Now she was fully awake and sitting straight up in bed. She had to swallow twice before she could answer. “It got Finn.”
There was a silence on the line that Val could only construe as disapproval. As though she could control what a snake did.
“That is disappointing. I don’t suppose he’s dead.”
She’d been on the phone half the night getting updates from Cece, who had a friend at the hospital. “No, they got him there in plenty of time. You know not a lot of people actually die from snake bites.”
“I understand that, but sometimes it’s important to make a point. Julian Lodge should know that he’s not the only predator here. He might have money and power, but even something as small as a snake can be deadly if handled improperly.”
Val shivered. That snake hadn’t seemed small. She’d thought about how Dani would feel when she realized there was a snake in the car. She’d wondered if Dani would be the one to open the passenger side door and slide in only to find it already occupied. Val’s stomach turned. She’d done it anyway. She’d decided there was little risk that Dani would actually die, and maybe it would make her want to go with Finn back to Dallas.
Not that she would have had much of a choice. Jeremy had been insistent, and the truth was, he scared her. His bucket was pretty full of crazy, but if he could help her get rid of Dani, she would go along with just about anything.
“I was told that this Julian guy stayed at the hospital with Dani.” She’d been a bit surprised at that. Why would a billionaire care enough to hang around?
“Yes, well, the Master always did take good care of his submissives. Until he was done with them, of course. Then they can rot for all he cares.” Jeremy’s voice took on that hint of gravel that Val now associated with his temper.
Even after only one night hanging around the man, she’d figured out his rage was directed at Julian Lodge. Jeremy was silky smooth when convincing her that he could help with her Dani problem, but his voice got slightly rough when he mentioned Julian Lodge’s name. Jeremy was probably around her age, but there was a hardness about him that let Val know he wasn’t to be messed with.
Still, if he could scare her sister out of town, she’d be grateful. And polite. She didn’t want to give him a reason to sneak a black-market snake into the front seat of her sedan.
“So, what are you planning next?” Val would prefer to know so she didn’t step on his toes.
“I have a project I’m working on in Dallas. I won’t be back in town for a few days.” He sighed. “Look, it’s obvious to me that the Master is looking to take new slaves. He’s auditioning your sister, and possibly this Finn person.”
She wasn’t sure about auditioning, but Dani sure seemed to be getting some from the man. Cece had gleefully spread the word that this Lodge guy and Dani had been seen sneaking out of the bathroom with their clothes mussed. What the hell did a guy that hot see in Dani? And what was Dani doing with such a total perv? If this Jeremy guy could be believed, Julian Lodge liked a lot of variety in sex partners. She couldn’t see her uptight sister doing kinky things.
“From what I understand, they’ve gone back out to the Barnes-Fleetwood ranch. I don’t think I would be welcome out there.”
“Just make sure they don’t leave Willow Fork.” There was a click as the other end of the line went dead.
She let the phone drop as she slumped back against the bed. She thought about the offer she’d gotten on the place last week. Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars would buy her a whole new life. When she’d looked at that figure, she’d briefly thought about sharing it. A hundred and twenty-five thousand was a lot of money, but it didn’t seem fair she had to share it. Dani wouldn’t do anything interesting with it. Dani would probably give it away, and damn it, Val just flat deserved it.
She thought about the humiliation she’d felt every day since she’d gotten out of college and been forced to come home with her tail between her legs. She couldn’t find a job. She hadn’t been able to keep up, and she’d hated the city. No one listened to her there or gave a damn that she’d been the homecoming queen. She’d been a tiny fish in an enormous pond. The years she’d spent in college had been some of the most miserable of her life.
Of course, here in Willow Fork she was a big fish, but poor. Sure she could get married, but all the offers had come from working-class men. She needed cash or she would be stuck in this house or one like it for the rest of her life. She felt bad about Dani, but some things had to be done.
She sat in her bed for the longest time telling herself everything would be fine.
* * * *
“That’s perfect. That is exactly what I want. Finn, on the other hand, needs to work on his form.”
