox grinned. “As appealing as that is, I’m afraid any storytelling is going to have to wait.” He reached for the corner of the blanket and tugged it off her completely with no effort. Completely exposed, Adira gasped and propelled her body forward, trying to reclaim it from his hands. The movement forward was all that he needed to grab both her arms and pull her to him. In one big swoop, Maddox had her naked frame cradled in his arms as he walked toward the door of the room.

“Where are we going? I’m naked!” she squealed, yet she only wrapped her arms around his neck rather than actually fight in any way. Being cradled in his arms gave her a sense of security, and being nude while he did so sent tingles of delight through her.

“To the gym. We have a shower and whirlpool, remember?”

“Maddox!” She hid her face against his chest in embarrassment when they fully exited the den of sinful, painful, and wicked delights. “What if someone sees us?” She pointed toward the room. “Can’t you at least grab the blanket?”

“They won’t. Don’t worry. And I like you naked.” He walked down the hallway, not even pausing to see if anyone was near. “Like I told you, I’m pretty sure everyone is still asleep. I would know if someone was back here.” He looked down at her and smiled, his warm eyes twinkling in the dim hall light. Kissing her gently on the lips, he said, “Relax.”

Enjoying another kiss from this man, she allowed her stiff body to relax in his arms as he continued to hold her firmly against his chest. She trusted him, and if Maddox told her to relax, then she would do as he said. She could have kissed him for hours, dancing her tongue with his, but her body betrayed her by releasing a shiver which had Maddox stopping the kiss instantly and rushing toward the shower with large strides.

Approaching the large stall with multiple shower heads coming from all different spots on the tiled wall, he said, “I’m going to put you down easy. But if your feet hurt at all, you just tell me and I will pick you back up.”

It took Adira a few seconds to understand why he was so concerned about her feet. Wiggling her toes to test if her feet still hurt from her foolish run outside with no shoes, she nodded her agreement.

Maddox lowered her feet to the floor, inch by inch, still bearing most of her weight while she tentatively stood. Thankfully, they felt fine other than a few tender spots in random places. Taking a few steps, with Maddox still holding her hand, she smiled up at him and said, “All’s good. No pain at all.”

Maddox nodded in approval and reaching the shower, turned on the faucets, stripped his jeans off, and tested the water with his upturned palm. He then looked over his shoulder and smiled as he reached out his hand. “Let’s get cleaned up.” His rippled abs, his lean muscles, his thick shaft stood unabashedly before her. He clearly was not a man afraid to show off what he had. And why should he be? He was nothing but chiseled perfection, just begging to be licked, tasted and feasted upon.

What the fuck had gotten in to her? Why did she want this man so much? He had full control of her heart, her soul, and her body. He was like a damn drug to her… an absolute weakness she couldn’t get a hold of. He made her want to do things that she would have never even considered before. He made her crave things, hunger for things, yearn for dark, taboo, and sinful acts that she never even considered before the day she met Maddox.

Adira walked toward the shower, swallowing against the lump in the back of her throat. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered so hard that she actually felt the need to place her palm against her lower abdomen. She had never showered with a man, and standing here before him completely nude, not engaged in a sexual act, felt so… vulnerable.

Taking a deep breath, she took his hand and allowed him to ease her beneath the warm, cascading water. She gasped and flinched when the steady stream made contact with her backside, only causing Maddox to chuckle again. She shot daggers his way, but quickly acquiesced when he entered the shower with her and pressed his naked body up against her, engulfing her with his massive frame as the water flowed around them. His cock pressed up against her and his obvious arousal had all the butterflies that were once in her tummy replaced with a hunger for round two.

“Turn around,” he commanded softly, which made her heartbeat skip. The anticipation of what was to come sent shivers down her wet body.

She silently did as he asked, waiting to feel his impalement from behind. What she didn’t expect was the sound of a bottle being squeezed into his hand and then his hands working shampoo into her hair. Her quick moment of disappointment was quickly replaced with an entirely different pleasure. Closing her eyes, and relishing in the way he massaged her scalp with the soapy suds, she purred, “That feels so good.”

Maddox finished with her hair, and gave the same care to lathering up her body. Each move sent fire to her core, but his actions were pure. He was simply taking care of her, not using this opportunity for more sex. Although she wouldn’t have minded more sex at all, she really did enjoy the pampering. As he showered her completely, she just stood in place and allowed him to take full control. The endearing act had her melting inside. Maddox Steele definitely had a firm hand, but at the same time, he had such a gentle and loving one.

“Maddox?” she said as she stood, watching him quickly wash down his own body.

He looked up at her with that devilish grin she had grown to love. “Yes?”

“When we were having sex, you said a word that has me curious.”

“What word was that?”

She paused, second guessing if she should have even brought it up. But the look on his face, and simply knowing what type of man he was, gave her no choice but to continue. “Mine.” Adira had to step out from under the water to cool down. She couldn’t believe she had just asked the question so easily, but she had. There was no turning back now.

Maddox rinsed the soap off his body and moved to stand directly in front of her. Placing both of his hands on each side of her face, he stared directly in her eyes. “Yes, you are mine.” He kissed her directly and pressed his tongue between her pursed lips, claiming her mouth with his. Her head grew light and her knees threatened to buckle. Pulling away from the kiss, Maddox added, “I don’t take that word lightly. I also don’t take the fact that I took your virginity lightly.” He pressed his palms a little more firmly against her cheeks. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

He scowled. “Adira…”

“Because you would have never done what you did if you knew, right?” When he didn’t respond, she continued. “Exactly. You would have treated me like a piece of fine china, not wanting to use me until a special occasion. But that wasn’t what I wanted.”

“But you deserved something more romantic for your first time. More gentle.”

“Maddox, you aren’t listening to me.” She reached up to pull his hands from her face and held them against her chest. “I wanted you. I wanted our first time to be how you would do it normally. So I pretended to be a little more—”

“I did think you were more experienced by the way you acted,” he interrupted with a stern look. “You were playing a dangerous game with fire.”

Adira nodded. “I know. I’ve never been so… forward before.” She giggled and looked away. “But I liked it. I’m glad I got the courage. Something about Texas and… you, brought it out of me.”

Maddox nodded. “But you better understand that I mean what I said. Things have changed. You are mine now.”

“What does that mean?”

He reached past her and turned off the water. “You’ll see.” He grabbed two towels that were folded neatly on a stand right outside the door and wrapped one around her. “I wish I had more time to show you what I mean, but right now we need to get some breakfast in you. After that, we need to get in the ops room with everyone and video conference with your grandfather. A plan needs to be put in play. I’m sure my brothers and father are anxious to get started.”

“My grandfather! I get to speak with and see my grandfather?” A joy so overwhelming pushed away all thoughts. The need to do this immediately brought tears to her eyes. “When? Can we do it right now?” She bolted past him out of the shower and practically ran out of the room.

“Hold on,” Maddox called. “I don’t think your grandfather would appreciate seeing you dripping wet in nothing but a towel.” He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back against his wet chest. “And no woman of mine is going to be seen by anyone but me like this.”

She turned into his arms and looked up into his eyes as tears streamed down her face. “What’s going to happen now? What do we do now that I am here?” Her joy blended with the fear of the unknown.

Maddox tightened the towel around her breasts and rubbed her back. “That’s what we will figure out today. But right now, young lady,” he said as he wiped at her tears with his fingertips, “we have to get you dressed, fed, and ready to face this day. We are running out of time.”

When she opened her mouth to protest and to tell him she wasn’t hungry, he silenced her with a finger to her lips.

“Shh,” he said with a reassuring smile. “I promise that you will speak to your grandfather and see his face as quickly as possible.”

She looked up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and sniffed back the tears that could have continued to fall if she allowed them to. “Thank you. Thank you so much for taking care of me.”

“Babe, I’ve only just begun to take care of you.” Warmth flooded through her and she smiled, loving the sound of that. She also loved the fact that his hand was gently pressed at the back of her neck, effortlessly guiding her through the house. Mine. Yes, she definitely felt like his. As they walked through the living room, the sound of voices and laughter rang out from the kitchen and had her smile slipping.

“You all right?”

Adira realized she had stopped walking and looked up to see Maddox’s concerned expression. “Yes… just… you won’t make me go in there alone?”