Dani kept her eyes down as she’d been instructed. She was kneeling with her hands on her thighs, palms up, and her legs were spread wide. With her back ramrod straight, there was no part of her that wasn’t on display. Her pussy was right out there for anyone to see, and yet she felt more confident than she could have imagined. Naked in Julian and Finn’s presence made her feel more powerful than she ever had before. Julian’s hand touched her head, stroking her as he considered Finn.
“Finn, your spine should be straight, your shoulders squared off, and your head lowered submissively. I thought Abigail and Samuel talked to you about this.”
Finn huffed. “They did. Sorry, it’s not very comfortable. And Dani’s had way more practice than me. You wouldn’t let me get out of bed until yesterday.”
They’d had words about it. Well, Finn had words about it. Julian had simply stared at him until he’d gotten back into bed. Dani had spent the last two days taking care of Finn and exploring the ranch with Julian when Finn rested. While Finn napped, Julian had taken her out to the barn and helped her saddle a horse. They’d ridden around with Jack and Sam, who showed them all over the seemingly endless ranch. Julian seemed to be perfectly comfortable with her. He’d openly held her hand and shown her great affection on their tour. At dinner, he’d pulled out her chair and made sure she had everything she could want. He’d treated her like a princess. It was far from how she had expected a submissive be treated.
“You were bitten by a venomous snake. I believe a few days in bed are called for. Besides, I didn’t force you to sleep alone.”
“I was grateful for that, Sir.” There was a warmth in Finn’s voice that let Dani know he was thinking of the night before.
While Julian had insisted Finn remain in bed, he hadn’t left him unsatisfied. After dinner was done on the second night of Finn’s bed rest, Julian had led her back to the guesthouse and up to the big bed. He undressed her and gently worked a larger plug into her ass. Finn had watched as Julian lubed her anus and fucked her with the plug before settling it deep in her rectum. There had been no mistaking Finn’s interest. His cock had stood straight up.
Julian had chuckled, and he’d ordered her to take care of Finn. She’d taken Finn in her mouth and sucked until he’d filled her. Then it had been Julian’s turn. He’d settled her on his lap and told her to ride. Up and down. Up and down. She’d forced her pussy to take that enormous cock of his, every inch a pure pleasure. She’d shivered and cried when she came.
He’d still slept downstairs on the couch.
She’d been cozy in Finn’s arms. It had felt normal and natural to snuggle down with her best friend, but she’d missed Julian.
He was an enigma, but one she felt compelled to solve. Since the night when Finn had been bitten, she had stopped questioning the relationship. He’d needed her that night. Though she had no idea why, her submission settled something inside him, so she gave it to him. The night before, she’d wanted to call out to him when he’d rolled her out of his arms, kissed her forehead, and quietly left the room. She’d remained silent. He wouldn’t have answered her anyway. When she was sure he was asleep, she’d snuck down and made sure he had a blanket. She’d watched him restlessly shift, lost in some dream.
“Danie
lle, have we lost you?”
Julian’s deep voice brought her out of her thoughts. “Sorry, Sir. I was thinking.”
“I asked you to help Finn. I had to ask three times. There’s no going into subspace without permission.”
“Subspace?” Dani asked, lifting her chin.
“Yes, subspace. It’s lingo for that nice floaty place you submissives find when doing a scene, though usually it takes some actual form of punishment to achieve. I was joking about the subspace. I believe you were simply finding the conversation between Finn and myself about proper positioning to be a bit dull. Let’s see if we can liven things up for you. Please stand.”
A little thrill went through her. He used that voice that promised something filthy was about to happen.
“Danielle, part of being my submissive is to obey me, but more than that it is to know what I want. I can’t be with you every second of the day, nor do I suspect you would want that.”
“Probably not, Sir,” she answered honestly. Julian could be a lot to take.