“No, I’ll come back and get you after I change, but as I said, it’s over, baby. The Steeles do not hold grudges against our own. You have no need to be either worried or embarrassed.”

Several moments passed, and she finally accepted his word and nodded. They continued on and Maddox left her at her door.

“Don’t take too long,” he instructed, bending to give her a kiss.

“I won’t,” she said, missing him the moment he turned to walk away. Entering her room, she walked straight into the bathroom and dropped the towel. Too shy to check out the state of her bottom while he’d been in the other bathroom with her, she turned to stare at it. Her mouth dropped open. How could it not be red, bruised and visibly swollen? From the intensity of both his hand and paddle, she had expected to see her ass a mottled mess. Instead, her skin appeared no worse for wear. Heck, her inner thighs showed more damage than her butt. Reaching for a bottle of lotion on the counter, she rubbed some onto her thighs that were chafed from riding bareback while practically naked. Grinning, she added another dollop to her palms, rubbed them together and then began to cautiously rub her buttocks. Wincing a bit, she discovered that though there was no physical evidence of her spanking, there was indeed tenderness beneath the surface.

It took her a few minutes to comb out her hair and dry it. Only then did she walk into the adjoining closet to find something to wear. As much as she’d like to fit in on the ranch, jeans were out of the question. Even though they were a bit too large, she was sure her butt would not appreciate being encased in thick denim. “Oh, thanks, Jennie,” she said, pulling a simple shift dress from its hanger. After donning the white set of lingerie that Maddox had bought her, she pulled the yellow dress over her head and was just slipping her feet into her sandals when a knock sounded on her door.

“Come in,” she called, moving back into the bathroom to apply a quick brush of blush and a dab of lip gloss.

“You clean up very nicely, Miss Nazar,” Maddox said, leaning up against the door frame.

She met his eyes in the mirror. “I can say the same for you, Mr. Steele,” she said, meaning every word. His black t-shirt stretched across his broad chest and his jeans fit perfectly. The belt around his waist made her shiver and her bottom clench as the possibilities of it being removed and used against her ass filled her mind’s eye. Good grief, Adira, can’t you think of anything else? She almost giggled thinking that yes, she certainly could, as her mind jumped from what his belt might feel like to how his hands would feel while he soothed her ass with a bout of steamy make-up sex.

His chuckle as he pushed himself away from the door to wrap his arms around her waist had her blushing. “Don’t ever play poker with my brothers,” he warned, nuzzling her neck. “Your face is as easy to read as an open book.”

Turning in his arms and wrapping her arms around his neck, she gave a long, suggestive look towards the bed before smiling up at him. “Then, Sir, you must know exactly why I’m thinking we can be a little late to breakfast.” A solid whack against her butt had her yelping and dropping her hands to soothe the sting.

“No more stalling. We’ve got things to do.”

“Fine.” She pouted, stepping away.

“Adira…”

“I’m just going to make the bed,” she said over her shoulder. “I don’t want Jennie to think I’m a slob as well as a brat.”

Maddox chuckled and moved towards the opposite side. He’d already pulled the sheet up into place and then looked up as if to see why she wasn’t helping.

She stood, a glimmer of gold in her fingers. “This is… is… how did you find it?”

“You were wearing it that night,” Maddox said, moving around the end of the bed towards her. “It seemed important. I mean, I felt it was something more than just a beautiful necklace. I wanted you to have it.”

She lifted her face, tears making a path down her cheeks. “It is. My father gave this to me when I turned eighteen. He said that it was his heart, and he would be so honored to know it lay against mine whenever I wore it. Thank you, Maddox.”

“You’re welcome, baby.” He bent to kiss each of her wet cheeks. “There’s a safe in the office where you can keep it and the bracelet when you’re not wearing them.” She nodded and returned the necklace to the table, smiling at the sight of the bracelet she hadn’t noticed once she saw the ruby shaped heart. After quickly making up the bed, she went to him, loving the fact that she had more than Zephyr to treasure. She had a ruby shaped heart that would remind her of the love she’d been showered with in the past, and the promise of a future with the man whose hand clasped her so gently and yet so possessively as he walked beside her.