He chuckled. “I can understand that. So when I am not with you, there have to be rules, as there are in any relationship. I expect you to behave in a manner that brings pride to yourself, Finn, and me. Part of pride in being a submissive is in your strict obedience. There are many times in play that a Master will loan his subs out to another Dom. This is considered polite in BDSM society.”
The words dropped in the room like a bomb about to go off. Everything went silent and for a moment, she would have sworn she could hear her heart beating.
Danielle brought her head up. Tears pricked the back of her eyes. Loaned out? Like a library book?
“That is not happening,” Finn said, getting to his feet in a hurry. His hand came down to haul her up. “Get your clothes on, Danielle. I’m not going to let him pimp you out.”
Julian simply stood, his face a blank mask. He wore a pair of leather trousers and nothing else. His long, dark hair hung around his shoulders. She wanted so much for him to argue, to tell her she was different, but he stood there as though simply waiting for her to decide.
“Have you passed your subs around before?” Dani asked.
His answer was simple, nonemotional. “Yes.”
“Fuck that.” Finn began to pull her away, but she dug her heels in.
She studied Julian for a moment, much the same way he studied her. He wasn’t a man to wear his emotions on his sleeves. Hell, he buried them so deep in the back of that closet of a brain that sometimes she wondered if he had them. Then, the night at the hospital happened. He’d been a hurricane of emotion that night, though he’d never said a word. She’d felt it rolling off him in waves. He’d needed her. Was this something else he needed? Should she dismiss it totally if he needed it?
“Stop.” She tried to pull away from Finn.
He wasn’t having it. “Dani, you can’t let him tell you to fuck his friends.”
She sighed. “He doesn’t have friends. Haven’t you figured him out yet?” She turned back to Julian. “Why would you want me to do that, Sir?”
“I didn’t say I wanted you to do it,” Julian corrected. “I said it’s considered polite in some BDSM circles.”
She fell back into her position, perfectly content with his answer. She lowered her head, but not before she saw Julian’s face flush slightly. Happiness. She’d made him happy.
Finn sank down beside her. “Dani, you can’t do this because it’s polite. I get that you don’t like to make waves, but can’t you see this is wrong? I like the guy, too. Do you think I don’t want to please him? I’m a lot like you, but I can’t watch this. I can’t watch him treat you like some toy he can pass around to whoever asks for it. And I can’t let him do that to me, either.”
Julian sniffed, the aristocratic gesture amusing to Dani. “I would never pass you around, Finn. You’re far too obnoxious to foist off on someone else. Danielle isn’t demonstrating her submissiveness. She’s given me an enormous gift by giving me her trust.”
She sent Finn a smile. He sometimes forgot to really listen to what people said. “He won’t share me. He’s too possessive. I suspect he passed around his other subs because they enjoyed it.”
She also suspected that he’d chosen them for exactly that reason. From what she’d surmised, Julian wasn’t one to get in too deep. He’d chosen his companions with great care and studied caution. Until her.
“Precisely,” Julian replied, lifting her chin up so their eyes met. “It was written into their contracts that I had the right to give them away at any time. I had one particular submissive who wanted to be shared by many men. It made the sub feel wanted.”
“Poor girl,” Finn said.
“Oh, look, the morality police are here. He was a man, and, as it turned out, something of a criminal. I ended up turning him out when I discovered him conspiring with a guest against a friend of mine. I gave him what he required and he still turned on me, though I’m sure you see me as the villain of the piece. Perhaps you should look him up. His name is Jeremy. You can start a club.”
“So you won’t share us?” She heard the wealth of confusion in Finn’s voice.
Julian’s eyes narrowed. His lips curled back. “What I said, Finn, was that it is considered polite in some BDSM circles to share your submissives.” He grabbed Finn by the neck and hoisted him up like he would an errant puppy. “I am not polite.”
He began pulling Finn along across the playroom floor. She turned her head to see what was happening.
“Hey, I’m sorry if I misunderstood.” Finn’s feet tried to find purchase, but he ended up shuffling to keep up as Julian carted him to the bench he called a whipping chair.
“You continue to believe the worst of me. I think you’re here because you want Danielle, not because you want to be part of our ménage. I would prefer not to make Danielle choose. She’s had to make difficult decisions all of her life. Do you want to force her to choose between the two of us? Perhaps you would win. You have known her for longer, but what would it cost her?”
Everything. It would cost her everything. God, how would she choose? She knew deep down, if she was forced to, she would choose Finn. He was her best friend, but she wanted Julian so much. She needed time to show Finn that it could work. They could be like Abby, Jack, and Sam. They could be happy.
Finn stopped fighting and sagged down. “I don’t want Dani unhappy. I love her. I am here for her, but, damn it, I’m here for me, too. I want to find out where this goes. I just…I couldn’t stand the thought of you giving me away like I meant nothing. I can’t mean nothing.”
Julian stopped. His hold on Finn’s neck loosened, and Finn slumped to the floor. “I won’t ever share you. As long as we are together it will be you and me and Danielle. I will parade you around the club naked because your body and Danielle’s body belong to me. I’ll show you off because I’m proud to own such beautiful slaves, but I will kill the man or woman who touches you. I will show no mercy and give no quarter. For as long as you belong to me, you are precious to me and under my protection. I’ll be honest with you, Finn. Even if you asked me to, I would not share you nor would I share Danielle. At times, my needs will be more important than yours, and this is one of them. Luckily, in this case, our needs dovetail nicely. Now make your choice. Get into the chair and accept your punishment or you may leave.”
Finn didn’t hesitate. She almost laughed at how quickly Finn assumed the position. He really liked to be spanked. Masochist. It defined Finn to a T.
“Danielle, please join your Master.” Julian made the request as he opened one of the closet doors. An array of floggers, paddles, and whips came into view. She scrambled to join them.
“Thank you for your trust, love.” Julian’s arms wound their way around her waist. He dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers. “I would never share you.”
“I know.” She didn’t need that. She needed him. She needed to be precious.
His lips curled up as he looked dow
n at her. “What do you think we should use on poor Finn’s backside today?”
It was deliciously decadent, like choosing a treat for a friend. It was, in a way. Finn would enjoy it. She let her hand rub along the array of tools laid out in precise order. Paddles and floggers and whips, oh, my! The leather tails of the flogger caught her eye. She picked it up, testing the weight in her palm before handing it to Julian.
“Is that the one?” Julian asked, taking it from her.
She nodded and stared down at Finn. He looked so perfect hunched over the whipping bench, his spine perfectly curved in submission. His muscled ass stuck out as though waiting, pleading, for attention.
“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” Julian’s whisper caressed her skin.
“Yes.” This was what did it for Julian. This was the very reason he was a Dom. The trust Finn was showing him was a lovely thing.
“How many should we give him? He did misbehave.”
“Thirty,” Dani decided and was more than rewarded with the low groan that came from Finn.
“Thirty it is then,” Julian replied. He reached down and placed a hand on Finn’s back. “Danielle, I believe we’ll need a bit more than just the flogger. It’s thirty for disobeying, but I think a little torture is in order as well. We’re going to need some lubricant.”
She giggled as Finn swore. It looked like it would be an interesting afternoon.
* * * *
Finn relaxed as the flogger hit his ass. It was odd, but the pain seemed to fill some need in him long neglected. The flogger’s tails screamed along his skin, lashing fire on his nerves and leaving him strangely sensitized. He gripped the handles of the chair so he didn’t slip down. He counted as the flogger struck. One, two, three. The pain was king at first, but as it continued a lovely heat built, blocking the worst of the agony. Four, five, six, seven, and eight. Endurance was the key. It was a game. How much could he take? Finn was surprised that he put great pride in how much pain he could handle. Nine, ten, eleven, twelve, and thirteen. A sweet, floaty feeling invaded his veins. He forced himself to focus, to get the count out of his mouth. He’d rather float here in this nice cloud, but Julian would be disappointed.